Roth writes: ‘We arrived at a small village, which we cleared with Maxims and rockets, and then rushed it, the natives clearing out right and left.’
Commentary
It should be noted that Benin citizens had already vacated Benin City that the British Force were en route to. They had relocated to neighbouring countryside to keep safe during the punitive expedition.
The neighbouring countryside are the villages that were being cleared by British Maxims and rockets. With no one to bury the dead bodies, they laid about the place and these were the ones the British troop came across as they made their way to Benin City.
It is averred that it was these bodies that relatives who survived the shelling actions put in hurriedly dug pits; and were the ones photographed by mischievous British officers which they then purported to be from Benin human sacrifices.
References
1) Bacon, R. H. Benin City of Blood, 1897
2)Bacon, R. Admiral Sir, Benin Expedition, A Naval Scrap-Book, First Part, 1877 – 1900: 197 – 207
3) Benin City Battle, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2HHWsr3A2M
4) Benin Expedition of 1897, Benin Massacre, Wikipedia, accessed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin_Expedition_of_1897#The_.22Benin_Massacre.22
5) Boisragon A, The Benin Massacre, 1897
6) James, L. Empires in the Sun, The Struggle for the Mastery of Africa: 1830 – 1990, 2016
7) Moore, R. Benin Expedition, 1897 – February 22 1897 – Commons Sitting – HC Deb 22 February 1897 vol 46 c964; The First Lord of Admiralty on the Motion “That this House do now adjourn,”
8) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'
9) Roth, H. L, Great Benin, 1903
Commentary
It should be noted that Benin citizens had already vacated Benin City that the British Force were en route to. They had relocated to neighbouring countryside to keep safe during the punitive expedition.
The neighbouring countryside are the villages that were being cleared by British Maxims and rockets. With no one to bury the dead bodies, they laid about the place and these were the ones the British troop came across as they made their way to Benin City.
It is averred that it was these bodies that relatives who survived the shelling actions put in hurriedly dug pits; and were the ones photographed by mischievous British officers which they then purported to be from Benin human sacrifices.
References
1) Bacon, R. H. Benin City of Blood, 1897
2)Bacon, R. Admiral Sir, Benin Expedition, A Naval Scrap-Book, First Part, 1877 – 1900: 197 – 207
3) Benin City Battle, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2HHWsr3A2M
4) Benin Expedition of 1897, Benin Massacre, Wikipedia, accessed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin_Expedition_of_1897#The_.22Benin_Massacre.22
5) Boisragon A, The Benin Massacre, 1897
6) James, L. Empires in the Sun, The Struggle for the Mastery of Africa: 1830 – 1990, 2016
7) Moore, R. Benin Expedition, 1897 – February 22 1897 – Commons Sitting – HC Deb 22 February 1897 vol 46 c964; The First Lord of Admiralty on the Motion “That this House do now adjourn,”
8) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'
9) Roth, H. L, Great Benin, 1903