THE ASHANTEE WAR.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1744, 7 March 1874, Page 4

THE ASHANTEE WAR.

[iONDON CORKESPONDBNT OF THE ARGUS.] The Gold Coast cliamate has been exerting its baneful influence. Sir Garnet Wolseley has had himself to succumb to fatigue, and although now happily recovered, had to be removed on board the Simoom. Other officers had been prostrated, and there were nearly 200 men disabled by sickness in the fleet. The sanitary arrangements are so excellent that we may hope to surmount these difficulties, and the men, seasoned and rested, may soon be ready for fresh exertions. The rumour has reached us of the death of the King of Ashantee, but it is not substantiated. Sir Garnet Wolseley has meanwhile accomplished all that was possible with his resources. He has driven back the Ashantee hordes from the neighbourhood of Cape Coast Castle, and struck wholesome fear into the cowardly tribes to whom at the first he had appealed as fighting allies. The defeat inflicted on the Ashantees at Abrakrampa is the severest blow they have experienced for many years. That little village is the capital of the Fantee Kingdom, and was attacked by them in their retreat towards the Prah. The gallant little force defending it consisted of 50 marines and blue jackets, 100 Houssas, 93 of the 2nd West India Regiment, 100 Kossoos (one of the fiercest tribes of Sierra Leone), 64 Sierra Leone volunteers, and 114 disciplined Fantees ; while the Ashantees were reckoned at some 15,000 men. They made a great noise as they approached through the bush, and first attacked towards nightfall. The fight was continued, with intermissions which allowed of no repose, for 26 hours, and ended in the complete repulse of the assailants. Major Rus3ell, who commanded, had a slight fever all the time ; but no white man or officer was wounded. A correspondent of the Times says : — "An escaped captive of the Ashantees complained that we shot through holes in houses, and that when they fired back their bullets struck the houses instead of us. However, on two or three occassions when the Ashantees were creeping up to wards us, in their opinion under cover of rising ground, cmr people sallied out, and drove them back. Captain Grant, 2nd West India Regiment, irade the first charge of this kind ; it was loudly cheered by the seamen and marines. On this occassion I first saw a number of Ashantees together ; thtyran down the liill> 'and /with their naked black bodies resembled a herd of wild animals." Sir Garnet Wolseley, as soon as the news reached himvi hurried to the rescue with 300 marines and seamen, and as soon as he arrived, ordered an advance upon the retreating 'Ahantees. The Fantees had to be driveninto the bush by the Kossoos. * 'They marched," says the same correspondent, ' 'in feavandtremblingjbutalsowithagreathowling, towards the Ashantee camp; but the Ashantees themselves were seized with a panic, and there was a general sauve gui 2>eut. The Houssas were ordered to the front, and bounded down the forest path. Only a few shots were fired by some Ash-antee-slaves, who hung skirmishing about then rear. The uath was lumbered up with i baskets, brass pans, fowl coops, powder kegs, muskets, and stools. Even Amariquatia's i bed was left behind, and the chair in which he was carried by his slaves. ; A number of Fantee captives were rescued. A chief had been killed the day before, and ; they were making human sacrifices on his grave. A Fantee woman told usithat ,a man was actually cutting her throat when the attack was made on the-, camp,' and a bullet pierced his brain. 1 cannot say if she spoke the truth, but 1 saw that the skin of her throat was bleeding., _ Amanquatia, it is thought, will kill hiniseti. ' Th 3 Ashantee woman, who were so keen for the fight on the first two days, who urged on the men, and carried their powder, now abuse Amanquatia as the murderer of the men. His own slaves refused to carry him, and he has. disguised himself in mean apparel. It is supposed that they would cut a road home, through a forest- wilderness, avoiding inhabited regions." The return of Sir Garnet Wolseley to Cape Coast Castle with the spoils of the* enemy; was a triumphal march, and he was received by the native population with great demonstrations of welcome ; but he was greatly fagged, and suffered from the heat, and the next day was so ill that the bells of the church were not allowed to be rung, and before tne week was out he had to be removed on board the hospital ship.

