E G Y P T. 



left wa* supported by a: .c range of ruined 



"Y"** building*. The position was strong, lint it via the 

 more necessary on that account, t' -i-h -In aid 



pOMCM it, and tin- .-inny received order- to IK- in : 

 IIB tor marching by five o'clock in tin- morning. 



When within gun-shot of the cr.eim 's line<, the 

 French advanced with rapid movement* : l>ut they were 

 received with determined lirnvrry, and were dmcn 

 hack from station to station till they took their Maud 

 near Alexandria, upon the heights of Nicopotia, It 

 would have l>een desirable to have driven them from 

 that station, and it is believed that the business might 

 have been accomplished ; lint there were circumstances 

 at that time which induced the British general to <le- 

 . 'int- the altempt. Both annies had suffered severely 

 in the action, though the loss was less serious than 

 might have been expected. l"pon the landing of the 

 British force*. ( icnera) Menou was at a distance in the 

 interior of the country ; but being apprised of the 

 danger, he hastened to Alexandria, and arrived from 

 ( irand Cairo with <)000 men upon the '20th of March. 

 1 le determined upon an immediate attack, being con- 

 fident of success ; and Sir Ralph Abererombie was h:- 

 fonned by a friendly sheik of the Arabs, that the at- 

 tack was to be made on the following morning. Every 

 arrangement was made which was suitable to the pros- 

 pect of so important an engagement. 



The army was strongly encamped in the same favour- 

 able position which it had taken up after the late en- 

 gagement, and was dis|>osed of in the following man- 

 ner. In the centre of the first line were Majors-gene- 

 ral Ludlow and C'oote, with the Royals, two battalions 

 of the 5kh, and the Q2d regiment. About a quarter of 

 a mile in advance, upon the right, Major-general Moore 

 was stationed with the corps of reserve, which consisted 

 of the 28th and 58th regiments ; the 23d, the 42d, and 

 the flank companies of the 40th, together with the 

 Corsican rangers. The left wing reached the canal of 

 Alexandria, which was composed of the 8th and 18th, 

 the 13th and <)0th regiments, under the command of 

 Major-general Cradock. Upon the left, near the Like 

 of Aboukir, the stafi' \v.-is placed ; and the whole extent 

 of the army was about a mile in length. 



In the second line, upon the right, were the Minor. 

 ca, De Rolle and Dillon's regiments, commanded by 

 Brigadier-general Stewart. In the centre were the 

 30th, the 44th, and 8pth regiments, under the command 

 of Brigadier-general Doyle. Upon the left was Bri- 

 gadier-general Finch, with the 26th regiment, and both 

 the mounted and dismounted parts of the 12th dra- 

 goons. Also the 27th, 50th and 79th regiments, which 

 were commanded by Lord Cavan. The cavalry of re- 

 serve were placed behind the troops of General Moore, 

 Captain Maitland was stationed with gun-boats near 

 the beach, and the fleet was cruising off the port of 

 Alexandria. 



The French army, in the strong holds of Nicopolis, 

 was arranged in the following manner. The right 

 wing was composed of the 1 Stn and 85th, the '/~>tb, 

 6l st, and 75th demi-brigades, commanded by Ge- 

 neral Regnier. In the centre were the 21st and 3 c 'd 

 demi-brig.-ides, with two grenadier companies of the 

 25th, and three of the second light battalions, entrust- 

 ed to the command of general Rampon. The left, un- 

 der General I.ariusse, consisted of the 4th and 18th, 

 the 6<)th and 88th demi-brig.-ules. The army extend- 

 ed with its right wing towards the canal of Alexandria, 

 and with the left it approached the sea Behind the 

 centre was a powerful lx>dy of cavalry, commanded by 

 General Roise, and in the rear of the whole was a large 



parit of .trtill.-ry. F-arly in the morning of the 21st of History. 

 'i, all the troops were under arms ; and every of- """"V"* 

 ficcr was at his post. The intelligence communicated 

 by the Aral) chief might l>e untrue ; but it related to 

 too important A concern to be nruleetod. But his in- 

 formation was as correct as it was valuable ; for -,.n 

 after three o'clock in the morning, the re|H>rt of mus- 

 ketry was heard on the left ; and the noise of cannon 

 immediately siiccei -.led ; but Sir Ralph Abercromby 

 ju.-tiv considered it as a false alarm. From the situa- 

 tion of the troop* and the nature of the ground, that 

 was not the quarter from which a discerning general 

 would make his attack. Scarcely WHS this conclusion 

 drawn, when shouts of defiance and clashing of arms 

 were heard upon the right. It was a misty morning, 

 and the division of General I.anusse had almost ap- 

 proached unperceived the position of General Moore. 

 I poll the sea-shore, tile French troops made an attempt 

 to enter the ruins occupied by the British .isth regi- 

 ment ; and it was not till they were quite at hand that 

 Colonel Houston could see them so distinctly, through 

 the haze, as to distinguish them from his own men, 

 and direct his lire with safety. General Silly's brigade 

 was engaged with the 28th regiment, and at every 

 point the battle was severe. The U.'kl and 42d regiments 

 flew to the relief of their fellow soldiers, and the foe 

 was repelled. 



General Rampon, with the centre division of the 

 French army, penetrated through the British lines, but 

 was forced to retire with considerable loss. While the 

 French were every where giving way, General Roise 

 was commanded to charge the British upon the right, 

 and his cavalry were to be supported by the infantry of 

 Regnier. The first charge, conducted by General 

 Boussart, was bravely sustained, and a second by 

 Roise himself was not more successful. Being repulsed 

 in every quarter by British bravery, the French army 

 retreated, and took up their late position upon the 

 heights of Nicopolis. A French standard, inscribed 

 with many mot tos of victories and trophies, was taken 

 by Anthony Lutz, a private soldier in the Queen's Ger- 

 man regiment. This standard was the subject of much 

 contention ; but it seems, after every enquiry, that the 

 standard was first taken by Major Stirling of the 42d 

 regiment, and given in charge to Serjeant Sinclair ; but 

 the serjeant being wounded, the standard was lost and 

 retaken by Anthony Lutz. Each of the persons con- 

 cerned had great merit for their bravery in the hour of 

 danger; but Lutz was rewarded with a pension uf L.20 

 a year, as being the most suitable boon for his situation 

 in life. 



Upon the 21st of March, 12,000 French troops were 

 on the field of battle, whereas the British force was lit- 

 tle more than 10,000 men. The French cavalry were 

 well mounted, whereas the horses of the British army 

 were of an inferior kind, supplied by the Turks j and 

 as the French had been in possession of Egypt for a 

 considerable time, they were every way better prepared 

 than the British army could be, who had landed but 

 lately on the beach. But British valour and perseve- 

 rance overcame every difficulty, and taught the repub- 

 lican soldiers of France what they were to expect from 

 the soldiers of Great Britain. Generals Lanusse, Beau- 

 det, and Roixc, did not survive the late engagement, 

 and the loss of the French was immense. Six British 

 officers were killed upon the 13th of March, Major 

 Ogle died by the bursting of a shell at the landing of 

 the troops, and Ensigns Warren and Mead fell also on 

 that memorable occasion. On the '21st of March, 

 which terminated so honourably to the British name, 



