Thomas Rainforth上尉所率領的第1/第24步兵團(1st/24th Foot)G連在增強守軍的接替部隊抵達後,奉命前往東南面16公里處的海爾普默卡爾(Helpmekaar)。[14]同日夜晚,臨時上校安東尼·鄧福德(Anthony Durnford)指揮的第2縱隊來到渡口,在對岸的祖魯領土駐紮。
查德意識到士兵不能在祖魯軍隊的持續進攻之下守住北牆,在下午6點命令士兵退到玉米袋築起的防禦陣地,過程中,守軍放棄了醫院當中的前兩個房間。醫院開始變成難以防守的據點。守軍如果透過射擊孔開槍,步槍很有可能被祖魯士兵奪去。但如果守軍對射擊孔置之不理,祖魯士兵又會用自己的槍械,透過射擊孔向守軍開槍。防守醫院的士兵有:威廉·威爾遜·阿倫下士(William Wilson Allen),二等兵科爾(Cole)、鄧巴(Dunbar)、希契(Hitch)和霍里根(Horrigan)、約翰·威廉斯(John Williams)、約瑟夫·威廉斯(Joseph Williams)、阿爾弗雷德·亨利·胡克(Alfred Henry Hook)、羅伯特·瓊斯(Robert Jones)和威廉·瓊斯(William Jones)。
祖魯軍隊方面,有351人陣亡,至少500人受傷。羅恩·洛克(Ron Lock)認為,英軍可能處決了所有被俘的祖魯士兵。[38][40]切姆斯福德救援部隊之前目睹了伊散德爾瓦納慘狀,所以沒有對受傷被俘的敵軍留情。[41]守軍同樣如此。納塔爾騎警的威廉·詹姆斯·克拉克(William James Clarke)中寫道:「我們埋葬了375個祖魯士兵,並且將對方的傷兵投入坑中。在見到醫院的傷員被拖出來肢解後...我們的心情非常沉重,所以沒有放過受傷的祖魯士兵。」[38]
B連二等兵塞繆爾·皮特(Samuel Pitt)對西部郵報(The Western Mail)說官方敵軍死亡數字太低:「我們估計有875人,但官方會告訴你只有400人至500人。」[38][42][43]切姆斯福德的參謀霍勒斯·史密斯-道倫中尉(Horace Smith-Dorrien)寫道,英軍在戰後臨時製作了絞刑架「吊死罪有應得的祖魯人。」[38]
維多利亞十字勳章及傑出指揮獎章
主條目:獲得維多利亞十字勳章的祖魯戰爭參與者
有11名戰役參與者獲頒維多利亞十字勳章,當中有7個人屬於第2/第24步兵團,至今仍然是在單一行動中獲獎最多的團。不過,參與者獲得最多維多利亞十字勳章的單一行動並非這場戰役,而是印軍譁變中的第二次勒克瑙解圍行動(Second Relief of Lucknow)。[44]
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-506-3. p. 36, NNC included in garrison.
Estimates vary: Colenso, F.E. History of the Zulu War and Its Origin, London, 1880, p. 305, gives 3,000; Knight, Ian. The Zulu War 1879, Osprey, 2003, ISBN 1-84176-612-7, p. 37, Knight gives: "in excess of 3,000"; Lock, Ron; Quantrill, Peter (2005). Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-up. Greenhill Books. pp. 231–232. ISBN 1-85367-645-4. gives 3,000, p. 231; Morris, Donald R. The Washing of the Spears, Da Capo Press, 1998, gives over 4,000.
Porter, Whitworth (1889), South African Wars, 1847–1885, History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, II, London: Longmans, Green, and Co. p.33, "17 killed and 10 wounded.". (including one killed by 'friendly fire' while fleeing the garrison at start of the battle)
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-506-3, p. 88, "First shots of the battle; the Natal Native Horse break before the oncoming Zulus ...".
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996,ISBN 1-85532-506-3, p.23, "The post was guarded by one company of 2/24 ... and a company of the NNC...".
