Battle of Nsamankow

Part of First Anglo-Ashanti War

Date	21 January 1824
Location	Ghana
Result	Decisive Ashanti victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Fante Confederacy

Ashanti Empire

Commanders and leaders

Sir Charles MacCarthy †

Amankwatia

Strength

80 British troops
170 Cape Coast militia

240 Fante allies

over 10,000 troops

Casualties and losses

187 killed
92 wounded

unknown number captured

unknown

United Kingdom

80 British troops
170 Cape Coast militia

187 killed
92 wounded

The Battle of Nsamankow was a battle between the United Kingdom and the Ashanti Empire that took place in 1824 as part of the First Anglo-Ashanti War. The British force under Charles MacCarthy was defeated by an Ashanti force.

In late 1823, following the disagreements between the Fante and the Ashantis, the British declared war on the king of the Ashanti; after organising the defences of Cape Coast, MacCarthy set out with an expedition of some 80 men of the Royal African Colonial Corps (RACC), 170 men of the Cape Coast Militia, and 240 Fanti tribesmen under their local chiefs. He was accompanied by a captain and an ensign of the 2nd West India Regiment, as aides-de-camp, a surgeon of the same regiment, and J. T. Williams, his colonial secretary. This was not the only part of his force; three other groups of infantry were in the region, one of 600 regulars of the RACC and 3,000 native levies, one of 100 regulars and militia and 2,000 levies (under Major Alexander Gordon Laing), and a third of 300 regulars and militia and 6,000 levies. The plan was for the four groups to converge and then engage the enemy with overwhelming force.

On the night of the 20th, still without having joined forces with the other three groups, MacCarthy's force camped by a tributary of the Pra River. The next day, at around 2pm, they encountered a large enemy force of around ten thousand men; believing that the Ashanti army contained several disaffected groups whose chiefs were willing to defect, MacCarthy instructed the band to play the God Save the King loudly. The Ashanti responded by approaching closer, beating war drums, and his beliefs were swiftly dispelled.

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Wikipedia