The following despatch from Major-General Sir Evelyn Wood, dated from Ramleh, the 20th September, 1882, was forwarded by General Sir Garnet Wolseley to the Secretary of State for War, and was by him communicated to the Admiralty:
"Sir:—I have the honor to request that you will be good enough to bring to the notice of the commander-in-chief in Egypt the excellent work performed on shore by the officers and men of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines during the period I have been in command at Alexandria. All requests from me for their employment on shore have been met with the utmost alacrity and good feeling by Admiral Dowell, C. B. The work performed by the several parties has been of an arduous and varied nature, but I particularize the following: Commander Hammett, R. N., with a party of blue-jackets from the Minotaur, landed on the nights of the 31st August and the 1st September, and demolished by gun-cotton a house, near our advanced posts on the canal, which afforded cover to the enemy. Commander Morrison, R. N., was relieved shortly after my assuming command by Commander Parr, R. N., whose men, under the direction of Lieutenant Scott, R. N., worked in a most praiseworthy and successful manner in mounting three 7-in. M. L. R. guns on the water tower position. The sand being very heavy rendered the work most difficult. These guns were effectively used against the enemy's earthworks, under the direction of Commander Parr and Lieutenant Wrey, R. N. It is right that I should add that Major-General Sir A. Alison had, previous to his departure, spoken to me of Lieutenant Scott's work in the highest terms of praise. We derived great assistance from a party of blue-jackets under Commander Henderson, who, with the 21st company Royal Engineers, all being under the command of Captain Pusey, R. E., repaired the rail between Kafr-el-Dowar and Alexandria. The destruction of a heavy piece of masonry thrown up across the line demanded great exertion. The cutting of the Mex dam was an arduous piece of work performed by Lieutenant Scott, R. N., and a party of blue-jackets. They also built a retaining wall measuring 170 yards long, 12 feet broad at the top and 15 feet broad at the bottom. Good service was done by the Royal Marines while in garrison at Alexandria, under the command of Major French, R. M. A.
"I have, etc.,
"Evelyn Wood,
"Major-General Commanding at Alexandria."
The following is a brief resume of the operations of the marines, furnished by one of the officers of the battalion:
"On the 17th July a battalion of five companies (strength 591 of all ranks) under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Ley, landed at Alexandria and occupied part of the lines of defence of that place, under Sir Archibald Alison's orders. On the 5th August the battalion, under the command of the late Major Strong, formed part of the right column of attack in the reconnaissance in force, under Sir A. Alison, in which the casualties were, as far as the marines were concerned, one private killed and eleven wounded, two of the latter subsequently dying of their wounds. On the 8th of August Colonel H. S. Jones, of the Royal Marines, arrived in the steamship Decca with 450 men. Colonel Jones landed at Alexandria and assumed the command, sending on the reinforcements under Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, Royal Marines, to Port Said, there to await orders. On the 19th August the battalion, under Colonel H. S. Jones, embarked in the steamship Rhosiana as part of the 1st Division of the Army Corps, and proceeded through the Suez Canal to Ismailia. The next day two companies, under the command of Major J. W. Scott, R. M., landed at daybreak and occupied Port Said in conjunction with the navy, under the command of Captain Fairfax, of the Monarch. On the same day Lieutenant-Colonel Graham and three companies of Royal Marines landed and took possession of Ismailia in conjunction with the navy under Captain Fitzroy, of the Orion. On the 21st August the battalion under Colonel Howard S. Jones disembarked at Ismailia and were shortly afterwards joined by the companies under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Graham and Major Scott, thus completing his battalion to upwards of woo men. The marines were posted to the first, or Guards Brigade, under the Duke of Connaught. Two days Jater, by the express desire of Sir Garnet Wolseley, one company, under Captain Heathcote, was detached as his personal escort during the campaign. On the following day the battalion made a forced march from Ismailia during the night to reinforce the troops engaged that day at El Magfia. The force was Joined on the 25th, and proceeded to follow up Arabi's army, driving him from his stronghold at Tel-el-Mahuta. That evening, with General Graham, V. C., the force marched to Mahsameh and occupied the enemy's camp, which had that morning been captured by cavalry. There they remained some days. On the 28th the force marched from Mahsameh to the relief of the garrison of Kassassin, which had been attacked by 10,000 Egyptians. The battalion came into action at 7 o'clock in the evening, and in conjunction with the garrison drove the Egyptians back, inflicting great loss on the enemy. From this date the battalion was attached to the 2d Brigade under General Graham, V. C. It was on the 9th September when the Egyptian army made an attack on the camp at Kassassin, with a force numbering 15,000 of all arms, in addition to some 5000 Bedouins. The battalion took an important part in the action, being in the fighting line, and were fortunate in capturing two of the enemy's guns, which were taken in dashing style by the companies under the command of the late Captain Wardell and Captain Coffin. In this engagement the battalion had twenty-seven non-commissioned officers and men wounded, several of whom died shortly afterwards.
