S3E24: The Third Anglo-Ashanti War part 2: The Burning of Kumasi

 

The Ashanti Aban Kesie palace, just before its destruction

With the Ashanti retreating from their failed offensive, January of 1874 was when the British general Garnet Wolesly started planning his invasion into Asanteman. The British would take two paths. One, larger army, led by Wolesly himself, headed north through Adansi, straight toward the Ashanti capital of Kumasi. Another would trek northwest from Akyem Swedru, take Juaben, and then converge at the capital.

Map of showing British invasion columns and major battles

An Ashanti slip of paper featuring a Quranic verse, intended for insertion into a locket.

With the Ashanti general Amankwatia having thoroughly lost any support he once enjoyed in Kumasi, he was demoted to an officer rank. In his place, another aging general, a man named Nkwanta, was elevated to the commander of the Ashanti army. This decision was not unanimous though, as Amankwatia's ally, the king of Juaben, decided to withhold the well-armed 20,000 soldiers at his disposal in protest of Nkwanta's promotion. Nkwanta, in an effort to boost the shattered morale of his men, handed out lockets containing verses from the Quran, which he claimed would protect them at bullets. Nkwanta's plan was to lure the British deep into Asanteman, then ambush and encircle them when they overextended.

Ashanti soldiers fight the encircled British at Amofo

Nkwanta's plan went well at first. Wolesly's army attacked the Ashanti outside of Bekwai, where they drove the Ashanti back at the battle of Egginasi. Nkwanta's army dragged the pursuing British further inland, into the generals trap. At the town of Amofo, the Ashanti suddenly surrounded the isolated Black Guard, the regiment serving as the British forward guard. Using a unique technique of volley fire, the Ashanti out the Black Guard under immense pressure, and nearly destroyed them altogether. According to the later writings of Wolesly, more than a fourth of the men in the regiment were either killed or grievously injured. However, a severe ammunition shortage stopped the Ashanti from finishing off the reeling British. The British ordered a counterattack, which destroyed the overextended and low on ammunition Ashanti wings. Amankwatia, as well as the king of Mampong, were both killed in battle. The battle of Amofo was a devastating defeat for the Ashanti. Despite early promise, the army had been largely destroyed, and the path to Kumasi was now open. 

British soldiers sacked and burned much of Kumasi

With the city now undefended, the British completely trashed the Ashanti capital of Kumasi. The royal palace was looted and then destroyed, as were many of the city's most famous monuments and streets.

One of the crowns looted from the Kumasi palace

Some of the objects looted from the palace included multiple Ashanti crowns, golden jewelry, daggers, ceremonial swords, soul washing plates, and sculptures. Other objects, which the British did not have room to carry, were destroyed alongside the building, including paintings of various Ashanti royals, the royal library and its many books, and many other precious relics, furniture, and pieces of jewelry.

Chair looted from the palace 

Dagger and Sheathe (possibly) looted from the palace

Map of Ghana after the Treaty of Fomena (1874)

As the British returned to Cape Coast with a caravan of looted goods, they met with an Ashanti messenger that negotiated a peace treaty on behalf of Asantehene Kofi Kakari. The treaty signed away Ashanti claims of sovereignty over Elmina, Denkyira, Akyeman, and other southern Ashanti territories. It also mandated an enormous gold indemnity to the British, and prohibited the Ashanti from performing ritualized criminal executions.