Part 2 — Chapter 19

Chapter XIX. SEQUELS OF THE IJAYE WAR § I. The Awaye War The Ibadans being determined to punish Away^ for supplying Ijaye with provisions during the siege, now sent the Asipa and subordinate chiefs at the head of the army against it, leaving only the Balogun and the Otun in the Ijaye camp ; and so Away6 was besieged. Away^ was a small but beautiful town situated on a plateau, the scenery from which is very picturesque, the Ado mount rising in lofty magnificence a few miles off, and the open country for miles around interspersed with the locust and the lya trees. The inhabitants were a very peaceful and agricultural people, and were faithful and loyal to Ijaye to the very last. In fact, Ijaye was the only town of importance to which they could sell their agricultural produce. The men of that town had no guns, but they were very expert in the use of their bow and poisoned arrows, and for full seven months they obstinately defended the town. It was at last reduced by famine, being closely invested on every side, so that they could not get to their farms ; but the able-bodied men cut their way through the Ibadans and made good their escape. In fact the Ibadans hastily made way for these desperate men, when they saw them making a furious charge and were singing the well- known song of desperadoes escaping life in hand:— " Oyin su, Oyin Ig o Oyin a sii, Oyin a pgn roro." (Bees in a swarm, bees swarming away, Bees will swarm, the swarm, o how red.) Thus these brave defenders deserted the town when famine and the sword rendered it no longer tenable. The remnant of the Away6 people are now encamped at the foot of the Ado mount. The Ibadan army returned from this expedition in the month of October, 1862. The latter rains were then incessant and the rivers much swollen ; the Ogun river in particular swept many away, both horses and men. 35S § 2. The Iperu War During the siege of Awayd, the Egbas and the Ijaye refugees at Abeokuta went also to take revenge on the Remo towns that were friendly to the Ibadans during the siege of Ijaye. On the 19th of June, 1862, the Egbas destroyed Makun, and advanced against Ode, Ogere, aiming specially at Ipara whose Balogun Rehire was a particularly active ally of Ibadan. The Rem OS therefore sent to Ibadan for help and Ogunmola went straight from the Ijaye camp to Remo, theBalogun himself although in ill health rejoining him soon after, until the army at Awayd could join them. Ogunmola in the meantime found his way to Ikorodu for a supply of ammunition. Iperu easily surrendered to the Egbas and there the triple forces of the Egbas, Ijayes and Ijebus were concentrated to repel the Ibadans and overrun Remo. The Ibadans retook several towns as Ipara, Ogere etc., sweeping all before them until they came up with their old antagonists again, re-inforced by the Ijebus at Iperu. At home, the Ibadans at first made light of the combination, hence they sang in their'dances :— " Ijebu ko pe okowo, Nitori eru I'a se nlo." (The Ijebus are not worth a sou [lit. 20 cowries] Only for booty are we going). But the chiefs knew the difficulties that confronted them, especially as the foe blocked the route of their supply of ammuni- tion. Moreover Ajiya Abaygmi pointed out that Remo being a non-agricultural country, could not supply an army with food : they must therefore be provisioned from home and would thus be far from their base ; besides Ijebu is proverbially destitute of water ; he therefore, suggested that they should attack them from Ijebu Igbo, which is not far from the Ibadan farms S.E. as opposition from that point would be almost m7, and in that way they would withdraw the coaUtion against their friends the Remos, and with their own farms as base, they would have a safe and easy task. The other chiefs saw with him, but, said they, their aim was not to destroy the Ijebus but to protect their friends ; and it would be most ungracious to leave the Remos who had been so loyal to them in their hour of danger,. Thus the encounter was again renewed between the old anta- gonists in a different battlefield. The Ibadans were again sweeping all before them, and Iperu was just nearly taken and the con- federates crushed when Providence decreed the arrest of their progress. The tide turned dead against them ; a combination of causes created insurmountable difficulties. 1. The Egbas now introduced superior weapons. They were armed with breach-loading guns and rifles. 