There is fierce combat between Benin and British Expedition Force.
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.
Obarate, February 16th.—We have to-day had a real lively and hot day, fighting our way through the bush. We left the camp at the Cross Roads at 11-15 a.m., as the first division entered it. After advancing for about two hours at the rate of one mile an hour, the enemy commenced firing at us along the whole line, which was in single file, and nearly a mile long. At two places the natives broke into us, but we soon cleared them off. At the head of the column, where I was, the firing was very heavy. Luckily no white man was hit, but I do not know what may happen later on, as we get nearer to Benin, where we are certain to meet with much greater opposition. One black soldier was shot in the head and killed, one native scout was shot right through the neck below the jaw, and one little carrier was shot in the cheek. These men were dressed and brought along with us, and ultimately sent back with an escort to the base. But I am digressing; time after time the natives came on us, but our Maxims and volley firing cleared the bush, and we advanced steadily till we came to a clearing. It was a native camp, which the natives had just left, and part of the advance guard, going on, occupied the village of Obarate. It was soon taken, hardly any firing being necessary, as the natives had cleared out, and the rest of the advance guard coming on, we encamped there for the night. We were all very tired and slept well, although we first cut down the bush, and put sentries all round the place. The natives have never been known to attack at night ; this holds good all the world over, still we always take precautions. We have been short of water, and are sending some hundreds of carriers out to get some, and if it comes back in time we shall proceed to take the next village on the road to Benin. We can only get about two quarts of water daily per white man, so there is no washing to be done, and we keep away from each other as far as possible, and as we have no change of clothes, or very little, and as the weather is very hot, one can imagine the beautiful state we are in. From the last camp to this village is only about four miles, but fighting and stoppages kept us on the road from 11-15 a.m. to nearly 4 p.m. The village we are in is rather pretty. There is an avenue of cocoanut palms about 40 feet apart, the road running between them; outside this again are the native huts, extending two and three deep, the avenue being about a third of a mile long. We have had no orders about starting yet. One of the officers went away with some troops to look for water, and just now we hear firing, so I suppose the natives have been coming on again. I shall be glad when I am well out of this. We all think it is a settled affair that we shall get medals and clasps. I had to stop just now at about I p.m., as the natives kept crawling up and potting at us. Colonel Hamilton ordering us to get under cover; I take advantage of it and write a few more notes. We have been busy all day; the Admiral and Consul are coming up from the Cross- Road Camp. I hear we are to start to-morrow, the 17th, with the advance column, part of the first division, and some of the staff, so it will be a long one, extending over several miles, the men being in single file. The intention is to do the next seven miles to Benin as quickly as possible in two days, but it is hard to say whether we shall succeed, as we do not know the position of Benin City, and all the information we can get is from a dumb man and from a slave boy, who has only been there once. I think we are in a fairly safe condition now. We have just heard that a number of dead natives were found near Ologbo, who were shot down by our volley firing and Maxims, when we landed there for the first time some days ago. This morning I was sent out with a hundred men and officers and two stretchers with the scouts to reconnoitre about a mile off. We got to a clearing and rested. Suddenly the natives started potting at us. We returned the fire, but one of our scouts was shot through the head and killed ten yards from the path. The Admiral is not in very good health. In chatting with him he informed me he was all right bodily, but that he could not sleep at night, as he had so much on his mind with respect to the expedition. Moor looks very fit, perhaps a bit anxious, but otherwise very cheery, and always chaffing me. O'Farrell went down with fever as soon as he arrived at Ologbo, so he was sent back to the base. I am up with the advance column and at its head, continually under fire, so shall not be astonished if I come back with a bullet or two inside me. Considering the bush we have to get through, we have been very lucky so far. We have lost no white men yet, as they did on the Sapoba and Gwatto routes. But there the naval men had no black troops with them, and rather exposed themselves to the native fire. We know this sort of work, and are much more careful. Up till now we have only lost two and about four wounded, and one white officer wounded in the wrist. This is considered good; in fact, it is not one per cent. We get no water for washing, and hardly any to drink; what an awful-looking lot we shall look in a day or two! I hear when we take Benin City the N.C.P. forces will hold the place, while the naval men will at once return to their ships, and if they get home at once will divide all the honours with the few Special Service officers who have been sent out here to help us, whilst we, poor devils, will be out here for another twelve months and get no kudos when we get home, although we are doing, and will be doing, all the heavy work ! But such is life! I must hurry up as it is getting dark now. No news or despatches will be sent off till we take Benin City. We are completely cut off from our base for the next two or three days, as the case may be. The Cross- Road Camp has been well fortified, and should we be badly attacked, that place will be our only hope. It is wonderful how thirsty all the men are here. There has been no rain; marching in the sun is dry work, and all the native wells we have passed are empty.
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
4) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'
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.
