Asante History; Akyem Abuakwa And Dagomba Wars—Part 5

Denkyirahene, Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III

In 1818, Adinkra, King of Gyaman (now Ivory Coast), heard of the significances of the Golden Stool of Asante and made one similar to it. This so enraged the Asantehene, Osei Bonsu (1801-1823) that he led an army against Adinkra and totally defeated him near Bontuku (in Ivory Coast), cutting off Adinkra's head and caused his golden stool to be melted down. And cast into two masks representing Adinkra's face.

These masks were hung one on each side of the Golden Stool of the Asantes. This accounts for the mistaken report that one may occasionally hear that the Asante Golden Stool came from Gyaman.

From 1818 to 1822, Asante suzerainty was greatly felt along the entire stretch of coastal areas of the Gold Coast until the arrival of the British Governor, Sir Charles MacCarthy from Sierra Leone. In the 1817 treaty which the British recognized Asante sovereignty over almost all of Gold Coast, the treaty was however, ambiguous as to Asante sovereignty over the Fantes whom they (Asantes) had conquered since 1807. The new British Governor, Sir Charles MacCarthy deliberately interpreted that obscure page of the 1817 treaty to indicate that the Fantes were independent of Asante control. Nevertheless, King Osei Bonsu sent emissaries to Christainsborg Castle to negotiate with Charles MacCarthy. But MacCarthy was constantly affronting the Asantehene, King Osei Bonsu, in the presents of the emissaries, by consistently describing the Asantehene as 'This Barbarian King', an utterance which under traditional laws, carried death penalty. These insults and the deliberate interpretation of the treaty were unacceptable to many Asante statesmen who advocated for war. Osei Bonsu however restrained his army's generals but after his death in December 1823, the generals moved swiftly to make Osei Yaw Akoto (1824-1834), an advocate of military action, Asante King. (Most history books indicated that King Osei Bonsu died the same day, 21 January 1824, as Sir Charles MacCarthy, however he died on December 1823)

Governor MacCarthy utterances made some of the workers especially the local soldiers at the various castles also insulted the Asantehene when his messengers appeared there. In early 1824, when Osei Akoto's messengers were returning to Kumasi from the Castle, a Fante serving in a British garrison insulted the Asantehene, and he was put to death by the messengers. The British responded with a military expedition into the Asante Empire. The Asante army massed near Bonsaso to face the British expeditionary force in what became the 'Battle of Nsamankow'. In January 21st, 1824, the Asantes completely crushed the British army. MacCarthy together with the captain of the 2nd West Indian regiment, Ensign Wetherell, were killed and their heads were sent to Kumasi. Gold mask representing MacCarthy was made and then attached to the insignias on the Golden Stool. The Asante army also took MacCarthy's colonial secretary, J. T Williams as prisoner to Kumasi. J. T Williams spent 13 months in a locked cell which he shared with the decapitated heads of MacCarthy and Wetherell. However, he was released when an Asante chief for whom he had done a favour, recognized him and entreated the Asantehene to release him.

After the Battle of Nsamankow, the Asantes considered British interference in their empire as unjustified. The Asantes had the feeling that they had the right not only to execute their expansionist programmed, but to ensure their full participation in the coastal trade without any hindrance by any ''foreign'' power thus, when the British fought them in the Battle of Nsamankow, they took the British action as having joined in their hostilities with the southern states and therefore now a belligerent which ought to be dealt with completely. The British on the other hand believed if they allow the Asantes to control the whole of the coast, the Asantes would be placed in a stronger position not only to dictate the terms of trade, but would in all certainty continue to invade the coastal states on the slightest provocation. Therefore the surest way to ensure peaceful trade and more importantly, open up the interior where vast resources such as gold could be exploited was the total destruction of the Powerful Asante Kingdom. Because of this the British embarked on smear campaign as to Asante's intentions and rallied the entire chiefs of the Gold Coast from Nzema to Akwamu. This made the British built up a powerful alliance with the Fantes, Gas, Akwamus and Denkyiras, all of whom were thoroughly afraid of the Asantes. The British Governor Turner also in 1825, intentional called upon the Asantehene Osei Yaw Akoto to renounce all claims to tribute and authority over the coastal States just to provoke him. The Asantes on other hand were prepared to give in to such claims provided the British could exercised some level of control over the coastal states and thereby allowed them easy access to the coastal trade, which the British seemed reluctant to provide any such guarantees due to the fact that they could not effect the financial commitment involved in such an exercised. This made King Osei Yaw Akoto to make an oath that he would not end the war until all Europeans and the Castles along the coast of the Gold Coast were total burnt.

In preparation for the war, the Asantehene consulted many oracles. He first consulted the Tano deity which requested that he poured 100 pots of palm oil into river Tano. In a like manner, he consulted a Muslim Priest, Kramo Koko and another oracle called Odente but not a single positive feedback was received from these oracles. But King Osei Akoto still insisted he would not stop the war since he was burnt on driving all the Whites from the Gold Coast.