2. One Mr. Pettiford an American sharp-shooter was engaged to pick down the chiefs, thus Odunjo the Seriki, Madarikan the Asaju, Chief Adepo, and others fell. Ogunmola himself was nearly hit, his hat being knocked off his head. 3. The Ibadans having hemmed them up at Iperu were conse- quently near enough to be within the range of the rifles, and so from within the town walls and surrounding thickets they were constantly harassed in their camps. 4. The Balogun's illness grew worse, he could not leave his bed and several of the leading chiefs were killed. 5. The distance of their base, the difficulty of food supply and the scarcity of water told against them. The whole camp had to depend upon one single well which they dug when water could not be obtained otherwise ; a very deep well it was and the only one. 6. No scope to deploy their troops for manoeuvring against superior numbers and superior weapons ; and worst of all they ran short of powder for the old Dane guns they were using, so that instead of taking the offensive they were now on the defensive in their camps; the Egbas could come out and cut down the corn they had planted and offer battle. The direction of the war devolved upon Ogunmola alone in the absence of the sickBalogun, the Osi killed at Ijaye, the Seriki, Asaju and others shot down at Iperu. Matters came to such a pass one day, when Ogunmola was hard pressed that he sent to call the Balogun from his sick bed " to die if needs be like a soldier in the field." Once more the " lion of the master of camps " aroused himself and appeared on the scene of action for the last time. He was literally helped and held on horse back, one desperate effort was made, and the Egbas were pushed a Httle way back. But the Balogun could not continue long, he left some of his men with Ogunmola, to hold the ground they had regained and he was borne back to his tent. His legs had become so cedematous when he was hfted off his horse, that his riding boots had to be ripped open with a knife in order to release his legs ! Thus the war dragged wearily on, Iperu could not be taken by assault or other- wise, nor could the Ibadans be dislodged from their entrenchments. Towards the latter part of 1864 the Alafin intervened, as his father did in the late Bat§do war. His Majesty sent the high priest of Sango with the emblems of the deity, and a eunuch to represent himself, to the belligerents. They came first to the Ibadan camp, and then passed on to Iperu to the Egbas, Ijayes and Ijebus ; in each place, homage was paid to the god and fealty to the representative of the monarch. The " God Sango had enjoined a cessation of arms and the return of each one to his home." Peace was then declared between the belligerents. Congratulatory messages were sent home by friends and relatives in opposite camps, mutual visitings took place and all went well for three or four days. But the Ibadan principal chiefs had no great confidence in Egba good faith, having the perfidy of i860 before their eyes ; they, therefore, took certain precautions. First, they ordered all the sick and wounded home (except the Balogun), together with the women and children by slow marches. Secondly, the bones of the fallen chiefs were exhumed and sent home for re-interment. They were apprehensive of treachery from the Egbas immediately they turned their backs, but to prevent a panic they did not disclose their fears or suspicion, but Ogunmgla knowing himself to be the most invidious of the lot and a special object of hate hastened away in the night and before daybreak had reached Ipara. In his hurry his slaves on occasion made way for him with the sword, and seeing his only daughter Omosa in the company of women who had been sent on the day before, he lifted her on to his saddle and never halted until he reached Fawe in the Ibadan farms, there to await his comrades. But the majority of the women lingered by the way, others in the camp, seeing no reason why they should be in a hurry as all was peace. The Balogun who was dropsical and could not ride was borne on a htter. Now when the day arrived for the breaking up of the camp, and the Ibadans already on the move, the Egba nature asserted itself by justifying the worst apprehensions entertained of it. They had crowded the Ibadan camp in friendly intercourse, and exchanged greetings, but the prey was now eluding their grasp ; they pounced upon the unsuspicious and began to make prisoners and pressed forward in pursuit. Some of the chiefs who did not suspect treachery were caught. The venerable Sumala the Otun Bale who would have been made the Bale of Ibadan on their return home was caught and killed. Chief Abayomi was one of the unsuspicious, the Egbas had begun to make prisoners before he was aware of what was going on. Mounting his horse when it was tethered he forgot to unloose it till one of his slaves severed