The Nile Expedition to rescue General Gordon in Khartoum - Sudan Campaign 1885

The Nile Expedition (or Gordon Relief Expedition) was a key event in the British-Mahdist wars in Sudan.

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In 1884-1885, General Sir Garnet Wolseley led a British Army up the Nile to rescue Charles Gordon who was besieged in Khartoum.

This is the story of that expedition, which despite several victories over the Mahdi’s Sudanese army, eventually ended in failure.


Other videos in this British-Mahdist war in Sudan:

The Battle of El Teb 1884(plus background as to why British were in Sudan)
   • The Battle of El Teb 1884 - Mahdist W...  

The Battle of Tamai 1884 (the British square broken)
   • The Battle of Tamai 1884 | British- M...  

The Battle of Abu Klea (“The Gatling’s jammed and the Colonel’s dead”)
   • The Battle of Abu Klea 1885 | British...  

Gordon of Khartoum (A very Victorian hero)
   • General Charles Gordon (Part 1 -  Chi...  

The Battle of Omdurman (Gordon is avenged and the British conquer Sudan)
   • What Happened At  The Battle of Omdur...  


General Gordon had been sent to Khartoum to assist the Egyptians evacuate their nationals from the city in the face of a growing Islamic / nationalist revolt led by the Mahdi.

Having got most of the Egyptian civilians out of the city , Gordon took it upon himself to defend Khartoum and seek to establish an alternative Sudanese regime to counter the Mahdi.
But instead by the end of March 1884, he found himself besieged in the city and desperately appealed to the British government for assistance.

Eventually, Prime Minister, William Gladstone, sent a british army to Egypt under the command of General Sir Garnet Wolseley. His mission: to rescue the darling of the British public, “Chinese” Gordon, from Khartoum.

Making slow progress up the river and with messages from Gordon becoming more desperate, Wolseley decided to send a force of 1,500 men across the desert.

This Desert Column, was predominantly formed by 4 regiments of the Camel Corps, plus some mounted cavalry and a battalion of Infantry (the Royal Sussex Regiment).

The Desert column ended up fighting two pitched battles with the Mahdists.

In the first, at Abu Klea, the Sudanese managed to get inside the British square before being driven out in fierce hand-to-hand fighting.

A few days later, they again fought the Mahdist (Dervish) army at the battle of Abu Kru.
Despite achieving another victory, the column’s commander, Major-General Sir Herbert Stewart, was killed.

Finally, reaching the Nile, Colonel Charles Wilson headed up river by steamer to Khartoum.

In the meantime the Mahdi launched a successful assault on the city, which was overwhelmed and Gordon killed.

By the time Wilson arrived, it was too late.

Britain was shocked both by the death of their hero, General Gordon, and by the failure to relieve Khartoum.

Whilst Wolseley blamed Wilson, the general himself refused to shoulder any blame.
Somehow, the British public didn’t hold either soldier to account and instead rounded on Prime Minister Gladstone for not authorising the relief of Khartoum earlier.

In the end the Nile Expedition quietly withdrew from Sudan.
It would be over a decade before the British returned to avenge Gordon at the battle of Omdurman.


#thenileexpedition1885 #gordonreliefexpedition #generalsirgarnetwolseley #generalgordon


Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:00 The Gordon Relief Expedition
3:40 Desperate message from Khartoum
4:17 The Desert Column
6:18 Battle of Abu Klea
7:08 Battle of Abu Kru
11:30 Wilson heads up up-river
14:30 Mahdist’s storm Khartoum
15:34 Death of General Gordon
16:50 2 days late
18:35 Beresford to the rescue
19:55 “Too Late!”
23:10 The Blame Game
24:04 Aftermath
26:01 The History Chap



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My name is Chris Green ("The History Chap") and I am on a mission to share the amazing history of Britain so that we can appreciate where we have come from and why we are here.

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