There, he befriended the then governor of Bombay, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, and this relationship would be important later when serving in South Africa. Lord Lytton, the Viceroy of India, was about to invade Afghanistan without reference to London. The battle of Hlobane was a Zulu victory another successful ambush on a column and many battles before and after Isandlawana were Zulu victories, eventually the British won and burnt Ulundi, but the Zulus won many more battles other than just Isandlawana you just never hear about it. Sorry that you may not like when you are told the truth in your face. He organized a last stand on the nek, successfully blocking the Zulu left horn from completing the envelopment of the camp. Their timing was perfect, and the case whistled harmlessly over their heads. In spite of these concerns, Chelmsford raised several regiments of the Natal Native Contingent, or NNC. No matter how sincerely a historian (including myself) may strive to present all the facts in an objective fashion, there will always be a perspective. Only around 60 whites and 400 blacks lived to tell the tale. The number hit by bullets is probably more than double the killed. The zulu people was great warriors. History is full of mismatches where either side wins. Chelmsford decided to reinforce Dartnell, because he was probably certain the long-hoped-for battle with the main impi could be found there. The Zulu nation left a great legacy.You will hear Zulu variants spoken from South Africa to the Congo,Rhodesias,and even in Tanganyika.They were also great strategists and tacticians.Their agriculture was also very advanced.A GREAT NATION.Although many have succumbed to vagrancy this is due to interference by the white man. Considered obsolete for European warfare, rockets were deemed valuable against unsophisticated natives who might be frightened by their noise and flame. On 22 January 1879, at Rorke's Drift on the Natal border with Zululand, in South Africa, a tiny British garrison of 140 men - many of them sick and wounded - fought for 12 hours to repel repeated attacks by up to 3,000 Zulu warriors. 3 column, under what turned out to be the nominal command of Col. R. Glyn, 24th Regiment, was to cross the Mzinyathi (Buffalo) River at Rorkes Drift. In that time, the British force, reliant on ponderous ox-drawn transport and a poor excuse for a wagon road, has covered only 12 of the 85 miles to King Cetshwayo's capital at Ulundi. 28th August 1879 Cetshwayo is captured and is sent into exile, first to Cape Town and then to London. Artillery support was provided by Maj. Stuart Smith RA (Royal Artillery) and two 7-pounder guns of N/5 battery. Gathering what remained of his army, Chelmsford led it back to Isandlwana. The reports after the battle state the bellies of dead British soldiers had been slit open but this was not as an act of mutilation but out of respect for the dead. As they were trying to cross the Buffalo River, however, Coghill lost the Colour in the current. The invasion came after Cetshwayo, the king of the Zulu Kingdom, did not reply to an unacceptable British ultimatum that demanded (among other things) he disband his 35,000-strong army. Most of what Chelmsford told the Queen was a pack of lies. [a] He was promoted to lieutenant and captain in 1850, and became aide-de-camp in 1852 to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Eglinton, and then to the Commander-in-Chief in Ireland, Sir Edward Blakeney, from 1853 to 1854. About five hundred head of cattle were taken, and the homestead put to the torch. The guns discharged case (a kind of shrapnel), but little execution was done. A British sailor from the HMS Active , servant of Naval Attach Lieutenant Milne, defended himself with a cutlass while standing with his back to a wagon wheel. Some of these objections can be found in memoirs written years after the events they describe, and may in some cases be 20/20 hindsight. The defeat of the Zulus at Ulundi allowed Chelmsford to partially recover his military prestige after the disaster at Isandlwana, and he was honoured as a Knight Grand Cross of Bath. Some decapitated British heads were found neatly arrayed in a circle, and a drummer boy was discovered lashed to a wagon wheel upside down with his throat cut. But the redcoat companies were starting to run out of ammunition; they had begun the action with 70 rounds each, but the firing was so rapid that their white ammunition pouches were almost empty. The stampede was checked by the redcoats of 2nd/24th, advancing with bayonets fixed. Despite the limited defences, the British soldiers equipped with the powerful Martini-Henry rifle stood their ground, firing volley after volley of bullets into the approaching Zulus until their ammunition ran low. At the time, Lord Chelmsford blamed the defeat at Isandlwana on Col . There had to be a pretext for starting a war, a cloak to cover naked British aggression. Please note that this is a military history forum and not a political one. The hunt was on for a scapegoat, and Chelmsford was the obvious candidate. If I had a good horse I would ride straight to Maritzberg.. He replied that he believed it to have been quite inevitable; that if we had not made war when we did, we should have been attacked and possibly overpowered.'