Royalty – autograph – Victoria – military – Africa – The Gambia document signed by Queen Victoria dated War Office March 14th 1863, together with related ms documents which chart the history of a ‘secret war’ waged by the British in the Gambia in 1861. The documents relate to an Army officer, Lt Col Murray and a Naval Officer Captain William Edmondstone and their activities in fighting the King of Baddiboo [now known as Baddibu] on the Gambia River. Both were recommended for the honour of Companion of the Order of the Bath for their courage during the expedition, but the papers demonstrate that the War Office were reluctant to comply. Included in the papers is an exceptionally rare example of a War Office Minute discussing the issue on Murray’s honour, and stating that it was not necessary as in the first instance he had not been recommended for it by a higher ranking officer, but also that activities against ‘savages’ hardly warranted honours. The same attitude was taken with Edmonstone. As these papers are in the name of Sir Edward Lugard this attitude can be understood – he was involved in the disastrous Afghan campaigns of 1842 and then went on to fight in the Sikh Wars of 1845-6. At this time he was Under Secretary for War. However, the papers do include specific recommendations from the highest authorities – in Murray’s case from George Duke of Cambridge, and in Edmonstone’s from the Duke of Somerset – and in view of these the War Office relented. The document signed by the Queen is the recommendation for Edmonstone’s honour. The papers also include a transcript of a long letter from Earl Grey to the Duke of Wellington discussing honours for those involved in the Kaffir Wars of the 1840 which was used to reinforce the War Office’s argument. An intriguing aspect of the documents is the frequent reference to the whole affair being kept out of official journals ‘as it would unnecessarily call public attention to these wars’. As a result scant information exists about what took place. However, there is evidence that at this time the British got involved in taking reprisals against Muslim Jihadists from Baddibu and surrounding townships for ‘outrages’ committed against western traders. Although Murray and Edmonstone may have been initially successful, what they in fact achieved was civil war between local Muslim militias and those of other faiths which raged on until 1909! In view of the War Office’s sensitivities in keeping the whole affair under wraps one is bound to speculate as to the nature of these western traders’ activities. Murray seems to have disappeared from history, but Edmonstone rose to be a Vice Admiral, and in fact was the Great Great Grandfather of the present Duchess of Cornwall.