Letters of Lieutenant Charles D'Aguilar Pope

Manuscript letters from Lieutenant Charles D'Aguilar Pope from the Eastern Cape during the last Frontier War of 1877 / 1878 and one from Camp Greytown, Natal prior to the outbreak of war in Zululand. The letters are illustrated with miniature pen sketches. Included are typescript transcripts of each letter.

Charles D'Aguilar Pope was born on the 23 August 1849 and educated at Bath before entering Sandhurst in 1865. On passing out in 1868 he was gazetted to the 2nd Battalion of the 24th Regiment. He became Lieutenant in 1871 and shortly afterwards embarked for Madras where he served for 3 years. Returning to England from India in 1876, he passed through a course of garrison and gunnery instruction, and from the School of Musketry at Hythe came out with an extra first-class certificate.

In February 1878 Pope embarked for South Africa and, arriving at the Cape, served with his battalion through the Kaffir War of that year. In the following November he proceeded with the regiment to Natal to join the force being prepared to act against the Zulus in the event of their not complying with the terms of Sir Bartle Frere's ultimatum. He took part with the regiment in the subsequent advance of Colonel Glyn's column in January 1879, and was present at the reduction of Sirayo's stronghold in the Bashee Valley. Pope was in command of G Company at the Battle of Isandhlwana when he was killed on the 22 January 1879. He was a skilled draughtsman, whose sketches were published in the Graphic.

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Collection level description created by Marion Lowman, Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House.

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