the cord with his sword. He had to fight his way out and escaped. Soderinde, although a native of Iperu but a resident at Ibadan, and a distinguished cavalry officer was then at home among his relatives enjoying himself ; he was there arrested and had to ransom himself by the payment of a heavy fine, and had to remain there at home for the time. At the stream Afidiwo the Egba pursuers overtook theBalogun and his guards ; these stood fighting whilst those who bore him were hastening on. But the Egbas were pressing closely endeavouring to take the Balogun alive. When they reached the river Omi the Balogun ordered his carriers to put him down and that the Egbas be driven back from that place Akere the Asipa was the only war-chief who waited to protect the Balogun besides his own men and bodyguards. Here, when they had rallied and arranged themselves in order of battle, they made a furious charge on the Egba pursuers and drove them clean away with a heavy loss. These soon finding it unprofitable to pursue armed men when hapless women and children were to be got, quickly gave up the pursuit. All, as many as escaped, assembled at Fawe from which place they returned home one by one, mostly at night on account of the disastrous ending of the expedition. More women were lost than men. Kehere the Balogun of Ipara wisely came to Ibadan until peace had been completely restored. For weeks and months, people were coming home by degrees, as numbers had escaped into the bush and lost their way; some strayed to Ijebu farms and were captured, some found their way back to the road or to Ibadans farms and returned home, whilst some perished in the forests. A small force of armed men was ordered to proceed as far as the river Omi with the hopes of rescuing them, following the directions in which those who had escaped located large bodies of them. A few were rescued by them, for guns fired to attract their notice unfortunately had the effect of driving them farther into the forests, as reported by the few which escaped. The view taken of this disaster by the Ibadans was expressed thus in the song and dances of the day:— " Sango I'o laja ti o d'obirin nu, Ogun ko le wa." ("Twas Sango's mediation that lost us our wives, We've suffered no defeat.)^ ^It is only fair to mention that the Egbas atoned for this action in a very diplomatic way as we shall find in §5 following. The experience gained from this circumstance was the reason for the caution displayed many years afterwards when peace was being arranged between the Ibadans and Ekitis at Kiriji by various parties. The Ibadans refused to decamp in the face of their foes without a guarantee against a pursuit until the British Govern- ment intervened in 1886 and arranged for a simultaneous decamp- ment. § 3. The Ikorodu War The Egbas instead of returning home after this, led the conjoint army against Ikorodu. Ikorodu is a town situated on the Lagoon about 3 hours' steam from Lagos. Whether because as a Remo town she took no part in the late war, or because she was secretly in alHance with Ibadan is not certain. They were here for several months and some good fighting was done on both sides. But Ikorodu was hopelessly outnumbered. When she was nearly taken, the chiefs applied for the protection of the British Govern- ment at Lagos. The Lagos traders and merchants also suffering from the closing of the markets approved of the interference of the Governor. His Excellency John Hawley Glover, then governor of Lagos, therefore sent to the Egbas to raise the siege, as Ikorodu was a peaceful town on the Lagoon with a regular trade with Lagos, which was thus beingindirectly injured. On their refusing to do so, he sent them an ultimatum which was also disregarded. On the 29th March, 1865, the Governor sent about 100 men of the West Indian regiment then quartered at Lagos with a few shells and rockets. Within an hour of the engagement the Egbas had taken to their heels, large numbers perished in the flight. It was ascertained afterwards that those who fell from bullets were very few indeed but the majority died from fright and thirst induced by exhaustion in the flight ; for as the rockets flew overhead with hideous noise and streaming fiery tails, a thing unseen before, they were panic- stricken. As soon as the report reached Iperu of the flight of the Egbas from Ikorodu, Soderinde in order to retrieve his losses and to avenge himself on the Egbas, collected^ his men and as many Ibadan boys, as he could collect who had come down for trade, and they fell upon those of the Egbas who had escaped from Ikorodu and were recovering their breath. He made many captives, and returning he stayed