one o'clock
Of the sixty engineer laborers twenty were wounded ; while of their five officers Captain Buckle was killed , Major Home and Lieutenant Hare wounded , together with several of their white soldiers . Altogether our casualties exceeded two hundred and fifty . Fortunately but a small proportion of the wounds were serious . While the battle was raging at one o'clock Quarman was attacked by a strong body of Ashantis coming from the west , probably forming part of Essarman Quatia 's force . Captain Burnett , who was in command , having under him Lieutenant Jones of the 2d West Indian regiment , and thirty-five men of that corps and a few natives , conducted the defense , and was well seconded by his men . Although the attacking force was very greatly superior , and took the little garrison by surprise -- for they did not expect , while a great battle was raging within a distance of a mile , that the Ashantis would be able to spare a force to attack a detached party -- the garrison defended itself with great gallantry and complete success , not only beating off the enemy whenever they attacked , but sallying out and assisting to bring in a convoy of stores which was close at hand when the attack began . Amoaful was a town capable of containing two or three thousand inhabitants .