Fort Tenedos


Fort Tenedos was large earth-walled fort was constructed on the Zulu side of the Tugela River in January, 1879, opposite Fort Pearson, to support the British at the start of the Anglo-Zulu War. It was named Fort Tenedos after the British warship, anchored off the mouth of the Tugela. Her crew formed part of the Naval Brigade. The Fort was built under the supervision of Capt Warren Richard Colvin Wynne, R.E.
The fort's armament consisted of two guns from the Royal Artillery, two 7-pounder guns with the Naval Brigade, and a Gatling gun. Local British units consisted of the 91st Highlanders, Natal Hussars, the Durban Mounted Rifles, Alexandra Mounted Rifles, Stanger Mounted Rifles, and the Victorian Mounted Rifles. There were also some 2,200 Natal Natives formed into two battalions of the 2nd Regt., Natal Native Contingent, and a company of Durnford's Natal Native Pioneer Corps. These men were recruited from local African tribes hostile to the Zulus.