The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-20

both SIDES OF the road, until it even approached
within few yards Of the stan, and at sucn mo-
ments Sir Garnet had the greatest possible DIM
Guilty to restrain the soldiers nearest to him from
firing at random into the woods.
AT quarter to ten A. NJ, when we had APP
preached to within quarter Of mile to the viii !
lage, Sir Garnet ordered the column to halt and
the ammunition, the hammocks for the wounded,
the provisions and regimentai baggage TO push ior-
ward into the centre OF the now captured village.
This was a bold move, but. IL afterwards turned
out, most clever and we'll devised piece OF STRAIT
egy. When all the carriers had borne their loads
past us, the stan and the Forty.second and Naval
Brigade pressed on close after them, into the VIII
lage
Within q very short time We were In iul view OF
the singular battle field and were traversing
A vERITABLE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH,
with the Insignificant village of Ordasu beyond but
few hundred Yards, on the crest OF gentle emf
nence. which had been denuded long ago of It's
primeval forest by the settlers oil Ordasu when
they planned 1t as the village SITE The road lead
ing through this valley was perhaps five feet wide
banked by lofty, outrageous cOttonwoods. under
whose sombrous shades thrived the thckest bush
tange. Deep IN the bosom OF the woods on their
left was seen plantain grove. On our right this
bush thickened 1t receded from the road, and
presented nothing but impervious LEAKAGE wherever
the Ashantees, lying fiat, fired into the road
From the plantain grove also on our left the slugs
came whisting through underbrush uncomfortabiy
OF US; bat in return for the iron nail so
lavishy hurled at us the troops distributed their
conical bullets with rapidity that threatened an
initiation to any human beings that might be
either lying prone on the ground or standing up
The bush in many places showed the results of the
storm Of Sny der pellets for IL was lying as nat as
though 1t nad been mOwn with scytaes.
It was uncomfortable work running this gaunt
let, pelted at from both sides with showers Of iron
slVgs, bullets and leaden balls; and the British
wounded lying on the road testified to what 1t
tended. Some Of the native allies had been shot
to death, and Lieutenant Eyre. son OF Sir William
Eyre, an attsche OF Colonel Woods regiment, was
among the dying Europeans, which proved that
Ashantee slugs were deadly things
The dead Ashantees which uttered this portion
of the road in front OF the village numbering
about twenty. showed hideous wounds. through
which the terrible Snyder rife had shot It's fatal
missile, and no better evidences could be obtained,
II any were needed, to prove the perfection OF the
Boxer cartridge. The charge Of powder in these
cartridges Is very large, and a wound made by
Snyder bullet is always hopeless Of cure II it II in
q vital part.
Just we were
ABOUT TO ENTER THE VILLAGE
and were pressing close upon the heels Of the
momentary panic among them, and your corre-
spondent, among many others, was simply borne
to the ground by overwhelming numbers; but the
earnestness with which tho British returned this
salute restored confidence even to the untutored
minds Of the Fantee carriers.
Shortly afterwards we found ourselves in the
little village of OrdasI among the deal, the dying
and the wounded, and among the heterogeneous
humanity hu1dng on the ground to avoid the
all nla
air with SOUNDS of musketry; the ground was red
with gore, and Ashantee missiles battered every
where, against mud wall and thatcn, against human
faces and hands. against our clothes, startling our
ears and hurryin2 the flow oil blood in our veins.
thought as saw the crowds of unarmed men
filing the interior OF the nuts and their open
courts, and crOwdng every inch OF space on the
ground in the streets OF the village, what admir-
able chance offered itself to daring and resoiute
enemy armed with equal weapons. or retrieving
all past losses by simultaneous advance from the
bushes and CT ushing the invaders at one blow.
| FEEBLE ENEMY.
But the British force fortunately had such
/ enemy to cope with. This enemy was bold enough
| In the bush tangle; plucky enough, too, consider
ing that they knew little nothing OF the art of
war after the manner OF Europeans. They could
be sufficiently stubborn to stay hours in the bush
lighting, but they had no spirit to make an adj
directed against them from over 1900 Snyders.
The difference that lies between TO- 900 flint musket
shots and 1900 breech-loadlng Snyders was I'm.
measurable. BY the volleys that were fred from
either side felt inclined to believe that l. 500
Apobes or Bonny natives armed with Snyders
were more than match tor 10000 Ashautees
armed with nintlock muskets and muzzie loading
Enfelds. OF course the battle would have lasted
much longer II natives were arrayed against ma
tives, Africans against Africans; both parties
would have been we'll content to have fred at each
other for entire days from the bush, as was the
case ut the siege OF Aoracampa, about which
British correspondents wrote so much when they
were hard up Tor news items But 1t is the reso.
lutte advance OF a firing body OF Europeans which
soonest unsettles the equanimlty OF such foes as
AshanJees.
At hat.past ten A. NJ. we were enabled to per.
ceive what tao. Sir Garnet had shown In pushing
his baggage before him into Ordasu. fhe Asian.
tees had retired from the front gradually along the
right flank, and were precipitatng themselves on
our rear. harassed continually by tar-penetrating
leaden cones elected from Snyders. We felt in
ciined to chucxle quietly over the bafled enemy,
as plunging into the road lately travelled by the
conveys they found the road emptied OF passen
gers and goods. We felt inclined TO laugh when
they bosterousy shouted their de1lances yelled
out their Intentions in chorus by note Of norus
The ammunition carried by the faint-hearted car.
riers was safe in the village. environed by hun
dreas OF voiloylng Snyders, and there was nothing
lett for the disappointed enemy but to proceed as
his lighting humor impelled him.
a bush ngbt IS u singular thing to describe; there
are no lights ana shades in 1t there rapidly
shifting scenes stirring episodes to diate upon
It might be summed up in sentence Tor 1t Is SIM
ply prom!scuous firing at anything bearing SEM
bance to a human figure that may be seen stirring
or supposed TO stir in the bushes. pistol duel Ia
the dark Is just as interesting. The correspond.
ents nothing; they hear plenty OF noise. 1t Is
the noise in the dark bushes which they have to
write about.