Battle of Rorke’s Drift
At a glance:
- Series: Magill’s Guide to Military History
- Categories: Military History
- Subcategories: Colonialism, Colonies, Settlements, African Americans, Blacks, Wars, Battles, Empires, Dynasties, British Empire
- Curriculum: 19th Century European History, British History, African History
- Geographical Location: South Africa
- Date: January 22-23, 1879
Article abstract: Type of action: Ground battle in the Zulu War. Result: Successful British defense of a ford on the Buffalo River.
On January 22, 1879, British troops suffered one of the worst defeats in their history when 20,000 Zulu warriors attacked a 1,500-man column at Isandhlwana, killing 1,329. Some 4,000 fresh Zulu reserves, led by the impetuous Dabulamanzi kaMpande, defied orders and crossed the Buffalo River into the British territory of Natal in order to destroy the British garrison that had been left behind to protect the river crossing at Rorke’s...
[The entire page is 340 words long]
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