ORDER OF BATTLE // February 27, 1881
Majuba Hill
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 805–905 estimated
République sud-africaine du Transvaal
400–500
Medium-confidence figure
Royaume-Uni
405
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881 was the final and decisive engagement of the First Boer War, ending in a resounding Boer victory. A British force of approximately 405 under Major General Sir George Pomeroy Colley occupied the summit of Majuba Hill overnight on 26–27 February, apparently driven by concern that Boer forces were already advancing trenches toward the position. The engagement resulted in 134 British casualties. As the concluding battle of the war, Majuba Hill effectively ended British attempts to reassert control over the South African Republic, and its outcome directly shaped the terms on which the conflict closed.
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