Akyem Abuakwa on the other hand sent messengers to inform the British that the Asantehene Osei Akoto wanted to Attack Akyem Abuakwa because of their refusal to participate in Kumasi festivities, hence wanted British protection. R. A. Kea recorded this in March 23rd, 1826, and said ''messengers from the Akim queen brought information to Christianborg about the Assianttee nation's preparation for hostility towards Akim. The Assianttees intention is to attack the queen''. When news reached Akyem Abuakwa that the Asantehene had move from Kumasi on it way southward, all the citizenry of Akyem Abuakwa including their Queenmother, Doku, together with women, children and the elderly moved to Accra (not to participated in the war but they knew once the Asantehene had moved from Kumasi he would surely passed through Akyem Abuakwa).

On 5th june, 1826, the Asante army led by the King himself arrived at Asafo (in Akyem Abuakwa) where he camped there for two months. A few days later the King sent 100 men to Cape Coast to spy the routs in which his forces would be taken. However, the British spotted these men and were able to capture two, whom they sent to Christiansborg Castle (this is what most historians refer to as the 'battle of Cape Coast' that proceeded the Akatamanso Battle). These prisoners revealed the plans of King Osei Yaw to the British. Which was the Asantehene had divided his army into 3 different units; the King himself leads the one which forms the center, the two others shall, when the battle begins, attempt to outflank the British and their alliances so they would not be in the position to retreat. And the Asantehene had decided to take the road to the Danish possession. He intended to attack the Danish first before the English establishments at Accra (source: R. A. Kea, report of the southward march of the Assianttee army to the coast, 1826. Copenhagen State Archives).

In 7 August 1826, the Asante army met the Anglo-African alliance at Dodowa. predominantly in this alliances were the Denkyiras under King Kwadwo Tibu I, the Akuapems, Akwamus under Akoto, the Fantes, the Krobos, the Adangme and the Akyems (whose entire citizenry decamped to Accra to seek shelter with the British, when they heard that the Asantehene had taken leave of Kumasi, this was a caused of great fear among them). When Osei Yaw Akoto took to the battlefield commanding the Asante main army, his movement was compared to that of a Hurricane sweeping down the Dodowa Plains, sweeping all beforehand (in the words of a British journalist soldier). This main army engaged in a fierce hand to hand fight with the allied main army (consisting of first, the militia of Accra, Cape Coast, Anomabu and Christianborg) and all but broke, with the exception of the trained militia who stood firm. The battle was so intense for the allied that the 2 wing divisions under the Akwamuhene and the Denkyirahene, had to be recalled to reinforce it.

As the battle reached it peak, victory was shifting in favour of Osei Yaw Akoto. The Asantehene had pushed the Anglo-African alliance from Akatamanso to Tema where Osei Yaw Akoto stood on a sacred stool of his ancestors, and pointing his sword towards the sea, swore to take possession of it. This act had such an invigorating effect upon the Asante forces that they again moved the allied to Accra. All along, the British had just been observing this battle, when Colonel Purdon, upon realizing that the gates of Accra would be in the hands of Osei Yaw Akoto, ordered his detachment to fire the Congreve rocket. This single act by the British, undeniable, and attested to by all accounts of the battle, was what was to result in the retreated of the Asantes. The explosion of these rockets set a great fire to the grass of the Accra plains, resulting in thick smoke which obscured the battle field. This led to disarray in the Asante ranks, with the Asante divisions falling upon each other. All this while, the Gas were reluctant to fight in the battle because it was their fetish day and others who fought were retreating from the battlefront to their coastal towns and only returning to the battlefield to partake in the spoils of the war. It was the Akwamus led by their ruler Akoto and Denkyiras under King Kwadwo Tibu who were able to withstand the ferocious onslaught of the Asantes.

In retreating from the battlefield, the Asantes left some valuable stool regalia, beautiful gold jewels, mponponsuo hats, swords, treasure boxes and other marks of kingship. The booty left was so much that it was said to be about the size of a small hill. These insignias can now be found in the regalia of the Akwamus, Akuapims, Fantes, Ga, Adangme and Shia, as well as the British Museum in London. The British took some Asantes as captives including Yaa Kyaa, the daughter of the Asantehene, Osei Kwadwo (1764-1777). She was also the Priestess of the Taa Dwemo Shrine of the Asantes. This shrine was of great significance to the Asante political leadership and warfare. The British also took a human head enveloped in a silk handkerchief and a paper covered with Arabic characters which the Asantehene had carried with him to the war as a charm. According to Reindorf (the renowned Ga historian), the severed head was Sir Charles MacCarthy's and not Asantehene Osei Bonsu (1801-1823) as claimed by some Gas.

By: Adomako M. Kufuor Email: [email protected] Facebook: http://m.facebook.com/amkufuor

The writer is the son of His Royal Highness Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III, Denkyirahene

By: A. M. Kufuor
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: http://m.facebook.com/amkufuor