Battle of Isandhlwana
The Battle of Isandhlwana, fought on January 22, 1879, was a significant conflict during the Anglo-Zulu War in Natal, South Africa. British forces, under Lieutenant General Frederick Thesiger, Lord Chelmsford, were divided into five columns to engage the Zulu army. Chelmsford underestimated the Zulu’s capabilities and did not implement adequate defensive measures. A pivotal moment occurred when the Zulu, initially unprepared for battle, launched a surprise attack after their presence was discovered by British patrols. Employing their effective "horns of the buffalo" formation, the Zulu encircled the British troops, leading to a devastating defeat for the British forces, with most soldiers killed by mid-afternoon. Approximately 1,500 Zulu warriors also lost their lives in the engagement. The outcome of this battle had lasting implications, notably leading to British regiments no longer carrying their colors into combat. The event is remembered as a turning point in the conflict and highlights the complexities of colonial military engagements.
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Battle of Isandhlwana
Type of action: Ground battle in the Zulu War
Date: January 22, 1879
Location: East foot of Isandhlwana Mountain, midway between Ladysmith and Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa
Combatants: 1,500 British vs. 20,000-25,000 Zulu
Principal commanders:British, Lieutenant General Frederick Thesiger, Lord Chelmsford (1827–1905), Brevet Colonel Anthony William Durnford (1830–1879), Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Henry B. Pulleine (d. 1879)
Result: Near annihilation of the British
Lieutenant General Frederick Thesiger, Lord Chelmsford, divided his force into five columns to seek the main Zulu army and had the third column camp under the mountain at Isandhlwana (January 20, 1879). Chelmsford underrated the Zulu and did not take standard defensive precautions. Before dawn on January 22, he led part of the third column southeast to reinforce the Natal Mounted Police, leaving the remainder under Henry B. Pulleine’s command, and ordered Anthony William Durnford to bring the second column from Rorke’s Drift to reinforce Pulleine.
Durnford arrived at 10:30 a.m. About an hour later, his picket patrol stumbled on the whole Zulu force bivouacked on the Ngwebeni River, six miles northeast. The Zulu had not intended to attack yet, but with the surprise factor gone, they attacked immediately. In their usual “horns of the buffalo” formation, they ran to encircle the British. By mid-afternoon all the British were dead except about 200 who escaped west to the battle at Rorke’s Drift or southwest to Fugitives Drift. Zulu casualties were about 1,500.
Significance
After Isandhlwana, British regiments no longer carried their colors into battle.
Bibliography
Droogleever, R. W. F. The Road to Isandhlwana: Colonel Anthony Durnford in Natal and Zululand, 1873–1879. London: Greenhill, 1992.
Knight, Ian. The Sun Turned Black: Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, 1879. Rivonia, England: William Waterman, 1995.
Laband, John. Kingdom in Crisis: The Zulu Response to the British Invasion of 1879. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 1992.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗, ed. Lord Chelmsford’s Zululand Campaign, 1878–1879. Stroud, Gloucestershire, England: Alan, 1994.
Young, John. They Fell Like Stones: Battles and Casualties of the Zulu War. Novato, Calif.: Presidio, 1991.