Coomassie and Magdala: the story of two British Campaigns in Africa ... With numerous illustrations, etc

Front matter

TWO BRITISH CAMPAIGNS IN AFEICA. LONDON : PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET 6QUARE - AND- -PARLIAMENT STREET MAJOR-GENERAL SIR GARNET W0I.S1.L__Y, K.C.I-.. ETC. I'rotii ft J'/i'd'n/i tijili h\i Hsrvsrt. WhuJitte \* Grove !bv vermission). COOMASSIE and MAGDALA: THE STORY OF TWO BRITISH CAMPAIGNS IN AFRICA. BX HENRY M. STANLEY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE NEW YORK HERALD GOLD MEDALLIST OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY AUTHOR OF ' HOW I FOUND LIVINGSTONE.' WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM DRAWINGS BY MELTON PRIOR (SPECIAL ARTIST IN ASHANTEE OF THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS) AND OTHER ARTISTS, AND TWO MAPS. LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, LOW, & SEARLE, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 FLEET STREET. 1874. All rights reserved. PBEFACE. '^Coomassie and Magdala : the Story of Two British Campaigns in Africa,' is the title I have chosen for this volume, written to record two grand successes gained by English soldiers in East and West Africa.

Before proceeding to Abyssinia as a Special Correspondent of the ' New York Herald,' I had been employed for American journals — though very young — in the same capacity, and wit nessed several stirring scenes in our Civil War. I had seen Americans fight ; I had seen Indians fight. I was glad to have the opportunity of seeing how Englishmen fought. In Abys sinia I first saw English soldiers prepared for war. What I think of them I have written frankly, and without malice. The story of Magdala was written five years ago. The reader will perceive it to be in a fresher style than the story of Coomassie. Much of what I formerly wrote was re-written several times, but the MS. was still reserved for an oppor tunity which I hoped would come. I now avail myself of it, and present it to English and American readers.

The story of Coomassie is dull compared to that of Magdala ; but it is more heroic, and more worthy of our sympathy in be- PEEFACE. half of those who fought, who suffered grievous sickness, and died. Coomassie was a town insulated by a deadly swamp. A thick jungly forest — so dense that the sun seldom pierced the foliage ; so sickly that the strongest fell victims to the malaria it cherished — surrounded it to a depth of 140 miles seaward, many hundred miles east, as many more west, and 100 miles north. Through this forest and swamp, unrelieved by any novelty or a single pretty landscape, the British army had to march 140 miles, leaving numbers behind sick of fever and dysentery. Five days' hard fighting ended the march, and Coomassie was at the mercy of the conquerors, to sack and burn to the ground.

Chapter I

Leaving England — Our Passengers — Fancy Portrait of Sir Garnet — The Sahara — Liberia — Kru Boys — Extracts from Blue Books . CHAPTER H. Government House at Cape Coast Castle — Sir Garnet Wolseley described — Neglect of Cape Coast Castle — The Fantees — The Peace Society — The African Fever 20

Chapter VIII

To the Front!— The Jungle— The Forest— The Camps— Along the Road to Prahsu — The Officers commanding described — Majors Home, Festing, Webber, Evelyn Wood — Baker Russell . . . . m

CHAPTER LX.

An Ashantee Embassy — Captain Arthur Rait exhibits the Gatling Gun — Arrival of the Naval Brigade — The 2nd W. Indians — Bowditch's Book — Coomassie as it appeared in 1817 — Questions 125

Chapter X

Scenes in Camp at Prahsu — The Press Corps — The Sailors and Marines in Camp — A Sullen Youngster — Catching Deserters — How a Sergeant of the Rifles was frightened — Running away from a Mule . . 136

Chapter XV

Before the Battle — On to the Battle— The Beginning of the End— The ' Black Watch ' in Action — Battle of Amoaful — Village of Amoaful CHAPTER XVl! Battle of Becquah — Burning of the Village — Human Sacrifices — Captain Butler — Preliminaries of a Battle — Battle of Ordahsu — Dash upon, and Capture of Coomassie 209

Chapter XVII

Within Coomassie — Execution of a Fantee Policeman — Errors of Sir Garnet — The Golgotha of Coomassie — List of the 'Lost' — Sir Garnet Explains 225