Siege of Fort Eshowe
At the start of Lord Chelmsford's Zulu campaign, he sent Colonel Pearson to establish an advanced base for the final push on the Zulu capital of uLundi. Pearson chose the KwaMondi Mission at Eshowe, at that time nothing more than a deserted little church, school and the house of the resident Norwegian missionary.
When he arrived, Pearson started receiving fragments of news about battles and terrible defeats, so he decided to sit tight. The only firm news came some weeks after the British calamity at Isandlwana: a message from Chelmsford instructing him to take whatever action he thought necessary to safeguard his column.
When they started building a fort in February it must have been pleasant work, what with the lovely countryside and views all the way to the ocean.
But February dragged on into April and his men began succumbing to disease and starvation. Only once did a Zulu force appear, but drifted off when they were shelled. Relief finally arrived on 3 April in the form of the 91st Highlanders, led in by pipers. When they left three days later they could see Eshowe going up in smoke. The fort in town is now a museum.