The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-29 00:00:00

THE ASHANTEE WAR.

The following letter Is from the Special Correspondent of
The Toad. enitr date, Cape Coital Cate, October St :
ls is et idint that Gull Coast reports are not to be
rgligti qui., A few.werks ago it was generally believed
that AeLaniee remforcementa had crossed the Prah.
It wge eveu said that the King in person had marched
from Couwassie, and inteuded to attack Cape Coast.
But now it crews that General Amnon-41s, who haa
Nek., so bong encamped near this town, bad received a
circle of beads, the signal of recall. and • loving
menage from the King that he haa dune euough anti
may return. The Ashantees began to retire coon after
the seintligt of Easainan, though whether in coneequence
of that event it is iniporalble to say. A. long am they a ere
missed togeth, r at lifampon Sir G. Wobeley was
uusble to atta,k thorn, for tl.ey were about 40,004
strorg, and he ham merely • handful of trustworthy
troopa at hie die oueal. But when the camp was broken
up and the enemy dispersed into varions column", he
,r,t,mrint.d to male' an attack, and mareli-d from Cape
Coast Castle on October with 250 Marines and
Blue Jackets. That night he encamped at Emeboo,
tin miles on the military road now I,e,ng made
towards Cvomassie. The next morning he trarchtd
three or four miler to Abriikauipa, • Fantee town
which Amequatia time sworn to ties'roy on his home-
ward n arch. The troops rested during that day (the
27t1), while parties,of Fantees went out and'captured
a few Asharitee foragere. On 'Tueiday, the 23th,
Sir G. Woleeley marched to a village called Asonti,
sail to be occupied by the enemy; but, although
tare can be little doubt that they were in our neigh-
bourhood, they would not show themselves. There
was merely a rkirroish between scouts, in which half a
dozen shots were fired, one }'ant-e wounded, and one
Ashantee prisoner taken. Thin movement must,
therefore, be coueidered a failure in a milbary sense,
but politically it was a succepe. Sir G. Wolmeley, with
• small force, consisting almost exclusively of Europeans,
marched into thu heart of a fureet oomph d by the
enemy in thoneaudo. This will tend to remove an im
premien current on the coed that white men are afraid
of Aahantees in the btuih. Moreover, although we of
the main b 41y had a long walk for nothing, others
were more fortunate.

Lieutenant Colonel Festing. who on the 13th of June
defeated the Ashanteee at Bimini., ia in charge of
Banana a fortified post on the military road about
20 miles from Cape Coast. He received orders from
General Wolatley to soak' the 27th a reconiaia
since ILI force, and at 11 30 a m. marched out with
WO Feeders and 65 soldieri of the 2nd Weet India
Ragiggent, with a 7-pounder and a rocket trough
rimier Captain Bait, ILA. They caught an Ashautee
chopping wood and forced him, under pain id death,
to show them the enemy's camp, which they thick
completely by surpriae. The Aahantees had packed
up their baggage preparatory for a start, and were
cooking their midday meal. Some of them were
quietly seated in the huts, which they had made with
bamboos and thatched with palm leaves. They ran
off, leaving everything behind thee", but soon rallied
cadet- cover of the bush. The war drams were beaten;
they cimpletely surrounded Feeting's company, and
opened a heavy tire. The engagement lasted for more
than an hour. after which their tire wan silenced,
and Colonel Festing returned without opposition to
Danquali. The battle was fought with an unseen foe,
and their loss cannot be estimated; it must have been
severe. Twelve English officers were present Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Footing, R MA.; Captain Bait, R.A. ;
Captain Huyshe, 1) A.A. and Q M G. ;
Captain lirodwie, 103ds Royal Bombay Fustier,;
Captain Brouthead, 21th Regiment; Captain Haines,
ffiid West India Regiment; Lieutenant Jones, :ad
West India Regiment; Sub.dieutensnt Flitter, 2nd
West India Regiment; Sub-Lieutenant Patchett,
E.N. ; Sub-Lieutenant Lang, R N. ; Surgeon Bennett,
and Aesistaat Commissary Lundy. Of thee.', tile were
wounded,—vi',, Feting. Godwin, Haines, Fthiter, and
Lang. The wound, were very slight, excepting that of
Captain Godwin, which is returned as "severe,' but is
not darixeroua to life. Forty-eight natives were wounded,
including four soldiers of the 2nd West India and the
King of Annaniaboe. Only one WIWI killed. The
Annansaboes fought well, but the other natives acted
for the most part badiT, and had ti be "thrashed into
action." On the other hand, the Ashantees displayed
the greatest courage. Whenever the 7-pounder was
tied or a rocket, they returned • yell of defiance
and the war-drums beat louder than ever. Their
force was 'about 2000. strong, consisting of two
divisions, commanded by Generals Qnessi Adurnfa
and Esaeman Quatits. The next day Colonel
Feating ordered the troops out, having received orders
to meet General Wolaeley on the road belween Dun-
quah and Abrakampa ; but the West India soldiers
alma answered the e11[11131011.1 ; the native allies refused
to fight two days running. My predicti cm, there-
fore, are fully verified. It is now placed beyond •
doubt that the Fanteee can be used only an lab it-err,
with • few picked men as scout. ;and that the Athintees
will never be defeated except by European troops,

