The Battle of Isandlwana

A soft breeze sweeps through the mountain passes, softly rustling the tall grass as you and hundreds of others line up to repel an oncoming threat. Several Zulus were spotted on the hills above, and you can still remember seeing the heads of their spears gleaming in the beating sun as they ran off. Now you watch as mounted patrols search for any remaining groups, when out of nowhere several men on horseback shoot across the ridge. A couple turn around to fire before galloping back towards you. Soon you hear a low rumbling noise and your body tenses up when you see it, with spears and shields raised thousands of Zulus appear over the ridge running right for you!

Disclaimer: There are two things I want to quickly address. First, there is a fair amount of misinformation about this battle that can be difficult to decipher, I have done my best to separate fact from fiction but that does not mean I do not make mistakes. I am only human. Second, whenever I use the word “gun” I am referring to a cannon, not the rifles carried by the soldiers. I know this can be confusing for some that may not be well versed in military history. 

Isandlwana Hill on June 1879, months after the battle. Courtesy of the National Army Museum.

Anglo-Zulu War 

During the 1800s the British Empire was expanding its power throughout the African continent, especially in the South. However they did not want any costly wars with native tribes because tensions in Europe were high and the government did not want to send men to fight in an unnecessary war when they might be needed elsewhere. However British High Commissioner of South Africa, Sir Bartle Frere, had other plans. He wanted to unify the Boer republics, British colonies, and independent Black nations into a South African federation, an organized union from which a lucrative economic system could be derived. Unfortunately for him this could not be done with the mighty Zulu Kingdom, also known as Zululand, standing in the way. It was believed that the Zulus had a standing army of 40,000 warriors and nothing would change in South Africa until this army was disbanded. That number was actually far off as even though there were roughly 40,000 warriors in the kingdom only a couple thousand were in active service at any given time. 

Sir Bartle Frere. Courtesy of Thinkstock.

There were several other perks that came along with controlling Zululand, mainly that they would have a new population to use as laborers in the diamond fields. Another major reason being that the British colony of Natal bordered the kingdom and the British feared hostile encounters with the natives, bringing Zululand under British control would eliminate this fear. Frere asked the government back in England for permission to invade, but when his request was rejected Frere decided to take matters into his own hands. 

British soldiers surrounding a Zulu chief. Courtesy of RAM.

On December 11, 1878, Frere introduced an ultimatum to Zulu King Cetshwayo kaMpande. This ultimatum was designed to be impossible to accept, demanding that the Zulu “military system” be dismantled within 30 days, that they turn over a group of Zulus that were accused of murdering British settlers, and submit to British law and authority. Interestingly enough another provision of the ultimatum demanded that King Cetshwayo release his hold on the young men of Zululand. It was a common belief that Zulu men could not get married or have sex until they received the blessing of the king, and in order to receive this blessing they must first prove themselves in battle. The British believed this system created hostile, bloodthirsty young men that were uncontrollable. In reality this was not the case and though they usually could not marry without the king's permission, the requirements were not that stringent and Zulu men were allowed to have sex outside of marriage granted that they did not make the woman pregnant. As one might expect the ultimatum was refused and in January 1879 the British began their invasion of Zululand. 

King Cetshwayo. Courtesy of Britannica.

One might think that taking such rash action without the approval of the main British government is something that only a reckless leader would do but it was actually common during this time. Such aggressive action by regional consuls like Frere was not necessarily looked down upon and in some cases encouraged. Communication during this era was slow and oftentimes British leaders took it upon themselves to start wars with natives and annex territory with whatever troops and resources they had available. 

Victorian era British soldiers. Courtesy of booksandpostcards.com.

