THE ASHANTEE WAR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 372, 11 July 1874, Page 4

THE ASHANTEE WAR.

We extract the following soldier's letter , from a Scotch exchange : — Portsmouth, 25th March, 1874. Dkab Father avd Mothkr, — Here I am again, safe and sound back to old » England. You witl have seen from the . papers all about our doings, and how we . have behaved for the credit of the Old Black Watch. jjEn my eighteen months' sodgering I have begun well, but I must not brag too much over my good fortune. I have been wonderfully lucky in that ' time. Although engaged in all the fight- [ ing, I. have escaped without a scar. So long !as there was work to do, I was on my pins and aye ready for it.# After leaving Coomassie, I was laid down with fever and dysentery, but it did not matter much then as the fighting was all done, and I Kfcve now thoroughly got over it. As you are anxious for me to tell you ' something about my own ways, I must now try and do so. You would see we had a, grand voyage to the Gold Coast ; that we were kept a fortnight aboard ship before landing — those were the weariest days of it ; all sorts of stories were brought to us of what was going on ashore. After ; getting landed, we commenced our march into the interior, the first day marching six miles, and oh 1 we were a tired set of fellows at the end of it. We began, however, to get into better order and condition, and so got on to endure the machinery well. The climate was very hot, and no wonder that so many of our men were struck down with disease. , After crossing the Prah, we were told to keep a sharp look-out, as the Ashantees were not far away. After thirteen days' marching we at last came upon them, and then lay all night with our accoutrements , on us. Getting up early we heard firing in front, and knew there was something at last for us to do. About six o'clock we got the order to advance to the front, and so this was my first experience in going into action. We got the order to extend from the right into the bush, and were soon into it. This was a trjlOg Way tor ua young soldiers to get under fire. The Ashantees were swarming in advance on our flanksin thousands, and I almost felt my time was up, and that I was to be petted like a rabbit in cover. After getting fairly started, however, I felt all right, and then went into them like a lion. We were fighting in sections, every man in his place, and doing his best. Seldom we got a right shot at a black fellow, they kept so well under cover, but they did keep popping at us ! And so close it was too! They were mostly armed with the old flint fire-locks, and loaded with pieces of ragged lead, rusty iron, and stones. Had they been better armed, more of us would have fallen. We were told afterwards that their wives were behind loading their guns, while the men were dodging and firing at Us from the front. In such' circumstances, we kept on firing and advancing as best we were abJe. We had a couple of hours at such close work. The most of onr men were getting wounded, but only a few were going to the rear. Blood was running from nearly every^ man, and I was thinking myself lucky, that as we were driving them off, I was always escaping. When we had a moment to speak and look at each other, we would glance along the files to see who were hit and if any were down. Such is the way we had to fight in the bush ; it was all against us, and if a couple of big guns had not been brought to our assistance, I doubt we would have fared worse. The shells did ■ make them scamper off, and as they bolted we kept at their heels. When we got them fairly out of the bush we got bettor on in pushing them from stage to stage, while we were not near so harassed. The village of Amoaful was then fairly in our hands, but the devils fought well to keep us back. It was afternoon before we got this length, and the fighting for us was now past. We started for Coomaissie early next morn* ing, but never had much fighting afterwards. They never stood at us as they had done the other day, and on the evening of the second days' march we entered Commassit- in the grey darking, our pipers in front of the column playing "The Highland Laddie." We gave three cheers for old Scotland after all was over. I was ten days there and had to assist in keeping order, our black fellows were always stealing, and we had often to lash them for their lazy ways. How they did fire the houses, and soon the places jwere " destroyed. We then left for-the return match, and all was \ over. As- I said at first I had only marched two days on the way back when | I had to yield. I was carried on a donkey down to the coast by six blacks. . The doctor told me that when I began to , get hungry that I would mend well, and , I often wished that I was home at Alva to . get a good fry of pork. The voyage ■ home has done me a great deal of good, L and I am now right and able for duty. » You would see how we were received here; L and how we are to be feted and paraded 1 for the next few days. After all is past, : evfery one wjll be anxious to get home for a little. Ido not know whether I may \ get early or not, as the most of our men . who got furlough before we left had not , completed their time, and they may get , the preference first. I trust soon, howi ever, to see you all, and will then give i you more stories. Daring Escapk fbom Pbisok. — The ' " lndependance Beige" reports a daring '' escape as having been made from the prison ' of Turnhout in Belgium. On Wednesday ! night one of the warders was going his : rounds when he suddenly came on two ' convicts who had got out of their cells by 1 some means still unexplained. They im- '. mediately attacked him, threw him down, | took his keys away, and then locked him up in ati adjoining room. His cries had, ' however, alarmed tne governor and an- ' other guardian, who hastened to the spot, ' but were at once seized and treated as the ' other had been. The two men being now ' completely masters of the position, entered the apartments of the director to take 1 everything of. any value they could find, 1 dressed themselves in his clothes, deliberately opened the front door, and walked out, locking the place after them. As the buildiug was unopened at a late hour in the morning, the gensdarmes forced an entrance, jmd on discovering the state of affairs released the director and warders. No trace has jet been found of the fugitives. An old lady is inclined to think that a compast would be the best *ewing<machine, becauoe she heard that it had a needle with thirty-two points.