The Egyptian Expedition, in mid-1882, was the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

' response to the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

attack on

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

during the

Anglo-Egyptian War The British conquest of Egypt (1882), also known as Anglo-Egyptian War (), occurred in 1882 between Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi and the United Kingdom. It ended a nationalist uprising against the Khedive Tewfik Pasha. It ...

. To protect American citizens and their property within the city, three

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

ships were sent to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

with orders to observe the conflict offshore and make a landing if necessary. Following the bombardment, a force of American marines and sailors were landed and they assisted in

fire fighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typicall ...

and guarding the American consulate. US and Royal Marines 1882 Egypt

Rear Admiral

James W. Nicholson Rear Admiral James William Augustus Nicholson (10 March 1821 – 28 October 1887) was an officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Life and naval career The son of Nathaniel Nicholson and gra ...

, commander of the

European Squadron The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil Wa ...

, was directed to lead the expedition in the

screw sloop A screw sloop is a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. In the 19th century, during the introduction of the steam engine, ships driven by propellers were differentiated from those driven by paddle-wheels by referring to the ship's ''screws'' (propelle ...

USS ''Lancaster''. Nicholson arrived at Alexandria on June 27, 1882, the

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-ste ...

USS ''Nipsic'' on July 1 and the corvette USS ''Quinnebaug'' on July 12. A joint British and French fleet, under Admiral

Beauchamp Seymour Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester, (12 April 1821 – 30 March 1895) was a British naval commander. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet between 1874 and 1877 and of the Mediterranean ...

, began anchoring off Alexandria on May 20 but the bombardment did not begin until July 11, after the French had refused to participate. The Americans were informed by the British of their intentions so Rear Admiral Nicholson was able to warn the United States citizens within the city of a pending attack. When the engagement began, the British started shooting at the various forts under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Ahmed Orabi Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet. Etymology The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...

. The Egyptians defended the city, striking the British ships several times though eventually the fortifications were reduced and silenced over the course of two days. During the bombardment, the Americans opened their ships up to all refugees from the city who needed shelter or medical treatment. By July 14, the attack was over but Alexandria was in a state of anarchy and burning. Remnants of Orabi's rebels, and elements of the civilian population, were attacking foreign residents, including Americans and in response Nicholson decided to send a landing party ashore. Captain Henry C. Cochrane of the

Marine Corps 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 (refl ...

, and two

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

s, were assigned to command a force of seventy marines and fifty-seven sailors with orders to occupy the American consulate, patrol the city, and fight the spreading fires which were ravaging the European section of Alexandria. The landing party was the first contingent of foreign troops to enter the city center after the bombardment, they were later followed by an occupation force 4,000 Britons and the troops of other nations. By July 20, conditions in the city had largely improved so most of the marines and sailors were withdrawn except for a small force from USS ''Quinnebaug'' under Lieutenant Frank L. Denny which was removed on July 24, ending the operation.

References

{{DANFS

Punitive expeditions of the United States Egypt–United States relations Conflicts in 1882 June 1882 events July 1882 events

See also

References