Tactics and Equipment 

The average British colonial soldier wore a bright red tunic, white pith helmet, blue trousers, and hobnail leather boots. The tunic and helmet offered a little resistance to blunt objects but no real protection to stabbing implements or projectiles. The helmet was often dipped in tea to stain it a brown color for camouflage. As for weapons they carried the single shot breech loading Martini-Henry rifle with bayonet. The Martini-Henry was fairly advanced for its day, firing a brass foil black powder centerfire cartridge with a .577/450 bullet. It had between 1900-2090 foot pounds of force at the muzzle, of course this energy dropped at further ranges but there are anecdotal stories of men being hit in the arm or leg and their entire appendage being ripped off. The average trained soldier could shoot 12 rounds per minute, however the weapon did have a drawback as the thin foil case could become stuck in the action during sustained fire and require the soldier to pause and physically pull it out. British officers also carried a pistol, most commonly a .455 caliber Webley revolver that was effective at close range but could not reach further distances. They also had 16, seven pound guns at their disposal but only two were used during the battle. 

Martini Henry rifle. Courtesy of Rock Island Auction.

The British forces were lead by Lord Chelmsford who was a favorite among the British Monarchy for his ambition and willingness to fight native forces. He disregarded the Zulus fighting capabilities and openly showed discontent for them. In 1878 he wrote about them saying, “If I am called upon to conduct operations against them I shall strive to be in a position to show them how hopelessly inferior they are to us in fighting power, altho' numerically stronger.” When advancing into Zululand Chelmsford split his forces into three columns. Colonel Evelyn Wood VC, of the 90th Light Infantry, would take a highly mobile column into the North of Zululand, Colonel Pearson, of the 3rd Foot (the Buffs), took a column to the south going along the coast of the Indian Ocean, finally Colonel Glynn, of the 24th Foot, commanded the Centre Column into the heart of Zululand. Chelmsford attached himself to the Center Column thereby overruling most of Glynns authority. Chelmsford originally wanted to cross the river with five columns but a lack of troops forced him to only take three. It also made him bring along Natal Native contingents who were under command by Colonel Durnford, a Royal Engineer officer with a fair bit of experience in leading irregular African troops. 

Lord Chelmsford. Public Domain.

The Center Column was to make for Ulundi, Cetshwayo’s main kraal, and link up with Pearson’s Southern Column for the final assault. This Center Column was made up of five companies of the 1st Battalion, 24th Foot, one company of 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, mounted volunteers and Natal Police, two companies of the Natal Native Infantry (native black units raised by the British), and 70 men of N Battery, 5th Brigade, Royal Artillery. All this totalled to 4,907 men and included 302 wagons and carts, 1,507 oxen, and 116 horses and mules. 

Map showing the routes taken by the columns. Courtesy of Mod DB.

On January 11 the Center Column crossed the river into Zululand by way of Rorke’s Drift, leaving a company of soldiers from the 2nd battalion, 24th foot there to act as a forward base. January rains had impeded the British advance by causing their ox driven carts to become bogged down and rivers and streams to deepen. High grasses also prevented them from seeing any oncoming enemy attack so continual reconnaissance patrols had to ride out ahead of the column to check for Zulus. Chelmsford decided to move his force towards Isandlwana Hill roughly 10 miles into Zulu territory, but could still be seen from Rorke’s Drift. Isandlwana Hill is a large rocky landmass that many say resembles a sphinx or crouching lion, casting a macabre shadow over the area, it is the stuff of myth and legend. 

Assegai spear. Courtesy of International Military Antiques.

King Cetshwayo knew that the British would eventually attempt to take over his kingdom and in anticipation he had been buying up firearms and ammunition whenever the opportunity arose. However most of these were old style muskets with a few rifles mixed in and nearly all were in poor condition, not all the ammunition was fireable and very few of his warriors knew how to properly use them. Instead most went into battle with more traditional weaponry. The average Zulu warrior carried an assegai, a short spear that could be used for throwing or stabbing. It was not uncommon to see warriors carrying multiple that would be thrown before closing the distance and engaging hand-to-hand with the enemy. Many warriors also carried a war club called a Knobkierie, it had a long shaft with a rounded knob on the end that could be used to strike a devastating blow to an opponent. Used in conjunction with both the spear and club was an oval shaped cowhide Nguni shield. These shields were not used so much for stopping blows or projectiles as much as blinding and confusing an adversary, a Zulu warrior would raise the shield to block their enemy’s view and then use their club or assegai to strike at the optimal time. In the way of dress a warrior usually wore a loincloth made of some type of animal pelt along with multiple decorative pieces such as necklaces adorned with animal teeth and claws, also arm, leg, and headbands made out of fur or feathers. They wore no type of shoe or boot and often times ran across open ground barefoot. 

