Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-31

Capture and Sacking of the Town Of Maa-
belli on the African Coast Wnnton Out
rage on the Inhabitants and the Missions
aries. ..r
The West African mail steamer armenian
has brought intelligence of wanton and
dreadful outrage upon the inhabitants OF
Magbelli, near Cape Coast Castle, on the morn
ing of the l4th June of which the following
are the details
Most of the male population were absent,
and only the old and infirm were in the town.
The Pa Suba was at Ro Masettleh, q town on
the Port Lokkoh road. The attacking party
numbered about three or four hundred
men, and for the most part were armed
only with cutlasses They divided themselves
into small companies, and assigned different
parts of the town TO each division, one of
them attacking the mission premises, and
another the British traders, and thus they
were scattered wherever they thought
to find plunder. The special objects of attack
were the British subjects residing at Magballi,
in revenge for our Government having prom
ised, as they alleged, to aid and assist the
Masineweralis with arms and ammunition.
We regret to say that the barbarous people
showed no regard to the persons or property
of the missionary party. After having iorci-
bly, entered the dwelling they seized the Rev
Mr.. Wiltshire and his wife, and stripped
them of nearly all the clothing they had on
One man aimed blow with his cutlass at
Mr. Wiltshire, which, happily, fell short.
Another pointed his gun at his breast and
demanded his coat, which was, of course,
given up.
Mrs. Wiltshire was then seized, tied and
dragged to the water side and forced into
canoe, with the intention of being carried
across the river; but the canoe being too
crowded with prisoners, and not having been
caulked was swamped, and sank immedi-
ately on attempting to shove off from the
beach. NJ ost happily and providentially q
sound of musket shots was at this juncturc
heard in the distance. This proceeded from
a few Sierra Leone traders and others from
Rogbungtong, who were coming to the res
cue. The Kossohs at once left their prison.
ers and retreated, but not without some loss
on their side.
Mrs Wiltshire was left tied in the BUSH
and, after some moments of anxious suspense
was rescued from her perilous position by u
Sierra Leone trader. In the mean time other
parts of the town had been given up to plum
der. Mr.. Thensted, an English trader, was
robbed of all his goods, and had his shirt
stripped from his back, but happily escaped
from his captors and from further personal
indignities. One OF the mission boatmen,
named Bucknor, who was ill at the time Of
the attack, was cut across the stomach and
killed. A school-boy, about eight years old,
refusing to leave the mission yard and 60
with the Kossohs, was killed on the spot, his
head being severed from his body. Another
of the school-chldren Ia little girl) was
drowned, along with many others, in canoe,
which, from being too crowded with pris-
oners, filled, and went down with all on
board. The precise number is not known
The most painful feature of this whole affair
has been the attack upon the mission party.
Hitherto both sides in this civil war had
agreed, it is said, to leave the mission un-
harmed But in the hour of excitement
with hopes of great booty, and probably
maddened by drink, it is not possible to re-
strain the ungovernable passions that rage
in the breast of a savage; and of all the tribes
in our neighborhood, the kosSohs enjoy an
unenviable notoriety for unmitigated bar
barism.
On this occasion each one seems to have
acted for himself. The sole object was plum
der. Had there been any thing like plan,
or the least concert in their operations, we
believe most of the people in Magbelli would
have been made slaves of and carried into
the interior. As it is, many of our traders
have been caught and carried away.
Common report attributes the suddcnness
of the attack by the Kossohs into revenge for
the long talked-of interference of the Gov
ernment and the employment of Saddu, to
whose delay in making his appearance the
present difficulty, it is said, owes it origin
Vest A fricdn Herald