Then a war was entered upon which was to alternately bring disaster and as frequently demonstrate the stern inflexibility of the white man. Zululand, to the north-east of Natal, produced the finest and bravest black warriors against whom Britain has fought. Chaka on becoming chief in 1810 organised the tribe on a martial basis, and to his determined and ruthless efforts to establish a military despotism the splendid fighting qualities of the Zulu were due. Our story commences with the recognition of Cetewayo as King of the Zulus by the British Government in 1872. His father Panda had reverted to the peaceful pastoral pursuits of the tribe, but Cetewayo determined to again organise his countrymen as a military nation, and with such success did he do this that he felt himself in a position to defy white authority. The seizure of two women on British territory, claimed as the runaway wives of a chief, and the refusal of Cetewayo to make reparation for the incursion into British territory, led to the invasion of Zululand on January 11th, 1879. It was decided to invade the country by three columns. The first, or southern column, under Colonel Pearson of the Buffs, was composed of the 2nd Batt. Buffs; six companies of the 99th; 100 Mounted Infantry; 19th Hussars; Royal Artillery with 4 guns; 170 Seamen and Marines from H.M.S. "Active," with a Gatling gun and Rocket Battery; Mounted Colonial Volunteers, and about 1,000 natives. The second, or central column, under Colonel Glyn of the 24th, comprised seven companies of the 1st Batt. and the 2nd Batt. 24th Regiment; Royal Artillery with 2 7-pounders; Natal Mounted Police; Mounted Colonial Volunteers, and 1,000 natives. The third, or northern column, under Colonel Evelyn Wood, consisted of the 1st Batt. 13th; the 90th Regiment; Royal Artillery with 4 7-pounders; 100 Mounted Infantry; 200 Frontier Light Horse; 100 local Volunteers; a body of Boers under Commandant Piet Uys, and 5,000 Swazies.

On January 22nd a body of about 6,000 Zulus were defeated at Inyezane by Colonel Pearson's force, which then marched on to Ekowe (Etschowe), where a depot was formed without opposition, but on the same day the central column, which had crossed the river at Rorke's Drift, where a detachment of the 24th was left, met with overwhelming disaster at the isolated hill of Isandhlwana. Lord Chelmsford, with Colonel Glyn, had marched out leaving one company of the 2nd 24th, and five companies of the 1st 24th, with 70 artillerymen and 2 guns, mounted police, volunteers, and native friendlies, to defend the unfortified camp, and while he was reconnoitring in the south-west the Zulu impi of 14,000 attacked the camp at Isandhlwana, where the men, standing back to back, faced the fearful odds until almost every white man had fallen where he stood. A Zulu chief afterwards said, "They turned back to back and fought till they died. Not one tried to escape."

In this desperate struggle Lieutenants Coghill and Melville made a gallant attempt to save the colours of the 24th, and with their precious charge essayed to swim the Buffalo, but Melville's horse being killed Coghill returned to assist him, and his horse being also shot the colours fell into the river, from which they were rescued ten days later. The brave officers were found dead side by side. For this gallant effort the Victoria Cross was posthumously conferred upon the two officers. Around the fatal hill of Isandhlwana 50 British officers, and over 800 non-commissioned officers and men, met their death; the five entire companies of the 1st 24th were annihilated, and 90 men of the 2nd Battalion killed.

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.