Hd Qr Camp Zululand near Rorkes Drift
14 January 1879
Unless you carry out the instructions I give you, it will be my unpleasant duty to remove you from your command, and to substitute another officer of No. 2 Column. When a column is acting separately in an enemy's country I am quite ready to give its commander every latitude, and would certainly expect him to disobey any orders he might receive from me, if information which he obtained, showed that it would be injurious to the interests of the column under his command – Your neglecting to obey my instructions in the present instance has no excuse. You have simply received information in a letter from Bishop Schroeder, which may or may not be true and which you have no means of verifying – If movements ordered are to be delayed because report hints at a chance of an invasion of Natal, it will be impossible for me to carry out my plan of campaign – I trust you will understand this plain speaking & not give me any further occasion to write in a style which is distasteful to me.