Page:Dictionary of National Biography. Sup. Vol I (1901).djvu/478

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Chard
416
Chard

part of the impression was destroyed by fire. This loss seems to have dispirited Chappell, as he did not continue the work, in which Dr. Ginsburg and E. F. Rimbault were to have collaborated. To 'Archæologia' (vol. xlvii.) he contributed a paper on the Greek musical characters which are to be found, phonetically written, in several service-books of the Anglo-Saxon church. At the foundation of the Musical Association in 1874 he was appointed a vice-president, and on 6 Nov. 1877 he read a profound and original paper on 'Music a Science of Numbers.' During the latter part of his life he lived mostly at Weybridge, but died at his London residence, 53 tipper Brook Street, on 20 Aug. 1888.

Though Chappell published but few works, he exercised a deep influence on the study of musical history in England; and each one, whether small or large, contained the results of long and patient research, and remains a standard work of reference. But he never freed himself from his early prejudices against Scotch music and Dr. Barney.

[Chappell's articles in Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, i. 339, 414, ii. 416; Concordia; Times, 22 and 23 Aug. 1888; Notes and Queries, 7th ser. vi. 160; Musical Times, September 1888; Banister's Life of Macfarren, pp. 135, 270; Kidson's British Music Publishers, pp. 33, 35, 224.]

H. D.

CHARD, JOHN ROUSE MERRIOTT (1847–1897), colonel, royal engineers, the hero of Rorke's Drift, second son of William Wheaton Chard (d. 1874) of Pathe, Somerset, and Mount Tamar, near Plymouth, Devonshire, and of his wife Jane (d. 1885), daughter of John Hart Brimacombe of Stoke Climsland, Cornwall, was born at Boxhill, near Plymouth, on 21 Dec. 1847. Educated at Plymouth new grammar school, he passed through the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, and obtained a commission as lieutenant in the royal engineers on 15 July 1868. His further commissions were dated: captain and brevet major 23 Jan. 1879, regimental major 17 July 1886, lieutenant-colonel 8 Jan. 1893, colonel 8 Jan. 1897.

After the usual course of professional instruction at Chatham, Chard embarked in October 1870 for the Bermudas, whence, in February 1874, he went to Malta, and returned home in April 1875. On 2 Dec. 1878 he left England with the 5th company, royal engineers, for active service in the Zulu war. On arrival at Durban, on 4 Jan. 1879, the 5th company was attached to Brigadier-general Glyn's column and marched to Helpmakaar (150 miles), Chard being sent on in advance with a few men. When Lord Chelmsford entered Zululand with Glyn's column he crossed the Buffalo river at Rorke's Drift, where Chard was stationed. On 22 Jan. Chard was left in command of this post by Major Spalding, who went to Helpmakaar to hurry forward a company of the 24th regiment.

Rorke's Drift post consisted of a kraal, a commissariat store, and a small hospital building. Chard received especial orders to protect the ponts or flying bridges on the river, and was watching them about three o'clock on the afternoon of 22 Jan. when Lieutenant Adendorff and a carabineer galloped up and crossed by the ponts from the disastrous field of Isandhlwana. Chard at once made arrangements to defend the post to the last. Energetically assisted by Lieutenant Bromhead of the 24th foot, Mr. Dalton of the commissariat, Surgeon Reynolds, and other officers, he loopholed and barricaded the store and hospital buildings, connected them by walls constructed with mealie bags and a couple of wagons, brought up the guard from the ponts, and saw that every man knew his post. An hour later, sounds of firing were heard, the native horse and infantry, seized with a panic, went off to Helpmakaar, and the garrison was thus reduced to a company of the 24th foot about eighty strong, under Lieutenant Bromhead, and some details, amounting in all to eight officers and 131 non-commissioned officers and men, of whom thirty-five were sick in hospital. Considering his line of defence to be too extended for the diminished garrison, Chard constructed an inner entrenchment of biscuit tins, and had just completed a wall two boxes high when the enemy were seen advancing at a run.

The Zulus were met with a well-sustained fire, but, taking advantage of the cover afforded by the cookhouse and accessories outside the defence, replied with heavy musketry volleys, while a large number ran round the hospital and made a rush upon the mealie-bag breastwork. After a short but desperate struggle they were driven off with heavy loss. In the meantime the main body, over two thousand strong, had come up, lined the rocks, occupied the caves over-looking the post, and kept up a constant fire, while another body of Zulus concealed themselves in the hollow of the road and in the surrounding bush, and were able to advance close to the post. They soon held one whole side of wall, while a series of assaults on the other were repelled at the point of the bayonet. They set the hospital on fire. It was defended room by room, and as many of the sick as possible removed