The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-25
EXPEDITION TO DAHoMEY.
Colonel Dodds Appointed to Be the
Supreme Commander.

COIOuet appointed TO bo tne
Supreme Commander.
LONDON, April 24.-Colonel Dodds has
been appointed to the supreme command
of the French expedition to Dahomey.
The Paris correspondent of the Times COM
ments upon the indifference of the French
government in appointing to the command
an officer now in France inasmuch as
Behanzin, if he means business, will make
some critical coups within month.
In the month of February, 1890, King Kondo,
Behanzin's predecessor, came down with his
Amazon army to Whydah and captured the
town. Thence he led his army to Godomey, a
little nearer Kotonu, and even threatened
Porto Norvo. He gave battle pluckily and the
fights were fierce and bloody, but the result was
that he lost 1000 of his army 1t was afterward
reported that he beheaded great number of the
Amazons for not having succeeded
in driving the French into the sea.
The French forces were not large, perhaps
400 or 500. and the Dahomans were an army of
5000 or 1000. But, in spite OF the repeating
rifles and the assistance OF gunboat. the
French had difficult task in fighting Off the
Amszonian army from the coast, and prevent
ing them from occupying Porto Novo The
dusky female warriors to the number of 5000,
who led the advance, showed Won
derful sourage. They charged with in
credible fury. They came up in solid
column TO within 600 feet of the fort, and, in
spite OF the great gaps made by the musketry
and the shells from the gunboat, they charged
with blood-curdling wells right on to the wall,
showering bullets from their old trade guns.
Many of them fell dead among the French
troops. Some, already pierced by bayonets,
rose up again and fought till they fell down
from sheer exhaustion. But the French repeat
ing rifles were too much for them. Among the
Dahomans who feel was Allada, the female gen.
eral OF the Amazons. The Dahomans killed and
wounded about fifty OF the French, and took six
Frenchmen prisoners, who were taken to Why
dab. which had been captured by the
Amazons. These prisoners were afterwards
released. One of the participants in the fight
ing at the siege of Kotonu in March, 1890
says:
During the last days there had been about
fifteen sharpshooters wounded. Something was
expected, but gradually watchfulness had be-
come rather weak The consequence was that
the sentinels were fast asleep at $50 in the
morning, when the Dahomans advanced in
snake-like gIidings; they surprised the senti-
nes and cut off their necks. In the same man
ner the watchnan of the battery was butchered.
The artillery quartermaster endeayored TO de-
fend himself, but an Amazon Ia fine girl of 16)
stabbed him with Il poniard and cut his neck
The fate happened to brigadier-
artifcier, also non-commissioned officer
OF artillery Meanwhile the alarm mad
been given, the Senegalese riff hemen arrived
on a run and swept off the first ranks of the
Dahomans. The Amazon was caught, thrown
to the ground and her neck cut. At the same
moment NJ. Bayol, the governor, signaled to the
gunboat Sane, at anchor just of the battlefield
Immediately hailstorm of bombs aud Hotch-
kiss balls rained over the Dahomans The
firing was Of great precision, and grou ps
of ten or twelve savages were hardly form med
when bomb was sent bursting among them,
and when the smoke had cleared away nothing
could be seen standing up. Despite this, the
Dahomans displayed extraordinary and OBJ
stinete courage. During two hours they hurled
themselves toward the few frame houses OF the
settlement, and reached several times to the bot
tom OF the outside staircase of the telegraph
Office, where they were shot down close to
the muzzle. Five Europeans and a white lady
found themselves shut up in the telegraph Of
fee They blazed away during the whole fight
The clerk of the telegraph office fired 10 cart
ridges for his share Finally the Dahomans fled
to the underbrush, leaving from 500 to COO Of
their people on the ground. On our side
we had fourteen dead and fifteen wounded.
among whom were i've or six Europeans Every
one admits that. but for the gunboat sane the
Dahomans wonld have succeeded in invading
the houses. and they would have killed syery-
body. They numbered i,s0O or 800 men,