THE ASHANTEE WAR. 1873–74.
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Cape Coast Colony is situated on the west coast of Africa. The town, called Cape Coast Castle, has been in the possession of the British since the 17th. century, and a tract of country extending back eighty miles from the coast to the river Prah, is under their protection. To the west of Cape Coast Castle is the Dutch post of Elmina. North and west of the river Prah, is the country of the Ashantees, a fierce and warlike tribe, who had conquered or driven out all their neighbours, and founded Coomassie as their capital, about one hundred and forty miles to the north of Cape Coast Castle. Their religion is the most degraded fetishism, and hundreds of human beings were slaughtered yearly as sacrifices by their king.
The Ashantees had a communication with the sea through Elmina, and the Dutch were in the habit of sending their king an annual present—or tribute as he considered it—but the Dutch having exchanged Elmina with the British for some ports higher up the coast, in 1868, the transfer gave great offence to the black potentate, who asserted that the place belonged to him, and that the Dutch had no right to dispose of it.
The unwarlike Fantis inhabiting the country between Cape Coast Castle and the Prah, were regarded with utter contempt by the Ashantees, who also held the fighting powers of the British in no high estimation, for in the year 1824, Sir Charles Macarthy, Governor of Cape Coast Castle, crossed the Prah with a small force, against them, and being deserted by the Fantis, was surrounded and completely destroyed—three white men only escaping. This defeat had never been avenged, and encouraged the Ashantees, in 1873, to cross the Prah with the intention of capturing Elmina. A small force comprising seven companies of the 2nd. West India Regiment, with a large body of Fantis under Lieutenant Hopkins, endeavoured to stop their advance, but after a short skirmish 596the Fantis fled, and the Lieutenant was obliged to retreat. The Ashantees took possession of Dunquah, and threatened to attack Elmina and Cape Coast Castle, and had they pushed on, both places would probably have fallen into their hands. At this juncture H.M.S. “Barracouta,” Captain Fremantle, arrived on the coast, having on board a detachment of one hundred and ten marines, commanded by Colonel Festing, R.M.A. The marines landed at Cape Coast Castle June 9th.; Colonel Festing took command of the troops, and martial law was proclaimed.
The native inhabitants of Elmina joined the Ashantees, a strong body of whom advanced on the town, which was bombarded and burnt by the “Barracouta.” Colonel Festing, with the marines, a detachment of the 2nd. West India Regiment, a body of Houssas, a party of sailors from the “Barracouta,” “Druid,” “Seagull,” and “Argus,” under Capt. Fremantle, attacked the enemy, and drove them back with a loss of two hundred men.
More skirmishes followed; the “Simoon” arrived with a strong body of marines, also Commodore Commerell in the “Rattlesnake” from the Cape of Good Hope, who assumed the command of the marine forces; but shortly after in an advance up the Prah with the boats of the squadron, he was fired upon by the enemy concealed in the bush, and so severely wounded that he was ordered at once to return to the Cape.
On October 2nd. Sir Garnet Wolseley landed at Cape Coast Castle, with some twenty British officers, but no troops, having called at Sierra Leone en route, and made arrangements for raising men from the tribes on the coast. Efforts were immediately made to form an army of Fantis, but after a month’s experience, Sir Garnet gave up the attempt as hopeless, and wrote to England for a force of disciplined troops. A body of Houssas were trained as gunners by Captain Rait and Lieutenant Wilmot, R.A., who performed their duties admirably throughout the expedition, and two regiments of natives from the bravest tribes, of about four hundred men each, were raised and well drilled by British officers. One of these regiments was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel 597Evelyn Wood, the other by Major Russell, and the men on all occasions behaved well and courageously.
Captain Glover, formerly of the Royal Navy, also raised a large Native force, with which he prepared to make the river Volta his base of operations, and to march on Coomassie from the east. Glover had been administrator at Lagos, and possessing a thorough knowledge of the native tribes on the coast, his undertaking proved to be completely successful.
