e, protecting the 42d
from any of those flanking movements of which the Ashantis are so fond.
The company of the 23d was to proceed with the headquarter staff. The
Rifle Brigade were held in reserve.

Early in the morning Major Home cut the road to within thirty yards of
the village of Agamassie, and ascertained by listening to the voices
that there were not more than a score or so of men in the village.
Gifford had made a circuit in the woods, and had ascertained that the
Ashanti army was encamped on rising ground across a stream behind the
village.

Frank had been requested by Sir Garnet Wolseley to accompany the 42d, as
his knowledge of Ashanti tactics might be of value, and he might be able
by the shouts of the Ashantis to understand the orders issued to them.
The head of the 42d Regiment experienced no opposition whatever until
they issued from the bush into the little clearing surrounding the
village, which consisted only of four or five houses. The Ashantis
discharged their muskets hastily as the first white men showed
themselves, but the fire of the leading files of the column quickly
cleared them away. The 42d pushed on through the village, and then
forming in skirmishing line, advanced. For the first two or three
hundred yards they encountered no serious opposition, and they were
then received by a tremendous fire from an unseen foe in front. The left
column had not gone a hundred yards before they too came under fire.
Captain Buckle of the Engineers, who was with the Engineer laborers
occupied in cutting the path ahead of the advancing column, was shot
through the heart. A similar opposition was experienced by the right.

The roar of the fire was tremendous, so heavy indeed that all sound of
individual reports was lost, and the noise was one hoarse hissing roar.
Even the crack of Rait's guns was lost in the general uproar, but the
occasional rush of a rocket, of which two troughs with parties of Rait's
men accompanied each wing, was distinctly audible.

The 42d could for a time make scarcely any way, and the flanking columns
were also brought to a stand. Owing to the extreme thickness of the
wood and their ignorance of the nature of the ground these columns were
unable to keep in their proper position, and diverged considerably. The
Ashantis, however, made no effort to penetrate between them and the
42d. For an hour this state of things continued. The company of the
23d advanced along the main road to hel