Note 81 — THE ZULU WAR, 1879.

On the preceding evening, Sir E. Wood paraded his men, and thus addressed them, to their great encouragement:—“This is the last of the laagering business. The Zulus think we cannot beat them in the open, and we are going to try. I have conversed with Oham’s men and others who were at Isandlhwana, and they all state that the Zulus would never have beaten those companies of the 24th., but that they got in rear of them. Now, I want you, to-morrow, to pay attention to your officers, as we are going to fight them in square, and I have every confidence in you, providing you keep shoulder to shoulder, fighting back to back. I cannot promise all will return, but that we shall be victors I am sure.”