Colonel Festing had in the meantime carried his operations at Dunqiiah to a successful issue,, and thus the prestige of power through that whole region was transferred .. to iour handful of forces. A "moral influence" was established, of which we have heard much ; but as far as our native allies are concerned, there is nothing in their nature to respond to it. Lierttenanfc Eardley VVilmot, of the Royal Artillery, fell in the advance from Dunquah—the first officer killed in the field. He had* received a severe wound early in the day, but still held out with brave endnrancey and was nheering on his men through the' biish, when he was shot down from behind a' thicket.

TheiAshantees made a precipitate retreat after their repulse from Abrakrampa. {several ■• attempts were made to harass them, but with partial success, and no further advance is expedient, until it can be made, in greater strength. They do not appear "to have recrossed the Prah. Some accounts speak of their cutting a new road through the bush to facilitate

their retreat ; other reports say that large i enforcements are coming to them from the interior. The last rumour alleges that the King of Dahomey is preparing to assist King Coftee ; and, if so, we shall find ourselves arrayed against two of the mdst bloodthirsty kingdoms which the world has ever known.

Our English correspondents are bearing the fatigues of the campaign as gallantly as our soldiers. The correspondent of the Standard, for example, describes the march from Cape Coast to Abrakrampa, in which the road was lined with men who were compelled to fall out under the extreme heat — "some giddy with sunstroke, some violently sick, some very exhausted." A correspondent of the Telegraph ('escribes the brief siege. One incident in his letter shows the varied difficulties with which our officers have to contend. Lieutenant Gordon had ordered the Houssas, the Mohammedan fighting negroes whom we have recruited, to build an abattis. They replied that they were soldiers, and not slaves, and refused to work :— "Mr Gordon ordered the ringleaders into custody, whereupon the whole body of mutineers crushed after him into the little guard-house, arms and all. Strong measures were evidently needed, for Major Russell huTied down, addressed the men in a few stern words, translated by the intepreter, and instantly sent for our invaluable sailors. "With some pushing the Houssas were put into line, and piled arms after a little hesitation. The sailors came down from the church at the double, formed behind the line of rifles, and loaded in an instant. The command, " Quick march," ■ was given to the Houssas, and slowly and relunctantly they fell back. Meanwhile 50 of the 2nd West Indians ran up, and formed a second line behind the rifles. Major Russell then addressed the mutineers, briefly pointing out that a soldier's first duty is to obey, and announced that the ringleaders would be sent to the Cape Coast to-morrow for trial by court martial. They were dismissed unarmed, with a warning that their Sniders would not be returned until they had apologised to Mr Gordon and promised to obey for the future. Most fortunate was it that we had the white men at hand, and a commander so quick and resolute as Major Rnssel, or wild work might have ensued." The Times correspondent describes how, on another occasion, Lieutenant Gordon was actually knocked into a river by a rush of panicstricken natives, and with difficulty rescused. ; : ... ; • '

These natives are useless as fighting men, and will be levied as labourers : — " The various kings and chiefs have agreed to furnish hands, and peremptory measures have been taken with the idlers of Cape Coast Castle. A number of Cape Coast Fantees, armed and paid by Government, deserted the camp and returned home. They were disarmed, and sent to Mansue ; their wives, in the interim, bitterly reproached them and refused to cook them any dinner. In this country," says the Times' correspondent, " the men seem to be women, and the women to be men. The female carriers are more zealous for their work, and stand fire better than their husbands." The Colonial Secretary had already enrolled 300 women to act as porters. "On the 12th a body of 100 women was sent out the whole way to Mansue. As the journey was long, each only carried a package weighing 351 b. They are expected to make the journey to Mansue and back, over 40 miles each way, in four days. Another body of women was sent to Dunquah, and, as this was a short journey, each carried a package weighing 651 b. A large proportion of the women hitherto enrolled are slaves supplied by three ladies* native? of Cape Coast, Mesdames, Barnes, Swanzy, and Hutchinson. It is expected, however, that, in addition to these, companies of 100 women will be supplied by^ each of the eight companies into which the town of Cape Coast is divided; It. must be remembered that in times of peace the native women act as labourers and porters, and that they are thus trained to the work. They receive a shilling a day each for pay and threepence a day for subsistance money instead of rations. These female porters are very obedient and trustworthy, and are sent out to the front, even as far as Mansue, without either guides or escort. From each company of women two or three of the most intelligent are selected to act as sergeants. They receive extra pay, and do not carry any burdens. They see to the others keeping order on the march. Many of these women are nursing, and carry their children as well as their burdens on their long journeys."