Against the background of the decisive British bomardment of Elmina, effectively blocking Ashanti trade to the coast, Ashanti War Chief Amankwatia threatened British territory on the coast of modern Ghana, he was driven off at Essaman in October, then led a large-scale attack 15 miles inland at Abakrampa, held by Major Baker Russell. The Ashanti were repulsed with heavy losses and, as General Sir Garnet Wolseley approached with reinforcements, they retreated north through Amoafo (5–6 November 1873).
The Chiefs and the men had become so dissatisfied that they compelled Amankwatia to send messages to Kumasi asking the King to recall them but Kofi Karikari felt that he had been forced into this war by the ambition of these very chiefs and showed his resentment by saying "you wished for war and you have it. You swore you would not return until you could bring me the walls of Cape Coast, and now you want me to recall you because many chiefs have fallen, and you are suffering. It was not I, it was you who wished it. In due time I will send you an answer”.
This engagement occurred barely a month after the arrival Sir Garnet Wolseley who had taken the view of using almost exclusively British troops to subdue Ashanti once and for all. The “Sagrenti War” had just begun.