{{Short description|1801 battle of the French invasion of Egypt and Syria}} {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Siege of Fort Julien | partof = the [[French invasion of Egypt and Syria]] | image = Fort Julien with an Egyptian Boat (cropped).jpg | caption = 1803 illustration of Fort Julien | date = 8–19 April 1801 | place = [[Fort Julien]], [[Ottoman Egypt]] | coordinates = {{Coord|31.458051|30.376188|display=inline,title}} | result = Anglo-Ottoman victory<ref name="McGregor">{{cite book|last1=McGregor|first1=John James|title=History of the French Revolution: And of the Wars Resulting from that Memorable Event, Volume 7 History of the French Revolution: And of the Wars Resulting from that Memorable Event|date=1828|publisher=G.B. Whittaker|pages=147–49}}</ref> | combatant1 = [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] <br /> [[Ottoman Empire]] | combatant2 = [[French First Republic|France]] | commander1 = [[George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie|Lord Dalhousie]] | commander2 = [[Louis Friant]]{{Surrendered}} | strength1 = 2,000<ref name="McGregor"/> | strength2 = 306<ref name="Mackesy">Mackesy, pp 156–157</ref> | casualties1 = 10 killed or wounded<ref name="Walsh">Walsh pp 117–18</ref> | casualties2 = 41 killed or wounded <br /> 264 captured<ref name="McGregor"/> | campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Egypt-Syria}} }}

The '''siege of Fort Julien''' was a military engagement that took place during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] as part of the [[French invasion of Egypt and Syria]] from 8 to 19 April 1801. The action was between a [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] force numbering 2,000 men and a besieged French force of 300 men.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Moore|first1=James Carrick|title=The life of Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, K.B. Volume 1 of The Life of Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, K.B|date=1833|publisher=John Murray|page=308}}</ref>

==Background== On 19 July 1799, only a few days before the [[Battle of Abukir (1799)|Battle of Abukir]], the French took possession of a dilapidated 15th century fortification built by the [[Mamluk]] Sultan [[Qaitbay|Qait Bey]], and embarked on a hasty rebuilding. The fort, located on the left bank of the [[Nile]] near [[Rosetta]] (Rashid), was renamed Fort Julien after [[Thomas Prosper Jullien]], one of Napoleon's [[aide-de-camp|aides-de-camp]]. It was during this reconstruction that the [[Rosetta Stone]] was found.<ref>Saunders p 134</ref> Fort Julien was an important link in the French defensive line on the route to [[Cairo]] and barred access from the sea to the lower reaches of the river. French [[gunboat]]s operated along the river nearby, blocking access to the mouth of the [[Nile]].<ref name="Walsh"/>

When the British [[Battle of Abukir (1801)|landed at]] [[Abu Qir|Abukir Bay]] on 1 March 1801, Baron [[Charles De Hompesh]] was sent by General [[John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore|John Hely-Hutchinson]] to capture [[Rosetta]]. Fort Julien was garrisoned by a total of around 300 men, comprising a unit of veterans or ''invalides'' supported by artillery and infantry from the 61st demi-brigade.<ref name="McGregor"/>

==Siege== The British marched on [[Rosetta]] on 8 April, accompanied by 1,000 Ottoman troops, and pushed on to besiege the fort with the [[2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot]] under [[George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie|Lord Dalhousie]].<ref name="Mackesy"/>

The siege was complicated by the difficulties of bringing artillery to bear on the fort, a task which took eight days. Seven gunboats had to be dragged for {{convert|3|mi|km|0|disp=flip}} across sand and mud before they could be relaunched on the Nile.<ref name="Mackesy" /> While 24-pound naval [[carronade]]s were landed on the sea shore and dragged {{convert|4|mi|km|0|disp=flip}} overland to reach their firing positions.<ref name="McGregor"/> General [[Robert Lawson (soldier)|Robert Lawson]] of the [[Royal Artillery]] took the decision to use naval cannonades rather than heavier standard 24-pounders in the assumption – which proved correct – that the [[cement]] used by the French in their hasty improvement work would not yet have hardened. The French gunboats were driven back by their British opponents, enabling other British and Turkish gunboats to enter the river.<ref name="McGregor"/>

On 16 April the artillery preparations were completed and the bombardment commenced, focusing on the south-west angle of the fort.<ref name="Mackesy" /> A section of the wall collapsed on 18 April, exposing the French defenders to Turkish [[sharpshooter]]s. The French then waved white flags; and after negotiations the French agreed to surrender.<ref name="Walsh"/>

==Aftermath== At 11:00 on 19 April, the 264 surviving members of the French garrison marched out, thus opening the Nile to the British and Turkish fleet.<ref name="Mackesy" /> The French suffered 41 casualties, killed and wounded, while the British side suffered the loss of one lieutenant and two privates.<ref name="Walsh"/> Rossetta was subsequently taken without any opposition.

Hutchinson then invested [[Cairo]] and on 27 June the 13,000-strong French garrison under General [[Augustin Daniel Belliard]], out-manned and out-gunned, surrendered. General [[John Moore (British Army officer)|John Moore]] then escorted them to the coast via Rosetta.<ref name="Barthorp">Barthorp p. 6</ref>

== Notes == {{Reflist}}

== References == *{{cite book|last1=Barthorp|first1=Michael|title=Napoleon's Egyptian Campaigns 1798–1801|date=1992|publisher=Osprey Publishing}} * {{cite book|last1=Mackesy|first1=Piers|title=British Victory in Egypt, 1801: The End of Napoleon's Conquest|date=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134953578}} * {{cite book|last1=Saunders|first1=Nicholas J|title=Alexander's Tomb: The Two Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conqueror|date=2007|publisher=Basic Books|isbn=978-0-465-07203-3}} * {{cite book|last1=Walsh|first1=Thomas|title=Journal of the late campaign in Egypt: including descriptions of that country, and of Gibraltar, Minorca, Malta, Marmorice, and Macri; with an appendix; containing official papers and documents|date=1803|publisher=Cadell and W. Davies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VGFuGLL2at8C}}

==External links== *{{commons-inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Julien 1801}} [[Category:Conflicts in 1801]] [[Category:Sieges of the French invasion of Egypt and Syria]] [[Category:Sieges of the Anglo-French wars]] [[Category:1801 in Egypt]] [[Category:April 1801]] [[Category:Rosetta Stone]] [[Category:Beheira Governorate]] [[Category:Attacks on military installations in Egypt]] [[Category:Building bombings in Egypt]] [[Category:Naval bombing operations and battles]] [[Category:Riverine warfare]] [[Category:Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving the Ottoman Empire]]