Bacon (1897) writes:
Early on the morning of the 12th February the advance began. Colonel Hamilton, with sixty-two N.C.P. men, twenty -nine of A Company 1st Division, with one Maxim, under Lieutenant Fyler, R.N., and another under Captain Burrows, N.C.P.F., were embarked in the Primrose and two surf-boats to make the first landing. One Maxim was in addition mounted on the Primrose to search the bush and cover the disembarkation.
Extract from A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION' By FELIX N. ROTH, M.R.C.S., and L.R.C.P.
Ologbo, February 12th.—We started from Ceri yesterday, at about six p.m., in the launch Primrose and in surf boats, with 250 black troops, two Maxims, one seven-pounder, and half a company of blue-jackets, with one Maxim and a rocket tube. As I got my orders about half an hour before we started, I was unprepared. Luckily, I always have my waterbottle filled at night, but I had no rations. As I passed the admiral's quarters I noticed a nice block of naval chocolate lying neatly in some paper outside his door. I stole that chocolate. We went up the Ologbo creek for about three miles, until we reached Ologbo. We shelled the village, and cleared it of the natives. As the launch and. surf boats grounded we jumped into the water, which reached to our waists, at once placed our Maxims and guns in position, firing so as to clear the bush where the natives might be hiding. We rushed on some hundred yards, again put our guns in position, and, in conjunction with volley firing, again cleared the bush. We expect the second division to come up to our support in about two hours' time, as we sent the launch and surf boats back to fetch them. While holding the place the natives crept up to us several times, howling at the top of their voices, and firing into us. They attacked us first in the front, and then on each flank. Luckily we kept them at bay with volley firing and our Maxims, and only Captain Koe, of the N.C.P. Force, was severely wounded in the wrist. But luckily several other officers and men were hit by spent bullets only. After that we had drinks, and enjoyed the Admiral's chocolate. Soon afterwards more men came up, and we took our troops into the bush and cleared the natives out as well as possible. This path to Benin City is only two or three feet broad, allowing sometimes two men to walk abreast, but as a rule the men are obliged to walk in single file. The natives showed some cuteness, for on one side of the road they had cut a track for some hundreds of yards, so as to be able to fire on us as we went up. Luckily for ourselves, we found this ambuscade at once, thanks to our scouts, and troops were sent up it. We went straight on for about three-quarters of a mile, with Maxims working in front and on the flanks; at the same time volley firing was kept up by the troops, so as to clear the bush on each side of us. We arrived at a small village, which we cleared with Maxims and rockets, and then rushed it, the natives clearing out right and left. We then put out pickets all round the place, and under their cover troops and carriers cut down the bush, so as to clear the place and allow us to see in case we were attacked by the natives. We camped here for the night, putting out double sentries everywhere. We shall remain here till we get up our supplies, consisting of ammunition, rations for officers and men, and particularly water, which has always to be boiled. The usual routine of bush fighting is to use the Maxims in the front, and to keep up volley firing on the flanks by the troops. The men then rush ahead and again clear the bush, and so on. This first division is under Colonel Hamilton, a most charming man, very quiet, and "all there," very energetic and cool, too; the climate does not seem to affect him much, although it has been very hot and very damp. The bush looks lovely; there are any amount of big trees about the place, and the green is of a rich colour, but it seems quite a mistake that there should be such a lot of hostile blacks about these quiet places. The village is, as usual, very straggling; still it gives us good shelter at night. We have been lucky so far; there has been no rain, and we all hope there will not be any before we get to Benin City. At Ologbo, Captain Campbell, of H.M.S. Theseus, in charge of second division, is making a camp, arranging everything, getting our supplies over from Ceri, boiling the drinking water, building a hospital, and making sanitary arrangements and all ready that may be necessary for a good camp.
