er resistance at this point was at
an end.

The right-hand column, too, had suffered severely. Colonel Wood
received a slug in the left breast, and 6 naval officers and 20 men were
also wounded. Captain Luxmore, RN, was in command here. A company of
the Rifle Brigade had been sent out to strengthen them, when all at
once, just when the battle appeared over, the Ashantis made a tremendous
effort to turn our flank and to retake the village of Agamassie. The
Rifles in reserve sprang to their feet and advanced to meet them, and
for a while the roar of musketry was as heavy as it had been during the
day. Then, after an hour's fighting, Sir Garnet Wolseley gave the word
to advance. The men of the Rifle Brigade sprang forward, and in five
minutes the Ashantis were in full retreat. Altogether, including the
natives, the number of British casualties exceeded 250.

The force slept at Amoaful, and the next day the Naval Brigade, with
Russell's regiment and Rait's battery, supported by the 42nd, moved off
the main road to attack the neighbouring village of Beckquah, which was
the capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti kings. As the
narrow road entered the clearing, the enemy opened a tremendous fire
upon them. Lord Gifford rushed forward, followed by his scouts. The
Houssas, who were next behind, for once hung back; but the sailors, who
came next, sprang forward over the Houssas, and entered the village.
The natives, encouraged by the smallness of our force, fought strongly;
and as there were over a thousand fighting men in the village, we should
have suffered heavily had not the lesson given the day before of the
white men's superiority stood us in good stead; and as the Houssas and
other companies of Russell's regiment now poured in, the enemy speedily
lost heart and fled. The troops were placed in position to defend the
place from any attack from the bush, and the sailors, provided with
port-fires, set fire to the town from end to end.

Next day the advance began, the orders being that every man was to
receive four days' rations, and each regiment take its own provision and
baggage. The advance began at seven o'clock. The road was found strewn
with the litter cast away by the retreating enemy. The road was very
difficult and boggy. Streams had to be bridged in many places by the
engineers, and it took six hours to move as many miles. At one village
on the way, a thousand of the enemy assembled to ma