. It seemsor so the story goesCetshwayo had told his warriors to concentrate on the red soldiers, the others being of little account. Those 1,500 to 2,000 Zulu confronting Dartnell might well be the tip of the iceberg, an indication that the main impi was somewhere around the Nkandla Hills. Frederic Augustus Thesiger was born 31 May 1827, the eldest child of Frederic Thesiger, a lawyer who later became Lord Chancellor and was created Baron Chelmsford. What Was the Atlantic Wall and When Was It Built? Color Sergeant Wolf of the 1/24th, hastily gathered some 20 soldiers near the officers tents and put up a desperate fight until overwhelmed by sheer numbers of Zulu fighters. It was a decision that for the redcoats was too little and too late. By 3pm, despite severe losses, the Zulus had captured the camp. I would suggest anyone who would like to know the true history of the Anglo-Zulu war should read the acclaimed historian Saul Davids book Anglo Zulu war. He too wanted to laager , but was overruled by Lord Chelmsford. Lieutenant Smith-Dorrien gathered up the flotsam and jetsam of the campstragglers, officers servants and the likeand organized them into a party to retrieve ammunition. Cetshwayo decided on a purely defensive stance, since the king hoped for an accommodation even at this late date. No. Screen Printing and Embroidery for clothing and accessories, as well as Technical Screenprinting, Overlays, and Labels for industrial and commercial applications The right flank column (No. that would have been some story today. To be crystal clear, the Zulus were not innocent either as they expanded their empire through violence and thievery of the lands of peoples they defeated, slaughtered and enslaved other tribes. The British had shown their hand, so Cetshwayos path was clear. This misjudgement led to thousands of deaths - and an unsavoury, high-level cover-up - as Saul David explains. The unit was commanded by Maj. Francis Russell, and used Hale rockets that carried an explosive charge of between nine and ten pounds. As High Commissioner for South Africa, Sir Henry decided to roll up his sleeves and bring order to the chaos by imposing confederation. NCOs barked the command Load-Present-Fire with clockwork regularity, Martini-Henrys spitting death with every disciplined volley. [6] However, this order could not be implemented until the arrival of Wolseley, and in the meantime Chelmsford ignored diplomatic overtures from King Cetshwayo[7] and made plans to capture Ulundi, aiming to defeat them in a decisive engagement and salvaging his reputation before Wolseley's arrival. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. [1][2], Thesiger returned to England in 1874 as colonel on the staff, commanding the forces at Shorncliffe Army Camp, and was appointed to command a brigade at Aldershot, with the temporary rank of brigadier general, in 1877. Why on earth were they killing each other? It seemed too incredible that an entire Zulu army had in effect marched around the Britishuntil he got confirmation in the form of the Zulu left horn as it sped toward him in full attack mode. When it finally arrived, he added two names to the six recommended VCs - the names of lieutenants Chard and Bromhead. The British were and continue to be thieves who attacked the innocent peoples! Chelmsford thus led a 12,000-strong army divided into three columns into Zululand, despite having received no authorisation from Parliament. Commandant George Hamilton-Browne of the 1/3rd NNC went to his tent, only to find his servant dead, his two spare horses slaughteredthey were still tethered to a picket lineand his dog pinned to the ground by a Zulu spear. Commandant George Hamilton-Brownes 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of the NNC, can provide an example of such a unit. Arnold Expedition - Background: Following their capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775, Colonels Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen approached the Second Continental Congress with arguments in favor of invading Canada. Savages Emma!! 8 company tested their mettle against their former comrades. It would be discovered ten days later further downstream and now hangs in Brecon Cathedral. So he exaggerated the threat posed by the Zulus to the British, and, when the home government refused to sanction war, took matters into his own hands in December 1878 by presenting the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, with an unacceptable ultimatum. At 8 am a cavalry vedette rode in with some surprising intelligence: A force of Zulu was spotted approaching the plateau moving northeast. South Africa in 1877-1879 was a