no longer at Iperu but passed on straight to Ibadan where he domiciled until his death in 1880 full of days and honour having attained to the rank of Balogun in the cavalry. Thus Ikorodu was saved. § 4. The Second Dahomian Invasion of Abeokuta During the Iperu war, the Dahomians taking advantage of the absence of the Egba war-chiefs made a second attack on Abeokuta on the 15th of March, 1864. It was alleged by some that this was at the instigation of the Ibadans in order that the Egbas might withdraw from Iperu, and also that men were sent to teach them how to encamp and lay siege. How far this is true is not known, but it is certain that the Dahomians required no instigation for raiding Abeokuta nor did they at any time lay siege against her. The Egbas had profited by the experience of 1851, the town wall was well repaired, and the trenches dug deep, two or three field guns were mounted on the ramparts and sentinels placed to prevent a surprise. The Christian community, now a numerous body, formed a corps by themselves under John Okenla their Balogun, encamping apart during intervening Sundays, and having their religious services in the field. False alarms of the approach of the enemy and the usual cry of the women " Ele le m'ele " were constant. The Christians gave the people a sign that when they heard the booming of the cannon, then they were to be sure of the approach of the enemy. Early in the morning of the 15th of March, the booming of cannon in rapid succession, and the rattling of musketry told the town that the enemy was in sight ; the women resumed their cry, and the men hastened to man the walls. About 7 a.m. the noise of fire-arms was quite deafening and for the space of half-an-hour without intermission, all on the side of the Egbas who wer€ well within the walls having learnt by experi- ence never to attempt to meet them in the open field to arrest their progress. The Dahomians without returning the fire, or breaking their ranks marched steadily onwards, the Amazons this time bringing up the rear. On they marched stolidly till they began to scale the walls. Cannon and muskets were now of little use, it was a matter of hand-to-hand fighting. The Egbas well within the walls kept lopping off the hands of the Amazons as they attempted to scale the walls, and in that way hundreds of their advanced comrades were left in the trenches. When they were repulsed, they fell back and took to their guns. The Egbas kept up a steady fire from the holes made in the walls. Finding it useless to renew their efforts of taking the town by assault, the Dahomian army retreated but in good order. The Egbas now came out, hovering in their rear until they saw them pass Ibara to Isaga. Many captives were made, of whom were Amazons so ferocious, that although chained, many found means of killing their captors, and were of course killed in turn. A male soldier penetrated as far as Igbein, being caught near the C.M.S. station there by the son of an old Ogboni man. He was put in stocks, but great care was bestowed upon him to soften his ferocity. He refused to eat, and was resolved to die. He was heard muttering something in his language, not understood by those around, his intention therefore was not known. But he managed to obtain and conceal a large bit of stone near him, and watching for an opportunity, he dealt a heavy blow with it on the face of the old Ogboni man, who, thereupon fell down and fainted away. The women-folk in the house set up a yell, and as the fellow could not possibly escape he was shot dead on the spot. The subsequent Dahomian invasions never came up to the walls of Abeokuta, but almost every year their expedition would come as far as Ibara, 10 miles from the town, the inhabitants deserting the place for Abeokuta, and sometimes they would encamp on the Ata hills 5 or 6 miles distant, remaining for a couple of months, devastating the farms all around. The Egbas would remain day and night keeping watch by the walls till the beginning of May when the rainy season had fairly set in, and the rivers began to rise. The Ogun river at this time became a wall of protection for them, as the Dahomians could not ford it nor bridge it, and they had no canoes. The Yewa river also flowing between the Yoruba and Idahomian territories had to be forded. The Dahomians therefore invariably raised their sieges and returned home before the rains had fairly set in. During these periods of what is called siege, there were some desperadoes among the Egbas who would venture across the river to within two miles of the Ata hills to spy out the enemy, and some- times to scare them by letting off fire arms. In order