Immediately after their famous victory over the British at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, as many as 4,000 Zulu warriors pushed on across the Zulu-Natal border. This Zulu army headed for Rorke's Drift, some 12 miles (19 km) away. Here was a mission station and 140 soldiers of the 24th Warwickshire Regiment and allied troops. A siege battle lasted 12 hours, but the defenders held on, all the more remarkable a feat since a good number of the men were invalids even before the battle started. Eleven Victoria Cross medals were awarded for the successful defence of Rorke's Drift.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2910/battle-of-rorkes-drift/.