patchwork of British colonies, Boer states and native kingdoms, all mutually antagonistic. Sir Henry Bartle Frere decided a Zulu war was an absolute necessity, but his superiors in London were far from convinced. why so many soldiers survived the trenches. He insisted his ammunition was for the 2nd Battalion only, so he sent runners a further five hundred yards to the 1st Battalion reserves being distributed by Quartermaster Pullen. Cap badge of the 24th Regiment A potential war with Russia was looming in Afghanistan and under the circumstances the British government didnt want to be tied down in a senseless colonial adventure. At Isandlwana the induna ekulu (field commander) was Chief Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza. what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. Cinema Specialist . Zulu territory expanded, as did Zulu military prowess, and by 1877 the tribe could muster an impi of around 40,000 or so all told. Thesiger was educated at Eton College.[1]. 5th April 1879 The central and right columns evacuate Eshowe. The attack seemed to be going well, when Hamilton-Browne looked around and found to his surprise that almost his entire commandwith the exception of No. British imperialism and overconfidence leads to a bloody Zulu War at the Battle of Isandlwana. In 2000, an archaeological survey of the site found the remains of the tin lining of a number of boxes along the British firing positions sure sign that boxes had been opened there. No. If I could add my own impression of the Battle of Isandlwana and then Rourkes Drift, I would say that the British were over-confident, and unprepared for the Zulu onslaught and thus destroyed at the former, and heroically desperate at the latter. The military and the political are inseparable because one comes after the other in any order. Rorke's Drift by Adrian Greaves (Cassell, 2002), The National Army Musuem Book of the Zulu War by Ian Knight (Sidgwick and Jackson, 2003), Military Blunders by Saul David (Robinson, 1997), Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-Up by Ron Lock and Peter Quantrill (Greenhill, 2002), The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation by John Laband (Arms and Armour, 1995). It was one of the few serious breeches she and Disraeli had during their political relationship. The Center, or No. The king and his councilors were finally stung to action by news of the Sihayo homestead skirmish. Hamilton-Brownes memoirs are filled with contemptuous references to the natives under him, and at one point he even labels them these cowards. Yet how could their morale not be low? " everyone understood that he would try and end the war before he was superseded that 'poor Lord Chelmsford' might get a chance, win a battle ". 2 Who was Lord Chelmsford in India? Chelmsford's behaviour, in retrospect, is unforgivable. The Martini-Henry (MH in some accounts) was a single-shot breechloader that fired a heavy .450 bullet. Although the Regiment had indeed established its depot at Brecon in 1873, its recruits continued to be drawn from across the United Kingdom, and only a small proportion were Welsh by 1879. [1], His sister, Julia (18331904) was married to Sir John Eardley Wilmot Inglis (18141862)[14] who commanded the British forces during the Siege of Lucknow in 1857. 7th March The first of the reinforcements from Britain arrive at Durban. And Chelmsford ignored at least two warnings to the effect the camp 'was in danger'. Copyright Historic UK Ltd. Company Registered in England No. To augment this early-warning screen, an infantry picket line was posed in a curve about 1,500 yards from camp. Chelmsford had a seizure and died while playing billiards at the United Service Club in London on 9 April 1905 in his 78th year. 12th January 1879 The central column destroys Sihayos camp. 3 How What Happened To Lord Chelmsford? NNC units on the right also began to fall back, and soon the entire defensive line was in shambles. Rowlands had a kind of dual mission. Back in England meanwhile - with the Zulu War no nearer to being won - the cries for Chelmsford's recall intensifying. By the fall of 1878 Freres statements were becoming more shrill and outrageous. Thousands of warriors were now milling through the camp, searching dead bodies and rifling through tents and commissary stores. Why should I believe you that you are not a thieve when you ancestors have consistently demonstrated theft on such a scale over hundreds of years and not just in Africa? british colonial expansionism at its worse.to compare losses and results is pointless as it was always going to be a mismatch but the zulu certainly inflicted a bloody nose and some embarrassment to the british. The Zulus had outmanoeuvred Chelmsford and their victory at Isandlwana was complete and forced the main British force to retreat out of Zululand until a far larger British Army could be shipped to South . So great were the distances involved, and so slow the methods of communication, that British