Abyssinian Campaign

Abyssinian Campaign
Oct 1867-Jun 1868
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
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Location: Abyssinia
Combatants:
British and Indian forces	Abyssinian regular forces
Result: British victory. Magdala looted and burned.
Medals: Abyssinia
Links:
Category: Abyssinian Campaign

	See our interactive map of Abyssinian Campaign locations and routes on Google Maps

Summary

The Abyssinian Campaign of 1868 was a punitive expedition following the imprisonment of missionaries and British representatives by Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia (Theodore). Lt-Gen Sir Robert Napier, Commander -in-Chief of the Bombay Army, led a force of 13,000 British and Indian troops which took 3 months to reach the Emperor's capital at Magdala a 380 mile march through mountainous country. The Ethiopians were defeated at the Battles of Arroghee and Magdala. Theodore was killed and the British took away large amounts of treasure when they returned to the coast.

Biographies

Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906

Robert Baigrie (18??-1877)]
John Field (1821-1899)
Charles Goodfellow (1836-915)]
George Malcolm (1818-1897)
William Merewether (1825-1880)
Robert Napier (1810-1890)
Robert Phayre (1820-1897)
John Schneider (1822-1903)
Charles Staveley (1817-1896)
Donald Stewart (1828-1896)
Henry Wilkins (1824-1900)

Reconnoitring party

• Lt-Col Sir William Merewether CB
• Lt-Col Sir Robert Phayre CB, Quartermaster-General
• Lt-Col Henry Wilkins, RE
• Maj Mignon, Asst Commissary-General
• Maj Robert Baigrie, Asst Quartermaster-General
• Capt Charles Goodfellow VC, RE
• Capt Pottinger, RA
• Lieut Jopp, RE
• Lieut Mortemer, RA
• Lieut Henriel
• Surgeon Lumsdaine
• Asst Surgeon Martin
• 1 Coy Marine Battalion
• 8 Sappers and Miners
• 3 Draughtsmen
• 5 Guides
• 35 tent lascars
• 136 public followers
• 93 private followers
• 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry (40 men)
• 149 mules

Naval Squadron

• HMS Satellite under Captain Joseph Edye RN
• HMS Octavia under Captain Colin Campbell RN

Advance Brigade

Brig-Gen Sir John Field, 10th Bombay NI commanding

• 3rd Regt of Bombay Light Cavalry
• 10th Bombay Native Infantry
• No 1 Company of Bombay Native Artillery
• Nos 3 & 4 Coys of Bombay Sappers and Miners
• Division of Land Transport Corps
• Part of Commissariat Corps

Campaign Forces

Cavalry

• 3rd (Prince of Wales') Dragoon Guards
• 10th Bengal Light Cavalry
• 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
• 3rd Regt of Bombay Light Cavalry
• 3rd Scinde Irregular Horse

Infantry

• 4th (The King's Own Royal) Regiment of Foot
• 26th (The Cameronian) Regiment of Foot
• 33rd (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment of Foot
• 45th (Sherwood Foresters) Regt of Foot
  
• 21st Punjab Regt Bengal Native Infantry
• 2nd Bombay Native Infantry (Grenadier)
• 3rd Bombay Native Infantry
• 5th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry
• 8th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry
• 10th Bombay Native Infantry
• 18th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry
• 21st Bombay Native Infantry (Marine)
• 25th Bombay Native Light Infantry
• 27th Bombay Native Infantry (1st Baluch)

Pioneers

• G, H & K coys Madras Sappers and Miners
• Bombay Sappers and Miners
• Two coys 23rd Bengal Native Infantry (Pioneers)

Artillery

• G Batt 14th Brigade Royal Artillery
• A & B Batts 21st Brigade Royal Artillery
• Detachment 5-25 Royal Artillery
• No 1 Company of Bombay Native Artillery
• Naval Brigade Rocket Battery

Transport train

• 7,365 camels
• 11,155 mules
• 1,708 ponies
• 6,922 pack bullocks
• 901 draught bullocks
• 784 donkeys
• 305 mule carts
• 345 bullock carts

Deployment

When the expedition reached Antalo, Napier redistributed the army in divisions:

1st Division
composed of all troops to prosecute the campaign beyond Antalo
Maj-Gen Sir Charles Staveley commanding

• Pioneer Force under Brig-Gen Sir John Field, 10th Bombay NI
• 1st Brigade under Brig-Gen John Schneider
• 2nd Brigade under Brig-Gen Wilby

2nd Division
composed of all troops to hold line of communication and garrison intermediate posts
Maj-Gen George Malcolm CB commanding

• Antalo Garrison under Brig-Gen Collins
• Adigerat Garrison under Major Fairbrother
• Senafe Garrison under Lt-Col Little
• Zulla Command under Brig-Gen Donald Stewart

Campaign Actions

Battle of Arroghee 10 April
Battle of Magdala 15 April

External Links

Abyssinian Campaign The British Empire
Abyssinian Campaign Wikipedia
The hostages The British Empire
British Military Personnel Wikipedia

Historical Books on-line

• The British Expedition to Abyssinia by Capt Henry Montague Hozier 1869 (Google Books)
  
• A History of the Abyssinian Expedition by Clements Robert Markham 1869 Google Books
• History of the Corps of Royal Engineers Vol II by Maj-Gen Whitworth Porter 1889 The Abyssinian Campaign archive.org
  
• Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Vol VI - Abyssinian Campaign 1868 archive.org
  
• Forty-one Years in India from Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief by Field Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar 1900 Abyssinian Campaign archive.org
  
• Minutes of proceedings of the Royal Artillery Institution, Volume 6 1870, pages 167-202 by Lieutenant E F Chapman (Google Books)

• "The Abyssinian Expedition"
• "Notes on elephant carriage and steel mountain batteries employed in Abyssinia"

• "Abyssinia" by Mansfield Parkyns, page 506, Journal of the Royal United Service Institution Volume 12 1869 Google Books
  
• The March to Magdala by George Alfred Henty 1868 Google Books