4 th ▁present ▁being ▁Lieutenant ▁Gon ville ▁B rom head . ▁Two ▁Bo er ▁caval ry ▁officers , ▁Lie uten ants ▁Ad endor ff ▁and ▁V ane , ▁arrived ▁to ▁inform ▁the ▁g arrison ▁of ▁the ▁defeat ▁at ▁Is and l w ana . ▁The ▁Act ing ▁Ass istant ▁Comm iss ary ▁James ▁Dal ton ▁persu aded ▁B rom head ▁and ▁Ch ard ▁to ▁stay ▁and ▁the ▁small ▁g arrison ▁fr ant ically ▁prepared ▁rud iment ary ▁fort ifications . ▁ ▁The ▁Z ulus ▁first ▁attacked ▁at ▁ 4 : 3 0 ▁pm . ▁Through out ▁the ▁day ▁the ▁g arrison ▁was ▁attacked ▁from ▁all ▁sides , ▁including ▁rif le ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁height s ▁above ▁the ▁g arrison , ▁and ▁bitter ▁hand - to - hand ▁fighting ▁often ▁en su ed . ▁At ▁one ▁point ▁the ▁Z ulus ▁entered ▁the ▁hospital , ▁which ▁was ▁st out ly ▁def ended ▁by ▁the ▁wounded ▁inside ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁set ▁al ight ▁and ▁eventually ▁bur nt ▁down . ▁The ▁battle ▁ra ged ▁on ▁into ▁the ▁early ▁hours ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁January ▁but ▁by ▁dawn ▁the ▁Z ulu ▁Army ▁had ▁with dra wn . ▁Lord ▁Ch el ms ford ▁and ▁a ▁column ▁of ▁British ▁troops ▁arrived ▁soon ▁afterwards . ▁The ▁g arrison ▁had ▁suffered ▁ 1 5 ▁killed ▁during ▁the ▁battle ▁( two ▁died ▁later ) ▁and ▁ 1 1 ▁def enders ▁were ▁awarded ▁the ▁Victoria ▁Cross ▁for ▁their ▁distinguished ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁post , ▁ 7 ▁going ▁to ▁soldiers ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 4