The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-04-02

Tie OF aru4-Treachery of King
KORee-A Bloody Vengeance.
| The European journals of the 7th o.
March publish details of the latest field
operations conducted by the British army
against the Ashantees, under date of re-
ports written at Cape Coast Castle on the
7th of February.
THE BATTLE OF AMoAFUL.
A writer says:
We have had a real fight, and the
Asaantees fought splendidly, as our return
of killed and wounded will show; and as
theirs would show if they had kept such
records, The King had previously agreed
to our terms, and, IN fact, no fighting was
| expected; but all the time old Koffee was
collecting his army and making his ar
rangements. l won't say we were sur
prised, but we were certainly taken in,
and our intelligence department hood
winked. l came down here directly after
the affair at Amoaful, and up to this we
have no news from the front. The mis-
sionaries even declared there would be no
resistance.
The King got black trader, prisoner
at Coomassie, to write letter to Sir Gar
net about the terms OF peace, and this
dGrkey referred the General to some chap
ter ia the Second CoTSnthians, and hat
tDas the first notification he got that the
AshGyltees get had an army. Tie com
mander of that army formed his men up
in the shape of broad arrow, with good
roads to retreat on, which, happily, he had
to do. The Forty-second was on the main
road, and so got on quicker than the
troops on its fanks, who had to make
their way through the bush, and so came
IN fol the hottest part of the work and
suffered accordingly.
1t is wonderful how fellows keep up,
considering the work they have to do. 1
do sometimes pity the doctors and con-
troll officers. When every body elAe's
work is done, and rest can be taken, the
medieos and commissarles keep hard
at it.
The latter have been miserahly low in
numbers, and have lost three by death
and twelve inYalided. among the latter
three we'll in Dubhn-Nugent, Ba-
ker and Maedonal, besides captain Healey
Assistant Controller.
GENERAL woLsELEY's DISPATCH.
The following dispatch has been receiv-
ed at the Colonial Office in London:
IE GAR EET wo1sELEY TO THE EARL OF
KIMBERLEY.
HEADQUARTERS, CAMP AelMAMA, Feb
2, 1874.
Ny LoRD-Your Lordship is aware
that on the 23d ult. I received from the
King of AshaDtee aletter couched in terms
of unconditional surrender. The King
had. with great art and care, succeeded
in impressing upon the white prisoners,
whom he had at the same time restored to
liberty, condition of his entire inability
to fight again, and his entire determine
tion not to do so. I would trouble your
Lordship unnecessarily if I detailed all
the circumstances which we're eontrived
for the deception of these gentlemen. 1
was resolved not under any circumstan-
ees to concede time, which might be re-
quired for hostile preparation against u.
| until had substantial guarantees of the
| fidelity of the King in his professions.
] But taking into consideration the restora
ton Of the white prisoners and the evi-
dence supplied by them, made up my
mind that while it was absolutely neces
| sary not in any way TO ace myself in
the Kings power, 1 should not be iusti6
| ed in pressing him too closely or in assum-
ing an intention of treachery on his part.
/ 7 feel, therefore, that this news was Of SO
much importanes that your lordship
would wish to receive it by the most rap
id means possible, and as you are aware
arranged with Commodore Hewitt for the
dispatch Of the steamer Matin, in order to
communicate this intelligence. at the
same time, as it happened that few days
were required for the accumulation o.
stores, was able without risking any de-
lay to the general progress of operations tc
make an effort to conciliate the King by
promising to move slowly during thai
time.
I must frankly confess, my lord. that in
so far as I allowed myself for an instant tc
suppose that an Ashantee monarch's mos
solemn promises had the smallest value ]
was hopelessly In error. have good rea
son to congratulate myself that / did no
allow my military movements to be sffec
ted by anything of the kind. The Who'll,
negotiation was one treacherous plot OF
the part of the King, intended to give hin
time to collect his army and to lure us Il
the destruction which he still firmly be
leved he was able to intlict upon us. H,
had ingeniously continued to dismiss tn,
captives before the army had fairly arriv
ed 1T its destination, end no hoped to con
vince me by the distinct evidence which
} they were to supply that no military fore,
whatever lay between me and Coomassie
but, while he was assuring the captive
that even if l entered Coomassie and stoot
in the market place he would not resis
me, he was preparing place for his army
from which. when the time came, he hop
J ed to surprise me on the march. Fo
this purpose he was gathering his arm
> from all sides upon position of considera
/ H. 4 to- Oh .rrih - ,f-l
lage some eighteen miles from Coomassie
Fortunately my Intelligence Department
, aided by the information obtained by Mr.
| DaWson's boy, furnished me with intorma
tion as to the gathering of the army
Soon it took place. l, therefore, as state,
! In my letter accompanying the dispatche
of the 26th ult., moved to attack Amoafu
and after a most severe contest durini
which the resistance of the AshanteeS
thanks largely to the impenetTable charac
ter of the bush, was of kind altogethe
more ser.ous than ] could have believe,
possible. | drove them from all their DO
} sisionF, aud inflicted on them a comLlet,
defeat with very serious loss.
The Kings plan, however, must hav,
been long and most carefully prepared, fol
at the same time that the opposition Il
our advance became pronounced persis
tent series Of guerrilla attacks were direo
ted upon very considerable portion o
our line Of communication. This is still
continued, through the strength of oul
posts and the arrangements which l have
been able tofmake for the general security
OF our line have so reduced the effect as tC
render this merely inconvenIent On the
lst directed force, under orders Of Sil
archibald Alison, to attack and destroy
Baaua, town of considerable size q mill