A Voyage Round the World, Vol. I (of ?) by James Holman

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Captain Hutchison (whom I have before mentioned, as being left at the
Ashantee capital after the departure of the mission), when the troops
returned to the coast, subsequent to the Ashantee war was appointed
commandant of the Fortress of Annamaboe, a post which he resigned for a
time, in consequence of some difference of opinion with Colonel Lumley,
acting Governor of Sierra Leone, when he was at Cape Coast; however, he
was afterwards induced to resume the command of the fort, where he has
a mercantile establishment, as well as at Cape Coast. His opportunities
of acquiring popularity have been very favourable, for he has held
several high posts at one and the same time, namely:--

Commissioner of Requests,
Commandant of Annamaboe,
One of H.M. Justices of the Peace for the Gold Coast,
Colonial Secretary of Cape Coast, and
Captain of the Royal Gold Coast Militia.

And I have the satisfaction of adding my personal testimony of his
worth, having found him a most intelligent, hospitable, and friendly
man. In addition to all the kind offices he had rendered me during my
short residence at Cape Coast, he presented me with a hoop
basket-worked ring, richly chased, made of virgin gold from the
Ashantee country, and also an Ashantee stool, which is described by
Bowdich to be made out of a solid piece of wood, called zesso, which is
very light, white, soft, and bearing a high polish. In addition to the
soft nature of the wood, it is said to be well soaked in water to make
it still softer, previous to its undergoing the process of carving.

From its being the custom among the Ashantees for their great men to be
seated on stools, some of them take much pride and pains in having them
highly carved or ornamented. The pattern is generally the same, being a
very low concave seat; the only difference is the manner of ornamenting
them. Bowdich relates, that in one of the grand processions at
Coomassie, the stools of the great men were carried on the heads of
favourites, and he observes that they were laboriously carved, with two
bells attached to each. He also describes the King's stool as being
entirely cased with gold. The word stool also signifies a high place of
office in the King's council, to which his captains are occasionally
raised for any distinguished act of bravery; but this promotion is
attended by a heavy fee to the King's household, being no less than
eight ounces of gold. When a rich man dies, the person that succeeds to
his fortune is said to succeed to his stool. I will conclude the
subject of stools with an observation relating to cushions, which is,
that no subject can sit in public with a cushion on his stool, unless
it has been presented to him by the King, or one of his four principal
captains.

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[20] Nine miles to the westward of the mouth of this river, is the
rock Cestus, where there is a settlement of about seventy Fishmen,
who have run away from their own country, to avoid the penalty of the
law. They are principally from Niffon, Baddon, and Pickaninny Cess.

CHAP. VII.

Recollections of the Ashantee War--Battle of Essamacow--Accession of
Osay Aquatoo to the Throne--Battle of Affatoo--Investment of Cape
Coast--Flight of the Ashantees--Martial Law proclaimed--Battle of
Dodowah--Ashantee Mode of Fighting--Death of Captain Hutchison

I cannot sufficiently express my sense of the uniform kindness I
experienced from the residents at this station. My excellent friend,
Capt. Hutchison, lodged me in a good stone house, which was entirely
appropriated to my own use, and I had also apartments allotted to me
at the castle, so that I passed my time as agreeably as I could
possibly desire. The interesting conversations in which I had the good
fortune to participate, afforded me a variety of curious and valuable
particulars respecting the natives; and, when it is remembered that
the gentlemen from whom I derived those anecdotes and descriptions,
had mingled personally in the scenes to which they referred, they
acquire an enhanced value, from so unequivocal a proof of their
authenticity. Many incidents, connected with the Ashantee war, were
related to me with all the fire and energy which the soldier exhibits
when he enumerates the dangers he has escaped, and the victories in
which he has shared; I wish I could transfer to my pages the spirit
which inspired my informants; but I must leave the imagination of the
reader to supply the strong feelings of personal interest involved in
the details, contenting myself with a plain recital of a few short
reminiscences.

The battle of Essamacow, which is registered in the Gold Coast
Almanack, with the significant prefix of "fatal," was fought on the
21st of January, 1824. Hostilities commenced about two o'clock in the
afternoon, when both parties opened a brisk fire across a small river,
that separated their forces. Our troops consisted of only a few
regulars, a small body of militia, and some irregular native allies,
the whole commanded in person by his Excellency Sir Charles McCarthy,
Governor of Sierra Leone.

