The Diary of Sir John Moore Author:John Frederick Maurice Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XVIII THE MARCH ON CAIRO AND CAPITULATION OF THE FRENCH ARMY Upon the death of Sir Ralph Abercromby, the command of the army fell to Major-General ... more »Hutchiuson. His attention was at first directed to strengthen his front with works, in which he has placed a considerable quantity of artillery. Colonel Spencer was then detached to Rosetta with about 1200 British and between 4000 and 5000 Turks, who arrived with the Captain Pacha, and were landed about the time of Sir Ralph's death. The town was evacuated upon Colonel Spencer's approach, and he took up above the town a position which I understand was strong. He detached part of his force to erect batteries against St. Julien and Stone Fort, which command the entrance of the Nile. This fort held out several days, until a breach was made; it then surrendered. Two hundred and seventy men composed the garrison. They lost seventeen men by our fire; our loss was one or two only. The 6th April, the Pearl frigate arrived, with information that the French squadron of six or seven sail of the line had sailed from Toulon on the 19th March full of troops, steering for Alexandria. They were afterwards seen and followed by Sir John Warren and his squadron off Sardinia, but they escaped from him in the night, and have since been seen in a crippled state steering for Toulon. Sir John has joined Lord Keith, and the whole fleet is now off Alexandria. The French have concentrated their force at Alexandria and Rhamanie; they have strengthened and curtailed their line in front of Alexandria to enable them with greater safety to detach to Rhamanie, which is the key of their communication with the country, and where they have collected their treasure22 Hutchinson's Plan Of Campaign [jet. 39 from Cairo. General Hutchinson has reinforced consi...« less