The Defence of Rorke's Drift having fought in the battle from Lady Butler's sketch of him taken at Portsmouth among the other survivors; his name has subsequently been added to the roll of those who fought at Rorke's Drift. The Defence of Rorke's Drift The Defence of Rorke's Drift is an 1880 painting by Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler depicting the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift which took place during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1877 to 1879. The battle and the men who fought in it were made famous in the 1964 film "Zulu". The Battle of Rorke's Drift caused a wave of patriotic fever in
Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford Wolseley, and in the meantime Chelmsford ignored diplomatic peace overtures from King Cetshwayo and planned an attack upon the Zulus at Ulundi, aimed at defeating them decisively and salvaging his reputation before Wolseley's arrival. The Battle of Ulundi took place on 4 July 1879, being the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. After a half hour bombardment by the Royal Artillery, Chelmsford attacked a Zulu army massed at Ulundi, making full use of concentrated small arms fire from Gatling guns and rifles, leading to the destruction of the Zulu force. The British Army's casualties after the sharp but brief