In April 1879 despite recent battles at Kambula and Gingindlovu which had resulted in serious losses for the Zulus, the British were back at their starting point.

Lord Chelmsford was aware by mid June that Sir Garnet Wolseley had superseded his command of the British forces.

"[4] Chelmsford ignored this and various peace offers from Cetshwayo[5] in order to strike while the Zulu were still recovering from their defeats and to attempt to regain his reputation before Wolseley could remove him from command of the army.

[6] Cetshwayo's translator, Cornelius Vijn, a Dutch trader he had imprisoned at the start of the war, informed Chelmsford through the peace offers of gathering Zulu forces.

[8][f] However, the very size of the force overwhelmed the supply and transport capacity of Natal and Chelmsford would have to utilize a number of troops that could be sustained in the field.

With his army damaged after Kambula, King Cetshwayo refrained from attacking the extended and vulnerable supply lines, consequently the British advance was unopposed.

[12] On the evening of 6 June jittery British troops and artillery in laager at Fort Newdigate opened fire on an arriving piquet company of Royal Engineers commanded by Lieutenant John Chard of Rorke's Drift fame, killing two horses and wounding one.

On 28 June Chelmsford's column was a mere 17 miles away from Ulundi and had established the supply depots of 'Fort Newdigate', 'Fort Napoleon' and 'Port Durnford' when Sir Garnet Wolseley arrived in Cape Town.

I am astonished at not hearing from you" Wolseley, straining to assert command over Chelmsford, tried to join 1st Division, lagging along the coast behind the main advance.

The peace was rejected as the terms had not been fully met and Chelmsford turned the envoys away without accepting the elephant tusks and informed them that the advance would only be delayed one day to allow the Zulus to surrender one regiment of their army.

The Zulu umCijo regiment, guarding the approaches to the White Umfolozi River where the British were camped, refused to let the oxen pass, deeming it a useless gesture, seeing as it was impossible to meet all Chelmsford's demands - fighting was inevitable.

On 3 July, with negotiations having broken down, Colonel Buller led a cavalry force across the river to reconnoitre the ground beyond.

Their advance would begin at first light, prior to forming his infantry into a large hollow square,[16] with mounted troops covering the sides and rear.

Battalions with Regimental Colours now uncased them; the band of the 13th Light Infantry struck up and the 5,317-man strong 'living laager' began its measured advance across the plain.

The Zulu Army under the command of umNtwana Ziwedu kaMpande - around 12,000 to 15,000 strong, now stood in a horseshoe shape encircling the north, east and southern sides of the square.

The mounted troops by the stream opened fire from the saddle in an attempt to trigger a premature charge before wheeling back to gallop through the gaps made in the infantry lines for them.

The speed of the charge made it seem as if the Zulu reserves would get close enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat but no warrior reached the British ranks.

The Lancers were checked at the Mbilane stream by the fire of a concealed party of Zulus, causing several casualties to the cavalrymen before they overcame the resistance.

After half an hour of concentrated fire from the artillery, the Gatling guns and thousands of British riflemen, the Zulu military power was broken.

Chelmsford had partially salvaged[19] his reputation and received a Knight Grand Cross of Bath, largely because of Ulundi; however, he was severely criticized by the Horse Guards investigation[20] and he would never serve in the field again.

[27] He was succeeded by his son Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo, who ruled until his surrender to the British in 1888 and exile to the island of Saint Helena, although he was still recognized by the Zulus as king until his death in 1913.