Knobkierie club. Courtesy of International Military Antiques.

After the British delivered the ultimatum to Cetshwayo he called on all the Zulu warriors to mass in Ulundi. There he formed the largest Zulu army ever seen, estimates ranging from 40,000 to 60,000 warriors. Roughly 24,000 were sent to face the British Center Column while a second smaller force was sent to face the Southern Column, their commanders being Chiefs Ntshingwayo kaMahole and Mavumengwana kaMdlela Ntuli. Allegedly before they left Cetshwayo told his soldiers to “March slowly, attack at dawn, and eat up the red soldiers.” However this may not be true as the original plan was to have these forces keep an eye on the British columns and stay on the defensive, only attacking if Ulundi was threatened. Cetshwayo was still hoping that a peaceful resolution could be found, but when it was discovered that the British column at Isandlwana had no fortifications or defenses they decided to attack. 

Drawing of a Zulu warrior with an Assegai and cowhide shield. Courtesy of the British Library.

Zulu units were organized by age to best utilize their most common and effective tactic known as the “horns of the beast.” There were two main parts of this strategy, the “loins” and the “horns.” The “loins” were generally made up of older warriors and they would lead a frontal attack on the enemy, as this happened younger warriors that made up the “horns” would sprint forward and flank both sides of their opponents. This tactic forced the enemy to fight along three fronts and sometimes completely encircled them, closing off any retreat. 

Diagram of how the “horns of the beast” tactic works. Courtesy of Zulu Culture.

The Battle 

On January 20th the Center Column reached Isandlwana and made camp on the base of its slopes, not planning to stay long they dug no entrenchments and did not put their carts and wagons into defensive positions as was regulation. On January 21st Major Dartnell led a mounted reconnaissance mission of 150 men 10 miles in the direction the column was to advance. At the same time a Commandant Lonsdale led a 1,600 strong force of the Natal Native Contingent South towards Malakatha Mountain, likely to stop any Zulus that may try to cross the river there and invade Natal. Dartnell encountered a force of Zulus and was engaged in skirmishes with them until the early hours of January 22nd. Two men were sent to inform Chelmsford of what the reconnaissance team had found, Dartnell deciding to not return to the camp so he could keep an eye on the enemy. Chelmsford decided to move against the Zulu force and attack with hopes of defeating a large chunk of the Zulu Army there and then. As soon as it was light Chelmsford and Glynn left camp with the main column along with mounted infantry and four guns. Colonel Pulleine and his 1st Battalion, 24th foot were stayed at the camp and orders were sent to Colonel Durnford to bring his men up to reinforce them. In the early morning Chelmsfords forces linked up with Dartnells but the Zulus had disappeared, so the column began searching the hills for their foe. The Zulus had bypassed Chelmsford’s column and were making for the camp at Isandlwana. Not long after groups of Zulus were seen on the hills to the Northeast and East of the camp, Colonel Pulleine formed up his men in the direction where the warriors had been spotted. He also dispatched a message to Chelmsford telling him that Zulus were threatening the camp, but Chelmsford showed little regard for Pulleine’s message and did not believe the British camp could be taken by the Zulus. He returned the paper to his staff officer without saying a word. 

Colonel Pulleine. Courtesy of British Battles.

