negotiating tent in a large crescent. According to one witness, they were 'apathetic'. The tension rose when Wood emerged from the tent and ordered his band to play 'God Save the Queen'. The accompanying soldiers gave good cheer; the bandmaster was then told to play something lively. Being Irish, the master 'treated them to 'Patrick's Day in the Morning'. The effect was magical; one after another, the Zulus rose and, swaying and dancing, swarmed around the British soldiers on their horses. Of particular interest to the Zulus was the bass drummer whom they seemed to greatly admire. Their negotiations were successful. Wood and Buller both chose to return to England rather than join Wolseley in the final pursuit of the Zulu King Cetewayo. Reverting to his permanent rank of brevet colonel, Wood was also advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on 23 June 1879. He visited Balmoral Castle in September 1879, and in subsequent years wrote the Queen letters described by Ian Beckett as "extraordinarily sycophantic". He was already very deaf and hardly stopped talking; the Queen herself recorded that she "hollered at him", whilst in the field an officer had to accompany him at night as he might not hear a sentry's challenge; his deafness came partly from his various fevers. He was also a hypochondriac, and very vain – he is said to have had his medal ribbons bordered in black so that they would be more visible. Wood was paid £100 for a series of London newspaper articles, his first published work. He was disappointed not to be made a major-general, despite lobbying by the Queen and Wolseley. This may well have been deliberate blocking of Wolseley's proteges from promotion by the Duke of Cambridge. Wood recommended Redvers Buller for his VC after the Zulu War. On 15 December 1879 Wood took up a brigade command at Belfast, and in that role was again given the local rank of brigadier-general, this time on the staff in Ireland in December 1879. First Boer War On 12 January 1880 Wood was posted to command the Chatham Garrison, roughly equivalent to a brigade, holding that post until early 1881. He was again ranked from January 1880 as a local brigadier-general. Wood's brother stood for Parliament as an "advanced" Liberal in April 1880, but he himself declined approaches to do so at least twice. Between March