Rorke’s Drift was a mission station in Natal, South Africa, situated near a natural ford on the Buffalo River. During the Anglo-Zulu War, the defense of Rorke’s Drift immediately followed the British Army’s defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana earlier in the day. 139 British soldiers successfully defended their garrison against an intense assault by 4 to 5,000 Zulu warriors.
Rorke’s Drift was a mission station and former trading post located near the border between Natal and Kwa Zulu. The British ultimatum to the Zulus had expired. The British officers directed their men to make preparations to defend the mission station. When they realized that the Zulus were about to attack, several British soldiers deserted, and leaving only 139 men to defend. A column of 4 to 6,000 Zulus approaching was reported.
A heavy volley of gunfire was opened up at 500 yards and the British fire resulted in the piling up of the Zulu dead. The British wall was too high for the Zulus to scale and they resorted to crouching under it or firing their weapons through it. The Zulu attacks began to slacken after midnight and finally ended by 2 am. The British were exhausted, having fought for the better part of ten hours. As dawn broke, they could see that the Zulus were gone and all that remained were the vast piles of dead.
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