The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military eventsBorthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
History
The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
Borthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
Battles; Military history
ALEXANDRIA.--The battle of Alexandria was fought, March 21st, 1801,
between the English and the French, the latter being commanded by
Menou, and the former by Sir Ralph Abercrombie. It resulted in the
defeat of the French, but the British general was mortally wounded,
and after the retreat of Menou, he was carried to the admiral’s
ship, and died on the 28th. The command devolved on Major-General
Hutchinson, who baffled all the schemes of Menou, and obliged him
to surrender, September 2nd, following, the victor guaranteeing the
conveyance of the French, exceeding 10,000, to a French port in the
Mediterranean.
ALFORD.--This battle was fought, July 2nd, 1645, between a large
body of Covenanters, under General Bailie, and the troops under
the Marquis of Montrose. There was discovered some years since, in
one of the mosses near this place, a man in armour, on horseback,
supposed to have been drowned in attempting to escape from this
battle.
ALGESIRAS, OR OLD GIBRALTAR.--By this city the Moors entered
Spain A.D. 713, and it was not recovered from them till 1344. An
engagement was fought here between a British squadron, under Sir
James Saumurez, and several French and Spanish ships of war, which
closed in the destruction of two Spanish ships, each of 112 guns,
and the capture of the _St. Antonio_, of 74 guns, July 12th, 1801.
ALGIERS.--The British fleet, under Lord Exmouth, anchoring off
Algiers, bombarded the town, which returned the fire; but all the
fortifications and houses towards the sea were soon reduced to
ashes, and the fleet in the harbour entirely destroyed, August
27th, 1816. The Dey was compelled to conclude a treaty by which he
set the Christian captives free, and engaged to cease, in future,
from reducing Christians to slaves--a stipulation which, however,
he did not afterwards strictly observe; so that the French took
possession of the country and made it a colony with a governor,
bearing the title of Regent of Algeria. This country is famous for
the celebrated French soldiers, the Zouaves, of the late wars.
ALIWAL, _India_.--This battle was fought, January 28th, 1846,
between the British under Sir H. Smith, with 1200 men and 32
guns, and the Sikh army, under Sirdar Runjoor Singh Majeethea,
26,000 strong, supported by 68 pieces of cannon. The contest was
obstinate, but ended in the defeat of the Sikhs, who lost nearly
6000 killed, or drowned, in attempting to recross the Sutlej.
This battle was named after the village of Aliwal, in the Indian
language, _Ulleewal_, near which it was fought.
ALLIA.--This memorable battle, in the history of Rome, was fought
on the 18th July, B.C. 390, between the Romans and the celebrated
Brennus, king of the Gauls; 40,000 of the Romans fell, and Brennus
took and burnt the city of Rome. This day was always marked unlucky
in the Roman calendar, and called Alliensis.
ALLIANCE, TREATIES OF.--Between the greatest European powers, which
are most commonly referred to:
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