Point for comparison:

General George Armstrong Custer with around about 220 men faced with 650 odd Indians got slaughtered at the Little Big Horn.

Lieutenant Richard Merriot Chard, an officer of Engineers, with 135 men of the 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot faced with 4000 Zulus not only survived but defeated them.

Something to do with training and discipline under fire. Both incidents happened within three years of each other. In both cases the troops were similarly armed.

By the bye Little Hawk best estimate of the number of Indians present (Total) was between 950 to 1200, Custer's force was estimated to have been outnumbered 3 to 1 - in any event there were hardly thousands. If you do chose to relate something historical it is just as easy to be accurate.