1882–1884. Troubles in Egypt—Arabi’s rebellion—Capture of Ismailia—Kassassin—Tel-el-Kebir—End of the War—19th at Cairo—Badges granted—Troubles in Eastern Soudan—Osman Digna—Regiment ordered to Suakin—Wreck of the Neera—Battle of El Teb—Heavy losses of the 19th—Battle of Tamai—Osman Digna’s camp burned—Regiment returns to Cairo—Badges granted.
In June 1879, Mahomed Ismail, the Khedive of Egypt, was deposed by the Sultan, at the instance of England and France, in favour of his son Mahommed Tewfik, and a control of Egyptian finances was established by the two western powers. In the beginning of 1881, a spirit of insubordination began to show itself among the officers of the Egyptian army, who quickly recognised their own power to enforce demands, and adopted as leader, one of their number, Said Ahmed Arabi, better known as Arabi Pasha. By September, the pretensions of the army had so far increased that, they forced the Khedive to dismiss his Ministers. Attempts were soon afterwards made to get rid of the Anglo-French control. Arabi’s influence increased daily; he caused himself to be appointed Minister of War; and, by April 1882, had practically got the whole of the country into his hands. The Khedive was helpless. In May, the French and English fleets were sent to Alexandria, in order to strengthen the Khedive’s hands. But matters did not improve: Arabi openly assumed the direction of affairs, and began to strengthen the forts commanding the Alexandria harbour. On the 11th June,[234] serious riots broke out in Alexandria, in the course of which a number of Europeans were killed, and their houses pillaged. It was seen in England that a military expedition to restore order would probably be necessary, and preparations, in anticipation, began to be made.
In the meantime, the work on the Alexandria fortifications had so far advanced as to endanger the safety of the fleets. The French Government was unwilling to take action: the remonstrances of the British Admiral were met by evasions and denials from Arabi Pasha. At last, on 11th July, after due notice, the forts were bombarded and destroyed by the British fleet. A force of seamen and marines was landed to secure the safety of the Khedive, and put an end to the pillaging and burning of the town by Arab marauders, and, on the 17th, two battalions of British infantry, from Cyprus, under Major General Sir Archibald Alison, landed to hold the town. On the 20th, the British Government definitely decided to send a military expedition to Egypt, to restore the Khedive’s authority. The French Government refused to co-operate, and withdrew from further action.
The force sent from England and the Mediterranean stations amounted to 25,450 men, of whom 2400 were cavalry: the whole being commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Garnet Wolseley. There being no fear of their being attacked at sea, they were sent without convoy, as soon as the ships could be got ready. By the 11th August, the last transport had sailed from England for Alexandria. The 19th Hussars were among the last to go. On the 10th August, they embarked at Southampton, in the Assyrian Monarch and the Montreal, with a total strength of 33 officers, 553 non-commissioned officers and privates, and 464 horses, under command of Lieutenant Colonel K. J. W. Coghill. Previous to this, a detachment of 20 men under Lieutenant Aylmer had sailed in the Orient as escort[235] to H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught. It was also arranged for a Contingent from India to operate from Suez, consisting of one battalion of British infantry, three battalions of Native infantry, and three regiments of Native cavalry, under command of Major General Sir Herbert Macpherson.
Arabi’s army, at the beginning of July, consisted only of about 9000 men. By calling out reserves, and enlisting Arabs, it soon reached the number of 60,000 men, and eventually amounted to 100,000.
Before the expedition left England, it had been determined to seize the Suez Canal, and advance on Cairo from Ismailia; but, as it was expedient that the Canal should not be blocked or injured, Alexandria was appointed as the rendezvous of the troops on the Mediterranean side, and measures were taken to spread the belief that the advance on Cairo would be made from that place.
The greater part of the troops being gathered at Alexandria, on the 18th August, preparations were made as if an attack on Aboukir was intended. Troops were re-embarked, and sailed under convoy of the fleet, at noon on the 19th, anchoring in Aboukir Bay the same afternoon. After dark, while demonstrations of bombarding the Aboukir forts were made, the transports weighed anchor, entered the Canal, and commenced landing at Ismailia on the 20th. The movement was unexpected by the enemy, and no resistance was experienced. By the 22nd, complete command had been gained of the whole Canal from Port Said to Suez. On the 21st, Nefisha, four miles in front of Ismailia, was occupied. Early on the 24th, a small force was pushed forward to El Magfar, which was occupied after a slight skirmish, in which Lieutenant Aylmer’s detachment of the 19th Hussars took part. At El Magfar, it was found necessary to push on to Tel-el-Mahuta, to secure the water supply. The place was strongly occupied by the enemy, and the small British force was exposed to long[236] range fire of guns and small arms, for many hours, while reinforcements were coming up, which did not happen till the evening. The next morning, the whole force advanced, and occupied Tel-el-Mahuta after a slight opposition, while the cavalry pushed forward, and occupied the enemy’s camp at Mahsamah without resistance. Seven guns, with a large quantity of small arms, ammunition and stores, fell into the hands of the British troops. Early on the 26th, Kassassin was occupied by a brigade of infantry under Major General Graham, and the troops from Suez began to arrive at Ismailia.
