Battle of the Bloody River ( African: Slag van Bloedrivier ) - a clash between armed groups of Boers and Zulus in the Incole Valley (Nkole) during the Great Track on December 16, 1838 .
Shortly before the battle, the Boer settlers arrived in the land of the Zulus and tried to negotiate the allocation of land to them, but the Zulus rejected these proposals and killed the Boer delegation. In response, Boer farmers carried out a retaliation action that went down in history as the Battle of the Bloody River . The raid was attended by 460 people ( commando ) in 57 wagons led by Boer General Andris Pretorius .
History has preserved the text of the prayer of the Afrikaners before the battle:
 | Lord If you protect us and put our enemies in our hands, we will build a house in honor of Your name and our victory will be sung to the last tribe of our descendants, because on this day they will sing Your Honor [1] |  |
On Sunday, December 16, 1838, in the Nkome River Valley, they were attacked by more than 10,000 Dingane Zulus. The Boers had firearms, including light guns, while the Zulus were armed only with spears. The Zulu launched three attacks that were repelled. After a three-hour battle, the Zulus, having lost a significant part of their warriors, stopped active operations and, after a counterattack by the Boers, took to flight. They lost 3 thousand killed, while none of the Boers died (according to other sources, 3 people).
Subsequently, Afrikaners established the Day of Oath holiday ( African. Geloftedag - Covenant or Vow Day), annually held on December 16, was erected in honor of this event the Votive Church ( African. Die Geloftekerk ) in Pietermaritzburg and the monument.