Chapter XVIII: Conclusion

The reader may not be unwilling to hear something of the catastrophe which included the negro Epos of the preceding pages. The following details are, I think, reliable: they are borrowed from the local prints, whose information has been corrected by subsequent inquiry.

Rumours of the intended Dahoman attack had long been rife at Abeokuta.[274] This year, the useless ditches were cleaned out, the wretched walls were raised and repaired, and to avoid the necessity of guarding a long line on the opposite bank of the Ogun river, a new parapet was thrown up on the near side. Stores of shot and powder were plentifully laid in, although for many months Lagos had refused to supply ammunition; the farmers were ordered to remove all their produce from the line of Dahoman march, and all the villages between Abeokuta and “the Lagoon” were deserted. The Ibashorun,[275] or Commander-in- Chief, took up his residence near the walls; scouts, sent out in all directions, brought in, on March 13, a Dahoman deserter, and on the 20th the public crier was sent round to warn all the inhabitants of the impending danger.

As has been said, on February 22[276] the Dahoman army left Agbome. Their stations were—1, Chotonun, where they halted four days; 2, Kurugba; 3, Aisunun; 4, Wonun; 5, Zirigbonun; 6, Aisocho-gon; and 7, Isume. Between the two latter they crossed the Opara River, the boundary between Dahome and Abeokuta. Ensued, 8, Refurefu, where they crossed the Iyewa streamlet, in the land of Okeadon: as it was deep, though narrow, they either repaired or made a bridge over it. The 9th station was Besho, the 10th Jiga, a little district belonging to the chief Akodu, where they stayed four or five days. Thence (11) they encamped near the Owiwi River, about twelve miles distant from their destination, and running between Igbara and Ishagga, scenes of their former triumphs. From the Owiwi River they marched (12) to Aro, by moonlight, intending, like wild beasts, to spring upon the enemy unawares, but they were seen by some people bathing in the Ogun river.

Thus the Dahoman army expended twenty-two days—twelve of work, marching from 6 A.M. to 2 P.M., and ten of rest—upon the hundred and twenty direct miles between the two capitals. They suffered severely from want of food, living on hard beans, parched rice, onions, and roasted palm- nuts. Many of them ate nothing but a little cassava for twenty-four hours before the attack. They marched in four battalions, under the Min- gan, the Meu, the new Ajyaho, and the Po-su,[277] and each caboceer had his umbrella, his flag, and his stool. Their forces were generally estimated at 10,000 to 12,000, including carriers, and the maximum named is 16,000, which we may readily reduce to half. They were accompanied by three brass six-pounders, one of Spanish manufacture, bearing date “Mexico, 1815.[278]” There are conflicting reports concerning the King: some declare that he was not with the army, which was led by his brothers; others say that he did not cross the Ogun River; others that he approached the city wall, having left a force behind him at Igbara, lest the Ibashorun should fall upon his rear.

After their twelve miles’ march on the Monday night, the Dahomans refreshed themselves in the Ogun River. A fighting draught of rum and gunpowder was then served out to them, and many are said to have betrayed its effects. The morning of Tuesday, March 15, 1863, was dull and foggy, and at 6.30 A.M. the attacking party crossed the river, under cover of the mist. They were presently perceived. The Abeokutan cannon at the Aro gate fired repeated signals. In a few minutes the Egbas, who had been all night at the walls, were swarming by thousands at their defences. Inside the town, men hustled in all directions to the fight: the missionaries had some trouble in retaining a single servant for the purpose of serving out ammunition to their friends. The Egbas lined the wall from Agbameya to Aro, and only four townships—Ijeun, Ikemta, Itoku, and Oba—numbering one division, prepared to engage, the other two _corps d’armées_ remaining at their posts, as it was reported that the enemy would make three independent attacks. The men amused themselves with throwing up their muskets and catching them, whilst the women sang and danced. The latter behaved well throughout a trying time, carrying, spirits, water, and food to the fighters, and some, arming themselves with swords, kept near the walls in case they were wanted.

Not much encouraged by this reception, the Dahomans still advanced steadily, and in a dense body, over the hollow and broken ground, towards the gate where Gezo had met his defeat.[279] The Egbas had tunnelled their walls in many places, enabling them to sally out and to retire when convenient. A body of 400 braves leapt forth to engage the enemy upon the plain, but as they came on without returning their fire, they withdrew, true to their tactics, through their excavations. At this moment, an Abeokutan cannon was fired and dismounted from its carriage, so as to incapacitate it from further use. The effect however, was to make the attacking party swerve to the right, where the wall was higher, and which therefore was supposed to have no defenders.

