Egyptian Campaign 1801
| Egyptian Campaign | |
|---|---|
| 1801 | |
| Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns | |
| [[Image:|250px| ]] | |
| Location: Egypt | |
| Combatants: | |
| British and Indians | French |
| Result: British victory | |
| Medals: | |
| Links: | |
| Category: Egyptian Campaign 1801 | |
Summary
Napoleon Bonaparte landed in Egypt in 1798 but his army was cut off when the British fleet under Admiral Nelson defeated the French navy at the Battle of the Nile. Turkey joined Britain and Russia in declaring war on France. Napoleon laid siege to Acre but was forced to retreat to Egypt where he defeated the Turkish Army at the Battle of Aboukir in July 1799. He then returned to France leaving General Kléber in command. In March 1800 Kleber defeated the Turks again at the Battle of Heliopolis but was assassinated in June. General Menou took command of the French army.
In 1801 the British decided to drive the French from Egypt and an expeditionary force under Sir Ralph Abercrombie landed at Aboukir on 8 March. On 21 March the French were defeated at the Battle of Alexandria and Menou was besieged in the city.
The Anglo-Indian expeditionary force from Bombay reached Jeddah on 17 May where he was joined by a contingent from the Cape of Good Hope. The force reached Kosseir on 8 June and marched across the desert to Kenna. General Belliard surrendered Cairo on 27 June and the Indian contingent joined the forces at the Siege of Alexandria. General Menou surrendered to General Hely-Hutchinson on 30 August. The French army was allowed to evacute Egypt.
Anglo-Indian Expeditionary Force
Major-General Sir David Baird commanding
From Bombay
- HM 10th Regiment
- HM 80th Regiment
- HM 86th Regiment
- HM 88th Regiment
- 2,000 sepoys
- 450 HEIC artillerymen
From the Cape
- One troop 8th Light Dragoons
- HM 61st Regiment
- Artillery detachment
External Links
French Campaign in Egypt and Syria] Wikipedia
Historical Books on-line
Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Vol VI - Egyptian Campaign 1801 archive.org