All high-ranking officials' houses have been ransacked, looted and burnt down by British Expedition Force.
Captain Boisragon writes:
Nearly all the boxes and stores of our unfortunate expedition were found almost intact in the King's Palace, but unluckily were all burned by a fire which broke out on the 21st February and burned most of the town. In this fire the house used for a hospital was burned, but, thanks to the promptitude of Captain Campbell, R.N., all the wounded and sick were got out safely.
Many of the officers of the expedition lost all their kits in this fire.
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) Boisragon, A. The Benin Massacre, 1897, pages 183 - 184
4) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'
Captain Boisragon writes:
Nearly all the boxes and stores of our unfortunate expedition were found almost intact in the King's Palace, but unluckily were all burned by a fire which broke out on the 21st February and burned most of the town. In this fire the house used for a hospital was burned, but, thanks to the promptitude of Captain Campbell, R.N., all the wounded and sick were got out safely.
Many of the officers of the expedition lost all their kits in this fire.
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) Boisragon, A. The Benin Massacre, 1897, pages 183 - 184
4) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'