Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-07-31

battle field, the greater part Of whom were wo-
men, and many as prisoners, but the number we
have not yet ascertained with any degree of GER
tainty.
The King of Dahomy, as soon as darkness
permitted, fled with 200 people, leaving the bulk
fhis army to cover his retreat. They were TOO
strong to be attacked by the Egbas after a long
fight, and the Egbas had too little discipline to
execute an attack in the night but they were
harrassed all the night through by skrmishes
and early in the morning they decamped in
good order followed by the Egbas. They stamp
ed their character with infamy by an act of
great barbarity before retreating. They had ta-
ken number Of farmers, in their march, prison.
ers, but before leaving, they decapitated forty
two Or upwards, and carried off their heads
Their hands being tied, as captives' are, and
many being identified BY their friends, proved
that they were not slain in battle, two of them
were women and one boy. | understand that
the heads were cast away in the retreat after
wards. This King is the monster who calls
himself the friend of the white people at Why
dsh, ana of the slave trade, and by such wars
slaves are procured.
What would the members of the Peace So
ciety have done behind the walls of Abbeokuta,
with these disciplined barbarans advancing in
masses to the attack? Through mercy they
have been repeIed but many of the Egba5
have fallen, and many are severely wounded,
One Of my people came to us in the afternoon,
begging for some one to extract a shot from his
shoulder; it had entered at the side of the up
rpart of the arm; and passed about six inch
es through the flesh outside of the shoulder
blade. Mr. Dennis ventured to try though he
had never done anything of the sort before, and
after considerable trouble cut it out The poor
mans first act, on hearing that it was out was
: to bring himself into an attitude of prayer, and
silently he offered up thanks to God for His mer-
cy.
1t is supposed that 200 or 800 of the Daho-
mans are lying dead on the battle field, and
many have been captured They are retreating
= ina compact body, but in great distress. If
=, they had broken in their retreat, scarcely mar
or woman could have escaped the Egbas to-day
They are still being pursued, but large num-
ber of the Egbas have returned, worn out by
: their two days. exertions feel also, worn out
= by excitement and by witnessing and hearing
of SO much slaughter and cruelty. am not
aware that the Egbas have acted cruelty toward
their prisoners
March 5.-Several persons have returned from
the pursuit this morning. bringing the intelli-
gence, of desperate encounter at town call
ed Tshaga, about IA or Is miles from this. The
} Dahomans endeavored to enter this town, for
} rest or plage, but were resisted. The Egbas
, came up with strong force at the time, and
the Dahomans were again driven, and under
stand, divided. 1t is said that part of the per-
sonal luggage and provisions of the King fell
: into their hands, and he was obliged to fly on
] foot. The number slain in the battle was more,
G they say, than those before Abbeokuta. The
= Egbas could not make captiyes in this battle
= even when disarmed, they (tho Dahomans) fought
= and refused to surrender, and they were killed.
!, | am sorry to report that one of Mr.. Crowther's
y communicants is missing, but he may yet be
0 found. In order to find him, if he were
= among the slain, Mr.. Crowther passed over the
greater part of the battlefield, aud his report o
/, the number slain is such as to give a grea
n number. He says they arc laying in fours and
: fiyes, in various directions, over large exten
= of ground. The length of wall attacked was up
: wards of mile,
o sent two persons out this morning to coun
G the slain Dahomans one counted them in tens
il and the other wrote the number down, and t
k our surprise it amounted to 1909. 1t confirms
n the report brought us by deserter, an Egbt
i man, who had long been a Dahoman slave, tina
d the Dahomans, when gathered together at night
1t were struck dumb with the loss they had sus
n tanned, especially of their female soldiers, and
e only one thing was uttered by all, viz: fcal
d that they would never be able to return home
c This is a slave war, and we might justly ask, -
for what were all these slain? To supply the
e slave market with slaves would be just reply
d The people everywhere here seem to ascrib,
!, their deliverance to God and the white men.
!, hope the Dahoman King will learn lessor
II from this, and cease from these barberous wars
1t for which not a shadow Of cause was given b
1t the gbas, nor, suppose, by most of the othe
N towns that he was warred against. 1t is to b
l. hoped that the Egbas will not become too boast
of full of their victory, and be led into eXcesses.
n remain, &C., II. 7.