Born in 1821 , the son of the linguist , botanist and missionary , John Brownlee , who founded King William 's Town in 1825 . From his childhood , living among the Xhosa people of the Cape 's eastern frontier , Charles Brownlee and his brother James grew up with mother-tongue fluency in the Xhosa language and culture . As teenagers , the brothers were employed by missionaries travelling to the Zulu Kingdom . Although Charles soon returned to the Cape , his brother was in Zululand during the Piet Retief Delegation massacre and was tasked with untangling the bodies from the still-living horses . He was initially recorded as working as a guide to Governor Sir Harry Smith in 1846 , during the frontier war . His detailed and invaluable local knowledge as well as his bravery were remarked upon , and he was soon appointed '' " Gaika Commissioner " '' in 1849 ( '' " Gaika " '' was the English name at the time for the " '' Ngqika '' " branch of the Xhosa nation ) . He was made '' " Diplomatic Commissioner amongst the Gaikas " '' in 1851 . In the ongoing frontier wars that afflicted the vanguard of British expansion in southern Africa , Brownlee played a difficult and sometimes very awkward role as a peacemaker and cultural intermediary - sympathetic to the Xhosa grievances but unable to restrain British expansion . ( His unfortunate brother James Brownlee was involved in the conflict too and , in an ambush on 28 March 1851 , was killed and subsequently beheaded . ) Charles Brownlee 's position was done away with in 1868 , when colonial policy changed , and Brownlee was re-appointed as '' " Civil Commissioner " '' for several districts of the Cape frontier , including King William 's Town
Piet Retief Delegation massacre
Piet Retief Delegation massacre
Charles Brownlee