On the 3rd of July a large force of mounted men, under Colonel Buller, crossed the river at a drift commanded by a rocky hill, from which the enemy were gallantly and quickly dislodged by Baker's Irregular Horse. Buller moved forward to Nodwengu kraal, and on the way several stragglers were killed. One of them was "stuck" by Lord William Beresford, with the exclamation, "First spear, by Jove!" Shortly afterwards this force was nearly trapped, by means of the decoy of a man with a number of goats, who moved forward in front. The nonchalance of this fellow was so suspicious, that the force was suddenly wheeled to the right in the direction of Ulundi; and no sooner was this done than a crowd of Zulus, who had been in ambush, rose out of a donga at a hundred yards distance, and poured in a heavy volley.[46] Preparations for battle were made during the night of the 3rd of July. War-dancing took place among the enemy, while on our side the waggons were carefully formed into laager, and at 6 a.m. on the 4th of July, the British army, leaving this camp, crossed the Umvolosi river, and ascending to the high ground, formed upon it in order of battle. It was here that the Zulus had defeated the Boers, and it was, therefore, fitting that upon the field where the white men had met with disaster their crowning triumph should take place. A victory sufficient to repair and efface the stains of all previous calamities was absolutely required, and it was obtained in the most complete and satisfactory manner. The leaders of the Zulu army were named Tyingwayo, Manyamane, Dabulamanzi, Mondula, Sirayo, Mehkla Ka Zulu. The force under their command numbered more than thirteen corps of regiments, was larger than that at Kambula, and comprised more than 20,000 men. One of the prisoners, named Undungunyanga, son of Umgegane, declared that it was true the king had wanted to make peace, and previous to the battle, in an address to the army, said that as the Inkandampeonvu regiment would not let the white cattle go to the British as a peace offering, and as the white army was now at his home, they could fight. The battle was to take place on the open plain between the Nodwengu and Ulundi kraals. The king then personally placed the different regiments, gave final orders, and retired to a kraal at a short distance to witness the battle.[47] The place in which the British army was drawn up had many advantages. A broad open country was around, almost free from bush. The Nodwengu kraal, distant about 1000 yards, offered some cover to the enemy, and it would have been burned had not Colonel Buller suggested that if this were done the Zulus would be enabled to creep up under cover of the smoke. [Sidenote: _The battle of Ulundi._]