The British Destroy Odomase: November 1900

  

......On the 11th [November 1900] the column marched to Odumassi, where I left a garrison of 300 men under the command of Major Browne . This town was the largest we had met with in this country, the king's palace being quite a handsome building........

During our halt in the town several Krepe traders, who were fugitives from the Ashantis, came in and begged for the protection of the British flag. They were rubber traders, Odumassi being the great rubber emporium of the north-west, and they found themselves, at the beginning of the war [Yaa Asantewaa War], prisoners of Kobina Cherri [Domasehene Nana Kwabena Kyere]...

  

On the 15th and 16th, the column halted at Odumassi and laid waste the surrounding country. Suatre [Nsuatre] had been levelled and burnt on the 14th, and now began the difficult operation of destroying the large town of Odumassi. It took us two days to do the work. On the night of the 16th, the camp was alarmed by a fire breaking out in the town, and as the walls had all been knocked down, and the thatched roofs were also on the ground, it was hard work to stop the fire from spreading. For an hour or two it was an anxious time, owing to the amount of ammunition and stores in the place. A clear space was made all around the quarter of the town which was alight, and the fire was allowed to burn itself out.

  

On the 17th, we marched out of Odumassi, the rear guard receiving orders to burn the town when we were clear. One of the houses, however, unfortunately caught on fire, and in a very short time the whole town was in a blaze. The moment was critical, as the only exit from the town was by a narrow bush path, and the column was much blocked..... everyone managed to get away in safety, though the staff and rear guard were cut off, and had to run the gauntlet of the flames.

Ref: The Ashanti Campaign of 1900: Capt C. H. Armitage and Lt-Col A. F. Montanaro