=Ashanti, 1896.=--In 1895 trouble in Ashantee necessitated the sending of a small force, comprising the 2nd Batt. of the West Yorkshire Regiment, and a composite battalion made up of 20 men of each of the three Guards Regiments, and the following eight regiments: 1st Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1st Leinster Regiment, 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Devons, 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry, 3rd Batt. Royal Rifles, 2nd Batt. Rifle Brigade, together with the necessary detachments of Artillery, Engineers, Army Service, Ordnance, and Medical Corps. For this campaign against King Prempeh, a very distinctive decoration was given: a St. Andrew's Cross bisects the corners of a four-pointed star, over which is a circular centre containing the Imperial crown surrounded by a plain band inscribed ~ASHANTI~ above, and ~1896~ below. On the back, in raised letters, is the inscription FROM THE QUEEN. The star is suspended from a yellow ribbon, with rather broad black stripes near the edges, by means of a ring; it was issued unnamed, but the Colonel of the Yorkshires had the name of each of his men and that of the regiment engraved upon their stars. =West African Medal.=--For their services against Mwele a number of men from four of H.M. ships were awarded the West African medal, but, instead of a bar, MWELE 1895-6 was impressed on the edge, on either side of the clasp claw, together with the name and ship of the recipient. Those already in possession of the medal had Mwele and the date engraved on the edge. The 24th and 26th Bombay Infantry were also engaged, and they likewise received the medal: the latter have the names, etc., engraved in slanting script like India 1895 medals. A bar for NIGER 1897 was issued later, and in 1898 bars for BENIN 1897 were issued to men from nine of H.M. ships, and a bar for DAWKITA 1897 was also added for the members of the Gold Coast Constabulary who took part in the defence of Dawkita. In 1899 authority was given to add the bar for SIERRA LEONE 1898-99 to the East and West Africa medal for those engaged in the country between February 1898 and March 1899. Men of the West African Rifles and 1st West India Regiment were engaged, also some Royal Garrison Artillerymen. The name and date are arranged in two lines, and the bar is consequently rather wider than the others. The named edges are engraved in capital Roman letters, but some issued to Europeans are impressed. In 1900 it was decided to issue four more bars, and to revert to the use of dates instead of names; these bars cover 1896-8, 1897-8, 1898, and 1899. In the following year the bar inscribed 1896-99 was issued to those who had been employed in the northern parts of the Gold Coast, or in the hinterland of Lagos; later those who had been engaged in the Kadima and Munchi expeditions were awarded the medal and bar for 1900.