At around 1000 hours Colonel Durnford arrived at the camp with a group of volunteer cavalry and a rocket troop, bringing the total strength of the camp to 1,768. After hearing reports of the Zulu presence close to the camp Durnford promptly left to investigate their strength, Pulleine agreeing to support him if he found himself under attack. As an extra precaution a company of the 1st Battalion under the command of Captain Cavaye was placed in a pickett formation on one of the hills towards the North. Durnford's mounted troops spread out to search the hillside and a group under the command of Lieutenant Raw began chasing a party of Zulus who quickly retreated. They followed this group over the hill and discovered the entire Zulu army camping in the valley. After being found by Raw and his men Cetshwayo’s Army began advancing in confusion, hastily trying to form the “horns of the beast.” Raw’s forces fired into the mass of Zulus as they retreated, and at 1215 hours Raw returned and warned Pulleine of the imminent attack. Pulleine quickly deployed his men at the foot of the hill to meet the incoming Zulu Army, and sent a second company commanded by Captain Mostyn to join Captain Cavaye and his men. Two guns were also moved to the left of the camp to better face their incoming foe. 

Map of the battle. Courtesy of John Fawkes.

At the time Pulleine and his other officers did not understand the scope of the threat and believed that they were just supporting Durnford against a small force. Durnford and his men attempted to retreat to the camp but had trouble disengaging from the oncoming Zulus, his rocket troops quickly being overtaken with the Royal Artillery men barely escaping death. At 1230 hours 20,000 Zulus appeared over the ridge and began sprinting down the hill towards Pulleine’s men. Mostyn’s and Cavaye’s forces retreated back to the main formation, stopping to occasionally fire along the way. Pulleine’s battalion now fired at the advancing Zulus who made up the “loins”, trying to cover the retreating British companies. Though the Zulus were incredibly adept at running over natural terrain they were slowed by the many divots and gullies in the hillside, and this combined with the relentless British fire forced them to the ground where they were concealed by the tall grasses. However, they were able to inflict some, though few, casualties since roughly one third of the warriors did carry a firearm. 

H company of the 1st Battalion 24th Regiment, all men pictured were killed in the battle. Courtesy of British Battles.

With the “loins” now preoccupying their fire, the British line was threatened by the “horns” as the younger Zulu warriors raced around their flanks and attacked. On the British left flank the 24th and the Natal Infantry continually fired into the oncoming Zulu “horns” but were unable to stop the sheer number of warriors bearing down on them. Durnford’s forces tried to protect the right flank but it collapsed relatively quickly, partly because they ran out of ammunition and when they raced back to camp to obtain more the flank was left open to attack. Another reason is because part of his forces were cut off from the main force by the Zulus and were now being surrounded by the oncoming waves.

According to Zulu eyewitness accounts one of these isolated groups was commanded by Captain Younghusband . Hundreds of Zulus were chasing them and one of the Zulu commanders seeing so many of his warriors going after so few ordered them to stop, and they all halted. As the story goes Younghusband went to each of his men and shook their hand and told them a few final words. Finally he pulled a saber out of his belt and yelled “Fix bayonets boys and die like British soldiers do.” They then ran at the Zulus and fought tooth and nail, they were all killed.

Captain Younghusband. Courtesy of The British Empire.

The Zulu chiefs now seeing that the British flanks were falling encouraged the “loins” to renew their attack. As they surged forward into the British line the Victorian defenders were forced back into their camp where the lines began to quickly deteriorate. 

While Pulleine’s forces were fighting for their lives a group of British soldiers and Royal Artillerymen under the command of Colonel Harness received word that the camp was being overrun and under his own initiative began heading their way. However they barely made it half a mile before one of Chelmsfords staff officers arrived with orders telling them to not return but continue their search for the Zulus in the hills, the staff officer explaining that the camps message was a false alarm. It is unknown if this force would have been able to save Pulleine and his men, but Colonel Harness abandoning his rescue mission certainly cemented their fate. 

Painting of a group of British soldiers fighting Zulu warriors.