A Proclathation has been ieetted this morning by Sir
Gsrnet Wolseley. It id his ot ject to harms the ,
enemy's retreat, and for that purpose only native troop,
can be employed with effect. It was shown the other
day how diffiJnlt it was to shoot the Aibantees flying.
The Fantees, no donbt, will pick up emo etragglers,
hut are not likely to attack the Adanntere while cross-
ing the Prob. The Houses, and other semi-regulars
may, perhaps, do more, but the great battle will ,
have to be fought in Ashantee. The reader
must understand that this Proclamation is written
for • purpose, and mild not be led by it to
suppose that the Ashanteem are running away.
They have eaten up the whole country, and finding
that they cannot take the settlements upon the Coast,
are returning with their spoil, which is cniaidorable.
They have met with some reverses ;itiot thiee have
been slight in com,iari•on with their suiA;ees. They
CAA boast that they oc,upied our l'rotectorate ; that
lon several months they remained cl ae to Cape
Coast Cottle ; and that even the new Gayer.
nor did not venture to atcack their camp. It
Is now evident that the troops should have been
lent out with the General, kept on board ship like
the Marines of the ~E.nooot, end landed as required.
Had that been done, it is by no means improbable
that Wolseley would have de•troyed the enemy at
Mampon. As it is, they have the laugh on their side.
We are sorry that a good chance has been lost, but we
are glad that they are going home, and will let us go on I
making the road. It i 4 not agreeable to live in au on-
walled town with a force of 40,000 men only 15 miles
off, and while Sir G. Wolseley was at Abrakaropa there
was a night panic in the town. The Proclamation ,
must, therefore, be regarded as a bulletin in the ktuna• '
par:it style—eapeciaby the last paragraph. For, sup-
posing that all our allies did act with Quickness and
with vigour (which is a id den! hypotheaie), the fall
of the enemy and the peace of the country woold ceo
tainly not theiehv be ee,nred. There is only one way
in which that can be done—by a march upon Coomas-
i't Already the work is begun. As I write these
words crowds of people rush screaming peat the honse,
the earth shakes, there is • puffing and panting, and
the grinding of enormous wheels, and a Steam Engine
Passes on the road towards the Prah.
The following is the Proclamation
"Garnet Joseph Wolseley, Major General,
Admlnlatrator.
"To &lithe Kings, Headmen, Chief., and Tribes of the Hold
finks of Her Majesty the Queen of kng!and, greeting.
"I desks that you should know that bonne,- lately alter the
attack marls upoolkssaman sod Ampinee, and the ce,truction
of those places by the F,glhh troops under my command,
yoar enemies broke up their encampment at /dampen.
Finding that they were unab'e to contend with us either lie
the open or in the bush, they are sow to lull retreat,
endeavouring to return to their own country by Prahsue. One
Of tluir retreating cournns has been attacked and dispersed
by my troops near unnonah.

" They am trying to carry with them in their flight ell the
goods of which tit. y have robbed you, all the wives and
childzen whom they have etolen from you.
"Men of the Gold C Jut will you allow thin?
Will you let the hour. slip by while your wives, your 11011.,
end your daughter, are being driven di to eleughter by the
11* enemy,
" Will you not pursue them?
"Nov or never Is the time to 'how that you are men.
"1 for my part shall hold no man as the friend of Her
or., the friend of this country, who cle.eye for rue
moment
" You have noihing to fear I hold the whole road from
hen to Hanna, BO that tit. y nano, t assail it. Gather opon
tar etrong forte of Dun malt, Abrakampe, and Mateo.. No
OS Will venture to Wand these points. Thence pre.e On
'qua to the Pratt and °Komi your enemlee as they are
endeavouring to remiss the river. If you now ad quickly
sod with vigour, the fall of your enemy and the peace of
7050 country will be secured.
"(Hue under my hand and public meal at Ctivernment
House, Cape Coast, this thirtieth day of October. In the year
01 00? tor, one thousand eight honored awl oeventy.three
Sod of her Melee'', retell the thlrtyeeventh.
By command,