The Battle of Dioubouldou (sometimes spelled Jubuldu, Dioubouldy or Dybuldu) was fought on 25 February 1855 between French forces of Colonel Louis Faidherbe and the combined

Waalo Walo ( wo, Waalo) was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in West Africa, in what are now Senegal and Mauritania. It included parts of the valley proper and areas north and south, extending to the Atlantic Ocean. To the north were Moorish emirat ...

and

Trarza Trarza ( ar, ولاية الترارزة) is a region in southwest Mauritania. Its capital is Rosso. Other major cities and towns include Mederdra and Boutilimit. Trarza borders the regions of Inchiri and Adrar to the north, Brakna to the east, a ...

forces under Queen

Ndaté Yalla Mbodj Ndaté Yalla Mbodj also known as Ndateh Yalla Mbooj — 1860M'bayo, Tamba Eadric, ''African Interpreters, Mediation, and the Production of Knowledge in Colonial Senegal: The Lower and Middle Senegal Valley, Ca. 1850s to Ca. 1920s, Volume 2''. Mi ...

Background

Although they were historical enemies, relations between Waalo and Trarzas had recently got a bit warmer when Mohamed El-Habib married the sister of Queen Ndaté. Together, they started challenging the growing influence of the French in the vicinity of Saint-Louis. In January 1855, Queen Ndaté sent an imperious letter to French governor Louis Faidherbe, ordering him to evacuate the outskirts of Saint-Louis immediately. In response, Faidherbe gathered troops and local volunteers and departed from Saint-Louis in order to march on

N'Der N'Der (also spelled Nder or Ndeer) is a small town on the western shore of the Lac de Guiers, in northern Senegal. It was the third and last capital of Waalo until the annexion of the kingdom by France in 1855. Geography N'Der is located on the ...

, the village of Queen Ndaté.

Battle

On 25 February, the French column, composed of 400 regulars, 400 volunteers from Saint-Louis and a

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

of colonial cavalry, met with the Waalo-Trarza army near a wood in the plain of Dioubouldou, not far from N'Der. Queen Ndaté's forces had been waiting here for French. Trarza cavalry was positioned at the center, while Waalo

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

was disposed on each sides of the cavalry. A large number of Waalo warriors were also hidden in the field of tall grass that separated the French from the Waalo-Trarza army. Colonel Faidherbe started by firing some artillery rounds on the field, which caused great disorder in Waalo ranks. He then sent a company of

marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

under Captain Benoit and a group of volunteers led by a man named Amadou Sar to attack the warriors in the grass. Meanwhile the French

rearguard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...

, which consisted in a company of marines under Captain Bruyas, easily repulsed an attempt at

envelopment Envelopment is the military tactic of seizing objectives in the enemy's rear with the goal of destroying specific enemy forces and denying them the ability to withdraw. Rather than attacking an enemy head-on as in a frontal assault an envelopment ...

by Trarza cavalry. French cavalry was then sent against the retreating Waalo warriors, turning their flight into a complete

rout A rout is a panicked, disorderly and undisciplined retreat of troops from a battlefield, following a collapse in a given unit's command authority, unit cohesion and combat morale (''esprit de corps''). History Historically, lightly-e ...

Aftermath

Following the rout of the Waalo-Trarza army, Queen Ndaté fled to

Cayor Cayor ( wo, Kajoor; ar, كاجور) was the largest and most powerful kingdom (1549–1879) that split off from the Jolof Empire in what is now Senegal. Cayor was located in northern and central Senegal, southeast of Walo, west of the kingdom ...

with her followers. French forces captured the village of N'Der, residence of Queen Ndaté and de facto capital of the Waalo Kingdom, which had been deserted by its inhabitants. The volunteers thoroughly looted the deserted village, which was then set on fire. Several nearby villages were also looted, and the French column eventually went back home to Saint-Louis with a large booty of over 2,000 cows and oxen, 50 donkeys and 30 horses.

Notes

References

{{reflist History of Senegal Conflicts in 1855