governors often took it upon themselves to start wars and annex provinces. I am not a thief and neither is my country. The mutilation was the Zulu way of releasing an enemys spirit. And behind all these reasons lay a basic assumption that British firepower could smash any native attack. Even more significantly, he tried to push blame for the defeat onto Colonel Durnford, now dead, claiming that Durnford had disobeyed orders to defend the camp. Word of the disaster reached Britain on 11 February 1879. Within days of Rorke's Drift, Chelmsford was urging the speedy completion of the official report because he was 'anxious to send that gleam of sunshine home as soon as possible'. The Battle of Isandlwana, probably the worst defeat the British army ever suffered at the hands of a native foe, was over. All rights reserved. The incident gave Frere two reasons for war. What was Anthony Durnfords real role in the Zulu Wars? An 1882 'Illustrated London News' drawing of the aftermath of the battle for Rorke's Drift. Chelmsford, concerned about the arrival of Wolseley and wanting to redeem himself after the catastrophe at Isandlwana, refuses any such compromise. It was said that the Zulu regiments, scenting victory, began stamping the ground and shouting Usuthu! (Cetshwayos royalist cry) before moving forward at a run. The Zulus are destroyed and this effectively marks the end of the Anglo-Zulu War. the zulus did not represent a real theat and would not have been any threat if left alone.even chelmsford was amazed when he got to natal at the fact that noone on the zulu border or even maritzburg were in any way concerned by the zulu. Some distance away Captain Younghusbands C Company was in the midst of his own last stand. Text Size:west covina mugshots suwannee springcrest elementary. . a mismatched contest though and all the aggression orchestrated and set up by britain. When Chelsmford was awakened at about 1:30 in the morning with a second message from Dartnell, he decided to act. In the missive, Chelmsford shows he was substituting wishful thinking for hard-nosed reality. Despite this defeat, he was able to score several victories against the Zulus, culminating in the British victory at the Battle of Ulundi, which ended the war and partly restored his reputation in Britain. He had no intention of wasting his time fruitlessly scouring the hills and valleys in search of an elusive foe. Call us at (425) 485-6059. Another described Chard as 'a most useless officer, fit for nothing'. The main battle was over by about 1:30 in the afternoon, and the various last stands by 3:30. It depends how far you go back but I would suggest the Boers could not be classed as indigenous. The Zulus had completely outmanoeuvred their foe. Those people that the Brits attacked were often not so innocent. Besides, why go to all the trouble when Chelmsford intended to move in a day or two? More than 12 tons of ammunition would have to be carried, as well as 60 tons of tentage, and also one ton of food a day per battalion. The various red-coated companies formed up in front of the tents, but incoming reports did not seem to indicate an immediate threat to the camp. The left horn started to engage Durnford, who conducted a fighting retreat back to camp. James Dalton died in 1887, a broken man. They are warrior race who conquered and occupied in the same way as every other empire. He spoke darkly of Cetshwayos faithless and cruel character and atrocious barbarity, even though he had never met the king and most of the stories were hearsay. The central column heads towards the camp of a Zulu chief called Sihayo. I told Ld. Seeing Smith-Dorrien breaking some ammunition boxes open, Bloomfield cried, For heavens sake, man, dont take thatit belongs to our Battalion. Smith-Dorrien, frustrated, replied, Hang it all, you dont want a requisition, do you?. There was surely room in the vast expanses of South Africa for everybody! The British had taken South Africa in 1806; it had little intrinsic value at the time, but was considered an important port for the route to India. Dr Saul David is the author of several critically-acclaimed history books, including The Indian Mutiny: 1857 (shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature), Zulu: the Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year) and, most recently, Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire. [1] The eldest succeeded as 3rd Baron Chelmsford and later became Viceroy of India and first Viscount Chelmsford. [b] The Battle of Ulundi took place on 4 July 1879, being the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. Well researched! Chelmsford also raised native levies, an intelligent move that was squandered by mishandling and white apprehension. Strict orders were given that special care was to be taken to spare women and children. With only 150 British and colonial troops to defend the outpost, the protracted engagement lasts some 11 hours before the Zulus retreat. Judging from the reports