Henry Pulleine Lieutenant - Colonel Henry Burmester Pulleine ( 12 December 1838 – 22 January 1879 ) was an administrator and commander in the British Army in the Cape Frontier and Anglo - Zulu War s . He held the acting rank of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel . Pulleine was born in Yorkshire , the son of a vicar . His original commission into the British Army ' s 30th Regiment , was obtained without purchase in 1855 after his graduation from the Sandhurst . He transferred to the brand new 2nd Battalion of the 24th in 1858 as a Lieutenant . He was promoted Captain in 1861 and in 1871 Pulleine bought a majority in the regiment ' s 1st Battalion which was then sent to South Africa . Despite a brevet promotion to Lieutenant - Colonel in 1877 Pulleine still had no experience of war . 9th Cape Frontier War . This would soon change when war broke out between the British and the Xhosa in the Eastern Cape . During British operations in the Cape Frontier , Pulleine was responsible for the formation of a force of irregular cavalry . Called ' Pulleine ' s Rangers ' it was made up of ex - railroad workers from King William ' s Town . The unit acquitted itself well in the war , and with the conflict over it was disbanded and Pulleine took over as commandant of Durban - KZN and then Pietermaritzburg . Anglo - Zulu War . Pulleine had only recently rejoined his regiment from his appointments as commandant when another war broke out South Africa . The 1st Battalion of the 24th Regiment was a part of Lord Chelmsford ' s Number 3 Column and crossed into Zululand on 11 January . On 21 January he was left in command of the British camp at Isandlwana which included 1st Battalion of the 24th Regiment of Foot . In addition to the 24th there were units from the Royal Artillery ' s N / 5 Battery , Zikahli ' s Horse , the Natal Native Contingent , and European native contingents such as the Newcastle Mounted Rifles and Natal Mounted Police . The overall commander , Lord Chelmsford , took the rest of his forces away to where he believed the Zulus were , with the intention of bringing them to battle and ending the war quickly by destroying the Zulu force in a set - piece engagement . Chelmsford ' s last act regarding the defence of the camp was to order up troops under Lieutenant - Colonel Anthony Durnford to help support Pulleine . Unknown to the British the Zulus were in fact camped near the British position and had determined to attack it . The entire Zulu army attacked the British camp on the 22nd and Pulleine ' s 1 , 400 soldiers were totally overwhelmed . The Battle of Isandlwana was the worst defeat suffered by the British army in 150 years . Death . It has never been established where and when on the battlefield Pulleine died , as his body was never positively identified . An unknown source indicated that he died ' early ' in the fighting . This would explain Coghill ' s later comment that Pulleine was ' already dead , ' and the inability of Durnford to locate him once his force returned to the camp during the height of the battle . It would also explain Teignmouth Melvill ' s apparent dereliction of duty in abandoning his men . If Melvill knew Pulleine was dead , it would not have made sense to remain on the field with the colour . It is also equally possible that Pulleine survived the British collapse only to be killed in one of the desperate last stands which took place after it became obvious the British were doomed . However in his book " A Lost Legionary in South Africa " , Commandant George Hamilton Browne ( a noted impostor ) describes coming across and saluting Pulleine ' s corpse on his way back from visiting his tent on the morning of the 23rd , as Browne was commandant of the 1st / 3rd NNC . As the 1st / 3rd NNC ' s tents were at the extreme left of the camp , it seems probable that Pulleine was killed in the camp and not in one the last stands in the saddle or 1st / 24th camp . ' A Lost Legionary in South Africa ' , Col G Hamilton Browne . T , Werner Laurie . 1912 .