The 19th Hussars, in the Assyrian Monarch and the Montreal, did not reach Alexandria in time to take part in these operations. They reached Ismailia on the 24th, and completed their disembarkation by the evening of the 26th. The duty assigned to them was to act as Divisional troops; the Right Wing, consisting of two squadrons under Lieutenant Colonel Coghill, formed part of the 1st Division under Lieutenant General Willis; the remaining two squadrons, under Lieutenant Colonel A. G. Webster, formed part of the 2nd Division under Lieutenant General Sir E. Hamley. One troop was detailed as escort to Sir Garnet Wolseley throughout the campaign. The Right Wing joined the Head Quarters of the 1st Division at Tel-el-Mahuta, on the evening of the 27th.
On the 28th, a demonstration was made by the enemy against Graham’s force at Kassassin. The Right Wing of the 19th was ordered in support to Mahsamah; but, on its being ascertained that no serious attack was intended they returned to Tel-el-Mahuta. Graham, having been reinforced, and expecting the Heavy Cavalry Brigade to join him, made a general advance after sunset. The orders for the heavy cavalry had, however, miscarried, and did not reach Major General Lowe for several hours. Making a wide sweep into the desert, Lowe fell upon the left of the[237] enemy in the dark, and charged, rolling up their infantry; the darkness made pursuit impossible. The sound of the heavy firing, caused the Division at Tel-el-Mahuta to turn out again, but after a brief advance they returned to camp, with the exception of the 19th Hussars, who pushed on to Kassassin, which they reached at daybreak. It was not till noon, after visiting the scene of the previous night’s encounter, that they were able to off-saddle and rest.
The following twelve days were spent in preparing for the advance on Tel-el-Kebir, 13 miles from Kassassin, where Arabi’s army had constructed a formidable line of entrenched works. During these days, the 19th Hussars and the Indian Native Cavalry were employed in continual outpost and reconnoissance duties. On the 5th, Lieutenant Holland was badly wounded.
By the 8th, all was ready for massing the whole force at Kassassin preparatory to the advance on Tel-el-Kebir. Early on the 9th, Arabi advanced in force on Kassassin, attacking in two separate bodies simultaneously, one in front from Tel-el-Kebir, and the other in flank from Es Salihiyeh. Willis repelled the double attack with ease, and pushed the enemy back to within cannon shot of Tel-el-Kebir, capturing four guns.
Soon after dark on the 12th, the whole force consisting of 17,000 men, with 61 guns, moved out of camp to some high ground in front of Kassassin, in preparation for an attack on Arabi Pasha’s entrenched lines. At 1.30 in the morning, the troops moved silently forwards through the desert, their march directed by a naval officer steering by the stars. The four infantry brigades, in two lines, led the way, supported on the right by the heavy cavalry brigade and horse artillery, and on the left by the naval brigade. In rear of the naval brigade, followed the 19th Hussars under Lieutenant Colonel Coghill. One troop of the regiment remained at Mahsamah, and another at Tel-el-Mahuta,[238] to guard those points. At five in the morning the attack was delivered; after half an hour’s severe fighting, the British infantry was in complete possession of the lines. While the heavy cavalry pushed on to Zagazig to cut off fugitives, the 19th, under Coghill, passed through an opening in the entrenchments, and seized the Tel-el-Kebir railway station and bridge, cutting off a great number of fugitives. Thence the pursuit was continued for three hours, when the 19th returned to the enemy’s late camp. In the afternoon they started again in the track of the heavy cavalry, leaving a troop to protect burial parties, and reached Belbeis that evening. On the following evening Cairo was taken possession of, and Arabi surrendered himself. The only casualty in the regiment was Lieutenant Barclay who was struck by a fragment of shell from one of the first guns fired by the enemy at Tel-el-Kebir.
The war was over. A medal, with clasp for Tel-el-Kebir, was given to all who took part in the campaign. The medals were presented to the regiment by Lady Dufferin, in Her Majesty’s name, in the following February. H.H. the Khedive also gave a star.
A few weeks after the arrival of the regiment in Cairo, a virulent epidemic attacked the horses. In order to shake it off, the regiment was moved to Helouan, at the end of the first week in November, with 248 sick horses, 56 having died in Cairo. A good deal of sickness also set in among the men. In the following March the regiment returned to Cairo, and occupied the Abassiyeh barracks, having lost 18 men and 141 horses in the interval. When the regiment went to Egypt it had four coloured squadrons, chesnut, bay, brown, and black, while the band were mounted on greys. Experience showed that the greys bore the climate better than any others; the chesnuts also bore the climate well. The dark coloured horses[239] suffered most, and were more liable, than the others, to sore backs. In respect to age, the percentage of deaths among horses between five and ten years, was double that among horses between ten and fifteen years. In the hurry of departure from England, about twenty horses, over fifteen years of age, were taken. They were employed as waggon horses, and had perhaps harder work than those under saddle; yet they stood the climate and work better than all the others.
Affairs in Lower Egypt, to outward appearance, seemed to be settling down so satisfactorily that, in November, the regiment received orders to hold itself in readiness to proceed to England. This prospect endured only for a week, when news from Upper Egypt was received, altering all arrangements.
While the British government were busying themselves with Lower Egypt, they paid scanty attention to the Soudan, which they regarded as a burden and encumbrance that Egypt would do well to get rid of. The Khedive’s government did not hold this view, and continued to occupy themselves in dealing with a movement that had originated in Kordofan, the importance of which was greatly under-estimated at the time. Simultane............