filtering in, it was clear that at least some Zulu were in the northeast, and it was possible they were planning to fall on Chelmsfords rear. This much is clear to me: viz. . History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through our award winning podcast network and an online history channel. The No. 11th December, 1878 The British send an ultimatum to Zulu King Cetshwayo. Posted by on iunie 11, 2022 snhu loan disbursement schedule 2021 . The last chance to save the camp had been thrown away. Wake up you daydreaming! Did any British survive Isandlwana? The 24th Regiment was decimated losing 21 officers and 581 other ranks. Yet the small-scale Sihayo skirmish was to loom large in light of subsequent events. He felt the wagons had to be free to keep a steady stream of supplies coming up from Rorkes Drift. The Zulus were masterful, courageous fighters. Durnford decided to nip such a movement in the bud by making a thorough reconnaissance. It was commanded by the ambitious Lord Chelmsford, a favourite of the Queen, who had little respect for the fighting qualities of the Zulu. Colonel Pulleine, in command at Isandlwana, dashed off a quick note to Chelmsford, reading: 'Report just come in that the Zulus are advancing in force from Left front of Camp.' When the last round was fired the Zulu closed, and it was bayonet and clubbed rifle against stabbing spear. The Boer Transvaal Republic became bankrupt, so insolvent it was annexed by Britain in 1877. At around 8am, mounted vedettes reported large numbers of Zulus on the high ground to the left of the camp. But apparently the two men got along and parted amicably. 22nd January 1879 A Zulu force of 25,000 makes a surprise attack on the central column who have made camp. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Both sides had claimed a slice of land along the Blod River, so a boundary commission was formed to arbitrate the dispute. . Mehokazulu, one of Sihayos sons, took a party that crossed the border, tracked the fugitives down, and dragged them back for execution. They were organised into regiments called Impis. Debris was everywhere, including half-burned tents, bits of uniforms, smashed boxes and scattered personal effects. His men hadnt eaten in two days, and he was riding back alone to the main camp at Isandlwana in the hope of procuring some supplies for his famished troops. The Victorians were empire builders in a long line of empires stretching back over 7000 years of history. I believe you mean Scots as Scotch is a drink. These tales, of course, played into Freres hands. By the way, the Zulus were every bit as disciplined and well trained as the British at the time but they were just not good enough. I dont hear gloating about your military exploits during the crusade periods in the middle east here. Without orders the impi formed the impondo zankomo, the beasts or buffalos horns. Chelmsford'. The massed rifle fire was a different story. The Zulu were very observant, even in the heat of battle, and noticed that just before the blue-coated artillerymen fired they stood back from their pieces. Each soldier usually carried 70 rounds of ammo, so 70,000 bullets probably fired, plus the 2 field guns. The most factual book written that accounts the history and development of South Africa is by Cuan Elgin, called Bulala (Zulu for kill) to fully appreciate the military skills and the ruthlessness of the Zulu, it is a must read. Altogether it was a mixed group of British regulars, colonial volunteers and native levies. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. When Durnford received a message that the main impi was attacking he, too, could scarcely comprehend the news. But he had powerful supporters. The bloodied corpses had been stripped naked, their stomachs slashed to expose entrails. As his men fired, Durnford walked all along the line, talking, laughing and encouraging their marksmanship with a hearty, Well done, my boys!. Following the disaster of Isandlwana, the British government rushed reinforcements to Natal: two regiments of cavalry, two batteries of Royal Artillery and five battalions of infantry. The story goes that two Lieutenants Nevill Coghill and Teignmouth Melville attempted to save the Queens Colour of the 1st Battalion 24th Regiment. 806Casualties at the Battle of Isandlwana: 52 British officers and 806 non-commissioned ranks were killed. Later, much of the disaster was blamed on the alleged fact that the ammunition boxes could not be opened fast enough, since their lids were tightly fastened by six to nine screws, and also some of the screws had rusted into the wood. 3 column had the Natal Mounted Police, Natal Carbineers, Buffalo Border Guard and the Newcastle Mounted Rifles. [8] However, he was severely criticised by a subsequent enquiry launched by the British Army into the events that had led to the Isandlwana debacle,[9] and did not serve in the field again. Further, the Trekboers occupied a hinterland left virtually uninhabited by the genocidal rampages of both Shaka and Mzilikaze, so they had as much claim to those areas, as anyone else. At 11am, by which time the 1,300 men remaining in the camp had been swelled by 450 reinforcements, mounted scouts stumbled upon the concealed Zulu impi. The camp proved free of Zulu, so Chelmsford ordered his troops to snatch a few hours rest. Simple as. Defeat at Isandlwana. The couple had six sons, two of whom died in infancy. Denied their own leaders, ill-trained, buffeted and scorned, used as cannon fodder by contemptuous whites, the NNC could never live up to its potential. 