"On the 12th September, the greater part of the army at Kassassin struck tents at sunset, and commenced their celebrated night march across the desert, which was to bring them before the lines of Tel-el- Kebir. The battalion of Royal Marines was again fortunate in being placed in the front line, and formed the left battalion of the brigade of General Graham, V. C. The march across the desert was conducted in silence, the force occasionally halting to rest. At dawn on the 13th of September this brigade joined the second brigade moo yards from the enemy's earthworks, and before it had time to get into fighting formation the enemy opened a heavy fire, which increased in rapidity as the brigade advanced. The advance of the Royal Marine fighting line was the admiration of their brigadier and all who witnessed it. Not a shot was fired by them until within 150 yards of the intrenchments. Then the fire being so terrific, the colonel commanding ordered them to halt, fix bayonets and open fire, as the fighting line crept up towards the trenches. They were reinforced by the supports and reserve respectively, and when within thirty yards of the ditch they gave a wild cheer and dashed into the trenches. Soon the parapet was carried, and on gaining the inside of the intrenchments the battalion did good work in clearing the defenders from the trenches on the left, and from the battery which was being enfiladed by a portion of the Highland brigade. In this action the battalion lost in killed and wounded two officers, one sergeant, and ten privates killed; four officers, two sergeants, two buglers, and forty-two privates wounded—four subsequently dying of wounds—and two privates missing. After the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, the Royal Marines were among the first regiments sent to garrison Cairo, and on the entry of His Highness the Khedive into the city, lined the streets with other corps to receive him, and formed part of the army corps which was reviewed by the General Commanding-in-Chief in the presence of the Khedive, in the Place d'Abdin, Cairo, on the 30th September. After remaining in camp at Cairo for about three weeks, the battalion received orders to proceed to Alexandria to embark in the steamship City of Paris, en route for England."
Another account says:
"The Marine Light Infantry were ordered to march from Kassassin camp at sunset, 12th inst., and formed the left of the second brigade, 1st division, under Major-General Graham, V. C., C. S. I., the remainder of the 1st division (Guards Brigade) being in our rear in reserve. On the left were the Highland Brigade, with the 2d brigade, 2d division in reserve; the artillery between the two divisions, 1000 yards in rear. The Royal Marine Artillery, now attached to the corps artillery, formed Sir Garnet Wolseley's body-guard. By the programme sketched out by the commander-in-chief, the two leading brigades were to march in line upon the intrenchments, attack before daylight, and carry them without firing a shot. After a march of ten miles through the desert they found themselves, just as dawn was breaking, about 1200 yards in front of the northern portion of the Tel-el-Kebir lines; but the brigade, owing to the stars being occasionally obscured, lost its true direction and had to make a change of front. Whilst this was being done the enemy opened fire, and by the time the brigade had formed into line a very continuous fire of shot and shell was being poured into it. As soon as the brigade movement was completed, Colonel Jones at once formed the marines for attack,' by sending out three companies on the fighting line, three in support and two in reserve. As the extended line approached the Position, which was entirely devoid of cover, the fire increased in intensity, but the men pressed steadily forward up the slope of the glacis, reserving their fire until within 100 or 150 yards of the ditch, then fixing bayonets, the fighting line being reinforced by the supports, worked by rushes, in spite of a terrific fire, up to the top of the glacis, when, being again reinforced by reserves under Lieutenant- Colonel Graham, R. M., the whole rushed forward with a loud cheer, dashed into the ditch and scrambling up the parapet from seven to nine feet high, engaged the enemy in a sharp hand-to-hand fight. This lasted but a short time. The enemy, being overpowered, broke and fled in all directions. The marines followed them up for a distance of about four miles, clearing position after position, until they came to Arabi's headquarters camp at Tel-el-Kebir. This they found standing, but evacuated, it having been left in haste, as everything appeared in order. Here they were ordered to halt and occupy some of the deserted tents. Arabi is supposed to have had 25,000 troops of all arms occupying this position when it was attacked. Sixty-six guns were captured, together with large quantities of stores, ammunition and railway rolling stock, besides a large number of prisoners. The casualties in the marine battalion were very severe, amongst them Major Strong, who was shot through the heart while most gallantly leading his fighting line up the glacis, within twenty yards of the enemy. Captain Wardell, one of the most valuable and efficient officers in the battalion, was also killed, being shot through the head, close in front of the parapet while cheering on his men. In addition to the above, one non-commissioned officer and ten men were killed; four officers and forty-three non-commissioned officers, buglers, and privates wounded, one since dead. Sir G. Wolseley specially thanked the officers and men of the battalion for the splendid manner in which they did their work that day, and for the great assistance they had been to him throughout the campaign. General Willis, commanding 1st division, and General Graham, commanding 2d brigade, also congratulated the battalion on its success and great steadiness under fire."