Russell. When Gifford neared the crest a priest came forward with
five or six supporters and shouted to him to go back, for that five
thousand men were waiting there to destroy them. Gifford paused
for a moment to allow Russell with his regiment to come within
supporting distance, and then made a rush with his scouts for the
crest. It was found deserted, the priest and his followers having
fled hastily, when they found that neither curses nor the imaginary
force availed to prevent the British from advancing.

The Adansee Hills are about six hundred feet high. Between them
and the Prah the country was once thick with towns and villages
inhabited by the Assins. These people, however, were so harassed
by the Ashantis that they were forced to abandon their country and
settle in the British protectorate south of the Prah.

Had the Adansee Hills been held by European troops the position
would have been extremely strong. A hill if clear of trees is of
immense advantage to men armed with rifles and supported by artillery,
but to men armed only with guns carrying slugs a distance of fifty
yards, the advantage is not marked, especially when, as is the case
with the Ashantis, they always fire high. The crest of the hill
was very narrow, indeed a mere saddle, with some eight or ten yards
only of level ground between the steep descents on either side. From
this point the scouts perceived the first town in the territory of
the King of Adansee, one of the five great kings of Ashanti. The
scouts and Russell's regiment halted on the top of the hill, and
the next morning the scouts went out skirmishing towards Queesa.
The war drum could be heard beating in the town, but no opposition
was offered. It was not, however, considered prudent to push
beyond the foot of the hill until more troops came up. The scouts
therefore contented themselves with keeping guard, while for the
next four days Russell's men and the engineers labored incessantly,
as they had done all the way from the Prah, in making the road over
the hill practicable.

During this time the scouts often pushed up close to Queesa, and
reported that the soldiers and population were fast deserting the
town. On the fifth day it was found to be totally deserted, and
Major Russell moved the headquarters of his regiment down into it.
The white officers were much surprised with the structure of the
huts of this place, which was exactly similar to that of those
of Coomassie, with their red clay, their alcoved bed places, and
their little courts one behind the other. Major Russell established
himself in the chief's palace, which was exactly like the other
houses except that the alcoves were very lofty, and their roofs
supported by pillars. These, with their red paint, their arabesque
adornments, and their quaint character, gave the courtyard the
precise appearance of an Egyptian temple.

The question whether the Ashantis would or would not fight was
still eagerly debated. Upon the one hand it was urged that if the
Ashantis had meant to attack us they would have disputed every
foot of the passage through the woods after we had once crossed
the Prah. Had they done so it may be confidently affirmed that we
could never have got to Coomassie. Their policy should have been to
avoid any pitched battle, but to throng the woods on either side,
continually harassing the troops on their march, preventing the men
working on the roads, and rendering it impossible for the carriers
to go along unless protected on either side by lines of troops. Even
when unopposed it was difficult enough to keep the carriers, who
were constantly deserting, but had they been exposed to continuous
attacks there would have been no possibility of keeping them
together.

It was then a strong argument in favor of peace that we had been
permitted to advance thirty miles into their country without a shot
being fired. Upon the other hand no messengers had been sent down
to meet us, no ambassadors had brought messages from the king. This
silence was ominous; nor were other signs wanting. At one place a
fetish, consisting of a wooden gun and several wooden daggers all
pointing towards us, was placed in the middle of the road. Several
kids had been found buried in calabashes in the path pierced through
and through with stakes; while a short distance outside Queesa the
dead body of a slave killed and mutilated but a few hours before
we entered it was hanging from a tree. Other fetishes of a more
common sort were to be met at every step, lines of worsted and
cotton stretched across the road, rags hung upon bushes, and other
negro trumperies of the same kind.

