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391 



HUtory. Colonel Duten.-, Major Buset, arid eight other officers, 

 w ^T**' were lost to their country and their friends. 



Sir Ralph Abercromby, their tried and much-esteem- 

 ed commander-in-chief, died after the battle, on board 

 the Foudroyant, Admiral Keith's own ship ; and his 

 dentil was occasioned by the wound of a bullet which 

 entered his thigh, took its direction toward the groin, 

 and could not be extracted. He was lamented by his 

 country, and beloved by his army. His body was de- 

 posited in the north-west bastion of Fort St Elmo, in 

 the island of Malta. A monument was erected to his 

 memory in St Paul's church, London ; and the king 

 was pleased to command, that the famous French stan- 

 dard, taken by de Lutz, should be deposited on his 

 tomb. The lady of the departed hero was dignified by 

 the title of Baroness Abercromby of Aboukir andTulli- 

 body, which remained to the heirs male of her de- 

 ceased Lord. Other remunerations accompanied these 

 honours, and the national feelings were indulged by 

 these merited tokens of public favour. 



Death of Sir L'pon the death of Sir Ralph Abercromby, Mnjor- 

 Kalph A- general John Hely Hutchinson, being the second in com- 

 berciomby. mand, succeeded in course to the office of commander- 

 in-chief. The part he had to act was perilous. To 

 push forward immediately to Alexandria would have 

 been dangerous, and to remain inactive would have 

 been inglorious. To establish a correspondence with 

 the Grand Vizier, who was directing his course to 

 Grand Cairo, and to obstruct the communication of the 

 French with that important city, it was necessary to 

 reduce Rosette and the strong post of Ramaniah. Ro- 

 getta was of great consequence for defending the navi- 

 gation of the Nile, and conveying what was necessary 

 to Grand Cairo; and when it was taken, the care of the 

 place, and the reduction of Fort Julian, were given in 

 trust to the Right Hon. the Earl of Ualhousie. The 

 city of Alexandria being put into a respectable state of 

 defence, ard the communication of Grand Cairo bring 

 rendered more difficult by the water, which was thrown 

 into the old bed of the lake Mareotis, which extended 

 far into the desert, the British and Ottoman troops 

 were attended every where with success. 



A party of the French advancing from Alexandria, 

 were attacked by General Doyle and Major Wilson ; 

 and being already harassed by the Arabs, they surren- 

 dered themselves prisoners, upon the promise of being 

 permitted to return to France. A considerable num- 

 ber of French troops were assembled at Grand Cairo, 

 and a detachment was sent to engage the army of the 

 Grand Vizier, and drive them back tj Sak'hiah. An 

 engagement ensued, and the Turks were victorious. 

 1 iMinediatdy after this victory, theGrand Vizier encamp- 

 ed at Benerhasset, where Major-general Hutchinson, 

 and the Capitan I'asha went to visit him, and concert 

 measures for the siege of Grand Cairo. Though seve- 

 ral skilful British officers were ready to assist the Grand 

 Vizier with all their talents ; yet General Hutchinson 

 was fearful of a Turkish army meeting the well-trained 

 troops of France ; therefore, as the Grand Vizier advan- 

 ced on one side of the Nile, General Hutchinson made 

 progress on the other. Seeing these powerful prepara- 

 tions, General Belliard, the French commandant of 

 Grand Cairo, proposed a conference for surrendering 

 the city. 



Brigadier General Hope appeared for Great Britain, 

 Mahommed I'asha for the Vizier, Isaac Bey for the Ca- 

 pitan I'asha, and Osman Bey for the Mamelukes, who 

 were still formidable, though held in check. Generals 

 Morand and Douzelot, with Tareyre, a chief of brigade, 

 were employed in behalf of the French. Captain Tay- 



Treaty of 



lor was secretary to the conference, and, in the course ^Uumiiy- 

 of six days, a convention was signed for surrendering '"V" 

 Grand Cairo. Vessels, and every necessary provision, 

 were furnished for facilitating the departure of that di- 

 vision of the French army ; and in the first week of 

 August they sailed from Egypt for their native coun- 

 try. In the mean time, Menou was providing for his 

 army at Alexandria ; and General Coote was providing 

 for the British interests both by sea and land. 



While transports with supplies for the French troops 

 were not permitted to land, the British forces before 

 Alexandria had received reinforcements and other sup- 

 plies from Europe. But, after all, Menou refused to 

 comply with the terms which Belliard had accepted at 

 Grand Cairo, and vowed to triumph or perish in the 

 fate of Alexandria. During these transactions, General 

 Hutchinson had been created a Knight of the Bath, and 

 appointed Lieutenant-general of the Mediterranean. 

 As Menou refused to surrender, it was necessary to 

 adopt measures for driving him from Alexandria. The 

 most convenient place for an attack appeared to be the 

 peninsula of Marabu, on the west of Alexandria. This 

 scene of action was- fixed upon by General Coote, and 

 appointed to conduct the operations, while Sir 

 John Hutchinson commanded the camp to the east- 

 ward of the city. 



The troops 'under the command of General Coote 

 were about 4000 rank and file, with a due proportion 

 of artillery and engineers. They pushed along in boats 

 on the lake Mareotis ; and to facilitate their landing, a 

 diversion was made by the troops of General Finch, 

 and a successful landing was effected. To distract the 

 attention of the French, General Hutchinson made an 

 attack on the enemy's whole line, upon the heights of 

 Nicopolis, while the western division of troops had 

 taken the fort of Marabu, and then pushed forward 

 toward Alexandria. The French in this situation were 

 strongly posted ; but their lines must be forced, or 

 Alexandria could not fall. Upon the 22d of August, 

 therefore, the British troops were under arms by dawn 

 of day, and moved forward in separate columns. Lord 

 C avan, with Generals Ludlow and Finch, had the prin- 

 cipal command of the corps and divisions of that day. 

 Upon the right of the army was the lake Mareotis, with 

 four gun-boats ; and on the left the old harbour of 

 Alexandria, with six sloops of war. As the army adr 

 vnnced, so did the vessels on either side, keeping ra- 

 ther in advance, te harass the enemy, and protect the 

 British in their march. 



The French soldiers retired, and the British having 

 advanced, formed an encampment upon the ancient Ni- 

 copolis. Both sides of Alexandria were invested by Surrender 

 the British troops ; an accession of ships in the old har- of Alexam- 

 hour poured destruction upon the city ; and Menou, dria ' 

 after various attempts to procrastinate, in the hopes of 

 receiving supplies from home, was compelled to capi- 

 tulate, upon the same terms which General Belliard had 

 accepted for Grand Cairo, and which General Menou 

 had formerly rejected with scorn. Here, also, Briga- 

 dier-General Hope was the person employed to adjust 

 the capitulation ; and on the 2d of September the 

 French surrendered. Sir John Hely Hutchinson was 

 created a British peer ; and Lord Keith, who had al- 

 ready an Irish title, was raised to a seat in the British 

 House of Lords. General Coote was invested with the 

 order of the bath ; and the Grand Signior conferred 

 many favours upon the principal officers both by sea and 

 land. All the regiments who had been in Egypt wort 

 allowed to carry a sphynx upon their colours. Upon 

 the 18th of September, the keys of Alexandria were 