'We must not forget,' Disraeli told the House of Lords on 13 February, 'the exhibition of heroic valour by those who have been spared.'. When the British Empire declared war against the Kingdom of Zululand in January 1879, many believed the war was a foregone conclusion. 2 columnup to this point assigned a passive defensive roleand move up to the camp at Isandlwana. Furthermore, Shepstone expressed concern over the increasing amount of firearms falling into Zulu hands, further fuelling the case for war. The uKhandempemvualso known as the umCijo, sharpened pointsclosed rapidly, forcing Raw into a fighting retreat. [13] He was the inaugural Governor and Commandant of the Church Lads' Brigade, a post he retained until his death. 31st December 1878 Sir Henry Frere grants an extension to the ultimatum. Hamilton-Browne led his NNC men forward, but the going was rough owing to boulders strewn over the ground. Casualties at the Battle of Isandlwana: 52 British officers and 806 non-commissioned ranks were killed. Most of the NNC were armed with traditional spears and clubs, augmented by a cowhide shield. Much of the misunderstanding stemmed from cultural, not political, differences. Dartnell had encountered perhaps 1,500 Zulu. Cetshwayo's policy was to withdraw his troops, remain on the defensive in this unprovoked war, and hope to negotiate. The plain was also scarred by one or two dongas (watercourses), and not far away a conical kopje poked up out of the ground. Of the original 1,750 defenders - 1,000 British and 750 black auxiliaries - 1,350 had been killed. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. For over 300 years, the coastlines of the English Channel and south west of England were at the mercy of Barbary pirates. But it is probably true that many, including the colonial volunteers, were disturbed by the camps lack of defensive arrangements. After the clashes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, an ad-hoc army of Massachusetts farmers hastily gathered together and placed British-occupied Boston under siege. By Dr Saul David The Zulu attackers also suffered they lost somewhere between 1,000 and 2,500 men. Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand with a British army on 11 January Lord Chelmsford. Having sat on Isadlwana and listened to his description it might just be that there were too many brave men attacking the British for the Brits to fend them off. Sihayos homestead was finally taken by about 9 am on January 11. The true story of 22 January 1879 - the Empire's longest day - is one of unprovoked slaughter, of heroes being ignored and of the guilty being protected. Finally, about five miles from Isandlwana, Lonsdale stumbled upon his own 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, NNC. 4th July 1879 - The main Zulu force of around 15,000 men attack Lord Chelmsford's army at the Battle of Ulundi. 3 column was rightly considered the greatest threat. Can never understand why more Zulus werent killed at islandwana. A wagoner named Dubois remarked to Smith-Dorrien, The game is up. The overextended defense line was also a factor; the reserve ammunition wagons, for the 2/24th, for example, was in the center of camp about a thousand yards from Lieutenant Popes Company G position. When they attacked travelling settlers they would kill ever man, woman, child and even babies. Cetshwayos main impi, variously estimated at between 20,000 and 25,000 strong, would concentrate its efforts on the central column. Lunging, parrying and thrusting, they disappeared into the masses of Zulu warriors. Total casualties of the Zulu wars were 1727 British killed and well over 6000 Zulus. In taking over the Transvaal, Britain also inherited a long-standing, festering border dispute between the Boers and the Zulu. 1), under the command of Col. C.K. As Shepstones fragile territories were bordered by Zululand, he formally outlined how regular border incursions by the Zulus were effecting the stability of the region. As an example, the popular execution method of death by a thousand cuts continued in China until those dastardly Brits outlawed it. I think the most important aspect of the battle was the tragic heroism displayed by both sides. However, Frere soon realised that uniting the Boer republics, independent black states and British colonies could not be realised until the powerful Zulu kingdom on its borders had been defeated.