Five days later the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment and Rait's
battery, marched into Queesa, and the same afternoon the whole
marched forward to Fomana, the capital of Adansee, situated half a
mile only from Queesa. This was a large town capable of containing some
seven or eight thousand inhabitants. The architecture was similar
to that of Queesa, but the king's palace was a large structure
covering a considerable extent of ground. Here were the apartments
of the king himself, of his wives, the fetish room, and the room
for execution, still smelling horribly of the blood with which
the floor and walls were sprinkled. The first and largest court of
the palace had really an imposing effect. It was some thirty feet
square with an apartment or alcove on each side. The roofs of these
alcoves were supported by columns about twenty-five feet high. As
in all the buildings the lower parts were of red clay, the upper
of white, all being covered with deep arabesque patterns.

Fomana was one of the most pleasant stations which the troops had
reached since leaving the coast. It lay high above the sea, and
the temperature was considerably lower than that of the stations
south of the hills. A nice breeze sprung up each day about noon.
The nights were comparatively free from fog, and the town itself
stood upon rising ground resembling in form an inverted saucer. The
streets were very wide, with large trees at intervals every twenty
or thirty yards along the middle of the road.


CHAPTER XXII: THE BATTLE OF AMOAFUL


Two days after the arrival at Fomana the remaining members of the
German mission, two males, a female, and two children, were sent in
by the king with a letter containing many assurances of his desire
for peace, but making no mention of the stipulations which Sir
Garnet Wolseley had laid down. The advance was therefore to continue.
The rest of the troops came up, and on the 25th Russell's regiment
advanced to Dompiassee, Wood's regiment and Rait's battery joining
him the next day. That afternoon the first blood north of the Prah
was shed. It being known that a body of the enemy were collecting
at a village a little off the road the force moved against them.
Lord Gifford led the way, as usual, with his scouts. The enemy
opened fire as soon as the scouts appeared; but these, with the
Houssa company of Russell's regiment, rushed impetuously into the
village, and the Ashantis at once bolted. Two of them were killed
and five taken prisoners.

The next halting places of the advance troops were Kiang Bossu
and Ditchiassie. It was known now that Ammon Quatia was lying with
the Ashanti army at Amoaful, but five miles away, and ambassadors
arrived from the king finally declining to accept the terms of
peace. Russell's and Wood's regiments marched forward to Quarman,
within half a mile of the enemy's outposts. The white troops came
on to Insafoo, three miles behind. Quarman was stockaded to resist
an attack. Gordon with the Houssa company lay a quarter of a mile
in advance of the village, Gifford with his scouts close to the
edge of the wood. Major Home with the engineers cut a wide path for
the advance of the troops to within a hundred yards of the village
which the enemy held.

Every one knew that the great battle of the war would be fought
next morning. About half past seven on the morning of the 81st of
January the 42d Regiment entered the village of Quarman, and marched
through without a halt. Then came Rait's artillery, followed by the
company of the 23d and by the Naval Brigade. The plan of operations
was as follows. The 42d Regiment would form the main attacking
force. They were to drive the enemy's scouts out of Agamassie,
the village in front, and were then to move straight on, extending
to the right and left, and, if possible, advance in a skirmishing
line through the bush. Rait's two little guns were to be in their
center moving upon the road itself. The right column, consisting
of half the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment, now reduced by
leaving garrisons at various posts along the road to three companies,
was to cut a path out to the right and then to turn parallel with
the main road, so that the head of the column should touch the right
of the skirmishing line of the 42d. The left column, consisting
of the other half of the Naval Brigade with the four companies of
Russell's regiment, was to proceed in similar fashion on the left.
These columns would therefore form two sides of a hollow square,
protecting the 42d from any of those flanking movements of which
the Ashantis are so fond. The company of the 23d was to proceed
with the headquarter staff. The Rifle Brigade were held in reserve.

Early in the morning Major Home cut the road to within thirty yards
of the village of Agamassie, and ascertained by listening to the
voices that there were not more than a score or so of men in the
village. Gifford had made a circuit in the woods, and had ascertained
that the Ashanti army was encamped on rising ground across a stream
behind the village.

