The Sun.
London, England, 1826-11-13 00:00:00

Zbit

*
un

LONDON, •
iiTON /)21 I' EVENING, NOVElithEll 13, 1826;

DEFEAT OF THE' ASHANTEES,

His MaiestY's ship Lively,. Captain WILLIAM
ELLioTT,,C.B., arrived at Spithead on Saturday from
the Coasi of Africa, whither she had carried Major-
General Sir NEIL CAMPBELL, the new Governor of
Sierra Leone and its Dependencies. By, her we'learn.
the important news that the Ashantee Army had been
defeated' in a decisive battle, in which they sustained
an immense loss, in killed, wounded, and prisoners,
and likewise in treasure.

We understand that on the '7th of ,August the
Ashantee force, amounting to 25,000 'men, had ad-
vended to a village called Doodewert, about 25 piles

from BritiSit Accra. Colonel PURDON,' Commanding
.a force of about 12,000 men, composed of the troops
o several Native Powers, with the whole of the Bri--

t►bh, Dutch, and Daniati troops in the Acerasi here
met them. The 'attack was begun by the'Ashanteas

il► the most furious manner : the contest lasted an
hour, when home part of the Allied forces gave way,
and the day seemed likely to be decided in favour of
the Ashantees, when a reserve company of the Royal
African Corps came up and opened a destructive fire
of rpckets, grape and canister shot, upon the,,eneiny.
The effect was tremendous, and the Ashantees howl
gave way. in all directions,•le,awing the whole of their
King's camp equipage, and much' valuable booty, in
the .11311.6 of the Allies. Atilopget the captured arti-
cles is the head of the late Sir C4A LE4-MiCA Rim Y.

Tha loss of the Allies' in this sangtiinarj battle was
800 killed and 2,000 wounded ; but • thik, loss was
principally amongst the Naitive forces, the AfriCan

Corps having had only two men wounded. • The
enemy's loss ih killed, wounded, and prisoners, was at
leot 5,000. , . .

,Th'e Lively had carried Sir NE LL CAMPBELL

Cape Coast Castle, but these operations had taken
place before his arrival, and the despatches containing
all the particulars had been previously sent off in a
merchant schooner. They have not yet, however,
reached Lord BATHURST'S Office.
We subjoin the following additional particulars
from the fiampshire Telegraph :

This evening t(Saturday) his Majesty's frigate Lively, Captain
William Elliott, C. 8.,, returned to Spithead, from the coast of
Africa (havingconweyed thither his Excelleuey Sir Neil Campbell,
Kut. C.B. the; new (lovernoreineChief,) last from Cape Coast
C8;410,4(44' alissane.9f 51 days, bringing deepetchee, announcing
the renewal of hostilities with, the King of Ashantee„ and the
complete defeat df Ids nUtnerotto army, in the steighbourtigoil of
Cape Coast Castle, with the loss of 5,000 men killed aed ;wounded.
The loess of the British forces (composed" principally of the native,
tromps) Was estimated fat 800 killed, and 2,000 wounded. 'lt vsp-
pears that the ambitious and vindictive spirit of the' King of the
Ashantees has been at work since his former defeat : with the
•iussetiable desire of tenseseing all the • territory between his own
country and the sea aide, he had silently been collecting men and
raising supplies to etfeeteate this object, by. successively attack-
ing and overpowering all the native princes anti elliefteine in the
British interest,' and snaking, a -surprise. upon, British Merle:
It was not possible, hoWever,
.to make all the necessary pre-
parations, form magazines of ,provisions, &c., 'lir such an
object, without the knowledge of the neighbouring chiefs, whose
feers at length led them to supplicate assistance from Colonel
Purdon, eommanding
at Cape Coast. They proMisdd, if he
would, give them muskets and . powdeTs they would"Pnrchale
an equal quantity of the merehante—that they Would raise 12,000'
men, put themselves under Ma commend, and engaged, in the
:asset solemn manner, net to runaway,- as they did in the lots Sit'.
Charles M'Carthy's unfortunate defeat. Colonel Runlets, taking
what assurances he could get, :determined to Accept -thefr offer,
gars them what * stews he could, awl divided their .force "Into
five brigades, with two strong or?, of observation, to protect
cashlte then assembled each of the settlers, nu.re hunts,
and civilians are He could, and eoemed them into one corps as a
nitirYc, 'fire only British troops he had Were 00 Men of, the-
Royal Africa Corps, with four field piece's; ,of 'di and three
pounders. The united forte amounted to less' than 12;000 men.'
The natives ware eempoie,4 of the Kings, lstiest', and tribes fob
104'ing'—Amat°61 Xing of hquirnboo ;'Adononaepta, ;King of
Aquapisn; Dougua, .Queen of Aikiin ; Cudjoe,, King of Assisi ;
the King,of arid many other Cahnesers, and captains of
tribes.: The Ashaetee. forces emotinteel to 25,000 men.
On the 29th of July, Colonel pardon tnaeelled front.: Attera to
I,Vongamet 4bool eighteen miles from British . Acent. On tuts
4th of August be moved to
.4,lirooca*, and on,the 6th he took
elet,,,ive plain. The morning
four sidles fisins iscoia) canal eentifel and
of the 7th happened to be on /1,
up a position (twenty-
.icionday, and a remarkable fiste dav, which was regarded by the
t, view Then of the nation as a favourite fetish (or 'omen) tfbr
the King to fight on ; he was, assured by these superstitious sooth-
sayers that it would render him invincible• lie accordingly,
artieg under their influence, at • heif.past Mile in the morning
moyedie the attack in a most:imposing end determined neater.
Colonel Punier& instantly put his force in motion, a,nl met the
Asbantees halt way upon the plain, and corpmeucial the battle