# Second Anglo–Ashanti War

The Second Anglo–Ashanti War also known as the Second Anglo–Asante War and Third Anglo–Asante War was an armed conflict between the Ashanti Empire led by Kwaku Dua I against the United Kingdom and Fante tribes led by Richard Pine. It took place from March 1863 to June 1864, ending with a withdrawal of British troops.
The war began due to the British granting asylum to an Ashanti slave called Quarqah (what King Kwaku Dua I called him) or Quasie Gainnie (what Governor Richard Pine called him) and refusing repeated requests for their extradition. In March 1863, three Ashanti armies marched into the British protectorate.
The British only had about 400 men, with a commander who was too timid to attack the Ashanti and the governor trying to rally resistance but falling ill. The Ashanti burnt villages and killed hundreds of inhabitants, and Governor Pine's request for an expedition against them was denied by the English Government. The Ashanti eventually retreated in autumn due to the rainy season.
The governor planned an offensive against the Ashanti towards their capital of Kumasi, however fever and dysentery led to this never happening, with many officers of the West India Regiment being killed or wounded.
On 23 June, Edward Cardwell, the Colonial Secretary ordered that British troops could not be used against future Ashanti attacks. Because of this, the war had ended up in a stalemate (although a moral victory for the Ashanti), causing the Gold Coast to once again become a dependency of the Sierra Leone protectorate.

## Background

In 1826, the British had defeated the Ashanti at the Battle of Dodowa, however the Government attached no great value to the area. They tried to abandon the forts; but pressure from merchants who were interested in the Gold Coast led to their retention. Captain George Maclean then appeared on the scene, and for nearly twenty years worked to pacify the region. He was considered to be a stolid, patient, hard-headed Scot, who earned the trust both of the Ashanti and the coastal peoples. Through his personal influence a type of British paramountcy grew up in the Gold Coast which was taken to imply that the Fante and the neighbouring states would be supported by Britain against the Ashanti. Maclean became the chief element in a tripartite system of mediation between Ashanti, the coastal states and the British traders.
In 1840 a commission of inquiry was held, with the result that in 1843 the Home Government again resumed occupation of the forts upon the Gold Coast, and their proper maintenance, and Commander H. W. Hill, R.N., was appointed in the following year as Lieutenant-Governor of the colony. Within the states of the protectorate, Maclean's influence was even higher. The inhabitants submitted disputes to his jurisdiction, and a semblance of legality was given to his system in 1844. In that year the British Government granted him extraterritorial jurisdiction over British subjects outside the forts. At the same time, some, but not all, of the African rulers signed the bond, by which they consented to Maclean's continuing to 'mould the customs of the country to the general principles of British law'. Thus a modest form of an 'informal empire' was created; but it was not allowed to become a burden on the British taxpayer. Maclean was succeeded in 1846 by Commander William Winniett, R.N., whose mission to Kumasi was to obtain the abolition of human sacrifice. Until his death in 1847, Maclean successfully mediated in disputes between Ashanti and the coastal states. In subsequent years the Ashanti had ever-growing cause to resent British interference. They had given up claims to their former coastal conquests and to rent which they once claimed for the British forts, in return for assurances that they would have unmolested access to the coast. But Britain suppressed the export of slaves by sea. Above all, Britain protected the states such as Assin, Akyem and Denkyira, which laid on the Ashanti routes to the sea. Here Ashanti travellers were often molested, and tension was endemic.
In a dispatch dated June 4, 1850 Governor Winniett wrote to the Secretary of State:
   I believe your lordship is perfectly aware that since the close of the war with the Ashantee an understanding has existed between the British Local Government and the King to the effect that all runaways from Kumasie are to be delivered back to the King upon application made by him to the officer administering the Government.
That year, a novel experiment was tried to raise revenue in the Gold Coast. The British forts (along with some forts purchased from Denmark) were constituted into a separate Crown colony. Two years later the governor convened a conference, which he dignified with the title of 'Legislative Assembly'. It consisted of the governor, his council and a number of Fante chiefs, who were persuaded to levy a modest poll tax. At home, Lord Grey, the Colonial Secretary, hailed the conference as a 'rude negro Parliament'. He envisaged Britain training the Gold Coast peoples into a 'nation capable of protecting themselves and managing their own affairs'. But his enthusiasm was not shared in England. Few politicians took any interest in the experiment and the Gold Coast was neglected until 1864.
From 1846 to 1863 was a time of comparative peace in the colony, but the demand of the King of Ashanti from Governor Pine in December, 1862, brought about fresh difficulties. The British governor granted asylum to a runaway Ashanti slave-boy and a man fleeing from justice. Repeated requests for their extradition, and categorical assurances that they would not be executed, were rebuffed. They entered into an alliance with the Elminas, who supplied them with large quantities of arms and ammunition obtained on the coast, and generally couched their messages to the governor in very strained language.
Roving bodies of Ashantis appeared in different parts of the Protectorate, and a new demand was sent to the governor that a certain chief Adjaman should be delivered up to them, or as an alternative they, the Ashantis, would occupy the Protected Territory for years. It was sent in February 1863 and delivered by Amankwa Kuma, which ended up reading:
   I think you to be my good friend , always I believe you that I can get back any of my slaves who run away to you but in poor George Maclean’s time I made agreement with him in certificate, the one in Cape Coast Castle, and another in my hand therein stated, that any Fante person run up to me to deliver him and to bring him to Cape Coast. And if any slave of mine also run away to Cape Coast, you are to deliver him back also to me, as the Governors that take charge of Cape Coast Castle did not move from this agreement, but always filled the rules of the said poor George Maclean, except your time has destroyed the agreement... But one of my slaves, name Quarqah who was witness to the said agreement , and who was the bearer of the certificate for me, is absent in the town, and I have sent messenger after him, but when he comes I will let him come with the book, that you may see your guiltiness.
No mention of extradition existed in the Treaty of 1831, however the King was likely under that impression. Governor Pine's reply to the King was:
   I am willing to give up criminals, although there is no such agreement, but I do not consider Quasie Gainnie a criminal until you prove him so.
In March 1863, three Ashanti armies marched into the protectorate and Britain's noble was placed in jeopardy.

