# Siege of Fort Julien > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Siege_of_Fort_Julien > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Siege_of_Fort_Julien.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Julien > Source revision: 1353104837 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1801 battle of the French invasion of Egypt and Syria Siege of Fort Julien Part of the French invasion of Egypt and Syria 1803 illustration of Fort Julien Date 8–19 April 1801 Location Fort Julien, Ottoman Egypt 31°27′29″N 30°22′34″E / 31.458051°N 30.376188°E / 31.458051; 30.376188 Result Anglo-Ottoman victory[1] Belligerents United Kingdom Ottoman Empire France Commanders and leaders Lord Dalhousie Louis Friant Strength 2,000[1] 306[2] Casualties and losses 10 killed or wounded[3] 41 killed or wounded 264 captured[1] v t e French invasion of Egypt and Syria 1st Alexandria Shubra Khit Pyramids Nile 1st Cairo 1st El Arish Jaffa Acre Mount Tabor 1st Abukir Damietta 2nd El Arish Heliopolis Anglo-Ottoman expedition [tr] 2nd Abukir Mandora 2nd Alexandria Fort Julien El Rahmaniya Al Khankah 2nd Cairo 3rd Alexandria (Capitulation) The **siege of Fort Julien** was a military engagement that took place during the [French Revolutionary Wars](/source/French_Revolutionary_Wars) as part of the [French invasion of Egypt and Syria](/source/French_invasion_of_Egypt_and_Syria) from 8 to 19 April 1801. The action was between a [British](/source/United_Kingdom) and [Ottoman](/source/Ottoman_Empire) force numbering 2,000 men and a besieged French force of 300 men.[4] ## Background On 19 July 1799, only a few days before the [Battle of Abukir](/source/Battle_of_Abukir_(1799)), the French took possession of a dilapidated 15th century fortification built by the [Mamluk](/source/Mamluk) Sultan [Qait Bey](/source/Qaitbay), and embarked on a hasty rebuilding. The fort, located on the left bank of the [Nile](/source/Nile) near [Rosetta](/source/Rosetta) (Rashid), was renamed Fort Julien after [Thomas Prosper Jullien](/source/Thomas_Prosper_Jullien), one of Napoleon's [aides-de-camp](/source/Aide-de-camp). It was during this reconstruction that the [Rosetta Stone](/source/Rosetta_Stone) was found.[5] Fort Julien was an important link in the French defensive line on the route to [Cairo](/source/Cairo) and barred access from the sea to the lower reaches of the river. French [gunboats](/source/Gunboat) operated along the river nearby, blocking access to the mouth of the [Nile](/source/Nile).[3] When the British [landed at](/source/Battle_of_Abukir_(1801)) [Abukir Bay](/source/Abu_Qir) on 1 March 1801, Baron [Charles De Hompesh](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_De_Hompesh&action=edit&redlink=1) was sent by General [John Hely-Hutchinson](/source/John_Hely-Hutchinson%2C_2nd_Earl_of_Donoughmore) to capture [Rosetta](/source/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.[1] ## Siege The British marched on [Rosetta](/source/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](/source/2nd_(The_Queen's_Royal)_Regiment_of_Foot) under [Lord Dalhousie](/source/George_Ramsay%2C_9th_Earl_of_Dalhousie).[2] 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 5 kilometres (3 mi) across sand and mud before they could be relaunched on the Nile.[2] While 24-pound naval [carronades](/source/Carronade) were landed on the sea shore and dragged 6 kilometres (4 mi) overland to reach their firing positions.[1] General [Robert Lawson](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Lawson_(soldier)&action=edit&redlink=1) of the [Royal Artillery](/source/Royal_Artillery) took the decision to use naval cannonades rather than heavier standard 24-pounders in the assumption – which proved correct – that the [cement](/source/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.[1] On 16 April the artillery preparations were completed and the bombardment commenced, focusing on the south-west angle of the fort.[2] A section of the wall collapsed on 18 April, exposing the French defenders to Turkish [sharpshooters](/source/Sharpshooter). The French then waved white flags; and after negotiations the French agreed to surrender.[3] ## 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.[2] The French suffered 41 casualties, killed and wounded, while the British side suffered the loss of one lieutenant and two privates.[3] Rossetta was subsequently taken without any opposition. Hutchinson then invested [Cairo](/source/Cairo) and on 27 June the 13,000-strong French garrison under General [Augustin Daniel Belliard](/source/Augustin_Daniel_Belliard), out-manned and out-gunned, surrendered. General [John Moore](/source/John_Moore_(British_Army_officer)) then escorted them to the coast via Rosetta.[6] ## Notes 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-McGregor_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-McGregor_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-McGregor_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-McGregor_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-McGregor_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-McGregor_1-5) McGregor, John James (1828). *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*. G.B. Whittaker. pp. 147–49. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Mackesy_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Mackesy_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Mackesy_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Mackesy_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Mackesy_2-4) Mackesy, pp 156–157 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Walsh_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Walsh_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Walsh_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Walsh_3-3) Walsh pp 117–18 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Moore, James Carrick (1833). *The life of Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, K.B. Volume 1 of The Life of Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, K.B*. John Murray. p. 308. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Saunders p 134 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Barthorp_6-0)** Barthorp p. 6 ## References - Barthorp, Michael (1992). *Napoleon's Egyptian Campaigns 1798–1801*. Osprey Publishing. - Mackesy, Piers (2013). *British Victory in Egypt, 1801: The End of Napoleon's Conquest*. Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781134953578](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781134953578). - Saunders, Nicholas J (2007). *Alexander's Tomb: The Two Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conqueror*. Basic Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-465-07203-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-465-07203-3). - Walsh, Thomas (1803). [*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*](https://books.google.com/books?id=VGFuGLL2at8C). Cadell and W. Davies. ## External links - Media related to [Siege of Fort Julien](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Siege_of_Fort_Julien) at Wikimedia Commons --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Siege of Fort Julien](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Julien) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Julien?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.