References
1) Bacon, R. H. Benin City of Blood, 1897, pages 36 – 37
2) Bacon, R. Admiral Sir, Benin Expedition, A Naval Scrap-Book, First Part, 1877 – 1900: 197 – 207
3) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'
Early on the morning of the 12th February the advance began. Colonel Hamilton, with sixty-two N.C.P. men, twenty -nine of A Company 1st Division, with one Maxim, under Lieutenant Fyler, R.N., and another under Captain Burrows, N.C.P.F., were embarked in the Primrose and two surf-boats to make the first landing. One Maxim was in addition mounted on the Primrose to search the bush and cover the disembarkation.
Extract from A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION' By FELIX N. ROTH, M.R.C.S., and L.R.C.P.
Ologbo, February 12th.—We started from Ceri yesterday, at about six p.m., in the launch Primrose and in surf boats, with 250 black troops, two Maxims, one seven-pounder, and half a company of blue-jackets, with one Maxim and a rocket tube. As I got my orders about half an hour before we started, I was unprepared. Luckily, I always have my waterbottle filled at night, but I had no rations. As I passed the admiral's quarters I noticed a nice block of naval chocolate lying neatly in some paper outside his door. I stole that chocolate. We went up the Ologbo creek for about three miles, until we reached Ologbo. We shelled the village, and cleared it of the natives. As the launch and. surf boats grounded we jumped into the water, which reached to our waists, at once placed our Maxims and guns in position, firing so as to clear the bush where the natives might be hiding. We rushed on some hundred yards, again put our guns in position, and, in conjunction with volley firing, again cleared the bush. We expect the second division to come up to our support in about two hours' time, as we sent the launch and surf boats back to fetch them. While holding the place the natives crept up to us several times, howling at the top of their voices, and firing into us. They attacked us first in the front, and then on each flank. Luckily we kept them at bay with volley firing and our Maxims, and only Captain Koe, of the N.C.P. Force, was severely wounded in the wrist. But luckily several other officers and men were hit by spent bullets only. After that we had drinks, and enjoyed the Admiral's chocolate. Soon afterwards more men came up, and we took our troops into the bush and cleared the natives out as well as possible. This path to Benin City is only two or three feet broad, allowing sometimes two men to walk abreast, but as a rule the men are obliged to walk in single file. The natives showed some cuteness, for on one side of the road they had cut a track for some hundreds of yards, so as to be able to fire on us as we went up. Luckily for ourselves, we found this ambuscade at once, thanks to our scouts, and troops were sent up it. We went straight on for about three-quarters of a mile, with Maxims working in front and on the flanks; at the same time volley firing was kept up by the troops, so as to clear the bush on each side of us. We arrived at a small village, which we cleared with Maxims and rockets, and then rushed it, the natives clearing out right and left. We then put out pickets all round the place, and under their cover troops and carriers cut down the bush, so as to clear the place and allow us to see in case we were attacked by the natives. We camped here for the night, putting out double sentries everywhere. We shall remain here till we get up our supplies, consisting of ammunition, rations for officers and men, and particularly water, which has always to be boiled. The usual routine of bush fighting is to use the Maxims in the front, and to keep up volley firing on the flanks by the troops. The men then rush ahead and again clear the bush, and so on. This first division is under Colonel Hamilton, a most charming man, very quiet, and "all there," very energetic and cool, too; the climate does not seem to affect him much, although it has been very hot and very damp. The bush looks lovely; there are any amount of big trees about the place, and the green is of a rich colour, but it seems quite a mistake that there should be such a lot of hostile blacks about these quiet places. The village is, as usual, very straggling; still it gives us good shelter at night. We have been lucky so far; there has been no rain, and we all hope there will not be any before we get to Benin City. At Ologbo, Captain Campbell, of H.M.S. Theseus, in charge of second division, is making a camp, arranging everything, getting our supplies over from Ceri, boiling the drinking water, building a hospital, and making sanitary arrangements and all ready that may be necessary for a good camp.
References
1) Bacon, R. H. Benin City of Blood, 1897, pages 36 – 37
2) Bacon, R. Admiral Sir, Benin Expedition, A Naval Scrap-Book, First Part, 1877 – 1900: 197 – 207
3) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'