directions, allowing a good field of fire. A trench surrounded a waist high wall of earth, which enclosed 120 wagons formed a square with sides of 130 yards in length. Here the relief column fought the Battle of Gingindlovu, a British victory, before continuing on to Eshowe. Eshowe relieved On 3 April, the relief column entered Eshowe, led by the pipers of the 91st Highlanders. The two-month siege had been lifted. Chelmsford concluded that Eshowe did not need to be retained, and the laboriously constructed defences were demolished. Bivouacking on the first night after their departure from it on 6 April, Pearson's men could see that the Zulus had set Eshowe alight. See also Military history of South Africa References Bibliography Eshowe 1879 in the Zulu Kingdom History of KwaZulu-Natal Eshowe