The regulars and militia alone were armed with bayonets, so that, in
the event of close collision, in which, unfortunately, this conflict
terminated, we were at a fearful disadvantage, contending against a
foe so much superior in numbers, and so expert in the use of their
hand-arms. The firing across the river continued for four hours, but
at six o'clock in the evening, the English were compelled to cease in
consequence of having exhausted all their remaining ammunition. The
Ashantees, perceiving the difficulty in which our troops were placed,
resolved to turn the opportunity to immediate account, and, uttering
discordant yells, rushed into the river, and advanced _en masse_
upon our forces. Sir Charles McCarthy saw that there was but one means
of resistance left, and received the tumultuous enemy at the point of
the bayonet. For some time, the steadiness and courage of the English
prevailed over the barbarian rage of the multitudes that threw
themselves upon their "serried ranks," and the Ashantees fell in rapid
succession; but it soon became evident that the strictest discipline
of such an inferior body, could not withstand the increasing crowds
that poured upon them: the English soldiers, finding themselves so
hemmed in that their muskets became inconvenient to them, for want of
space to exercise their arms with freedom, relieved themselves from
the encumbrance by unfixing their bayonets, and casting their muskets
away. With this awkward weapon they continued the engagement against
an enemy armed with long knives, in the use of which every Ashantee is
singularly skilful. All the advantages of European knowledge and
cooperation, were at an end. It now became a terrific scene of
slaughter, in which physical power had the inevitable superiority.
Opposed to such infuriated masses, the coolness of the English was of
no avail. They fell quickly before the knives of the Ashantees,
exhausted from the loss of blood, and covered with numberless wounds.
Happily their sufferings were of short duration, for the enemy, in the
fulfilment of a barbarous usage, cut off their heads as they fell, as
trophies of their own personal prowess.

Sir Charles McCarthy saw that the day was lost, and that it would be
but an inglorious sacrifice of his own staff, and the few soldiers
that yet remained, to continue on the field. He, therefore, prepared
to retire; but this resolution--which, in the breast of so brave an
officer, was slow to find a place--was taken too late. A large body of
the enemy had already advanced upon his rear, and intercepted his
retreat. All hope, even of escape, was now cut off. The victory of the
Ashantees was complete: and nothing but conjecture is left as to the
cruel sufferings which were inflicted upon our gallant countrymen and
allies before they surrendered their spirits to their Creator on that
fatal day.

Two officers only escaped--Brigade-Major Ricketts and Lieut. Erskine.
Almost all the principal Europeans were slaughtered, and only one, Mr.
Williams, is known to have survived: he was sent to the court of
Ashantee. The most melancholy feature in this affair is, that the
officer who had charge of the ammunition, neglected to keep the troops
properly provided with powder, for had the supply been sufficiently
prompt, it is believed that the Ashantees never could have succeeded
in their advance movement, or, indeed, that they never would have
attempted it, so great was our superiority over them in loading and
firing. It is to be feared, that great blame is attached to the
management in this part of the arrangement for the necessities of the
battle, for when Major Ricketts opened the three last kegs supplied to
the troops for ammunition, he found, to his consternation, that they
were filled with macaroni! although, when the Ashantees plundered our
camp the day after the battle, they discovered ten kegs of
ball-cartridges, amongst a great quantity of valuable booty. But,
however lamentable this negligence was, it should be suffered to pass
into oblivion. The officer upon whom it is charged, perished with his
brave companions; and, like them, he is placed for judgment before a
higher tribunal: it is, therefore, unnecessary, as it would be cruel,
to pain his friends and relatives by registering his name, to mark a
military error, which might have been caused by the unexampled
confusion of the scene in which he was called upon to act so
responsible a part.

