British irregular horse commanded by Colonel Redvers Buller discovered a force of 300 Zulu levies at a settlement near the Zungeni Mountain.

The lancers withdrew after their regimental adjutant, Lieutenant Frederick John Cokayne Frith, was killed by a sniper and the Zulu threatened to outflank them.

After the skirmish the British paused to fortify their camp before proceeding further into Zululand, decisively defeating the Zulu in the 4 July Battle of Ulundi.

[3] Chelmsford requested reinforcements and troops sent out from Britain included a cavalry brigade formed by the 1st King's Dragoon Guards and the 17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers under the command of Major-General Frederick Marshall.

The survivors of the Centre Column were reinforced with the cavalry brigade and other fresh troops and became the Second Division that would advance on the Zulu capital Ulundi.

[5][6] By the end of May the Second Division, commanded by Major-General Edward Newdigate, had moved forward from Dundee and was assembled on the banks of the Ncome River at Koppie Alleen, ready to commence the invasion.

[6][9] The following day a patrol of Baker's Horse from the flying column fought a minor skirmish at a cluster of four Zulu homesteads, belonging to Sihayo kaXongo, around 400 yards (370 m) west of Zungeni Mountain.

[10] Early on the morning of 5 June mounted irregulars from Wood's flying column encountered a force of around 300 Zulu at eZulaneni, a collection of four large homesteads between the Zungeni Mountain (which was known to the British as Ezunganyan Hill) and the Ntinini stream.

The cavalry swept past the Zulu several times but were unable to engage them effectively in close combat owing to the difficult terrain.

[7] The 17th Lancer's adjutant, Lieutenant Frederick John Cokayne Frith, was struck in the heart by a shot from a range of 300 yards (270 m) and killed.

This led to the postponement of the court-martial of Lieutenant Jahleel Brenton Carey for failing in his duty as commander during the death of the Prince Imperial.

[21] The 2nd Division and Wood's flying column continued their march into Zululand, patrolling regularly to drive off Zulu forces and establishing several more fortified camps.

[6][1] Prior had made a sketch of the moment of Frith's death during the skirmish and an engraving based on this was published on the front page of the 2 August 1879 edition of the Illustrated London News.