to capture such men the Dahomians would come down unseen as near as possible to the river, dig trenches at intervals on either side of the path, and conceal men in them, setting scouts to apprise them of the approach of Egba spies. After these -had passed on towards the Dahomian camp, they would emerge from their hiding places and cut off their retreat, driving them onwards towards their camp. In this way several were caught, and some of those who escaped capture died of fright, or of exhaustion and thirst. The panic and distress caused by these yearly raids became very great at Abeokuta, depression of trade and the arrest of all agricultural pursuits followed. The Egbas, although better armed, yet lacked the courage to leave the security of their walls and meet their enemy in the field. This national disgrace was subse- quently wiped off by John Okenla the Christian Balogun, who in 1873 with a company of his men attacked and defeated a body of Dahomian raiders at Oba who went scouring the fields and pillaging the farms. The Enghsh Government was now memorialized by the secretaries of the CM. Society on account of the Christians at Abeokuta, and, in response to this appeal, the King of Dahomey was warned against meddhng with Abeokuta any more. The Dahomians now turned their attention to the Yorubas of the western province, and were actually devastating the Egbados and the Oke Ogun districts until a higher power decreed " Thus far shalt thou go, and no further." § 5. The Atonement The Balogun of Ibadan died ten days after their return home, and was given a public funeral with full honours. The government of Ibadan now devolved upon Ogunmola the Otun Balogun, and the first thing he did was to assemble the other chiefs in council with a view to arranging terms of peace with their neighbours. But the perfidy of the Egbas and the great loss sustained especially of the women must in some way be avenged at any rate. The secret somehow leaked out that the Egba chiefs gave up Osiele to be taken by the Ibadans to satisfy their honour if it could be done by a coup before the news of it reached Abeokuta. Ogunmola himself led out the expedition, but remained with the reserved forces in the forests, and entrusted the enterprise into the hands of Ajobo the newly made Seriki. He was to surprise Osiele, swoop down upon it, make a clean sweep of the place and retire ere help could come from Abeokuta. Ajobo, however, lacked the courage to take it by an assault and hence the expedition failed. Ogunmola keenly regretted having stayed behind, but as the attempt could not be repeated without provoking a war with the Egbas he led the Ibadan forces home again. It was a diplomatic offer and should be done in one stroke. A few weeks after this Ogunmola again led the Ibadan troops against Atadi another village of Abeokuta, this time entrusting it to no one, he went in person, and on the 9th of March, 1865, Atadi was taken by assault. The two powers now felt that honour has been satisfied on both sides. It was said that the news of the Ibadan attempt on Osiele met the Abeokuta chiefs at a pubhc meeting, but in spite of the excite- ment shown by the people, and the urgent requests for a pursuit, the chiefs gave no heed, but were coolly going on with the business in hand, which was quite an unimportant affair. To the peoples' importunities they simply returned a derisive answer pointing out the impossibility of the thing, and when they knew the Ibadans must have gone then they bestirred themselves to find Osiele intact. Hence when the report of Atadi was given they were able to say " False alarm again, so they did in the case of Osiele the Ibadans would not dare to think of it" etc. This daring attack was not followed by a retaliation or by further kidnapping on either side which was a proof that it was a diplomatic affair secretly arranged by the authorities on both sides. Ayawo the wife of Somoye the Basorun of Abeokuta, who was taken at Ijaye was now restored to her husband and on the 15th of July, of the same year, the Ibadan messengers arrived at Abeokuta for a formal negotiation about the re-opening of the roads for intercommunication and trade. A month after this peace was proclaimed, and the roads became free and open to all. The Egbas, however, forbade the sale of arms and gunpowder to the Ibadans, and these forbade the sale of horses to the Egbas. The paths through the forests fields and farms having been overgrown and blocked by large trees falHng across during the period they were disused, had now to be cut and cleared on either side right on to the frontier. This brings to a close the Ijaye war and its consequences.