The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-23 00:00:00

contents were most pressing orders for me to form an immediate
junction. . _

;- The letter of the 17th having been unfortunately entrusted
to a man unacquainted with the country, was delayed 3 days
longer on the way than necessary, from which delay, and .the
urgent nature of his Excellency's commands to join, I was in-
duced to fear that our consequent non-arrival, according to his
reasonable expectations, would seriously derange his plans. I
was determined, theretbre, to proceed by a shorter, but unfre-
quented and consequently bad path • and having to cross the
river Boosom-pra, at a distance of dye miles from Ampeniasoo
(on the 23d), in a simple canoe, the whole day was consumed in
passing my party, and 1 was, therefore, under the necessity of
halting for the night at a village on the opposite bank. I here
received the first intimation of an engagement having taken
place, but could ascertain nothing of the result.
After prosecuting (on the 24th), a march of twenty-one
miles, and having, at its termination, to cross the river again,
without a single canoe, or any means for conveyance over, we
were obliged to construct rafts for such of the party that could
not swim, anti to float over the ammunition, &c. ; in conse-
quence of which, from the frail materials used in their con-
struction, I am sorry to say
.a great deal of ammunition was
lost and damaged. -
On crossing the river we heard that Brigade Major Ricketts
was lying wounded in the adjoining village. On seeing and
ascertaining from him the disastrous issue of the action of the
21st, and also that the small party .I commanded was totally
unable to cope with the enemy, or afibril any assistance to .the
party of the late Sir Charles M`Cartby, from their complete dis-
persal, and knowing the hostile feeling entertained by the in.
habitants of Elmina towards us, and being also apprehensive
that the Ashantees, flushed with their recent victory, would
advance upon Cape Coast Castle by rapid marches, I deter-
mined upon retiring on it. I regret exceedingly to state that
Captain John L'Estrange, of the Royal African Colonial
Corps, died on the march, from excessive fatigue, and that all
the Officers of the party and,nearly the' whole of the uien, were
laidwup on their arrival at Cape Coast, from the effects of the
fatigue and privations undergone by them, and I am sorry to
say of the former all, except two, continue still invalids, and
of the latter numbers have died.

The most numerousTbjd;Wi our force was encamped at a
place called Yancoomassie, in the Fantee countrye It consisted
of the men of that nation, of a few regulars, of. the Annamaboe
militia, and of some unorganised natives of that town, the whole
under the command of Captain Alexander Gordon Laing, of
• the Royal African Corps.
His Excellency having issued orders to Captain Laing to ad-
vance and menace the Assin country, with a view of bringing
them over to our cause, he had accordingly proceeded about 30
miles, when reports reached him from the officer in temporary
cormnand at Cape Coast, of the result of the engagement of the
21st January, and also of the unfavourable disposition of the
• Elminas ; in consequence of which he made the best of his way
to Cape Coast Castle, where I found him on my arrival, with .a
considerable portion of his force.
A fourth division, under the corwmand of Captain Blenkarne,
of the Royal African Colonial Corps, was on its way to Akine,
a country bordering on Ashantee, for the purpose of inducing
the enemy to withdraw a part of their force from Western
Wassaw • but an unfavourable disposition being shewn by the
Chief of ;he Aquapini country, the native Chiefs, under Cap-
tain
Blenkarne's command, expressed their wishes for his re-
turn. Under these circumstances he did not consider it prudent
to endeavour to prosecute his Excellency's wishes, and fell back
upon Accra.

Being fully sensible that this communication falls very short
of what might be expected from the importance of the subjects
it embraces, I must, in excuse of its defects, beg leave to say,
that it has been dictated from a sick bed, and in consequence
entertain an earnest hope that its imperfections may be over-
looked.