When within two hundred yards of the wall, the Dahomans displayed their banners,[280] and deployed in three bodies—one opposite the Aro gate, and the other two to its left: as was proved by the casualties, the centre was the best led. The line, about 700 yards long, then advanced within 300 to 400 feet of the defences, and a column, supposed to number 3000, arrived within half that distance. No breach was ever attempted. Did they expect to see the defences fall like the walls of Jericho?

The battle began at 7 A.M. with such a fusillade as Abeokuta has seldom heard. A tall stout warrior, dressed in blue, probably the Gau, or Commander-in-Chief, gave the signal to attack. The Dahomans obeyed by the usual impetuous rush, but as they approached the wall, their enemy poured a heavy volley into their serried ranks, and checked the general progress. For half-an-hour the firing was kept up in such quick succession, that it was impossible to distinguish the Dahoman from the Egban musket reports. Under cover of the smoke, many of the attacking party lodged themselves in the moat, hoping to surprise the wall, whilst the defenders, principally men of Ijeun, were prevented by the hot fire outside from taking aim at them. Some of the most desperate, especially the Amazons, threw large stones at the enemy, and snatched away six muskets that were pointed at them; others furiously scaled the wall, and were dragged over and slain by the Egbas. Some crept through the tunnels, and were instantly decapitated. One woman, who had lost an arm in the escalade, shot an Egba with the other hand, and fell back sabred into the trench. Three other Amazons, who had planted their banners on the defences, were cut down, and their heads and hands were exhibited on poles, with shouts of victory. This fighting at pistol distance lasted for an hour, during which seventy to eighty Dahomans fell in the trench; and of the Egbas ten to fifteen were killed and forty wounded. It ended, in fact, the attack.

At 8.30 A.M. the Dahomans, whose officers deserved to be hung, retired about two hundred yards from the walls. Some sat down, and the others kept up a hopeless fire. The Egbas were ordered to keep their places, lest the rush and the retreat might be a feint. Many of the young men, however, could not be restrained from an attack in the open, when the Dahomans again aroused themselves. The Egbas retired, and only small parties were sent out. Gradually, the Dahomans fell back upon the valley of the Ogun. Arrived at Aro, they kept up a sharp fire for some time, repulsing the assailants, and capturing three Egbas, who were, however, soon recovered. As no proper arrangements were made for the attack, so no measures had been taken to secure retreat.

About 10 A.M. a large reinforcement from the Agbameya Gate, after a circuit of three hours, fell upon the Dahoman rear, when, after two vain attempts to stand, all “skedaddled” in earnest. Another party from the Ikija Gate also opened fire upon the enemy, after he had crossed the river, and the Egba divisions at the Ishagga and Ibaka entrances marched out to intercept the retreat, which, from the heavy fighting in the Ogun valley, had now become a flight. Finally, the Egbas rushed _en masse_, shouting victory, outflanking the foe right and left, and causing a general “_sauve qui peut_.”

One division, in which it is supposed was the doughty King, went off unopposed, having the start of the enemy. The other two were mixed, and in confusion—many flying off the roads into the fields. When too hotly pressed by the Egbas, they would turn and fire. Some refused to surrender, and were killed; others dropped on the way, and were captured; and others, fatigued by the march and the flight, were left behind in the pursuit, to be recovered on the next day.

The rout was now complete. The want of water-all the streams being dried up—and the mid-day sun told heavily upon the fugitives, who were faint with famine, and footsore by running on the path sides. They no longer kept together in large bodies. At Igbara they were attacked in flank by another party of Egbas, who had taken a short cut across the river. Here they lost many of their carriers, several hundreds of muskets—some quite new—and a brass gun, which had burst at the muzzle. At 3 P.M. the Ibashorun set out in person, and did not return from the pursuit till the next day at noon.

