Closing the Books: Governor Edward Carstensen on Danish Guinea 1842-50

1847

284 CLOSING THE BOOKS 20 February 1847 Half of the fee for handling dept-palavers should be paid to the civil servant who settles them. G.J. 129/1847, filed under 758/1849; duplicate 188/1847. Chief Fort Christiansborg, 20 February 1847 While anticipating approval of the Board, on 16th this month, it was decided by a full Council that in future half |296| of the fee of the deptpalavers will be paid to the civil servant who settles them, effective from 1 January this year. Edw. Carstensen R. E. Schmidt C. F. Smith 24 May 1847 On 10 April, Governor Carstensen went on leave. G.J. 152/1847; filed under 944/1849. The brig Emily, 24 May 1847 I hereby most humbly announce to the distinguished Board that on 10 April this year, I took advantage of the most graciously given permission, of 19 November 1845, to travel, when, forced by a weak constitution, I transferred the management of the Guinean Establishment to the Messrs R.E.Schmidt,C.F.SmithandSchultz229 ,andleftChiefFortChristiansborg on board the brig Emily, Capt. Dring. Immediately after my arrival in London, I will continue my journey to the fatherland. Edw. Carstensen 5 July 1847 Oneofthethreesubordinatecivilservantshasdied,andasuccessorshouldbesent 229 Hugo Bernhard Schultz, exam.jur 1822, surnummeraire assistant in Guinea 1846, arrived at Christiansborg 1 May 1847. 285 1847 out chosen among the sergeants of the artillery but with the rank of lieutenant. Sergeant Nielsen should also be promoted to the rank of lieutenant. G.J.168/1847, filed under 925/1849. Copenhagen, 5 July 1847 The distinguished Board is familiar with the circumstances in the Danish-Guinean possessions almost a year ago, that occasioned the dispatch of 2 European officers to the Guinean troops. |297| The number of the subordinate officers thereby increased to three, and they functioned respectively as chief of guard at Fort Christiansborg, as commander at Prinsensten, while the third remained available and moreover assisted in the military service of the chief fort. As a result of the death of Sergeant Nørregaard at Fort Prinsensten in January this year, the subordinate personnel of European officers concists at the moment, presumably, of Lieutenant Svedstrup and Sergeant Nielsen230 . I am of the opinion that a third officer should be sent out with the outbound war ship to the Guinea Coast, and this is more pressing since Sergeant Nielsen at the time I left the Coast, still had not been through the climate fever, so we ought to be prepared to meet eventualities. I will take the liberty, closely connected to the above, to present to the Board what is the most desirable, that the young people who are employed or sent out to Guinea to serve there as chief of guard and chief of the fort, are given the rank corresponding to those positions, that they at the time of the dispatch from here are given the rank of lieutenant in the Guinean troops. I presume that when it is known that when the frequently reported military appointments have the rank of lieutenant, the most able sergeants of the artillery will be among the applicants. By offering the person in question the rank of lieutenant, we will also see that he will in reality be treated as an officer in Guinea, that it will not be necessary to give him local names whose only purpose are to hide that he is only a sergeant, and thus in accordance with the 230 Lauritz Nielsen, ”bomber” at the artillery, appointed by a royal resolution 18 May 1846 as sergeant in Guinea, appointed in 1849 as second-lieutenant, died the same year, 22 years old. (G.J.746 and 782/1849). 286 CLOSING THE BOOKS military etiquette, is excluded from the officers’ mess and company. In addition, and not the least important situation, is that our neighbours in Guinea have lieutenants in the garrison, on visits, in Fort St. James, and, in accordance with the Guinean relations, every European, as far possible and whenever the situation does not absolutely prevent it, will be regarded and treated as a gentleman. The DanishEuropean officers, in spite of being only sergeants, are invited to mutual meals and parties, because they are called `chief of guard´, ´chief of the fort´ and so forth. But it is known, and will be known, that they |298| are only sergeants, and the foreign officers might...