As intimated in my letter of the 23d ultimo, I entrust Capt.
Laing with the conveyance of it, and I entertain the most confi-
dent hopes that the• extensive information he will be able to
afford of the present state of his Majesty's possessions here, will
be considered a sufficient justification for my sending an officer
of his zeal, experience, and abilities from - this station at so
critical if-Period.
When dispositions on the part of the Ashantees were made
in August last year for attacking our settlements, at various
points, I deemed it necessary to dispatch Captain Laing into
the Fantee country ; and requiring at the time (there being no
military officer capable) another officer to take charge of the
Camp at Djuquah, I was induced to accept the proffered ser-
vices of Lieutenant King of his Majesty's sloop Driver, who
I understood had frequently
served ashore ; and I have the
satisfaction to state that from the active and determined move-
ments of these two officers the enemy were deterred from pro-.
seeming their original intentions,
has been frequently in the
and retired to Ashantee ;
since which period Laing
command of large bodies of our Allies, and discharged his
duties always to the satisfhction of his Excellency the late Corn-'
mander of the Forces and m
P
Majesty's service. elf, and to the advantage of his
I have great satisfaction in acquainting you that our rela-
tions with Elmina anti the other 'hitch settlements have of late
undergone a most favourable change,- which b; solely to be at-
tributed to the arrival from the N'eilierlands of a new. Governor,
his Excellency Major Last.
I Owe it to the gentleman to say that he has evinced a most
anxious
desire
amongst the pi
totally eradicate.tothDutch
a hostile feeling which' was
generated subjects on the Coast towards all
the inhabitants of our settlements by the influence of the Ashan-
tees, and the imbecile conduct of predecessors.
To remove all doubts from the minds of the natives respect-
ing the part he is determined to act, he paid me a formal com-
plimentary visit on the 14th instant, and has also zealously en-
tered into a negociation with the enemy for the liberation of
Mr. Williams* and other prisoners ir. their hands.
His Excellency Major de. Richelieu, Governor in Chief of
his Danish Majesty's Settlements on the Coast, has shewn his
respect and friendship for our Government by actively taking a
part in the war. He has sent all the force he could collect to
our aid, and is now enguged collecting a strong force to proceed
through Akine towards Ashantee, with a view of diverting the
enemy. The command of this body he will take in person..
I cannot say too much in favour of the disinterested zeal and
active exertions of Capt. Bower., commanding his Majesty's
"sloop Driver. In the month of May last year this officer, while
under cruising orders in the Bight of Benin, with considera-
ble prospects of making prizes, received intimation that His
Majesty's. ship Bann, ordered here by the late Sir Robert
Mends to cooperate with the land service, had suffered so
much from sickness that she was unable to render any effectual
assistance. lie instantly repaired to Cape Coast, and stated
it to be his intention to remain._ until things wore a more pleas-
ing aspect.

Wile at anchor here, observing ,the sickly state of the Of-
ficers of the Garrison, he voluntarily landed a party of his men,
put the whole of the guns in the best possible order, and per-
sonally superintended the exercise of thesaoldiers at the use of
some ship guns worked with tackles.
I also beg leave to bring under the notice of his Lordship the
conduct of Acting Captain \Voolcombe, late of the Owen Glen-
dower, and now of the Bann. whose activity and cordial co-ope-
ration, 1 am induced to think, prevented the inhabitants of El-
mina taking a part in the war against us.
His zeal, and that of his officers and men, cannot be too highly
praised, from the cheerfulness with which they underwent the
attendant fatigues of intercepting supplies by day and night for-
warded by. water to the enemy, in which labours Lieut. Scott,
of his Majesty's brig Swinger shared.

Cape Coast, Feb. 26, 1824.
Sin—ln compliance withyour direction, that I should detail,
as nearly as I possibly can, all the particulars that may have
occured in the division of the army wntch marched from Dju-
quah under the immediate command of his Lxcellency Sir C.
.111‘Carthy, as well as such circumstances as may have fallen
under my observation, relative to the action which took place
on the 21st ult., in the Warsaw country, between the said divi-
sion and an army of Ashantces, I have the honour to state,
that I marched from Djuquah, at seven o'clock in the morning
of the 9th, with one cow
puny of the Royal African Colonial
Corps, 00 strong • one company of volunteers, 68 strong; three
companies of militia, 170 strong, making a force of 31D; be-
sides 200 Commendm 200 of .APPia'S people, and a company
which were ordered. to follow us; this, with the, troops which
of natives of Cape Coast, about 40 strong, making a total of 440,
marched under my command, made a force of 758 strong.
Bansoo, a village distant about seventeen miles from our
camp at Djuquah, was the place at which we were directed to
halt. His Excellency having marched on by himself, we over-
took him about half way; the road, or rather tract, was execs-