In Zululand and the Transvaal with the 58th

The Anglo-Zulu War was much more than just the 22^nd January 1879. After that fateful day the war would drag on for another six bloody months and it ultimately, would take thousands of soldiers from many different regiments to subdue King Cetshwayo’s proud Zulu nation.

One of these was the 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot. Rushed to South Africa after news broke of the defeat at iSandlwana, they would provide welcome reinforcement to the Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty’s forces, Lord Chelmsford.

Taking part in the second invasion, they would be present in the military square at Ulundi on the 4th July 1879.  Other companies of the 58th would not make it this far and would spend the war garrisoning towns and supply forts, and taking part in convoy duty and patrols.

With the end of the war, the 58th were one of the few regiments to remain in South Africa and would suffer heavy casualties at the disastrous assaults on Laing’s Nek and Majuba in 1881 fighting a very different enemy, the Boer’s, during the 1st Transvaal Rebellion.

This 508-page hardback book contains the complete diary of a corporal from that regiment, who served through both campaigns, as well as a large number of previously unpublished photographs, accounts, illustrations, maps and documents from both British and South African archives and through the pages of his diary these two campaigns are finally brought together in a single volume.

This unique book is the first to look in detail at a British Regiment who served in South Africa fighting two very different enemies.

Kate Birbeck is a respected historian on Victorian military history. This being her fourth book on the subject.

Publisher - Dreadnought Publishing

Language - English

Case Bound - PPC

Contributors

By author

Kate Birbeck

Published Date - 2026-05-08

ISBN - 9781999958787

Dimensions - 29.7 x 21 x 3.2 cm

Page Count - 508