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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol III
1801 British Expedition to Egypt 105

Alexandria, and numbering, according to the French accounts, 6000 men, became separated from the 4000 under General Lagrange, intrenched at El-Aft, and the 5000 under General Belliard, in garrison at Cairo. If to these numbers, short as they are of the returns published in the Moniteur, be added, the loss known to have been already sustained, together with the several detachments in Upper Egypt, particularly the garrisons of Salalieh, Belbeis, Suez, Lesbeh, and Bourlos, our previous enumeration of the French force spread over this country will not be considered immoderately estimated.

On the 26th of April, having left Major-general Coote in command of the army before Alexandria, Major-general Hutchinson arrived at Rosetta, to press in person the operations against the French in the interior of the country. On the 5th of May Major-general Hutchinson, with the combined British and Turks, in number about 8000, marched along the banks of the Nile towards the position of General Lagrange at El-Aft, accompanied on the river by a division of British and Turkish gun-boats under the command, since the occupation of Rosetta and the expected arrival of Rear-admiral Ganteaume upon the coast (when Sir Sidney Smith returned to the Tigre), of Captain James Stevenson, assisted by Captain John Morrison, Richard Curry, and James Hillyar.

On the 7th, having previously destroyed their gun-vessels with all the provisions and stores on board of them, the French abandoned El-Aft and retreated towards Rahmanieh. On the same evening the allied troops entered El-Aft, and on the 9th advanced to Rahmanieh, where General Lagrange had taken post, with an apparent intention of making a stout resistance. At 10 a.m. Captain Curry, with four flats and three armed launches, commenced an attack upon the French forts at Rahmanieh, and continued in action with them until 4 P.M., when his division was relieved by the Turkish gun-boats. In this creditable affair the navy sustained a loss of Lieutenant Hobbes and three seamen killed and seven seamen wounded. During the same night, the French general retreated towards Cairo, leaving in the fort his sick and wounded, about 110 in number, under the command of chef de brigade Lacroix. A detachment of 50 cavalry from Alexandria were taken at the same time that Rahmanieh surrendered. The possession of this important post effectually cut off all communication between Alexandria and the interior of Egypt; and in gaining it the allied forces suffered no greater loss than one drummer, four rank and file, and 10 horses killed, and four officers, one sergeant, one drummer, 18 rank and file, and 18 horses wounded.

Continuing their march towards the capital of Egypt, which General Lagrange with his division had entered on the 13th, the allied forces, on the 14th, fell in with and captured a French armed vessel and 16 djerms, conveying wine, spirits, clothing,

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