Some soldiers now began to retreat, attempting to cross the river back into Natal. However the “horns” rushed around the back of the fleeing column, completely enveloping them. The lines quickly collapsed and small groups of British soldiers formed and proceeded to fight until their ammunition was exhausted and they were overwhelmed. A group of Natal Carbineers under Durnford’s command was described as fighting to the end, after running out of ammunition they continued to fight with pistols and knives until they were all killed. The “horns” did not completely envelope the British flank before some soldiers could escape however, and several groups fled the battlefield but were cut off by Zulus positioned further back towards the river. These fleeing groups then tried to hide in the hills but were eventually hunted down and killed. 

The battle ended with some British soldiers fleeing and some fighting with everything they had, but all were slaughtered by the Zulus. Due to the depth of the river the only ones that were able to successfully escape were those on horseback, more would have likely been able to cross if it were not for the January rains.  One soldier escaped to a cave on the hill and continued fighting until his ammunition was spent and was shot down with rifles the Zulus captured from his fellow soldiers. Even escaping across the river did not guarantee safety because the Natal Natives, who were under British control, at the behest of the Zulus killed British soldiers that had successfully crossed. Strangely enough as all this went on a total solar eclipse occurred, plunging the entire battlefield in darkness for about a minute and adding to the macabre feeling of the battle. 

Painting of a British officer making a final stand. Courtesy of World History Archive.

In these final moments of the battle is when some of the most gallant actions occurred, one of which was when Lieutenants Melville and Coghill saved the Queen’s Colours.

Lieutenants Melville and Coghill recovering the colours. Painting by Alphonse de Neuville.

Towards the end of the battle Melville grabbed the flag out of the guard tent and made for the Buffalo River on horseback. He dove into the river and at some point while crossing fell off his horse while still clutching the cased colours, Coghill came to his assistance but they faced heavy fire from Zulus on the bank. Melville’s horse was killed and at some point during the struggle the flag was dropped and floated down the river. Both Melville and Coghill made it to the other shore just as the eclipse was ending, the darkness likely gave them just enough time to escape, but on the other side they were killed by Natal natives. They were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest honor in the British military. The Queen’s Colours were eventually recovered from the river on February 4 and returned to England where it was presented to Queen Victoria. 

The Queen’s Colours of the 1st battalion, 24th Regiment as it was presented to Queen Victoria. The flag on the left was the one present during the battle and recovered from the river. Courtesy of British Battles.

Another scene where a soldier went above and beyond the call of duty was when private Samuel Wassall saved a fellow soldiers life. He was fleeing across the river on horseback when he looked back and saw another soldier struggling to cross. Knowing the soldier would not make it on his own he recrossed the river, tethered his horse, jumped into the water and pulled the man ashore on the Zulu side, they then both escaped to Natal on Wassall’s horse as Zulus shot at them. Both men survived and Wassall was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions. 

Private Samuel Wassall. Courtesy of British Battles.

Perhaps the saddest part of the battle involved two 12 year old drummer boys., each one hiding where they could and trying to escape the Zulus. Eventually being found by the Zulus in one of the last surviving groups of men they were killed all the same. It would be the last time time the British Army would ever allow children into battle.

Aftermath 

52 British officers, 806 enlisted soldiers, and 471 black auxiliaries were killed in the battle, only about 60 Europeans survived. There was an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Zulu casualties. The Zulus were able to capture roughly 1,000 rifles along with the columns entire reserve of ammunition, giving them a large advantage in any future battles. Chelmsford did not know the scale of the attack on the camp until it was over, when he received word that it had been overrun and the column devastated he was stunned and exclaimed “But I left 1,000 men to guard the camp!” Chelmsford’s column returned to a scene of utter destruction, tents and carts burning, Oxen and other animals killed, bodies disemboweled, it was a gory scene that even the most experienced soldiers struggled with. Many thought the Zulus had cut the men's stomachs open as a show of brutality but it was actually because they believed that the spirit would become trapped in a dead man if his stomach was left uncut, this was their way of explaining corpses bloating. Chelmsford and his men camped near the battlefield that night and Chelmsford feared that the Cetshwayo’s Army would cross the river and invade Natal. In the distance they could see Rorke’s Drift ablaze, confirming his suspicion. 

