BATTLE OF ALEXANDRIA. 21st. March, 1801.
Reading edition
The French army having been augmented by the arrival of additional troops from the interior, General Menou advanced early on the morning of the celebrated 21st. of March, and attacked the British position with great intrepidity. The action commenced about an hour before daylight by a false attack on the British left, consisting of the 8th., 13th., 18th., and 90th. regiments, which was under Major-General Cradock’s command, where they were soon repulsed. The most vigorous efforts of the enemy were directed against the right, which they endeavoured to turn. The attack on that point was commenced with great impetuosity by the French infantry, sustained by a strong body of cavalry, who charged in column. They were received with equal ardour, and with the utmost steadiness and discipline. The contest was unusually obstinate; the enemy was twice repulsed, and his cavalry became repeatedly mixed with the British infantry. At length they retired, leaving an immense number of killed and wounded on the field. In these attacks the 28th. and 42nd. regiments gained great renown; the former had been ordered into the 64redoubt on the left of the ruins of the palace of the Ptolemies,—the left wing of the 42nd. advanced under Major Stirling, and took post on the open ground quitted by the 28th., and the right wing of the regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, formed two hundred yards in the rear of the left wing. In an instant the ruins, redoubt, and left wing were attacked by the enemy with great impetuosity; but the steady and well-directed fire of the British regiments forced their assailants to retire.
While the front was thus engaged, a column of the famed “Invincible Legion” advanced, preceded by a six-pounder gun, silently along the interval between the left of the 42nd. and the right of the Foot Guards, from which the cavalry picket had retired, and calculating its distance correctly, although in the dark, it wheeled to its left, and penetrated unobserved between the wings of the 42nd. regiment drawn up in parallel lines. The instant this column was seen, the right wing of that regiment attacked its front with great gallantry, and captured the gun,—the rear rank of the left wing faced about attacked to its rear, and the French being thus placed between two fires, rushed towards the ruins of the ancient palace,—receiving the fire of the 28th. as they passed the redoubt, of the grenadiers and light infantry of the 40th. as they passed the ground occupied by these companies, and being pursued in full career by the 42nd. As the French entered the ruins, two companies of the 58th. wheeled back, and after firing a few rounds of musketry, charged with the bayonet. Being thus attacked in front and on the flanks, and pursued by the Highlanders, who closed with bayonets on the rear, the “Invincible Legion” resisted until six hundred and fifty of their number had fallen, when the survivors, about two hundred and fifty in number, threw down their arms and surrendered, delivering up their standard to Major Stirling, of the 42nd., who gave it in charge of a sergeant, with directions to remain close to the gun which the regiment had taken from the enemy.[25]
65This column of the enemy being thus disposed of, the 42nd. instantly issued from among the ruins, and formed line in battalion on the flat, with their right supported by the redoubt; but at that moment the French infantry pressed forward so rapidly, that Major-General Moore ordered the regiment forward before its formation was completed, when Sir Ralph Abercromby, who was on the spot, encouraging the troops, called out “My brave Highlanders, remember your country, remember your forefathers!” and the regiment rushed forward with heroic ardour, drove back the French, and pursued them along the sandy plain. Major-General Moore, who had the advantage of a keen penetrating eye, saw through the increasing clearness of the atmosphere, fresh columns of the enemy, with three squadrons of cavalry, prepared to charge through the intervals of the retreating infantry, and instantly calling to the 42nd. to cease pursuing, directed them to resume their former ground to resist the charge of cavalry. This order to fall back to the redoubt was repeated by Lieutenant-Colonel Stirling, but it was only partially heard by the regiment, owing to the noise from the firing; the companies which heard it fell back, and the others remained in advance. While in this broken state, the regiment was charged by the French horsemen, who dashed forward with great audacity, as to an assured victory; but the gallant Highlanders stood firm, and their fire thinned the enemy’s ranks in the advance. All the companies which were formed repulsed the dragoons with loss; the other companies were broken, yet the Highlanders individually, or in small groups, maintained a fierce contest with the dragoons, and a number of single combats took place, in which great courage and activity were displayed. The French dragoons which had penetrated the broken companies, or passed through the intervals, turned to their left towards the ruins of the old Roman palace, as the column of infantry had done early in the morning, and were nearly annihilated by the fire of the 28th. regiment.
During this fierce contest the British troops had expended 66their ammunition, and while a supply was being procured from the ordnance stores at a distance, their fire ceased; that of the enemy, however, was continued with great execution, and put to a severe test the patient endurance of the troops, who suffered severely. When a supply of ammunition arrived, the enemy retreated, and the action terminated.
One stand of colours and two field pieces were taken.
Sir Ralph Abercromby received a mortal wound at the commencement of the action, but which he concealed until the battle was decided. This gallant general died on the 28th. of March, and was buried at Malta. He was succeeded in the command of the army by Lieutenant-General (afterwards Lord) Hutchinson. In that officer’s despatch, the conduct of the reserve, under Major-General (afterwards Sir John) Moore against whom the principal attack was directed, was highly noticed; Major-General Moore and Brigadier-General Oakes, both wounded nearly at the same time, were specially mentioned; and the 28th. and 42nd. regiments[26] were reported as having acted “in the most distinguished and brilliant manner.”
After this victory one division traversed the country to Rosetta, and captured the forts at that place; part of the army then advanced up the River Nile, and forced the French troops at the city of Cairo to surrender. Another portion was engaged in the blockade of Alexandria.
