Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The unique and highly important Ashanti C.M.G., Dawkita 1897 D.S.O. group of six awarded to Commander F. B. Henderson, Royal Navy: the extraordinary defence of Dawkita, over four days and nights, with 40-odd men pitched against an army of Sofas 7000 strong, stands out as one of the great epics of Empire, so too Henderson’s extraordinary bravery in giving himself up to the enemy to parley for the freedom of his men - he refused to kneel before the Samory and his elders, even having been shown the head of his most trusted Officer

The Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse of the upper suspension bar with brooch fitting; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 2 clasps, Dawkita 1897, 1897-98 [this last loose on riband] (Lieut., R.N.); Ashanti Star 1896; British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr., R.N.); Coronation 1911 enamel work slightly chipped in places, generally very fine and better (6) £20,000-25,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Richard Magor Collection of Medals Relating to India and Africa, and other Fine Awards.

View
Collection

C.M.G. London Gazette 26 June 1902.

D.S.O. London Gazette 8 March 1898: ‘In recognition of services in conducting operations against the Sofas in 1897.’

Francis Barkley Henderson was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire in 1859, fourth son of the Rev. J. H. Henderson and Anne, daughter of Rear-Admiral H. G. Morris, R.N. Educated at Britannia, he was appointed a Midshipman in October 1874 and, four years later, on promotion to Sub. Lieutenant, he joined H.M.S. Bacchante, sailing in her during her world cruise with the Dukes of York and Clarence as Midshipmen. And on passing for Lieutenant in June 1882, he was awarded the Goodenough Medal for the best examination in gunnery. But in July 1884, his promising career seemingly came to a halt, when he was invalided from the active list.

In the following year, however, he took up appointment as Private Secretary and A.D.C. to Sir W. E. Maxwell, K.C.M.G., Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, and accompanied him to Kumassi during the Ashanti Expedition of 1896, experience that no doubt assisted him in gaining appointment as a Travelling Commissioner in the Colony for the next six years. And it was during the course of this appointment that he commanded the small force allocated to the Defence of Dawkita in 1897.

Not enough, perhaps, has been written of this gallant little affair, but in Magor a full and entertaining account of proceedings may be found. As the author successfully illustrates, Henderson’s feat is wholly worthy of comparison to other 19th century epics, Rorke’s Drift among them. For reasons discussed at length by Magor, including aggressive behaviour towards Europeans and friendly tribesmen, Henderson raised the Union Flag at Dawkita in the full knowledge that his actions might be met with severe local opposition. Apart from anything else, the Sofas were said to be starving and his occupation of Dawkita effectively blocked their way to forage for food. He also took the trouble to warn the appropriate Chiefs that if they continued to molest his people, their actions would be considered as hostile ones.


This, of course, was like red rag to a bull, and within a short period of time, the Sofas were on the warpath to Henderson’s little three-compound settlement. Henderson takes up the story in his subsequent despatch:

‘The Sofa army appeared over the hill in front of the town, massed in a huge square, numbering, as far as we could estimate, about 7000 men. Their mounted men, of whom they had about 400, tried to pass to the rear of the town on our left, but were driven back by some Lobis, and then, passing along the river bank, occupied the water-hole distant about 350 yards from our front. The Bonas, who were to have held this, made no resistance. I felt very much the want of this water-hole, want of water being one of the chief causes of my having, eventually, to retire.

At 4.30 p.m. their riflemen (numbering over 1000) opened a heavy fire on us from the cover of the bush. They showed some skill in skirmishing and their fire was well directed, though high. I had been informed on good authority that they were very short of ammunition, but this want had evidently been supplied from some source, as they were able to keep up an almost un-intermittent fire through that night, the next day and the best part of the next night, and at intervals heavily for the rest of the four days. At night I only replied to their fire by an occasional volley, when they came to the edge of their cover.’

Such were the odds faced by the gallant defenders of Dawkita, a tiny force of arms comprising an African surveyor, Mr. George E. Ferguson, a native Police Officer and 41 Constables of the Gold Coast Constabulary, all of whom, under their gallant commander, found themselves pitched against the full might of several thousand Sofas, an army which they engaged and held off for four days and nights. Amazingly, given that they were outnumbered by 160-1, the defenders suffered just two men killed and eight wounded, while the Sofas are believed to have lost at least 400 warriors.

It had been at dusk on the fourth day of the defence that Henderson had decided to evacuate Dawkita and retire to Wa, where reinforcements were expected, and after marching through the night, he duly met up with Captain Cramer, who had 50 men, two guns and some rocket launchers. Henderson later reported in his despatch that he regretted having to leave the Government’s tent behind, which had been used as an awning in the defence and was ‘riddled with bullets’, but was pleased to report that the Union Flag, which ‘had been flying since my occupation of the place’, was saved. He also made light of what had clearly been a terrifying 40-mile dash for Wa.

