Foreign-Office, June 15, 1824,

The King has been pleased to appoint Arthur Marcus Cecil Hill, Esq. (commonly called Lord Marcus Hill) to be Secretary to His Majesty's Legation to the Court of Tuscany.

The King has also been pleased to appoint Charles Townshend Barnard, Esq. to be Secretary to His Majesty's Legation to the Court of Saxony.

FROM THE

LONDON GAZETTE of JUNE 19,
1824.

War-Office, 12th June 1824.
MEMORANDUM.

HIS Majesty has been pleased to approve of the 39th Foot bearing on its colours and appointments, in addition to any other badges or devices which may have heretofore been granted to that Regiment, the words

"Pyrennees,"
"Nivelle,"

"Nive," and

"Orthes,"

in commemoration of the distinguished conduct of that Corps in the Pyrennees, in the months of July and August 1813; at Nivelle, on 10th November 1813; in the passage of the Nive, in the month of December 1813; and at Orthes, on 27th February 1914.

FROM THE

LONDON GAZETTE of JUNË 22,
1824.

Downing-Street, June 16, 1824.

A LETTER, of which the following is a copy, has been this day received at Earl Bathurst's Office from Major Chisholm, addressed to R. Wilmot Horton, Esq. dated Cape Coast Castle, 23d February 1824:

SIR,

IT is with infinite sorrow I acquaint you, for the information of Earl Bathurst, that since I had the honour of addressing you on the 3d instant, on the subject of the engagement which took place near Assamacow, in the Western Wassaw country, on the 21st ultimo, between a division of His Majesty's troops and native allies, under the immediate command of Sir Charles M'Carthy, and an army of Ashantees, I have ascertained that His Excellency was severely wounded, taken prisoner, and immediately put to death by the barbarous enemy.

I am concerned to state that of eleven Officers of the regulars and militia, who belonged to His Excellency's division, two only have returned here. Mr. J. T. Williams, Secretary, and another gentleman are said to be prisoners, and it is understood that the other seven were killed, either in the action or after they were taken prisoners.

It was my intention to have reported in detail by the present conveyance, but the state of my health prevents my doing so.

Q 2

My

My medical attendant gives me reason to hope that I shall be sufficiently recovered in seven or eight days to write, and as I deem it of the utmost importance to put His Lordship in possession of a perfect knowledge of the state of affairs in this quarter, I purpose sending the Officer next in seniority to myself (Captain Laing, of the Royal African Colonial Corps) with my official dispatches.

The extensive knowledge of the African character possessed by this gentleman, his uninterrupted intercourse with our principal allies, since the com-· mencement of hostilities, together with his general experience, qualify him well to afford his Lordship any information which my letters may fail to convey.

The Ashantees, said to be fifteen thousand strong, have continued at Assamacow since the action of the 21st; but it is rumoured that they are making preparations for advancing on Monday next the 1st of March.

All the force I have been able to collect does not exceed six thousand muskets, and as I do not consider it prudent to hazard a general engagement, I. have determined on taking up positions on the bank of the River Boosom-pra, to dispute the passage of the enemy, and I am sanguine in my hopes that the measure will be attended with success.

The natives of an extensive village in the vicinity of Succondee, having fired on the boats of. one of His Majesty's ships, disarmed several of our soldiers who were wounded in the late action, and were endeavouring to effect their escape from the Ashantees; and having moreover destroyed Succondee, it was thought necessary by the senior naval Officer and myself to attack it, and a force of one thousand two hundred men was accordingly embarked on board the squadron, and the place.

was

was taken possession of on the 17th instant without any opposition, and immediately set on fire.

I have, &c.

(Signed) J. CHISHOLM, Admg, the Govt. and Major Comdg, the Troops.

R. Wilmot Horton, Esq. &c. &c. &c.

Downing-Street, June 17, 1824.

CAPTAIN LAING, of the Royal African Colonial Corps, arrived this morning at Earl Bathurst's Office, with a dispatch from Major Chisholm, addressed to R. Wilmot Horton, Esq. under date of Cape Coast Castle, the 16th of March 1824, of which the following is an extract:

I HAVE the honour to acquaint you for the information of Earl Bathurst, since I addressed you on the 23d ultimo, that the Ashantee army in the Western Wassaw country has remained stationary at Assamakow.

In transmitting a copy of a report of the particulars of the action of the 21st of January, made to›› me by Captain Ricketts, of the 2d West India Regiment, and Brigade-Major to the Forces, and Second in Command on that day, I deem it an act of justice to that Officer to state that the late Sir Charles M'Carthy entertained a very high opinion of his zeal and merits, and that he had it in contemplation to bring his services to the favourable notice of His Lordship and also, that for the period of two years Captain Ricketts served under me (at the time commanding the 2d West India Regiment) in the capacities of Adjutant and Captain, I have pleasure in stating that I had every reason to be satisfied with his conduct: my protracted illness having incapacitated me from at

tend

tending to the public duties, the charge in a great measure fell upon him as second in command, of which he acquitted himself entirely to my satisfaction.

As his report is confined to the operations of that division of the force under the immediate command of the late Sir Charles M'Carthy, I deem it necessary to say a few words upon the movements of the others, and also to state, as far as came to my knowledge, the plans and intentions of His Excellency.

The rapid approach of the enemy having been reported to Sir Charles McCarthy, by some of the allied Chiefs, about Christmas, preparations were immediately made for concentrating the regulars, the Cape Coast militia, and the unorganized part of the inhabitants of the town, together with some few of the neighbouring Chiefs at Djuquah, distant from Cape Coast about eighteen miles.

His Excellency proceeded there in person, leaving me for a few days at the Castle, to make some necessary arrangements previously to my departure.

A force of nearly two thousand men having been collected by the 4th of January, a movement to Ampensasoo (the head quarters of Annimelli, the King of Wassaw), on the left bank of the River Boosom-pra, was determined upon, and I was accordingly ordered to join by that day.

The impossibility of procuring provisions and shelter for the men on the route, rendered it necessary to advance in small parties, which circumstance, and the impossibility of procuring carriers for the ammunition and provisions, retarded for some days the departure of His Excellency from the camp. On the 8th of January, accounts were received of the entrance of the enemy into Western Wassaw, and that the allied forces were precipitately retreating before them; this information decided the