Meanwhile the force under Major-General Baird had sailed from Bombay for the Red Sea. The original design was to proceed to the port of Suez, but the monsoon had commenced before 67the fleet entered the Red Sea, in April, 1801, when the Major-General determined to land at Cosseir, on the Red Sea, and brave the difficulties of the desert, in the hope of affording important aid to the forces which had arrived in Egypt from Europe. This was the first occasion that British troops had proceeded by the overland route,[27] which course was again adopted during the Crimean Campaign, when two regiments of cavalry (10th. and 12th. Dragoons) proceeded from India to Sebastopol. At this early period the fourteen-days’ march through the desert was a more serious affair than in later times.
On landing, the country presented a frightfully desolate prospect, but the soldiers commenced their march with alacrity, although suffering from excessive heat and dysentery, occasioned by bad water. The march was made during the night. A short distance from Cosseir the troops entered a ravine, which appeared to be the old bed of a river, along which they travelled three days, when it terminated at Moilah: thence the desert had generally a hard gravelly soil, until the troops arrived at Baromba, where the first habitable spot was met with after leaving Cosseir, not a single hut being previously seen. There was an almost irresistible inclination to sleep, and some soldiers straggling from the line of march that they might lie down, lost their lives. About ten miles from Baromba was Kenna, which was reached without further difficulty.
Lieutenant-General the Honourable Sir John Hely Hutchinson, K.B., who had succeeded to the command upon the death of General Sir Ralph Abercromby, advanced to Grand Cairo, which capitulated on the 27th. of June, 1801. General Menou, refusing to accept the capitulation of Cairo, was closely besieged in Alexandria. The operations against the enemy’s works commenced on the 17th. of August. Major-General Coote embarked with a strong body of troops in the night of the 16th. and 17th. of August, and effected 68a landing to the westward of Alexandria, and immediately invested the strong castle of Marabout.
On the night between the 18th. and 19th., Major-General Coote opened batteries against the castle of Marabout. This fort, situated on an island at the entrance to the old harbour of Alexandria, capitulated to the troops under Major-General Eyre Coote, on the 21st. of August, 1801. No loss was sustained. A brass gun was captured from the enemy by the first battalion of the 54th. regiment, which it retained until December, 1841; and on its being placed in the repository established in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, the corps received the royal authority to bear the word “Marabout” on the regimental colours and appointments, in commemoration of the gallantry evinced by the battalion at the capture of that fort. No other regiment bears this distinction.
During the evening of the 27th. of August, General Menou sent an aide-de-camp to request an armistice for three days, in order to afford time to prepare a capitulation, which after some difficulties and delays was signed on the 2nd. of September. It is on record that after the terms of surrender were concluded, the French General received Brigadier-General Hope with the natural politeness of his countrymen, and an invitation was given to dinner, the repast consisting entirely of horse-flesh.
This terminated the campaign in Egypt, and the achievements of the British army were a prelude to future victories. The troops received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, and all the regiments received the royal authority to bear on their colours the word “Egypt,” with the Sphinx as a lasting memorial of the glories acquired during this arduous and important campaign, which had exalted the military fame of Great Britain, by the expulsion of the “invincible” legions of Buonaparte from Egypt, whence he had expected to extend his conquests through Asia. The following were the regiments employed in Egypt in 1801:—
8th. Light Dragoons, one Troop, Captain Hawkins; 11th. Light Dragoons, one Troop, Captain A. Money; 12th. Light Dragoons, Colonel Mervyn Archdall; 22nd. Light Dragoons,[28] 69Lieutenant-Colonel Honourable William Lumley; 26th. (afterwards 23rd) Light Dragoons, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Gordon; Hompesch’s Hussars, (detachment,) Major Sir Robert T. Wilson; Coldstream Guards, 1st. Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Brice; 3rd. Foot Guards, 1st. Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel T. Hilgrove Turner; Royals, 2nd. Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Campbell; 2nd. Queen’s Royal, Colonel the Earl of Dalhousie; 8th. Foot, King’s, Colonel Gordon Drummond; 10th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Quarrell; 13th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel Honourable Charles Colville; 18th., Royal Irish, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry T. Montresor; 20th. Foot, 1st. and 2nd. Battalions, Lieutenant-Colonel George Smith; 23rd. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Lieutenant-Colonel John Hall; 24th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel John R. Forster; 25th. Foot, Colonel William Dyott; 26th. Foot., Colonel Lord Elphinstone; 27th. Inniskilling, 1st. and 2nd Battalions, Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Graham; 28th. Foot, Colonel Honourable Edward Paget; 30th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel William Wilkinson; 40th. Foot, (Flank Companies,) Colonel Brent Spencer; 42nd. Royal Highland Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel William Dickson; 44th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel David Ogilvie; 50th. Foot, Colonel Patrick Wanchope; 54th. Foot, 1st. and 2nd. Battalions, Lieutenant-Colonel John Thomas Layard; 58th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel William Houstoun; 61st. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Carruthers; 79th. Foot, Colonel Alan Cameron; 80th. Foot. Lieutenant-Colonel John Montresor; 86th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel James P. Lloyd; 88th. Foot, Colonel William Carr Beresford; 89th. Foot, Colonel William Stewart; 90th. Foot, Colonel Rowland Hill; 92nd. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Erskine; De Watteville’s Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Louis de Watteville; The Queen’s German Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Peter John James Dutens; De Rolle’s Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel the Baron De Dürler; Dillon’s Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel the Baron Perponcher; Royal Corsican Rangers, Major Hudson Lowe; Ancient Irish Fencibles; Chasseurs Britanniques, Colonel John Ramsey; and the Staff Corps, (detachment.)
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