Sir John M’Leod, K.C.B.
From a photograph.
On Feb. 1st, the day after this signal victory, the adjacent village of Becqueh was captured and destroyed by Col. M’Leod, with the naval brigade and several detachments, supported by portions of the 42nd and 23rd. On the 2nd, the army was at Agemanu, six miles beyond Amoaful, every inch of the ground between the two places being disputed by the enemy. On this day Lt. Wauchope of the 42nd was slightly wounded. On the 3rd, Sir Garnet moved by the westerly road, branching off to the left from Agemanu, through Adwabin and Detchiasa to the river Dah or Ordah, the enemy again opposing the advance and hanging round the flanks of the force. King Coffee Calcallee had tried to stop the advance of the British by offering to pay an indemnity, but in vain, as no reliance whatever could be put in any of his promises; the King therefore resolved to dispute the passage of the river. The battle of Ordah-su, as it is called, was fought on Feb. 4th, and lasted seven hours. When the troops reached the Dah on the evening of the 3rd, it was a tremendous downpour of rain, and it was not till next morning that the engineers managed to complete their bridge over the river. By this bridge, on the morning of the 4th, the advanced guard, the rifle brigade and some native troops under Colonel M’Leod, crossed the bridge, and soon found itself fiercely engaged with very large numbers of the enemy, who had crowded into the villages on each side of the road, from which it was found exceedingly difficult to dislodge them. The first shots were fired about 7 A.M., and Sir Garnet Wolseley in his official despatch, dated Coomassie, Feb. 5th, thus describes the rest:—
“The advanced guard, under the command of Col. M’Leod, 42nd Highlanders, was brought to a stand still shortly after the advance began; and a general action soon developed itself, lasting for more than six hours. The enemy did not, however, fight with the same courage as at Amoaful, for although their resistance was most determined, their fire was wild, and they did not generally attack us at such close quarters as in the former action.
“The village of Ordahsu having been carried by the rifle brigade at nine o’clock, I massed all my force there, having previously passed all the reserve ammunition, field hospitals, and supplies through the troops, who held the road between the river and the village, a distance of about a mile. The enemy then attacked the village with large numbers from all sides, and for some hours we could make no progress, but steadily held our ground. The 42nd Highlanders being then sent to the front, advanced with pipes playing, and carried the enemy’s position to the north of the village in the most gallant style; Captain Rait’s artillery doing most effective service in covering the attack, which was led by Col. M’Leod.
“After some further fighting on the front line, a panic seems to have seized the enemy, who fled along the road to Coomassie in complete rout. Although the columns they had detailed to assault our flanks and rear continued for some time afterwards to make partial attacks upon the village, we followed close upon the enemy’s heels into Coomassie. The town was still occupied by large numbers of armed men, who did not attempt to resist. The King had fled no one knew whither. Our troops had undergone a most fatiguing day’s work, no water fit for drinking having been obtained during the action or the subsequent advance, and the previous night’s rest having been broken by a tornado, which drenched our bivouac. It was nearly six o’clock when the troops formed up in the main street of Coomassie, and gave three cheers for the Queen.”
The 42nd was the first to enter the capital, the pipers playing at its head, about half-past four in the afternoon; by half-past seven the whole force was inside Coomassie, and the discomfiture of the Ashantees was complete, the king himself having fled.
Mr H. M. Stanley, the well-known correspondent of the New York Herald, in describing the advance on Coomassie, wrote as follows of the bravery of the Black Watch:—
“The conduct of the 42nd Highlanders on many fields has been considerably belauded, but mere laudation is not enough for the gallantry which has distinguished this regiment when in action. Its bearing has been beyond praise as a model regiment, exceedingly disciplined, and individually nothing could surpass the standing and gallantry which distinguished each member of the 42nd or the Black Watch. They proceeded along the well ambushed road as if on parade, by twos. ‘The Forty-second will fire by companies, front rank to the right, rear rank to the left,’ shouted Col. Macleod. ‘A company, front rank fire! rear rank fire!’ and so on, and thus vomiting out twoscore of bullets to the right and twoscore to the left, the companies volleyed and thundered as they marched past the ambuscades, the bagpipes playing, the cheers rising from the throats of the lusty Scots until the forest rang again with discordant medley of musketry, bagpipe music, and vocal sounds. It was the audacious spirit and true military bearing on the part of the Highlanders, as they moved down the road toward Coomassie, which challenged admiration this day. Very many were borne back frightfully disfigured and seriously wounded, but the regiment never halted nor wavered; on it went, until the Ashantees, perceiving it useless to fight against men who would advance heedless of ambuscades, rose from their coverts, and fled panic-stricken towards Coomassie, being perforated by balls whenever they showed themselves to the hawk-eyed Scots. Indeed, I only wish I had enough time given me to frame in fit words the unqualified admiration which the conduct of the 42nd kindled in all who saw or heard of it. One man exhibited himself eminently brave among brave men. His name was Thomas Adams. It is said that he led the way to Coomassie, and kept himself about ten yards ahead of his regiment, the target for many hundred guns; but that, despite the annoying noise of iron and leaden slugs, the man bounded on the road like a well-trained hound on a hot scent. This example, together with the cool, calm commands of Col. Macleod, had a marvellous effect upon the Highland battalion.”
In the action on the 4th, Capt. Moore and Lts. Grogan and Wauchope of the 42nd were wounded, the latter severely this time; 14 men were also wounded.
Thus, in the space of about a month, by the decision and energy of the leader of the expedition, and the willingness of his officers and troops, was the great object of the campaign accomplished in the most masterly manner, and the Ashantees humbled as they had never been before, and taught a lesson they are not likely soon to forget. As during the 5th there seemed no hope of the treacherous king coming to terms, and as it was absolutely necessary for the safety of the troops that the return march should be immediately commenced, Sir Garnet resolved to destroy Coomassie, and set out at once. Having, therefore sent off all the wounded, he issued orders for an advance on the morning of the 6th. Early on that morning the homeward movements commenced, headed by the naval brigade, and covered by a rear guard of the 42nd, which did not retire till the town had been set on fire in every quarter, and the mines which had been placed under the palace fired. A tornado had raged during the previous night, but the destruction of the town by fire was complete.