Battle of Majuba Hill

The Battle of Majuba Hill was fought on 27 February 1881 during the First Boer War. Major-General George Pomeroy Colley occupied the summit overlooking the Boer position near Laing’s Nek, believing the height would give the British a decisive advantage.

Boer marksmen climbed the mountain under cover and attacked the poorly prepared British position. The defenders were driven from the summit and Colley was killed. The defeat, following earlier reverses at Laing’s Nek and Schuinshoogte, accelerated political negotiations that restored Transvaal self-government under British suzerainty.

The battle is the climax of John Wilcox’s Last Stand at Majuba Hill, where Simon Fonthill’s warnings about Boer capabilities collide with the confidence of Colley’s command.