Men of B company 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment who served at Rorke’s Drift.

Despite the Zulus success at Isandlwana it would be a battle that sealed their fate. It was the most devastating defeat the British had ever faced at the hands of native forces armed with inferior weapons and it enraged military commanders and the British public alike. An overwhelming force was sent to defeat the Zulus and it only took 6 months for Zululand to be under British control. 

With such a large defeat people were eager to find a scapegoat. Of course Lord Chelmsford was the obvious one who failed to heed the camps warnings but being a favorite of Queen Victoria they had to find someone or something else to blame. Chelmsford came up with two reasons in order to save himself. First he perpetuated the myth that the soldiers ran out of ammunition, an untruth that has persisted to this day. The only ones who ran out were Durnford’s forces, the mainline was well supplied. Secondly he shifted blame on Durnford, who was killed by the Zulus, saying that he disobeyed direct orders to protect the camp which could not be further from the truth. He even went to great lengths to suppress witness testimony that contradicted his story, threatening anyone who might speak out. 

Some men of the 24th Regiment during the Anglo-Zulu War. Courtesy of Google Sites.

Chelmsford was eventually recalled to England and replaced after several high ranking officials spoke out requesting his replacement. When he returned he was given an audience with Queen Victoria herself and lied to her face. The Queen writing in her journal that Chelmsford never received a message of the camp being in danger, even telling the Queen that the war was one of self defense and it was necessary to protect her colonies (Though Chelmsford may have believed this one himself). All lies, but the Queen ate it right up. Many myths about the battle would continue to be believed for years until historians were able to gather eyewitness accounts from British soldiers and even Zulus present at the battle. Both sides fought well and many Zulus who were questioned afterward even said that the British were valiant and they were impressed by their willingness to not give up. Many British soldiers also came away with a newfound respect for the Zulu warriors. 

Zulu memorial at Isandlwana. Courtesy of Britannica.

The battlefield can still be visited today where white British markers with plaques tell the names and story of those that fought there. The Zulus also have a monument that looks like a giant traditional warrior necklace with lions claws and ornamental beads. Many visitors today talk of a strange aura that surrounds the area, some saying that they can hear the sound of running footsteps that the soldiers would have heard as the Zulus bounded down the hill. Others say that the hill itself watches them and gives an ominous feeling. It is not a normal place, possessing some sort of power that has been felt by mankind for centuries. The Battle of Isandlwana only adding to its attraction. 

British monuments with Isandlwana Hill in the background. Courtesy of Battlefields Route.

Personal Thoughts 

When I was still a young boy I received a book called Amazing Tales For Making Men Out of Boys by Neil Oliver. It was a book that went through different historical events and told the brave tales of those involved. The Battle of Isandlwana was one of the first I read about and I became obsessed with it, I credit that book and this battle with really getting me into military history. Now the battle has a special place in my heart and every year on the anniversary, I feel as though I have to say something about it. I hope to come back and improve this article as I continue to learn about it, between the misinformation and differing accounts there is always something out there that I still do not know. I do hope to visit the sight one day and pay my respects to the men that gave their lives there. I know some say that because it wasn’t a just war that we shouldn’t look at the men who served in it with fondness but I disagree. They were soldiers and both sides were fighting for what they believed in and to me that counts for something. 

Sources

Cover photo is painting by Charles Edwin Fripp

A special thanks to The Martini Henry Society on Facebook and @madminuteman on Instagram for helping me with questions I had about the Martini Henry.

https://www.britishbattles.com/zulu-war/battle-of-isandlwana/

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/jan22/battle-isandlwana/

https://www.zulu.org.za/destinations/battlefields/information/the-battle-of-isandlwana-M57862

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/zulu_01.shtml

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/zulu-war

https://www.britannica.com/event/Anglo-Zulu-War