Frank had been requested by Sir Garnet Wolseley to accompany the
42d, as his knowledge of Ashanti tactics might be of value, and
he might be able by the shouts of the Ashantis to understand the
orders issued to them. The head of the 42d Regiment experienced no
opposition whatever until they issued from the bush into the little
clearing surrounding the village, which consisted only of four or
five houses. The Ashantis discharged their muskets hastily as the
first white men showed themselves, but the fire of the leading
files of the column quickly cleared them away. The 42d pushed on
through the village, and then forming in skirmishing line, advanced.
For the first two or three hundred yards they encountered no serious
opposition, and they were then received by a tremendous fire from
an unseen foe in front. The left column had not gone a hundred yards
before they too came under fire. Captain Buckle of the Engineers,
who was with the Engineer laborers occupied in cutting the path
ahead of the advancing column, was shot through the heart. A similar
opposition was experienced by the right.

The roar of the fire was tremendous, so heavy indeed that all
sound of individual reports was lost, and the noise was one hoarse
hissing roar. Even the crack of Rait's guns was lost in the general
uproar, but the occasional rush of a rocket, of which two troughs
with parties of Rait's men accompanied each wing, was distinctly
audible.

The 42d could for a time make scarcely any way, and the flanking
columns were also brought to a stand. Owing to the extreme thickness
of the wood and their ignorance of the nature of the ground these
columns were unable to keep in their proper position, and diverged
considerably. The Ashantis, however, made no effort to penetrate between
them and the 42d. For an hour this state of things continued. The
company of the 23d advanced along the main road to help to clear
the bush, where the Ashantis still fought stubbornly not two hundred
yards from the village, while two companies of the Rifle Brigade
were sent up the left hand road to keep touch with the rear of
Russell's regiment.

When the fight commenced in earnest, and the 42d were brought to
a stand by the enemy, Frank lay down with the soldiers. Not a foe
could be seen, but the fire of the enemy broke out incessantly from
the bushes some twenty yards ahead. The air above was literally
alive with slugs and a perfect shower of leaves continued to fall
upon the path. So bewilderingly dense was the bush that the men
soon lost all idea of the points of the compass, and fired in any
direction from which the enemy's shots came. Thus it happened that
the sailors sent in complaints to the general that the 23d and 42d
were firing at them, while the 42d and 23d made the same complaint
against the Naval Brigade. Sir Garnet, who had taken up his
headquarters at the village, sent out repeated instructions to the
commanding officers to warn their men to avoid this error.

For two hours the fight went on. Then the column to the left found
that the Ashantis in front of them had fallen back; they had,
however, altogether lost touch of the 42d. They were accordingly
ordered to cut a road to the northeast until they came in contact
with them. In doing so they came upon a partial clearing, where
a sharp opposition was experienced. The Houssas carried the open
ground at a rush, but the enemy, as usual, opened a heavy fire
from the edge of the bush. The Houssas were recalled, and fire was
opened with the rockets, which soon drove the Ashantis back, and
the cutting of the path was proceeded with.

In the meantime the 42d was having a hard time of it. They had
fought their way to the edge of the swamp, beyond which lay an
immense Ashanti camp, and here the fire was so tremendously heavy
that the advance was again completely arrested. Not an enemy was to
be seen, but from every bush of the opposite side puffs of smoke
came thick and fast, and a perfect rain of slugs swept over the
ground on which they were lying. Here Rait's gun, for he was only
able from the narrowness of the path to bring one into position,
did splendid service. Advancing boldly in front of the line of the
42d, ably assisted by Lieutenant Saunders, he poured round after
round of grape into the enemy until their fire slackened a little,
and the 42d, leaping to their feet, struggled across the swamp,
which was over knee deep. Step by step they won their way through
the camp and up the hill. Everywhere the dead Ashantis lay in
heaps, attesting the terrible effect of the Snider fire and the
determination with which they had fought.

