By Sheer Pluck: A Tale of the Ashanti WarHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
By Sheer Pluck: A Tale of the Ashanti War
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Ashanti war, 1873-1874 -- Juvenile fiction
“I told you that there would be a change when the new general came, and
that they would not any longer remain in their forts, but would come out
and attack you.”
A few days after this fight the Ashantis broke up their camp at Mampon,
twelve miles from Elmina, and moved eastward to join the body who were
encamped in the forest near Dunquah.
“I am going,” Ammon Quatia said to Frank, “to eat up Dunquah and Abra
Crampa. We shall do better this time. We know what the English guns can
do and shall not be surprised.”
With ten thousand men Ammon Quatia halted at the little village of
Asianchi, where there was a large clearing, which was speedily covered
with the little leafy bowers which the Ashantis run up at each halting
place.
Two days later Sir Garnet Wolseley with a strong force marched out from
Cape Coast to Abra Crampa, halting on the way for a night at Assaiboo,
ten miles from the town. On the same day the general sent orders to
Colonel Festing of the Marine Artillery, who commanded at Dunquah, to
make a reconnaissance into the forest from that place. In accordance
with this order Colonel Festing marched out with a gun and rocket
apparatus under Captain Rait, the Annamaboe contingent of a hundred and
twenty men under their king, directed by Captain Godwin, four hundred
other Fantis under Captain Broomhead, and a hundred men of the 2d West
India regiment. After a three mile march in perfect silence they came
upon an Ashanti cutting wood, and compelled him to act as guide. The
path divided into three, and the Annamaboes, who led the advance, when
within a few yards of the camp, gave a sudden cheer and rushed in.
The Ashantis, panic stricken at the sudden attack, fled instantly from
the camp into the bush. Sudden as was the scare Frank's guards did not
forget their duty, but seizing him dragged him off with them in their
flight, by the side of Ammon Quatia. The latter ordered the war drums to
begin to beat, and Frank was surprised at the quickness with which the
Ashantis recovered from their panic. In five minutes a tremendous fire
was opened from the whole circle of bush upon the camp. This stood
on rising ground, and the British force returned the fire with great
rapidity and effect. The Annamaboe men stood their ground gallantly, and
the West Indians fought with great coolness, keeping up a constant and
heavy fire with their Sniders. The Houssas, who had been trained as
artillerymen, worked their gun and rocket tube with great energy,
yelling and whooping as each round of grape or canister was fired into
the bush, or each rocket whizzed out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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