François (our ally): “C’est tres bien fait, mon cher Jean! You ’ave done ze vork! Voyons, mon ami; I shall share viz you ze glory!”
To the unofficial mind the reasons for the destruction of Alexandria and the invasion of Egypt remain somewhat vague; Mr. Gladstone, however, found little difficulty in persuading the House of Commons to entrust him with a Vote of Credit for £2,300,000; and towards the end of August an army, consisting of about 23,000 of all arms and ranks, landed on the Mediterranean shores of Egypt; subsequently reinforced by 11,000 more. In addition to these, there was an Indian contingent landed from the South, consisting of nearly 8,000 men, making the total strength of the British land forces in Egypt 40,560 men, under the command-in-chief of Sir Garnet Wolseley. It was found on landing, on August 22, that the enemy had placed dams across the Canal to cut off the water supply, and it became necessary to dislodge him from his position at Tel-el-Mahuta. This was effected without much difficulty on August 24, the Egyptian troops, about 10,000 strong, showing little inclination for fighting. |Battles of Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir.| General Graham then advanced, on the 26th, with 2,000 men, to seize Kassassin Lock, which controlled the supply of fresh water. Here he was attacked, on the 28th, by a greatly superior force, and for a time the British were in a critical position. General Graham, however, managed to hold his own, and heliographed for reinforcements, which arrived in good time. The Egyptians fought well during the afternoon, but at sunset Sir Baker Russell led up the Household Cavalry, the 7th Dragoon Guards, and Horse Artillery, with four guns, and a brilliant charge of these fine troops threw the enemy into confusion, causing him to break and fly from the field. The total British loss was only eleven killed and sixty-eight wounded.
J. Richards.] [From the Collection of Sir Henry Ewart.
KASSASSIN: THE CHARGE OF THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY.
Linley Sambourne.] [From
“Punch.”
FIELD MARSHAL VISCOUNT WOLSELEY.
Son of Major Garnet Wolseley. Born near Dublin in 1833. Commanded the Red River Expedition of 1870 and the Ashanti Expedition of 1873, and was sent out in 1879 as Governor of Natal and the Transvaal, and High Commissioner. He commanded the forces in Egypt in 1882 and again in 1884–5.
Arabi held a strongly-fortified position at Tel-el-Kebir. On September 9 he attempted a reconnaissance, with 8,000 men and twenty-four guns, but was driven back with the loss of some of his guns. Tel-el-Kebir offered a front to the British advance of about four miles of earthworks, with redoubts at intervals carrying guns. The flanks were protected by similar works. Wolseley struck his camp on the evening of September 12, and advanced during the night with 2,000 cavalry, 11,000 infantry, and sixty guns. At dawn on the 13th General Graham’s Brigade on the right, and Sir Archibald Alison’s Highland Brigade on the left, were within a quarter of a mile of the Egyptian lines. An irregular fire was opened upon them; they dashed forward to the assault, scaled the outer defences, bayonetted the gunners, paused to re-form, and advanced against the inner and stronger works. It remains a question of honourable rivalry which were first inside the Egyptian position, the Highlanders on the left or Graham’s infantry on the right. At all events, within half an hour the whole of Arabi’s defences were captured, his army was routed and flying under pressure of the British cavalry. The British loss in this well-managed affair was very slight, considering the strength of the position and the strength of Arabi’s army, supposed to amount to about 25,000 men. Eleven officers and forty-three men were killed, and twenty-two officers and 320 men wounded. The Egyptian loss was believed to be about 1,000; of prisoners, 3,000 were taken, with sixty guns. The campaign was practically over. Arabi’s troops disbanded themselves, and Arabi himself was arrested in Cairo. Being brought to trial as a rebel, he pleaded guilty, and sentence of death was passed on him. This sentence was commuted immediately by the Khedive for one of perpetual banishment from Egypt.