## Conflict

In 1863, after 30 years of peace between the Ashanti and the British, the First Anglo–Ashanti War, the second war began when Ashanti forces pursue a fugitive into British–controlled territory. The war was a fiasco for Britain. A small force of 400 men of the West India Regiment was scraped together from the other settlements, but their commander was too timid to attack the Ashanti. The governor tried to rally resistance, but he fell ill. When the last message was sent, roving parties of Ashantis had already pillaged and burnt some thirty villages, in addition to killing several hundreds of their inhabitants. Governor Pine at once made known the state of affairs to the English Government, and requested that an expedition be sent to for ever quell the troublesome Ashantis, but to his great disappointment this wished-for help was refused.
On 21 May, a released Fanti prisoner arrived bearing a message to the Governor from the Ashanti general, and bringing two canes. Awusu Koko (the Fanti prisoner) said that he had no quarrel with the English or Fantis, but had been sent to recover the fugitives. If the Governor would surrender them he must choose the shorter cane, but if he declined, he must choose the longer cane, and the war would continue. The Governor sent Prince Ansa to the Ashanti general to say he would only negotiate with a properly accredited messenger from the King, that his army must withdraw from the Protectorate, and compensation must be paid for all damage done. Awusu, afraid of the rain and disease, decided to act on the Governor's advice, and recrossed the Pra, after laying waste the whole country on the line of march. Governor Pine was now convinced that a decisive blow must be struck at the power of Ashanti before peace and prosperity could be established on the Gold Coast.
As the rainy season set in in the autumn of 1863 the Ashanti armies retired from the protectorate, but they were undefeated and were still a potential threat. The governor, therefore, planned to strike a blow at the Ashanti capital to forestall a further invasion. At first his suggestion was rejected by the Secretary of State; but in December 1863 he changed his mind and agreed to provide reinforcements for a march on Kumasi. The Governor, expecting that the Ashantis would resume warfare on the cessation of the rains made all the preparations he could to resist them. In January 1864, a camp was established at Mansu, and in February the whole of the troops in Cape Coast were encamped at Prasu where a strong stockade was constructed. Another force was stationed in Akyim Suedru. The West India Regiment troops occupied them until March 1864. The Ashantis, however, were firmly convinced that the British troops and allies would not dare cross the Pra River so they awaited events in security. The climate and exposure soon began to tell on the forces of the allies fever and dysentery broke out and played havoc among them and eventually compelled them to withdraw. On receiving the news of the evacuation of the allied camps, the Ashantis openly exulted, and Kweku Dua is supposed to have said that "the white man may bring his cannon to the bush, but the bush is stronger than the cannon". Due to the King's peaceable disposition, no invasion followed on this abortive attempt to overawe the Ashanti.
The offensive against the Ashanti was never made. Over half the officers of the West India Regiment were struck down and thirteen out of sixty-four died. As news of demoralisation and confusion reached England, the opposition in Parliament challenged the Government in the House of Commons and decisively affected Britain's West Africa policy.
On 20 May 1864, Sir John Pakington denounced the proposed invasion of Ashanti as 'wild and visionary... hopeless and impossible'. Only three days later, Edward Cardwell, the Colonial Secretary, cancelled the operations. Sir John Hay's motion of censure failed on 17 June, but its import was not lost on Cardwell. On the day after the debate he made it known that a commissioner would besent to make a full inquiry in West Africa. On 23 June he issued an order that British troops could not be used against future Ashanti attacks. If the protectorate was to continue, the governor was to confine his efforts to encouraging the chiefs to unite and providing arms and advice. They were then withdrawn to be quartered at Cape Coast.