In the meantime, Sir G. Wolseley, with a body of marines, sailors, and Houssas, made an attack on the Ashantees occupying villages near Elmina, and put them to flight. A camp had been formed at Abrakampa, a place of much importance, which had been a missionary station, surrounded by thick woods. It was garrisoned by Major Russell with his black regiment, and a body of seamen and marines, who totally defeated a determined attack made on the position by the enemy, who after this repulse began to retreat across the Prah.
The invasion of the Protectorate had failed, and the invaders were driven across the frontier, by native levies, “admirably conducted by British officers, without the assistance of any English troops except the marines and blue jackets who were on the station.”
Major Home, R.E., now commenced a road twelve feet in width, towards the Prah. A camp was formed at Prahsu to accommodate two thousand European troops, with a hospital and storehouses, which on January 3rd., 1874, was occupied by a Naval Brigade of about two hundred and eighty men, under Commodore Hewett and Captain Grubbe.
On new year’s day, the 42nd. Highlanders, the Rifle Brigade, with detachments of the 23rd. Fusiliers, Royal Engineers, and Royal Artillery disembarked at Cape Coast Castle, numbering in all two thousand five hundred and four men. Early in January the whole of the British troops reached Prahsu, and on the 20th., a bridge across the Prah being completed by the sailors and engineers, the march on Coomassie began.
Lord Gifford, in command of a party of native scouts, led the advance, and was followed by the two regiments of natives, under Colonels Wood and Russell. The country 598through which the troops marched was almost entirely covered by trees, with an undergrowth of dense scrub and creepers, through which it was impossible to pass, unless where natural paths existed, or a way had been cut by the pioneers. Marshes also lay in every direction, which emitted exhalations destructive to the health and lives of Europeans exposed to their noxious influence. Fommanah, a village thirty miles from Coomassie, was entered without opposition, January 24th.
Koffee Kalkalli, the Ashantee king, alarmed by the British advance, sent in some German missionaries, whom he had kept for some time as prisoners, and dispatched letter after letter asking for peace. His object being only to gain time, and the demand of Sir G. Wolseley for hostages being disregarded, the troops continued their march, and the reply sent to the king was, the British meant to go to Coomassie.
Information that the Ashantees were posted in great force in the villages of Amoaful and Becquah, being received by the General, he resolved to attack them immediately. On the morning of January 31st. was fought the battle of Amoaful, about twenty miles from Coomassie, where Amanquatia, the best Ashantee General, had concentrated an army of twenty thousand warriors. The British force consisted of the 42nd. Highlanders, under Major Macpherson; 2nd. Battalion Rifle Brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel Warren; and a detachment of the 23rd. Fusiliers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Mostyn. These regiments formed the “White Brigade,” commanded by Brigadier Sir A. Alison. The other troops consisted of the Naval Brigade, under Captain Grubbe; a detachment of the 2nd. West India regiment, under Lieutenant Jones; the Houssa Artillery, under Captain Rait, R.A.; and the native regiments of Russell and Wood. The 42nd. led the attack, with the Naval Brigade and Russell’s and Wood’s natives on the flanks; the Rifle Brigade being held in reserve. The enemy fought most stubbornly, and the thick bush favouring their mode of fighting, for some time but little advance was made. Though the village of Agamassie had been carried, the Ashantees still held the bush not two hundred yards from it, and made desperate efforts to retake the place, while so heavy was the fire they maintained 599that the air seemed literally alive with slugs. Two companies of the Rifles were sent up as reinforcements. Rait’s Artillery poured round after round of grape into the bush, till the fire of the enemy slackened, and they fled before the rush of the 42nd. At the top of the hill they again made a stand, and contested every foot of ground, but gave way at another charge, and the British gained the open clearing in which the village of Amoaful was situated. A fire was opened from the houses, but the 42nd. drove the Ashantees out of the place, and all resistance in that quarter was at an end. But the enemy were not yet beaten. When the battle seemed to be over they made a final and furious attempt to turn the flank of the British, and retake the village of Agamassie. The Rifle Brigade marched back and met them, and after a sharp contest of an hour the Ashantees rapidly retreated, and the day was won. The action altogether lasted twelve hours, the British casualties being Captain Buckle, R.E., and three men killed, and twenty-one officers and one hundred and seventy-three men wounded. Nearly every fourth man of the 42nd. had been hit, among them being Major Macpherson. The loss of the enemy was estimated at between two and three thousand, including their General Amanquatia. The troops took up their quarters for the night at Amoaful.
