Battle of Alexandria (1801)
The Battle of Alexandria, or Battle of Canope, was fought on 21 March 1801 between the army of Napoleon's French First Republic under General Jacques-François Menou and the British expeditionary corps under Sir Ralph Abercromby. The battle took place near the ruins of Nicopolis, on the narrow spit of land between the sea and Lake Abukir, along which the British troops had advanced towards Alexandria after the actions of Abukir on 8 March and Mandora on 13 March. The fighting was part of the French campaign in Egypt and Syria against the Ottoman Empire, which began in 1798.[8]
For the British siege of the city later the same year, see Siege of Alexandria (1801). For other battles and sieges of Alexandria, see Battle of Alexandria (disambiguation).Prelude[edit]
Following Lanusse's reverse at Mandora, Menou finally arrived from Cairo to take direct command of French forces, and determined to attack on 21 March. François Lanusse would lead on the left with the brigades of Valentin and Silly, supported by the infantry Divisions of Antoine-Guillaume Rampon in the centre and Jean Reynier on the right.
The British position on the night of 20 March extended across the isthmus, the right wing resting upon the ruins of Nicopolis and the sea, the left on the lake of Abukir and the Alexandria canal. The line faced generally south-west towards the city, the reserve division under Major-General Sir John Moore on the right, the Foot Guards brigade under George Ludlow in the centre, and three other brigades on the left under Eyre Coote, John Cradock and Earl Cavan. In the second line were two infantry brigades and the cavalry (dismounted).
Aftermath[edit]
The armies engaged on this day both numbered approximately 14,000 men.[4] Losses for the British were, 10 officers and 233 men killed, 60 officers and 1,193 men wounded and 3 officers and 29 men missing. Amongst the senior officers the dead included Abercromby (who succumbed to his wound on 28 March), Lt Col David Ogilvy of the 44th Foot and Lt Col Dutens of the Minorca regt.[14] Moore, Oakes and the Adjudant General John Hope were wounded. The French suffered 1,000 dead, 600 wounded and 200 prisoners, though Fortescue considers up to 4,000 overall. Amongst the French casualties were three generals killed (Lanusse, Roize and brigade commander Baudot in Reynier's Division) and several other senior officers wounded. Additionally the flag of the 21st Light demi-brigade and one Austrian cannon were lost.[11]
John Hely-Hutchinson replaced Abercromby in command of British forces, which then advanced upon Alexandria to lay siege to it. The French garrison surrendered on 2 September 1801.
Reynier heavily criticised Menou in his mémoires[15] on his return to France - Bonaparte ordered the mémoires suppressed in 1802 for this reason (and possibly others). In their defence, Menou, Rampon and Lagrange however all blamed Reynier, Damas and Lanusse for the defeat.[16]