Shortly after this disastrous event, the late King of Ashantee, Osay
Tootoo Quamina, died. He just lived long enough to receive the
intelligence of a triumph which inspired the Ashantees with the most
extravagant hopes, and led them to prosecute the war with sanguinary
violence. Osay Aquatoo (the Orange[21]), the brother of the deceased
king, had no sooner succeeded to the vacant throne, than he resolved to
follow up the advantages of the war with vigour. He believed that the
death of an officer of such estimation as Sir Charles McCarthy, must
have thrown the ranks of the British soldiers into confusion and
despair, and, taking it for granted, that a military demonstration, on
his part, would be sufficient to complete the successes which had opened
so successfully under his predecessor, he departed from his capital to
take the command of the army, which was then advancing on Cape Coast. On
this occasion, agreeably to the superstitious usage of the natives, the
head of the late king was carried into the files of the Ashantees, as a
charm to protect them in the battle, and an incentive to the performance
of valorous deeds. When the King had made some progress towards the
encampment, he sent a sarcastic message to the Commander-in-chief, who
was then at Affatoo, within ten miles of Cape Coast, which abundantly
shewed the confidence by which he was animated. His message was to the
effect, that he had learned, in Coomassie,[22] that all the white men
had been killed in the late action, and demanding to be informed, what
he, the Commander, and all his young men were about, that they had not
taken the Castle.--"Stop!"--was the _naive_ reply of the General to the
messenger--"Stop till Friday, when the white men are going to attack us:
then you can carry back to the King the news of what you see, and of
what the young men have to do." Friday came in due course, and the army
of the Ashantees went forward to redeem the pledge of their exulting
General. This was the battle of Affatoo, which took place on the 21st
of May, 1824. The result was disastrous to the cause of the King. The
natives were completely routed and driven from the scene of action,
without the loss of a single officer on our side, and with but one
wounded (Capt. Hutchison), who commanded the Annamaboe militia, and who
was shot through both arms, while he was leading his men to the charge.

The Anglo-Fantee army, immediately after the battle of Affatoo, fell
back on Cape Coast Castle, as had been previously arranged by Colonel
Sutherland, who had arrived from Sierra Leone just before the battle.
This movement of that portion of our troops, enabled Major Chisholm,
who possessed the entire confidence of all the soldiers, to take the
command in the field. The King of Ashantee, now joined the army, which
he headed in person, and concentrating all his forces, he advanced
towards Cape Coast Castle with the intention of blockading the town.
On the 10th of June, 1824, he pitched his gorgeous pavilion,[23]
sparkling with its rich colours and costly embroidery in the effulgent
sunlight, on a height to the northward of the town; in the valley
between which and the back of the town lay the ground where the
important issue was to be contested.

For a whole month the belligerent parties lay in sight of each other,
mutually watching their opportunities to attempt a decisive movement.
Several skirmishes took place from day to day, but without making much
impression on either side; and during this interval of suspense, in
which our troops were exposed to the rays of a vertical sun, and in
continual expectation of a hidden and treacherous attack from a
barbarous horde, greatly superior in numbers, and with whom "revenge
is virtue," ascending volumes of smoke wreathing up into the air, and
blackening the bright expanse of heaven, marked the terrific
conflagrations that were constantly taking place in the surrounding
country.

At length the eventful day arrived on the 11th of July, 1824. In order
to understand the peculiar perils which our army had to encounter, it
is necessary to observe that Cape Coast Castle stands near the sea,
and that the town is built on the west side of it, at a short distance
from the beach. Upon three conical hills that arise close to the back
of the town, and run nearly parallel with the coast, our troops were
stationed. The right hill was occupied by Major Chisholm's division,
the left by Major Purden's, and the centre by Captain Hutchison's;
while the subordinate officers commanded the passes between the valley
and the town, which were four in number, two beyond the hills, and two
between them. These passes were choked up with a dense jungle. The
whole army was commanded by Colonel Sutherland, assisted by Sir John
Phillirnore, and most of the officers, seamen, and marines, of H.M.S.
Thetis.

At noon the enemy pushed forward in immense numbers, and with
ferocious valour towards the passes, with the design of forcing them.
Their attention was particularly directed to the right wing, as the
town was considered to be most accessible on that side. Their savage
cries, their heedless desperation, and tumultuous onset, were well
calculated to unnerve the bravery of troops accustomed to discipline
and a more honourable species of warfare, but our soldiers met the
Ashantees with an unmoved front: the resistance was as courageous as
the attack was fierce; and the first approach of the enemy was
repulsed with steadiness. It was at this crisis that Lieutenant Swanzy
fell, covered with wounds at the head of his detachment. To this fine
young man, whose gallantry was conspicuous in the action, might be
applied with truth the celebrated words of the poet,

"The young, the beautiful, the brave!"

