n the extreme
left, another column of natives, commanded by Captain Dalrymple of the
88th Regiment, was to advance by the Wassaw road on Coomassie.

MARCH TO COOMASSIE.

On the 26th December, the major-general with his staff left Cape Coast
Castle for Prahsu, which he reached on the 2nd January. Here the Naval
Brigade arrived the following day.

The disembarkation of the regular troops commenced the 1st of January at
1:45, and by 6:35 that evening the whole of the troops had landed, and
the brigade had reached Inquabun, six miles from Cape Coast Castle.

They consisted of the 42nd Highlanders, the Rifle Brigade, a detachment
of the Royal Engineers, the 23rd Fusiliers, a detachment of the Royal
Artillery, numbering in all 2504 men. As, however, there was great
difficulty in obtaining transport, the Fusiliers and Royal Artillery
were re-embarked, to remain on board the ships until required. Two
hundred of the Fusiliers were afterwards re-landed, and marched to the
front. Besides these, there were the 2nd West India Regiment, of 350
men, Rait's artillery, 50 men, and Wood's and Russell's regiments,
numbering together 800, afterwards increased by a detachment of the 1st
West India Regiment, lately landed.

During the early part of January, the whole of the British troops
reached Prahsu, and on the 20th, the bridge across the Prah being
finished, the force intended for the attack on Coomassie marched out of
the camp.

Lord Gifford, in command of a well-trained body of native scouts, had
previously gone forward, followed by Russell's and Wood's regiments,
which obtained possession of the crest of the Adansi Hills. Lord
Gifford pushing ahead, the enemy's scouts retreated before him, and the
inhabitants deserted the villages. The king, it was evident, by this
time was seriously alarmed, and, hoping for peace, released the European
prisoners in his hands. He first sent in Mr Kuhne, a German
missionary, who was followed by Mr Ramseyer, another missionary, and
his wife and their two children, and Monsieur Bannat, a French merchant,
from whom much important information was obtained. As the army
advanced, the villages taken possession of were fortified and
garrisoned, so that communication with the rear should be kept up and
the sick carried back to hospital. Already a considerable number of
officers and men were suffering from sickness. Captain Huyshe died the
day before the major-general left Prahsu. Thus, out of