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Updated: May 19, 2025
The town, known as Cape Coast Castle, had been in the possession of the English for centuries, and a large tract of country down the sea coast, and extending back 80 miles to the river Prah, was under their protectorate. North and west of the Prah were the Ashantis, a warlike race, who had gradually conquered and absorbed all their neighbours.
As Ashanti was at peace with England they had now no fear of molestation on their journey. Ashanti consisted of five or six kingdoms, all of which had been conquered, and were tributary to it. The empire of Ashanti was separated by the river Prah from the country of the Fantis, who lived under British protection.
Come 'long, chil'en, time you's gwyne to roos'. Go 'long wid you ole Uncle Daniel gwyne out in de woods to rastle in prah de ole nigger gwyne to do what he kin to sabe you agin" He did go to the woods and pray; but he went so far that he doubted, himself, if the Lord heard him when He went by.
News came in that night that Captain Butler with the Western Akims had arrived within two days' march of Amoaful, but that without the slightest reason the king and the whole of his army had left Captain Butler and retired suddenly to the Prah. At the same time they heard that the army of the Wassaws under Captain Dalrymple had also broken up without having come in contact with the enemy.
The engineers were employed in making a road, to take the stores and troops across the Prah. Three of the wounded officers Captain Roupell, Lieutenants Edwardes and O'Malley were invalided, and left for home in a convoy with over a hundred wounded.
These people, however, were so harassed by the Ashantis that they were forced to abandon their country and settle in the British protectorate south of the Prah. Had the Adansee Hills been held by European troops the position would have been extremely strong.
One night towards the end of August a messenger arrived and there was an immediate stir. "Now," the general said to Frank, "you are going to see us fight the white men. Some of the big ships have gone to the mouth of the Prah, and we believe that they are going to land in boats. You will see. The Elmina tribes are going to attack, but I shall take some of my men to help."
The rest of the troops came up, and on the 25th Russell's regiment advanced to Dompiassee, Wood's regiment and Rait's battery joining him the next day. That afternoon the first blood north of the Prah was shed. It being known that a body of the enemy were collecting at a village a little off the road the force moved against them. Lord Gifford led the way, as usual, with his scouts.
Thus the invasion of the protectorate was defeated, and the invaders driven across their frontier, with a loss admitted by themselves of several thousands, before the arrival of a single soldier from England, solely by the naval forces, aided by the one black regiment upon the spot. The West Indians were placed in garrison upon the Prah, and the bluejackets returned to their ships.
The Ashantees, a large and warlike tribe who had fought their way from the interior, established themselves early in the last century to the north and west of the Prah, and founded Coomassie as their capital, about 140 miles to the north of Cape Coast Castle.
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