The conflict raged with great fury, and the indomitable self-possession
of our soldiers at last threw the Ashantees into confusion. Their wild
exultations gave way to universal despair, a panic seized upon their
irregular masses, which now filled the valley in a state of fearful
commotion, and exhibited a terrific picture of savage desperation.
Perceiving the incertitude of his army, the King descended from the
hill for the purpose of animating the troops by his presence. The royal
_cortege_, as it swept down the height, and mixed with the heaving
crowds below, was singularly imposing. The King advanced with a gaudy
umbrella held over his head, followed by a glittering and diversified
train, consisting of his numerous wives and eunuchs celebrating his
praises and his deeds in barbarous lyrics, while others amongst his
retinue were employed in waving brilliant feathers and fans, and the
tails of elephants and horses over the head of the monarch, keeping
regular time with the inspiring war-song, to which all his guards
contributed in an uproarious chorus. The King exhibited great personal
courage and perseverance; again and again he rallied his disconcerted
troops, who were seen flying about in all directions in the utmost
disorder. In this way the conflict was prolonged until darkness fell
upon the scene and terminated the battle. On the cessation of
hostilities, the Ashantees retired, with the intention, as the British
soldiers believed, of renewing the fight with the return of daylight.
Major Chisholm, taking advantage of the circumstance, removed into the
fort for the night, and discovered for the first time, that the stock
of ammunition, particularly the musket balls, was nearly exhausted.
Rapid measures were adopted for repairing this disaster; all the leaden
and pewter vessels in the town were immediately put in requisition,
melted down during the night, and cast into ounce balls. Yet even this
additional supply would have been of little avail, had the enemy
renewed the attack on the following day. But when the dawn returned,
the Ashantees were seen in the distance, encamped in stillness, and
without exhibiting any disposition to encounter our soldiers again, and
as evening began to fall, preparations were visible of an intention to
retire from the field, and in a few hours afterwards, the King of
Ashantee, despairing of success, retreated with his army under cover of
the night.

From this period a cessation of arms followed; but the Ashantees
becoming turbulent again, martial law was proclaimed on the 6th of
June, 1826. Affairs were in this position, when the battle of Dodowah
was fought on August 7, 1826, between the English, assisted by the
native allies, and the Ashantees, with their allies, commanded in
person by the king, commonly known by the designation of the
Tiger-King.

The ground on which the battle was fought is an extensive plain, the
surface of which is occasionally interspersed with clumps of trees and
brushwood. It is distant from Accra, N.E. about seven or eight leagues,
and lies four miles S. of a village called Dodowah, from which it takes
its name. The day on which it took place being considered by the
Ashantees as favourable to enterprises, was on that account anticipated
by us, so that we were enabled to prepare for the action in time. About
eight o'clock in the morning, our scouts brought intelligence that the
enemy were already in motion, and the English drums immediately spoke
with their fine martial music to our troops, who formed their lines
with promptitude, stretching about four miles from E. to W. The variety
of costumes, and flags of different nations, exhibited by the European
lines, including the native allies, presented a very picturesque and
imposing appearance, and invested the scene with a peculiar arid
inspiring interest. For several days previous to the battle, a dispute
was maintained between the King of Akimboo, the King of Dunkara, and
the Queen of Akim ,[24] as to who should have the honour of attacking
the King of Ashantee's own band. This point, however, was finally
settled by an arrangement which satisfied all parties; it was decided
that the King of Akimboo should take the extreme right, while the King
of Dunkara and the Queen of Akim should occupy the extreme left. Their
zealous aspirations, notwithstanding their ardour, were disappointed
after all, for the King of Ashantee hearing that the white men filled
the central position of the European lines, chose that point for his
own attack, on account of the great honour which he hoped to acquire by
meeting the English in person.

