hen news of the outbreak of the Matabele Rebellion reached Hartley Hill on the borders of Mashonaland, twelve of its settlers declined to retire to Salisbury, but fortified the hill.

nly in June 1896 when the Mashonas in their turn revolted did these settlers appreciate that one of the headquarters of the new rebellion lay only twelve miles away at Mashiangombie’s Kraal. The tiny fort on Hartley Hill held out against rebel attacks until it was relieved on 22 July. Thereafter the district was virtually abandoned to the rebels for the next five months, although on 10 October a strong force of 600 men commanded by Colonel Alderson with four seven-pounder guns and four maxims attacked Mashiangombie’s.

fter three days it retired again having achieved little, and no attempt was made to establish a fort to dominate the rebel kraal. It was not until December that Hartley Hill was re-occupied by the settlers’ forces but an attempt to destroy Mashiangombie’s again failed.

he situation was improved when Captain R. C. Nesbitt, V.C., left Hartley on 20 February 1897 and established a new fort in a strong position on a rocky kopje only a mile from Mashiangombie’s which lay within range of his seven-pounder gun. The place was named Fort Martin after Sir Richard Martin who had succeeded to the overall command of troops in Rhodesia.

esbitt reported that the fort “is very healthy being splendidly situated, very high... it is impregnable and the best possible place”. The only difficulty was the water supply which had to be obtained by running the gauntlet of any snipers who might be about.

neighbouring kopje was also fortified and garrisoned. From this centre the soldiers were able to destroy Mashiangombie’s crops and on 17 March he was driven to assault Fort Martin with three or four hundred men. The attack was easily repulsed. On 24 July the British in their turn stormed the rebel kraal and shot down Mashiangombie. The action virtually brought the Mashona Rebellion to an end. Fort Martin remained a Police and Administration post for a further year.

his panel of the National Tapestry was designed from a sketch made by Lieutenant Norton Griffiths, an officer serving at Fort Martin.