Estimates vary: Thompson, Paul Singer. Black Soldiers of the Queen: the Natal Native Contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War, University of Alabama Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8173-5368-2 p. 65, gives 100. Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-506-3, p. 27, gives 100 to 300. Knight, Ian. Greaves, Adrian, (ed.). Redcoats and Zulus, 2004, p. 116.
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996,ISBN 1-85532-506-3, p. 28, "With 400 men to build them..."
World History of Warfare, By Christon I. Archer (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館) University of Nebraska Press, 2002, ISBN 0-8032-1941-5, p.462 "They had a national army of twenty-five thousand men equipped with cowhide shields, assegais and clubs. Lock, Ron; Quantrill, Peter (2005). Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-up. Greenhill Books, ISBN 1-85367-505-9, p.62, John Shepstone, Acting Secretary for Native Affairs at the time on the Zulu army – "Equipment: Each man carries his shield and assegais, and a kaross or blanket if he possesses one, he may also have a war dress of monkey skins or ox tails, this is all."
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-506-3, p. 38, "Although the Zulu position was a commanding one – a squad of good shots armed with efficient rifles could have made Chard's position untenable within minutes – the Zulus were neither good shots, nor well armed."
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-506-3. p.36, and on p.88 this is described by Knight as "the first shots of the battle".
Morris, p. 402. Chadwick, G.A. . Military History Journal, V.4, No.4, The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift, South African Military History Society, ISSN 0026-4016, Jan. 1979. "This reduced the strength of the defenders drastically..."
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-506-3. p.45, Corporal Scammell of the NNC is noted as remaining.
Whybra, Julian. England's Son, Gift Ltd., 2004, gives the most up-to-date analysis of the numbers present at the Battle of Rorke's Drift. He counts 154 definite participants, with 2 others listed as "possibles".
Machanik, Major (Dr) Felix. Military History Journal, V.4, No.6, Firepower and Firearms in the Zulu War of 1879, South African Military History Society, ISSN 0026-4016, Dec. 1979.
Lock, Ron; Quantrill, Peter (2005). Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-up. Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-645-4, p. 232, "... it is possible that all the Zulu wounded were put to death.".
Thompson, Paul Singer. Black soldiers of the queen: the Natal native contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War, University of Alabama Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8173-5368-2 p.69
Edward M. Spiers, The Scottish Soldier and Empire, 1854–1902, Edinburgh University Press, 2006, p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7486-2354-9 Also: Ian Knight, Zulu War, Osprey, 2004, p. 9, "By late 1878 Frere had manipulated a diplomatic crisis with the Zulus..." F.E. Colenso, History of the Zulu War and Its Origin, London, 1880, pp. 261–262, "the terms...are evidently such as he (Cetshwayo) may not improbably refuse, even at the risk of war... to preclude you from incurring the delay...involved in consulting Her Majesty's Government upon a subject of so much importance as the terms..." Also: Ian Knight, Zulu War, Osprey, 2004, p. 11, "... an ultimatum with which, Frere knew, they could not possibly comply."
Colenso, F.E. History of the Zulu War and Its Origin, London, 1880.
Military Heritage discussed Rorke's Drift and the politics of the Victoria Cross (Roy Morris Jr., Military Heritage, August 2005, Volume 7, No. 1, p. 8).
Lock, Ron; Quantrill, Peter. Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-up. Greenhill Books. 2005, ISBN 1-85367-645-4.
Morris, Donald R. The Washing of the Spears: A History of the Rise of the Zulu Nation under Shaka and Its Fall in the Zulu War of 1879 Da Capo Press, 1998, ISBN 0-306-80866-8.
Knight, Ian, Rorke's Drift 1879, "Pinned Like Rats in a Hole"; Osprey Campaign Series #41, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-506-3.
Porter, Whitworth, South African Wars, 1847–1885, History of the Corps of Royal EngineersII, London: Longmans, Green, and Co: 24–43, 18891889 [2008-08-14], (原始內容存檔於2016-12-24)
Snook, Lt Col Mike, Like Wolves on the Fold: The Defence of Rorke's Drift. Greenhill Books, London, 2006. ISBN 1-85367-659-4.
Thompson, Paul Singer. Black soldiers of the queen: the Natal native contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War, University of Alabama Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8173-5368-2.