Rorke's Drift.—Meanwhile on that fatal day the little force which had been left under Lieutenant Bromhead at Rorke's Drift to guard 35 sick men and the stores, had performed prodigies of valour. About 80 men kept at bay 3,000 Zulus from 5 o'clock on the afternoon of the 22nd until 4 a.m. on the 23rd. Again and again the Zulus tried to rush the hastily improvised fort; they set fire to a building which had been converted into a hospital, and forced the devoted band into the inner defences. Half a dozen times they rushed the meagre entrenchments, but were forced back, until at last on the morning of the 23rd they retired, leaving 370 dead around that well-kept post. The gallant men who defied that army lost 17 killed and 2 wounded, 5 of the sick men being burnt to death despite the strenuous efforts of their comrades to rescue them.
Eight Victoria Crosses.—In this glorious defence, in which every man was a hero, eight Victoria Crosses were earned: Lieutenant G. Bromhead of the 24th, Lieutenant J. M. R. Chard, R.E., for their brilliant defence; Corporal W. Allen, Privates F. Hitch, Hy. Hook, John Williams, and W. and R. Jones, for their gallant defence of the hospital, and holding it against the enemy while the patients were removed. Corporal Allen and Private Hitch were wounded, but when no longer able to fight served out ammunition to their comrades through that terrible night.
Towards the end of March Lord Chelmsford proceeded to the relief of Ekowe, at the same time instructing Colonel Evelyn Wood to advance on the Zlobani, or Inholbani, mountain, a precipitous and deeply wooded stronghold which he determined to attack. Dividing his force into two columns under Colonel Russell and Colonel (later General Sir Redvers) Buller, he attacked the place on the early morning of March 28th. Buller gained the summit without much opposition, but Russell discovered that an immense impi of Zulus was attempting to cut off the former's retreat, which unfortunately became a rout, as the struggling mass of men were compelled to face the assegais of the Zulus with little opportunity of retaliating. Buller, who was one of the last to leave the "Devil's Pass," won the V.C. for saving the lives of two officers and a trooper during the retreat, which would have had more disastrous results but for Russell's perception and assistance.
Next day the entrenched camp at Kambula was attacked by a force of 25,000 Zulus, but after four hours' fighting, in which assegai frequently clashed with British bayonet, they made off with Colonels Buller and Russell in hot pursuit, and the humiliation of the previous day was avenged, over 3,000 Zulus being killed. Meanwhile, Lord Chelmsford, with 3,000 soldiers and sailors, and 2,500 friendlies, was attacked on his way to Ekowe by a Zulu impi under Dabulamanzi, the half-brother of Cetewayo, at Ginghilova; but after one and a half hour's fighting, during which the Zulus rushed right up to the muzzles of the British rifles, they were driven off with the loss of about 1,000 men. Two days later Ekowe was relieved, and the post abandoned. By this time considerable reinforcements had arrived from England, among the officers being the Prince Imperial of France, who on June 1st, while reconnoitring with Lieutenant Carey of the 98th Regiment and 6 troopers, was killed by a party of Zulus. On July 3rd, Buller, with 500 cavalrymen, was attacked after crossing the White Umvolosi River by nearly 5,000 Zulus, and in this affair Lord William Beresford of the 9th Lancers gained the V.C. for the rescue of a dismounted trooper, and Lieutenant Lysons and Private E. Fowler of the 2nd Cameronians also gained the coveted distinction for their bravery.
Ulundi.—Next day the battle of Ulundi was fought, and despite the repeated charges of the Zulu army of over 15,000 men, the British square remained unbroken, until the enemy gave way after forty minutes' desperate endeavour, and then the 17th Lancers under Colonel Drury Lowe cut them up as they fled. The capture of the King's kraal at Ulundi practically ended the war, although for over a fortnight he eluded the vigilance of his pursuers. On August 28th he was captured, and on September 1st, 1879, the Zulu chiefs accepted the conditions laid down by the British Government. During this campaign 76 officers and 1,007 men were killed; 37 officers and 206 men wounded; 17 officers and 330 men died of disease, while 1,286 were invalided home.
Basuto War, 1878-9.—Sekukuni, who had allied himself with Cetewayo and defied the Colonial Government, stating that the country was his, and he was ready for war, caused trouble by raiding a friendly chief; an expedition was therefore organised to proceed against him, but owing to the need for the concentration of British troops in Zululand, operations were suspended. When, however, Cetewayo had been captured, Sir Garnet Wolseley, who had succeeded Lord Chelmsford in the command, proceeded to attack the strongholds of Sekukuni on November 28th, 1879, and the "Fighting Koppie" was taken after a desperate struggle, during which the chief escaped, but was captured a few days later and taken prisoner to Pretoria. Thus came to an end a succession of wars during the severe trials of which the finest attributes of the British soldier were repeatedly called forth.
The troops engaged from 1877-9 were, in 1877-8-9: 24th, 88th, 90th, 94th; 1878-9: 13th, 80th, 83rd; 1879: 2nd Batt. 3rd; 4th, 21st, 57th, 58th; 3rd Batt. 60th; 3rd Batt. 91st, 97th, 99th; and Naval Brigades.
The Zulu Medal.—For these campaigns a medal similar to that awarded for the Kaffir wars was given to the participants, the only difference being the substitution of a Zulu shield and assegais for the date in the exergue of the reverse. The ribbon is the same. The bars are similar to those given with the I.G.S. 1854 medal, and do not record specific actions, but periods of service. Those serving for three years received the bar inscribed 1877-8-9; two years, 1877-8 or 1878-9; or for one year, 1879. A single bar only was issued with each medal.