The Dahomans made another faint stand at their deserted encampment, but they were compelled to fly, losing a second brass field-piece, whose vent wanted bushing, the royal wives, daughters, horse, sandals with crosses of yellow metal, clothes, loads of coral and velvet, and sundry carriages: here, too, were picked up decapitating razors, and the stores of the King’s household and of his guards. Beyond Ishagga, which they reached at 2 P.M., there was another severe encounter, but the Dahomans had the worst of it. They made a stand at the Owiwi River, vainly thinking to find water, and suffered severely. At Jiga they again met the Egbas before nightfall, and their pursuit continued till the fugitives, many of whom had marched thirty-five miles that day, reached the Iyewa River. Here the Okeadon people had broken down the bridge. A party, led by a son of the late chief, Anaba, killed 400 or 500 of their survivors, who were so exhausted that they could not be brought back.

The King’s loss has been variously estimated. The Egbas reckoned “two heads, twenty strings, and twenty cowries,” equal to 6821 men. The “Iwe Irohin” more moderately declares—“From Abeokuta to Ishagga, a distance of about fifteen miles, above 1000 were counted, whilst beyond that place it is said that the number of dead was still greater. The prisoners cannot be fewer than 1000 or 1200—some say above 2000.” In the trench where the first attack was made, seventy to eighty bodies were found in two places, and of those fifty were lost by the central division. About fifty-five fell on the plain before the walls, and four women within the defences: some say that the latter were brought in captive, and killed. The Egbas cut all the bodies nearly to pieces—every one, even the women, passing a Dahoman corpse, cursed, slashed, or stoned it. The greatest destruction took place, of course, during the rout. It was impossible to number the prisoners who were brought in by various entrances at all times of the day and night, and many conveyed to distant villages. Up to 2 P.M. of the battle-day, Tuesday, more than 200 were marched through the Aro Gate: after that hour they were brought in much faster than before, and on the next day at an increased rate. Many surrendered themselves, begging food; others, picked up in the bush utterly exhausted, were sent in by the people of Jiga and Iketu, Otta and Okeadon. Some of the prisoners, especially the captains, were put to death on account of their violence. It was remarked that the greatest part of the killed and wounded were men, and that of four captives only one was born in Dahome. The total loss of the Egbas was about 40 killed and 100 wounded.

A comparison between Gezo’s and Gelele’s attacks on Abeokuta gives the measure of Dahoman decadence. In 1851, the King assaulted on both banks of the Ogun, and the distance between the two points of the attack was at least a mile. He fought from morning till night, and was driven back but one mile to Aro, where he put to death fifty Egbas, who had been picked up whilst farming. He fought again at Ishagga, preventing further pursuit, and lost a total of 1200 soldiers. In 1864, Gelele attacks only on one side of the river, which he crossed at Aro: he takes to flight, in two hours, after losing 150 men. The place of the dead upon the field of battle can be traversed in two or three minutes; the rout ends in a “_sauve qui peut_,” to the Iyewa River; and finally he hardly kills any of the enemy. Not more than one of ten Egbas fired a shot, and all were surprised to see the Dahoman army so small, and fighting so badly: they had harder work even at Ijaye.

According to the latest accounts, the incorrigible King at once bought a number of slaves, and returned to his capital a conqueror. After three weeks at Agbome, he despatched sundry of his brothers to drive and kidnap the country north of Porto Novo. About mid-February there was a report of his death. On May 6, 1864, he was living; but he was so reduced in strength that he avoided all publicity.

Thus, in utter disgrace, ended the long-expected attack of the “Royal Savage” upon Abeokuta. Many years must elapse before Dahome can recover from the blow, and before that time I hope to see her level with the ground.

[Footnote 274: When I visited Abeokuta in 1861, the chiefs, as well as the people, showed great fear of Dahome.]

[Footnote 275: Meaning, literally, a king who manages Heaven; not, as a correspondent of the _Times_ has asserted, “A king in Heaven, opening out everything.”]

[Footnote 276: The local papers say 24th of February, which is a mistake.]

[Footnote 277: The papers give the 4th battalion to the “Topo”; but the Tokpo (chapter xiv.) is a common captain, and not of the blood-royal.]

[Footnote 278: Others say, “Seville, 1805.” They were mounted on Dahoman carriages, and having been spiked, the touch-holes were greatly enlarged.]

[Footnote 279: I have described this Negro Marathon in “A Flying Visit to Abeokuta,” chapter iii.]

[Footnote 280: The “Iwe Irohin,” of Abeokuta (April, 1864), says that the banners had “various distinguishing marks, as letters of the alphabet; especially J. O. N. and P. were seen.”]

APPENDICES.