Obarate, February 16th.—We have to-day had a real lively and hot day, fighting our way through the bush. We left the camp at the Cross Roads at 11-15 a.m., as the first division entered it. After advancing for about two hours at the rate of one mile an hour, the enemy commenced firing at us along the whole line, which was in single file, and nearly a mile long. At two places the natives broke into us, but we soon cleared them off. At the head of the column, where I was, the firing was very heavy. Luckily no white man was hit, but I do not know what may happen later on, as we get nearer to Benin, where we are certain to meet with much greater opposition. One black soldier was shot in the head and killed, one native scout was shot right through the neck below the jaw, and one little carrier was shot in the cheek. These men were dressed and brought along with us, and ultimately sent back with an escort to the base. But I am digressing; time after time the natives came on us, but our Maxims and volley firing cleared the bush, and we advanced steadily till we came to a clearing. It was a native camp, which the natives had just left, and part of the advance guard, going on, occupied the village of Obarate. It was soon taken, hardly any firing being necessary, as the natives had cleared out, and the rest of the advance guard coming on, we encamped there for the night. We were all very tired and slept well, although we first cut down the bush, and put sentries all round the place. The natives have never been known to attack at night ; this holds good all the world over, still we always take precautions. We have been short of water, and are sending some hundreds of carriers out to get some, and if it comes back in time we shall proceed to take the next village on the road to Benin. We can only get about two quarts of water daily per white man, so there is no washing to be done, and we keep away from each other as far as possible, and as we have no change of clothes, or very little, and as the weather is very hot, one can imagine the beautiful state we are in. From the last camp to this village is only about four miles, but fighting and stoppages kept us on the road from 11-15 a.m. to nearly 4 p.m. The village we are in is rather pretty. There is an avenue of cocoanut palms about 40 feet apart, the road running between them; outside this again are the native huts, extending two and three deep, the avenue being about a third of a mile long. We have had no orders about starting yet. One of the officers went away with some troops to look for water, and just now we hear firing, so I suppose the natives have been coming on again. I shall be glad when I am well out of this. We all think it is a settled affair that we shall get medals and clasps. I had to stop just now at about I p.m., as the natives kept crawling up and potting at us. Colonel Hamilton ordering us to get under cover; I take advantage of it and write a few more notes. We have been busy all day; the Admiral and Consul are coming up from the Cross- Road Camp. I hear we are to start to-morrow, the 17th, with the advance column, part of the first division, and some of the staff, so it will be a long one, extending over several miles, the men being in single file. The intention is to do the next seven miles to Benin as quickly as possible in two days, but it is hard to say whether we shall succeed, as we do not know the position of Benin City, and all the information we can get is from a dumb man and from a slave boy, who has only been there once. I think we are in a fairly safe condition now. We have just heard that a number of dead natives were found near Ologbo, who were shot down by our volley firing and Maxims, when we landed there for the first time some days ago. This morning I was sent out with a hundred men and officers and two stretchers with the scouts to reconnoitre about a mile off. We got to a clearing and rested. Suddenly the natives started potting at us. We returned the fire, but one of our scouts was shot through the head and killed ten yards from the path. The Admiral is not in very good health. In chatting with him he informed me he was all right bodily, but that he could not sleep at night, as he had so much on his mind with respect to the expedition. Moor looks very fit, perhaps a bit anxious, but otherwise very cheery, and always chaffing me. O'Farrell went down with fever as soon as he arrived at Ologbo, so he was sent back to the base. I am up with the advance column and at its head, continually under fire, so shall not be astonished if I come back with a bullet or two inside me. Considering the bush we have to get through, we have been very lucky so far. We have lost no white men yet, as they did on the Sapoba and Gwatto routes. But there the naval men had no black troops with them, and rather exposed themselves to the native fire. We know this sort of work, and are much more careful. Up till now we have only lost two and about four wounded, and one white officer wounded in the wrist. This is considered good; in fact, it is not one per cent. We get no water for washing, and hardly any to drink; what an awful-looking lot we shall look in a day or two! I hear when we take Benin City the N.C.P. forces will hold the place, while the naval men will at once return to their ships, and if they get home at once will divide all the honours with the few Special Service officers who have been sent out here to help us, whilst we, poor devils, will be out here for another twelve months and get no kudos when we get home, although we are doing, and will be doing, all the heavy work ! But such is life! I must hurry up as it is getting dark now. No news or despatches will be sent off till we take Benin City. We are completely cut off from our base for the next two or three days, as the case may be. The Cross- Road Camp has been well fortified, and should we be badly attacked, that place will be our only hope. It is wonderful how thirsty all the men are here. There has been no rain; marching in the sun is dry work, and all the native wells we have passed are empty.
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
4) Roth, H. L. 1903 appendix 11 cited Roth N. F. A DIARY OF A SURGEON WITH THE BENIN PUNITIVE EXPEDITION'