Next day the village of Becquah was taken, and the advance continued to a place called Aggemamu, fifteen miles from Coomassie. The General now stated his intention of making a dash on the capital, and the men were asked if they would make their rations for four days last for six, if required. Their answer was “Most willingly.” Over streams and through swamps they pushed on, disregarding a message from King Koffee, without hostages, and reached the river Ordah, over which the Engineers at once commenced to make a bridge. By daybreak on February 4th. the bridge was finished, and the troops passed over, the Naval Brigade being left to guard the passage. The enemy immediately fired on the advance, but with a dash the village of Ordashu was carried by the Rifles, and held in spite of repeated efforts of the Ashantees to retake it. About noon, the 42nd., supported by the Rifles and Rait’s Artillery, moved direct on Coomassie, and disregarding 600repeated flank attacks and ambuscades, carried position after position; till the enemy finally broke and fled in complete disorder, leaving the ground strewn with umbrellas, war-chairs of chiefs, drums, muskets, and killed and wounded. An halt of about an hour was then made, when the whole force again advanced, crossing the pestilential swamp which surrounds the town, and entered Coomassie without opposition about half-past five p.m. A party was sent to the palace, who found the King and Princes had fled. To remain at Coomassie was impossible, owing to the lack of supplies, and the rains having commenced the rivers would soon become impassable. Sir G. Wolseley therefore determined to destroy the town and palace, and return to the coast.[210]
Next morning the return march began. The King’s palace was blown up, and the town set on fire and destroyed. So thorough had been the defeat of the Ashantees that the troops were not molested on their return, and on February 12th., during a halt at Fommanah, ambassadors from King Koffee overtook the army, bringing with them one thousand ounces of gold, as a portion of the indemnity of the fifty thousand ounces demanded, and returned with a treaty of peace which the King eventually signed. The chief terms dictated by Sir G. Wolseley were, besides the indemnity, the abolition of human sacrifices, and perpetual peace. So salutary has been the effects of this successful expedition on the Ashantees, that they have never since disturbed their neighbours across the Prah. About a week after Sir G. Wolseley had left Coomassie, Captain Glover, at the head of nearly five thousand natives, entered the town, having marched from the Volta river. King Koffee sent him by an ambassador, a plateful of gold as a sign of submission, and Glover then proceeded southwards with his forces into friendly territory, having performed his arduous undertaking with the utmost daring, judgment, and success. A day or two before, Captain R. Sartorius, of 601the 5th. Bengal Cavalry, was dispatched by Captain Glover[211] to report to Sir G. Wolseley that he was within eighteen miles of the capital. He started on his adventurous errand with forty natives, but without provisions, as he expected to meet the General at Coomassie. At the close of the first day he halted at a village, seven miles from the capital, when he heard that the place was burnt and the English gone. Fully aware of his danger he determined to push on, and the next morning rode through Coomassie, which he found destroyed and deserted. Night found him at Amoaful, and the day following he reached the head-quarters at Fommanah, having travelled fifty-five miles through the heart of the Ashantee country. Not a shot was fired at him throughout his journey, and he saw but few Ashantees, who fled at his approach.
For this and other services, Captain Sartorius deservedly gained the Victoria Cross. The troops, with the Major-General and his staff, reached Cape Coast Castle on February 19th. In the actions during the march on Coomassie the total number of officers and men killed and wounded was two hundred and sixty-nine. Eight only were killed, and about one hundred and sixty were but slightly wounded, but many of the troops and Naval Brigade died of fever.
Thirty-three officers engaged in the expedition received the Order of the Bath; Lord Gifford received the Victoria Cross, and Captain Glover was made a Knight of St. Michael and St. George. Sir G. Wolseley, who declined a baronetcy offered him, was voted a sum of £25,000 in recognition of his services.[212]
The cost of the war was estimated at £900,000.
The troops who served in this campaign were the 23rd. and 42nd. Foot; 2nd. Battalion Rifle Brigade; 2nd. West India Regiment; the Houssa Artillery; and Naval Brigade.
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