The people of Accra had been part of an alliance of local chiefs who had aided the British, Denkyira and Fantis in resisting an Ashanti advance on Cape Coast in July 1824. The Asantehene Nana Osei Yaw Akoto amassed an army of 40,000 and vowed to punish the "Akra" people in the aftermath of this defeat, by literally chasing the into the belly of the "kanfra" (a small fish in the ocean).
An alliance of British, along with Ga -Adangbe, Fanti, Denkyira, Akwamu and Akyems faced the Asante at Katamanso, in a battle that ended Asante suzerainty over many southern and coastal nations and contributed to the rise of British power and prestige on the coast. Notably, the Akyems were led in battle by Nana Afia Dokuaa, the Okyehene and only woman who was a ruler of a major state. Also important, was the fact that Congreve rockets were used for the first time against the Asante. Peace was not formalized until 1831, when the River Pra was accepted as the Southern Boundary of the Asante in a treaty concluded by Mr. George McLean.
Historian Rev. Carl Christian Reindorf in his book "The history of the Gold Coast and Asante" provides the following Ga - focused account :
“The combined forces of Prampram, Ningo, Ada and the riverside people just at the same time followed up the attack, and the position of the Asantes became critical. King Osei Yaw, realizing the danger, marched in defence with his body-guard, stood upon the royal stool, and drew the war-sword waving it between heaven and earth, as kings usually do in war, but the rebound was too strong, and he was wounded. There was a severe conflict between the king’s bodyguard and the forces under Opoku Fredefrede, in which the Asantes were beaten and greatly weakened; and on account of the defeat, the Asante General afterwards poisoned himself and died at Asafo. Dshani Afutu and Ante from Teshi are said to have shouted the religious war cry of Awo awo awo!’ to which every warrior of the whole column responded as one man: “Awo, Agabai bereku tso!” A loud voice was heard in the enemy line. “Edom agu o!” The Battle is lost” Then all the baggage was hastily thrown on a heap as high as a mountain, and the Asante army took to flight, after fighting and holding their position for nine hours, from 6 a.m. — 3 p.m. Prisoners were made, and then the baggage and camp were taken”
“of all the battles fought by the Asantes since the formation of their kingdom, Katamansu had proved to be the most fatal. The King had lost sixty of his Generals, Chiefs and captains, but few of the commanders escaped with himself and Boaten”.
It is said that the hair- style worn by the Asante women dubbed “Gyese Nkran”, (except Akra), vulgarized as Densinkran, was introduced to mourn the Asante dead in the Katamansu war.
