A Benin soldier is finally seen and shot died by British Expedition Force rear-guard.
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.
Awako Village, February 17th.—We left Obarate this morning with the Admiral and staff and Consul-General. Colonel Hamilton led the advance. Our scouts and black troops, under English officers belonging to the N.C.P. Force, with a Maxim or two, cleared the bush with volley firing at the head of the column, as usual. Admiral Rawson, Moor, and staff are in the middle of the column, which is about three miles long. The carriers, who number about a thousand, carrying principally water, ammunition and food, are well sprinkled with marines and bluejackets. The column consists roughly of 250 N.C.P. troops, 120 marines, 100 bluejackets, 30 scouts, 5 Maxims, 2 seven-pounders, 2 rocket-tubes, and about 6 medical men with stretchers, hammocks, and held cases. I was, as usual, at the head of the column, and continuously under fire. We left at 6-15 a.m. At 7 p.m. we came in contact with the enemy, a running fight being kept up till 10 a.m., when Agage village was taken. We had dislodged the enemy from two of their camps en route. We rested here one and a half hours, and made another start at 11-30 a.m. Again a running fight was kept up, on and off, till 3 p.m., the Maxims and volley firing clearing the bush, when we reached the village of Awako, which the enemy had deserted shortly before our arrival. En route we dislodged the natives from their camp, which they had formed near the road. It is hard to imagine what our nerves are like after firing away and being fired at for so many hours on a blazing hot day, and in dense bush, where the path is only broad enough for the men to walk in single file, and so dense that one cannot see more than a few yards on each side of one's self, and where we never get a glimpse of those who are potting at us. Anyhow we are all getting accustomed to it, and hope not to get potted, as we are so close to the city. We have cleared the bush around Awako, our usual routine, and camp here to-night. One man was shot to-day, and while making our camp to-night another was shot in the stomach and one in the face, but not seriously. We reckon we are about six miles from Benin City, and ought to take it to-morrow. The mind of the native is very obtuse so far as distances are concerned, and that is the distance we are told it to be, but, of course, it may be farther away than we expect.
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.
Awako Village, February 17th.—We left Obarate this morning with the Admiral and staff and Consul-General. Colonel Hamilton led the advance. Our scouts and black troops, under English officers belonging to the N.C.P. Force, with a Maxim or two, cleared the bush with volley firing at the head of the column, as usual. Admiral Rawson, Moor, and staff are in the middle of the column, which is about three miles long. The carriers, who number about a thousand, carrying principally water, ammunition and food, are well sprinkled with marines and bluejackets. The column consists roughly of 250 N.C.P. troops, 120 marines, 100 bluejackets, 30 scouts, 5 Maxims, 2 seven-pounders, 2 rocket-tubes, and about 6 medical men with stretchers, hammocks, and held cases. I was, as usual, at the head of the column, and continuously under fire. We left at 6-15 a.m. At 7 p.m. we came in contact with the enemy, a running fight being kept up till 10 a.m., when Agage village was taken. We had dislodged the enemy from two of their camps en route. We rested here one and a half hours, and made another start at 11-30 a.m. Again a running fight was kept up, on and off, till 3 p.m., the Maxims and volley firing clearing the bush, when we reached the village of Awako, which the enemy had deserted shortly before our arrival. En route we dislodged the natives from their camp, which they had formed near the road. It is hard to imagine what our nerves are like after firing away and being fired at for so many hours on a blazing hot day, and in dense bush, where the path is only broad enough for the men to walk in single file, and so dense that one cannot see more than a few yards on each side of one's self, and where we never get a glimpse of those who are potting at us. Anyhow we are all getting accustomed to it, and hope not to get potted, as we are so close to the city. We have cleared the bush around Awako, our usual routine, and camp here to-night. One man was shot to-day, and while making our camp to-night another was shot in the stomach and one in the face, but not seriously. We reckon we are about six miles from Benin City, and ought to take it to-morrow. The mind of the native is very obtuse so far as distances are concerned, and that is the distance we are told it to be, but, of course, it may be farther away than we expect.
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'