Inevitably, however, this bid for freedom proved in vain, for the agitated Sofas hot-footed it to Wa, encircled Henderson’s barely increased force and recommenced hostilities. Painfully aware that their position was now hopeless, and in a desperate attempt to save his men, Henderson put his life on the line by suggesting he parley with the enemy Prince, whom he knew to be both ‘treacherous and cruel.’ Magor takes up the story:

‘I then laid this proposition before the other Officers, who at first opposed the plan on the grounds of the risk I should incur, Ferguson especially saying that I should be uselessly courting death in some unpleasant form. In the end they concurred and a letter was written to the Prince stating that we had not come here to fight his people and could not understand why he had followed me here ... ’

The next morning a Chief came to the British to enter into further discussion, and for reasons unknown, other than Henderson’s extreme gallantry, it was decided that he would indeed have to accompany the Chief back to his Prince for a face to face encounter of the terrifying kind. Given the near suicidal nature of this undertaking, it was decided that if Henderson was detained by the Prince, his men were to evacuate Wa as soon as possible. Magor continues:

‘Henderson found the Prince surrounded by all his Chiefs and young courtiers and behind them about 1000 riflemen. The palaver commenced and after the usual preliminaries Henderson said he had not come to fight the Sofas but to prevent the French from occupying the country. He confirmed that he wished to march to Daboya en route for Kumassi. Just as things seemed to be about to be agreed the Prince’s priest created trouble and he was told that all his men and stores had to come to the Sofa camp and he must write the requisite order, which Henderson refused to do. He however wrote to Cramer to tell him the result of the palaver and assumed that if the palaver failed and he was detained, the British force was to make its way that night to Daboya.

Henderson was then put under guard and his messenger returned with some food and Cramer’s suggestion that he should offer £1000 for his release; this Henderson would not do but offered the sum for free passage for all of the force, which was declined.

The Sofas threatened Henderson who, alone and powerless, must have had a particularly anxious time. He was told to wait while his fate was decided and after a wait of one and a half hours was brought before the Council, when he was told:

‘That they had examined my head (figuratively of course) and had seen that I was a good man and would therefore do me no harm but send me down to the Coast but I was a big man and must see the Alimany in Jimini first.’


The next day the Sofas moved to Wa where Henderson found the Headman of the Carriers, George Watson, bound.

In the afternoon Henderson was called to see a head just brought in, which was that of Mr. Ferguson.

‘I need say nothing of my feelings at this abrupt information of the death of a friend, whose loyalty, courage and intelligence I had so fully learned to appreciate.’

An eyewitness said that Ferguson, who had been wounded and was deserted by his hammockmen, was found in the morning by two Sofas at whom he pointed his empty revolver. They ran away and retur ing with others shot him and then cut off his head.

On 18 April the party left on horseback to visit Somary at Jimini and on the 26th reached the Komoe river and three days later arrived at Hara Monkoro, Samory’s seat of Government, where he met him and his elders and 3-4000 riflemen formed up in an oval. The spoil, guns, etc., captured at Wa was carried around in a kind of procession, followed by Henderson in his hammock. He refused to kneel before the Samory but shook his hand instead and then sat down on a chair beside him and a review of the troops took place.

He was then sent to comfortable quarters with an orderly to preserve him from intruders.

Several conversations were held with Samory in which he laid great stress on friendship with the English and did not consider that either were responsible for the conflict at Dawkita, saying “it came from God.”

After more talks Samory, who was intensely suspicious, decided to send Henderson to the coast. He left on 4 May with a letter for the Governor and he left accompanied by 16 of his people and a Sofa escort. Henderson by then was ill with dysentery and in a somewhat critical condition owing to a poor diet and lack of any medicines.

Eventually Henderson arrived at Kumassi and after four or five days he had recovered sufficient strength to be carried to the coast.’

In due course, too, he submitted his official despatch to the powers that be, and before long word was buzzing around the corridors of Whitehall about that gallant Lieutenant Henderson, R.N., the travelling commissioner who kept 7000 warriors at bay with less than 50 men. But his peculiar status of ex-Naval Officer come Colonial Office salesman caused some difficulty with the authorities delegated the task of rewarding his remarkable services. At one stage, it seems, he was up for both the C.M.G. and a D.S.O., but as Magor confirms, even higher awards were discussed:

‘ ... there was talk of recommending Henderson for the Victoria Cross and the Queen herself much hoped that Mr. Henderson’s gallant conduct would meet with some honorary recognition as ‘Her Majesty was much impressed with his story and has known him personally for a long time as a brother Officer of the Duke of York.’ ’

But in the end, and it seems likely as a result of indirectly upsetting some senior F.O. desk wallahs by entering into negotiations with the Sofas, Henderson received a solitary D.S.O. He also became the only white recipient of the East and West Africa Medal with ‘Dawkita 1897’ clasp, the creation of which caused yet further ruffled feathers along the corridors of power; only a roll for the 43 native recipients survives.

Following the Dawkita episode, Henderson remained employed in the Gold Coast Colony, and served as Acting Chief Commissioner of Ashanti from 1902, in which year he received his C.M.G., until 1904, when he was invalided home.

Recalled to the Royal Navy in October 1914, he was attached to the Naval Intelligence Department at the Admiralty, and afterwards lent to M.I. 5 at the War Office, where he served until being demobbed in July 1919.

The Commander, who retired to Little Blakenham, Suffolk, and whose recreations included shooting and lawn tennis, died there in March 1934. He was onetime a J.P. and also a member of the Royal Geographical Society.

Note: The above described East and West Africa Medal was originally sold in the Lovell Collection at Sotheby’s in 1977, and subsequently as part of the Upfill-Brown Collection in these Rooms in December 1991. It has since been united with the recipient’s other Honours and Awards which appeared at auction at Glendining’s, although on that occasion they were accompanied by a renamed, engraved East and West Africa, with copy ‘Dawkita 1897’ clasp.

The addition of the ‘1897-98’ clasp by the vendor is based on the fact that the original roll reveals Henderson signing for it in his capacity as Acting Chief Commissioner! Interestingly, for the record, his original set of dress miniatures includes this clasp; see the relevant article by C.B. and R.A. Hill, M.B.E., in the O.M.R.S. Journal.