Hewing their way through the dense bush, constantly assailed on all sides by the natives, the army pushed on in three columns, and after passing the village of Egginassie encountered considerable opposition, and later stormed the village of Bequah, where Lord Gifford earned his Victoria Cross. In effecting the bridging of the Ordah, severe skirmishing took place, and at Ordah-su a lengthy battle was fought, the village being ultimately carried and held by the Rifles. In this battle the ill-fated Wauchope, who later met his death at Magersfontein, was severely wounded when serving with the 42nd. Forcing its way onward, with the pipers of the Black Watch playing at its head, the army entered Commassie practically unopposed, and the reign of the barbarous King Koffi Calcali came to an end, a reign in which "murder, pure and simple, monotonous massacre of bound men," was the "one employment of the King, and the one spectacle of the populace." In the march on Commassie 80 European officers and men were killed, and 261 officers and men wounded, but the number of deaths from disease was very great. The grim spectre of disease is always more to be feared than the bullets of an enemy. In this war Captain (afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel) Reginald Sartorius, who had accompanied the column from Accra in the advance on Commassie, but did not reach there until it was abandoned, earned the V.C. for a daring ride of 55 miles across country in order to communicate with the General Commanding, and at Abogov, under a heavy fire, carrying a wounded Houssa soldier into cover. For his services Sir Garnet Wolseley was offered a baronetcy, which he declined, but accepted a grant of £25,000. The troops engaged were the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 42nd Black Watch; 2nd Batt. 60th Rifles; 150 Royal Engineers; 2nd West India Regiment; Houssa Artillery and a Naval Brigade.