Beyond the camp, upon the hills the bush was thicker than ever, and
here, where it was impossible for the white soldiers to skirmish
through the bush, the Ashantis made a last desperate stand. The
narrow lane up which alone the troops could pass was torn as if
by hail with the shower of slugs, while a large tree which stood
nearly in the center of the path and caused it slightly to swerve,
afforded some shelter to them from the storm of bullets which the
42d sent back in return. Here Rait brought his gun up again to
the front and cleared the lane. The bush was too thick even for
the Ashantis. The gun stopped firing and with a rush the regiment
went up the narrow path and out into the open clearing beyond. For
a short time the Ashantis kept up a fire from the houses, but the
42d soon drove them out, and a single shot from the gun down the
wide street which divided the town into two portions, bursting in
the midst of a group at the further end, killed eight and drove
all further idea of resistance in that direction from their minds.

It was now about twelve o'clock; but although the Ashantis had
lost their camp and village, and had suffered terribly, they were
not yet finally beaten. They had moved the principal part of the
forces which had been engaged upon our left round to the right, were
pressing hard upon the column there and the 23d, and were cutting
in between the latter and the 42d, when a fortunate accident enabled
us to meet this attack more effectively. The left column had cut
its path rather too much to the east, and came into the road between
the 42d and 23d, forming a connecting link between them; while the
right column, having at last cut away the whole of the brush wood
in which the Ashantis had so long wedged themselves between them
and the road, were now in direct communication with the 23d. They
had been reinforced by a company of the Rifle Brigade. Our front,
therefore, was now entirely changed, and faced east instead of
north. The Ashantis in vain tried to break the line, but desisted
from their efforts.

The firing died away, and it was thought that the battle was over,
when at about a quarter to one a tremendous fire broke out from the
rear of the column, showing that the Ashantis were making a last
and desperate effort to turn our flank, and to retake the village
from which we had driven them at eight in the morning. So near
was the rear of the column to the village that the slugs fell fast
into the reserve who were stationed there. Three companies of the
Rifles were sent up to strengthen the line, and for three quarters
of an hour the roar of the musketry was as heavy and continuous
as it had been at any time during the day. Then, as the enemy's
fire slackened, Sir Garnet gave the word for the line to advance,
sweeping round from the rear so as to drive the enemy northwards
before them.

The movement was admirably executed. The Bonny men of Wood's
regiment, who had fought silently and steadily all the time that
they had been on the defensive, now raised their shrill war cry,
and slinging their rifles and drawing their swords - their favorite
weapons - dashed forward like so many panthers let loose. By their
side, skirmishing as quietly and steadily as if on parade, the men
of the Rifle Brigade searched every bush with their bullets, and
in five minutes from the commencement of the advance the Ashantis
were in full and final retreat. The battle ended at about half past
one, having lasted five hours and a half.

The Ashantis were supposed to have had from fifteen to twenty
thousand men in the field. What their loss was could not accurately
be calculated, as they carry off their dead as fast as they fall;
but where rushes were made by our troops, as they had not time
to do this, they lay everywhere thick on the ground. By the most
moderate computation they must have lost over two thousand. Ammon
Quatia himself was killed, as well as Aboo, one of the six great
tributary kings. The body of the king's chief executioner was also
pointed out by some of the prisoners. They fought with extraordinary
pluck and resolution, as was shown by the fact that although wretchedly
armed, for upwards of five hours they resisted the attack of troops
armed with breech loaders, and supported by guns and rockets. Their
position was a good one, and they had, no doubt, calculated upon
coming down upon us from the rising ground, either on the flank or
rear, with advantage, should we succeed in pushing forward.

Upon our side the loss in killed was very slight, not exceeding
eight or ten. The 42d out of a total of four hundred and fifty had
a hundred and four wounded, of whom eight were officers. In the
right hand column, Colonel Wood, six naval officers, and twenty men
of the Naval Brigade, with many of the native regiment, were wounded.
Of the sixty engineer laborers twenty were wounded; while of their
five officers Captain Buckle was killed, Major Home and Lieutenant
Hare wounded, together with several of their white soldiers. Altogether
our casualties exceeded two hundred and fifty. Fortunately but a
small proportion of the wounds were serious.

