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| Battle of Aboukir Bay 25th July 1798 by Louis Lejeune.
When Nelson shattered the French fleet in the Bay of Aboukir he foresaw, as his despatches showed, that the army of Bonaparte was land-locked. Bonaparte, having made an unsuccessful attempt, after traversing the Palestine Desert, to effect the siege of Acre, defended by Sir Sidney Smith, was obliged to anticipate the retreat from Moscow, and wearily trudge back to Egypt. Next his ambitious stake for Empire recalled him to France, and he left Egypt hurriedly and the army of occupation to its fate. Eventually the British Government, alive to the fruits of Nelsons victory, despatched Sir Ralph Abercromby to dislodge the imprisoned French battalions and to capture the covetable land of Egypt. In March 1801, Abercromby with Smith of Acre, and Moore, afterwards of Corunna, was prepared to disembark on the shore affronting the castle of Aboukir.The General had no maps, no clues of military topography. Everything depended on his imperturbable coolness, and on that intrepid and resourceful spirit and action of the men in his command. In the early morning every man for the landing was in his position in his boat. In the fury of the cannonade, three boats were sunk, but a fair number out of the 180 men involved were saved. The captain of this enterprise of seamanship was Alexander Cochrane, of the famous family of Dundonald. Eventually the troops plunged through the surf, with bayonets fixed and flags flying, and dashed up the sandhills. The 42nd Highlanders, rapidly clambering up, raced up to the French defenders, and closed with bayonet and butt-end. In the meantime the French cavalry had courageous ridden into the sea and cut down many of the close packed troops in boats. Again, too, squadrons charged into the ranks of the alert invaders, but they were repulsed with heavy casualties. Nothing could stop the fearless headway of the dauntless infantry, seamen and marines. General Moore was the life and soul of this wondrous attack, which caused him the loss of nearly 700 killed and wounded. The affair was almost as acrobatic as that of Quebec, and the Frenchmen had a quick awakening from their experiences of native troops. In a few hours after the original order for landing, the scattered enemy were in headlong retreat on the road to Alexandria, upon which the English eagerly prepared to advance. |