The officers and gentlemen engaged in the battle were Lieut.-colonel Edward Purden, commanding the whole.  Captains Kingston and Rogers, and Lieutenant Calder, of the Royal African Corps; Dr. Young, of the staff; Mr. Henry Richter, merchant, Danish Accra, with his own men, about 120; Mr. I.W.  Hanson, merchant, British Accra, with his men, amounting nearly to a similar force; Mr. J. Jackson, merchant, Cape Coast, with Mr. Bannerman’s men (Mr. Bannerman being in England in bad health), amounting also to about an equal strength; and Captain Hutchison, Annamaboe, with the Cape Coast artificers, part of the town’s people (volunteers), assisted by Bynie, a native chief, whose people, including the above mentioned from Cape Coast, amounted to about 150.  These formed the centre, and were drawn up in lines, with the Royal African Corps as a reserve.

The attack commenced from right to left about half past 9 o’clock.  Several of the natives, unaccustomed, probably, to the regularity of European movements, came to the troops in the centre, and reproached them in coarse and offensive language with cowardice, for not opening their fire, which circumstance being communicated to the commanding officer he ordered them instantly to advance.  They accordingly moved forward about 400 yards, when a heavy well directed fire took place on our side.  From this point the English troops continued steadily to proceed, the enemy slowly and sulkily giving way as they advanced.  No prisoners were made, for as they fell they were put to death.  Even in this summary cruelty there was a species of mercy, as many were ripped up, and their hearts torn from the vital region, in order that the blood might be poured out on the ground as an offering to the triumph of the English arms.  The fighting in many instances was of the most barbarous and ferocious description.  In some cases, single men marked their particular adversaries and dragged them from the ranks; and thus, combating in pairs, they wrestled and cut each other, until the knife of the more fortunate gladiator entered the vital part of his antagonist and terminated the revolting contest.  The enemy was pressed so hard by our troops, that a distinguished Captain of the Ashantees, either from despair, or to end his misery the more speedily, blew himself up.  A cry now arose that the Ashantees were advancing between the centre and the right wing of the army:  the alarm was caused by a panic amongst the party from Danish Accra, the native troops in that quarter having, with their Carboceer at their head, retreated early in the action, it being, as they afterwards explained, “against their Fetish to fight on a Monday,” and thus created in the remainder of the body apprehensions of weakness.  This cowardly conduct of the Danes compelled the centre to fall back, and abandon all the advantages their valour had obtained, a movement which immediately exposed them to a galling fire from the enemy, who now rushed onwards in immense numbers to crush the retiring troops.