The officers and gentlemen engaged in the battle were Lieut.-colonel
Edward Purden, commanding the whole. Captains Kingston and Rogers, and
Lieutenant Calder, of the Royal African Corps; Dr. Young, of the staff;
Mr. Henry Richter, merchant, Danish Accra, with his own men, about 120;
Mr. I.W. Hanson, merchant, British Accra, with his men, amounting
nearly to a similar force; Mr. J. Jackson, merchant, Cape Coast, with
Mr. Bannerman's men (Mr. Bannerman being in England in bad health),
amounting also to about an equal strength; and Captain Hutchison,
Annamaboe, with the Cape Coast artificers, part of the town's people
(volunteers), assisted by Bynie, a native chief, whose people,
including the above mentioned from Cape Coast, amounted to about 150.
These formed the centre, and were drawn up in lines, with the Royal
African Corps as a reserve.

The attack commenced from right to left about half past 9 o'clock.
Several of the natives, unaccustomed, probably, to the regularity of
European movements, came to the troops in the centre, and reproached
them in coarse and offensive language with cowardice, for not opening
their fire, which circumstance being communicated to the commanding
officer he ordered them instantly to advance. They accordingly moved
forward about 400 yards, when a heavy well directed fire took place on
our side. From this point the English troops continued steadily to
proceed, the enemy slowly and sulkily giving way as they advanced. No
prisoners were made, for as they fell they were put to death. Even in
this summary cruelty there was a species of mercy, as many were ripped
up, and their hearts torn from the vital region, in order that the
blood might be poured out on the ground as an offering to the triumph
of the English arms. The fighting in many instances was of the most
barbarous and ferocious description. In some cases, single men marked
their particular adversaries and dragged them from the ranks; and thus,
combating in pairs, they wrestled and cut each other, until the knife
of the more fortunate gladiator entered the vital part of his
antagonist and terminated the revolting contest. The enemy was pressed
so hard by our troops, that a distinguished Captain of the Ashantees,
either from despair, or to end his misery the more speedily, blew
himself up. A cry now arose that the Ashantees were advancing between
the centre and the right wing of the army: the alarm was caused by a
panic amongst the party from Danish Accra, the native troops in that
quarter having, with their Carboceer at their head, retreated early in
the action, it being, as they afterwards explained, "against their
Fetish to fight on a Monday," and thus created in the remainder of the
body apprehensions of weakness. This cowardly conduct of the Danes
compelled the centre to fall back, and abandon all the advantages their
valour had obtained, a movement which immediately exposed them to a
galling fire from the enemy, who now rushed onwards in immense numbers
to crush the retiring troops. At this important crisis of the battle,
Colonel Purden advanced with the reserve, who brought rockets with
them, a few of which thrown amongst the enemy spread the most appalling
confusion. The hissing sounds of these novel messengers of death; the
train of fire; the explosion; with the ghastly wounds inflicted by the
bursting of the rockets; led them to suppose that this terrible
instrument could be nothing less than thunder and lightning.

While these proceedings were going forward in the centre, another party
of Ashantees attacked the left wing of King Chebbo (of Dunkara), the
Winnebahs[25] having fled at the first fire, and never paused until
they reached Accra. King Chebbo, however, was in advance with a handful
of his people, driving back his opponents, and a few rounds of grape
fired over the heads of our troops soon relieved his party from their
assailants. On the right wing, the battle was never doubtful throughout
the day. The King of Akimboo swept all before him, penetrated to the
King of Ashantee's camp, took them in flank, and shewed his rapid and
victorious progress by a column of smoke that extended to the very
heart of the enemy's lines.

The example of the Ashantee Captain, who blew himself up to escape from
the hand of his adversaries, was followed by several other Ashantees in
command. The sight of these suicides on the field of death was
terrible: the explosion of the gunpowder, the shouts and groans of the
combatants, the discordant noises produced by the rude instruments of
the barbarian soldiery, the general _melee_ of the raging battle, and
the confusion that arose in consequence of the grass having caught the
flames from the firing and the exploding powder, presented a scene
which, with a little aid from the imagination, might have been easily
translated by a poet or a painter into a vivid picture of the infernal
regions.

The effects of the rockets and grape-shot, produced so extensive an
alarm amongst the enemy, that they fled in all directions, and were at
last completely routed. The Danish flag now advanced from the rear, and
it was soon seen that the Fetish of the recreants, although it had
forbidden them to fight on a Monday, had not made any provision against
the commission of acts of spoliation, for these people were the very
first to plunder the Ashantee camp, and then to run off with the booty,
as fast as they had fled from the field of battle.

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