## Aftermath

The Ashanti twice defeated the Anglo–Fante troops, however the war ended in a stalemate as a result of rampant disease among the troops of both sides. The war dealt a blow at the Gold Coast protectorate in 1864. The Lagos Colony, over 300 miles away to the east, was also affected. On the day Cardwell called off the Ashanti expedition, he also cancelled an 'energetic policy' which he had recently approved in the Yoruba states on the mainland. Lagos underwent the same critical scrutiny as the Gold Coast as a result of this war.
An enquiry was once more held on the whole affairs of the Gold Coast. A select Committee of the House of Commons was appointed to consider a special report drawn up by Colonel Ord, R.E. As a result of its deliberations the Gold Coast became again a dependency of Sierra Leone. Owing to the deplorable failure of the recent campaign, British prestige had fallen to a very low point, and the belief that the British were useless at bush warfare gradually gained ground. In consequence the Ashantis who had certainly achieved a moral victory over the British, expected to dictate their own terms. George Blankson of Anamabo was again sent to Kumasi at the end of 1865, and the King sent an embassy down to the Coast. Nothing was definitely settled as the outcome of these negotiations, but the Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Colonel Conran thought fit to issue a proclamation in January, 1866, stating that the King of Ashanti had sued for peace, and that peace had accordingly been declared. This action on his part only made matters worse, for on hearing of it the King was greatly indignant with Colonel Conran, and refused to take part in any further negotiations until the Governor had complied with his demand for Janin’ s surrender. Later in the year, Kweku Dua offered assistance to the Awunas (a Coastal tribe), who had been at war with the British, and had been severely punished in March 1866. With this object he sent an army early in 1867 against the Krepis, who were allies of the Accras, and the Ashantis assisted them to pillage and fire towns in Ksoso.
Troubles between the Fantis and the Elminas occupied the next few years, and no lasting peace had been concluded with the Ashantis. In 1869 a party of the Ashantis had crossed the northern portion of the Protectorate and reached the right bank of the river Volta, attacking and plundering the town of Anum, which lay some few miles to the east of the opposite bank.
In 1873, the Third Anglo–Ashanti War occurred, fought over territorial disputes and the British desire to expand their territory. It lead to the Ashanti capital being burned before the eventual ceasefire.