While the battle was raging at one o'clock Quarman was attacked by
a strong body of Ashantis coming from the west, probably forming
part of Essarman Quatia's force. Captain Burnett, who was in command,
having under him Lieutenant Jones of the 2d West Indian regiment,
and thirty-five men of that corps and a few natives, conducted the
defense, and was well seconded by his men. Although the attacking
force was very greatly superior, and took the little garrison by
surprise - for they did not expect, while a great battle was raging
within a distance of a mile, that the Ashantis would be able to
spare a force to attack a detached party - the garrison defended
itself with great gallantry and complete success, not only beating
off the enemy whenever they attacked, but sallying out and assisting
to bring in a convoy of stores which was close at hand when the
attack began.

Amoaful was a town capable of containing two or three thousand
inhabitants. Great quantities of grain and coarse flour were found
here. These were done up in bundles of dried plantain leaves,
each bundle weighing from five to fifteen pounds. This capture was
of great service to the commissariat, as it afforded an abundant
supply of excellent food for the carriers. The troops were in high
spirits that night. They had won a battle fought under extreme
difficulty, and that with a minimum of loss in killed. There were
therefore no sad recollections to damp the pleasure of victory.

Frank had been twice struck with slugs, but in neither case had
these penetrated deeply, and he was able to sit round the camp fire
and to enjoy his glass of rum and water. Two kegs of rum were the
only stores which that night came up from the rear, thanks to the
consideration of a commissariat officer, to whom the soldiers felt
extremely grateful for providing them with an invigorating drink
after their long and fatiguing labors of the day.

At about a mile and a quarter from Amoaful lay the town of Bequah,
the capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti kings. Here
a considerable force was known to be collected before the battle,
and here many of the fugitives were believed to have rallied. It
would have been impossible to advance and leave this hostile camp
so close to a station in our rear. Lord Gifford was therefore sent
out at daybreak to reconnoiter it. He approached it closely, when
twenty men sprang out from the bush and fired at him, fortunately
without hitting him. When he returned and made his report the
general determined to attack and burn the place, and orders were
issued for a column, consisting of Russell's regiment, Rait's
battery, and the Naval Brigade, supported by the 42d and commanded
by Colonel M'Leod, to start at one o'clock.

The march was not opposed through the bush, but as the scouts entered
the clearing a heavy fire was opened upon them. Lord Gifford and
almost the whole of his party were more or less severely wounded
when the sailors rushed in to their support. For a short time the
enemy kept up a heavy fire from the houses, and then fled, leaving
about forty of their number dead on the ground. The town, which was
about twice the size of Fomana, was burned, and the column returned
to the camp.

A great portion of the town was destroyed and the place stockaded,
and then all was in readiness for the advance upon Coomassie. Amoaful
was to be left in charge of the 2d West Indians, who had now come
up. Each man received four days' rations and each regiment was to
take charge of its own provision and baggage. The advance started
at seven in the morning, Russell's regiment, Rait's battery, and
the Rifle Brigade. Then came the headquarter staff followed by the
42d and Naval Brigade. The hammocks and rations went on with the
troops. The rest of the baggage remained behind. The road differed
in nothing from that which had so long been followed. It bore
everywhere marks of the retreating enemy, in provisions and other
articles scattered about, in occasional dark stains, and in its
plants and grass trampled into the ground, six feet in breadth,
showing that the usual negro way of walking in single file had
been abandoned. The rate of progression was slow, as the country
had to be thoroughly searched by the advance. There were, too, many
streams to be crossed, each causing a delay.

At one of the villages there was a large camp, where about a thousand
men were assembled to make a stand. The defense was, however,
feeble in the extreme, and it was evident that they were greatly
demoralized by their defeat on the 1st. Russell's regiment carried
the place at a rush, the enemy firing wildly altogether beyond
the range of their weapons. Several were killed and the rest took
precipitately to the bush. A few shots were fired at other places, but
no real resistance took place. On reaching the village of Agamemmu,
after having taken six hours in getting over as many miles, the
column halted, and orders were sent for the baggage to come on
from Amoaful. The troops were set to work to cut the bush round the
village, which was a very small one, and a breastwork was thrown
up round it. The troops were in their little tentes d'abri packed