53-572: The Nile Expedition , sometimes called the Gordon Relief Expedition (1884–1885), was a British mission to relieve Major-General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum , Sudan . Gordon had been sent to Sudan to help the Egyptians withdraw their garrisons after the British decided to abandon Sudan in the face of a rebellion led by self-proclaimed Mahdi , Mahommed Ahmed . A contingent of Canadians
106-547: A Major General rank is usually held by someone that is a Regional Military Command General Officer Commanding (Regional Commander or တိုင်းမှူး) or a Director such as Director of Defence Service Intelligence ( Khin Nyunt for example) In the New Zealand Army , major-general is the rank held by the chief of army (formerly the chief of general staff). The more senior rank of lieutenant-general is reserved for when an army officer holds
159-610: A component of the Winnipeg military garrison throughout the 20th and into the 21st centuries. Work has begun on a project to establish a heritage park in the area surrounding what remains of Upper Fort Garry. In the spring of 2010, a bill passed the House in the Manitoba Legislature, entitled The Upper Fort Garry Heritage Provincial Park Act . In 2007, a development company, Crystal Developers, sought to build an apartment complex next to
212-538: A crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by St. Edward's Crown. It is worn on the shoulder straps of the service dress tunic, and on slip-ons on other uniforms. On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves. Major-generals are initially addressed as 'general' and name, as are all general officers; thereafter by subordinates as 'sir' or 'ma'am' as applicable in English ( French : mon général ). Major-generals are normally entitled to staff cars . In Myanmar,
265-507: A dozen men along with enough cargo to supply them for a hundred days. In mid-November, the expedition received word from General Gordon that he could only survive the siege for another forty days. Realising that time was running out for General Gordon in Khartoum, Wolseley split his force into two columns. He sent the Desert Column of 1,400 men by camel on a 280 km shortcut from Korti, across
318-497: A field command, a major general is typically in command of a division consisting of around 6,000 to 25,000 troops (several regiments or brigades ). It is a rank that is subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the rank of brigadier or brigadier general . In the Commonwealth, major general is equivalent to the navy rank of rear admiral . In air forces with a separate rank structure (Commonwealth), major general
371-405: A fortified site at Kirbekan they hoped would impede the main British column still ascending the river. These military operations were occurring some two weeks after the fall of Khartoum and Brigadier Wilson's earlier glimpse of the fallen city from his steamship. At Kirbekan, whilst the British successfully seized the position, the British commander General William Earle was killed near the end of
424-520: A park on the site was nearing, Crystal Developers decided to grant the Friends an additional two years to finish raising the needed funds. Crystal ultimately bowed out of its proposed development plans. Two years later the City of Winnipeg approved the construction by Crystal Developers of a 25-storey apartment tower just west of the original location, on Assiniboine Ave. The Friends raised enough funds to purchase
477-678: A relief force to Khartoum. The Expedition was put under the command of General Garnet Wolseley , who had seen service in the Crimean War , Canada , the Gold Coast and the South African Wars . The Expedition was composed of two officers and 43 soldiers from each British Light Cavalry Regiment. Wolseley decided that the best way of reaching Khartoum would be to ascend the Nile . Based on his favourable experience with them during his expedition along
530-672: Is equivalent to air vice-marshal . In some countries including much of Eastern Europe , major general is the lowest of the general officer ranks without brigadier general rank. In the sultanate of Brunei , the rank of Major general ( Malay : Mejar jeneral ) is used by the Royal Brunei Land Force and the Royal Brunei Air Force . The rank is held by the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces . In
583-521: Is now central Winnipeg , Manitoba. Fort Garry was established in 1822, although its first iteration was destroyed in 1826 by severe flooding. The trading post was rebuilt in 1836 and served as the administrative centre for the Red River Colony . From 1869 to 1870, the fort was briefly occupied by Louis Riel and his Métis followers during the Red River Rebellion . The fort was demolished in
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#1732845353633636-521: Is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries, including Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , Germany , Norway , and Sweden . Fort Garry Fort Garry , also known as Upper Fort Garry , was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in or near the area now known as The Forks in what
689-582: The Air Force used the rank of air vice-marshal , instead. The rank insignia for a major-general in the Royal Canadian Air Force is a wide braid under a single narrow braid on the cuff, as well as two silver maple leaves beneath a crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by St. Edward's Crown. In the Canadian Army, the rank insignia is a wide braid on the cuff, as well as two gold maple leaves beneath
742-596: The British Parliament passed a motion thanking them for their efforts. A collection of records from the expedition was compiled and edited by C.P. Stacey , and published by the Champlain Society in 1959. Among the journalists who covered the expedition was Charles Lewis Shaw who worked for the Winnipeg Times and published an account in his book Nile Voyageur . A memorial plaque "Nile Voyageurs 1884–85"
795-581: The Canadian Armed Forces , the rank of major-general (MGen) ( French : major-général ) is both a Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force rank equivalent to the Royal Canadian Navy 's rank of rear-admiral . A major-general is a general officer , the equivalent of a naval flag officer . The major-general rank is senior to the ranks of brigadier general and commodore , and junior to lieutenant-general and vice admiral . Prior to 1968,
848-672: The French ), to the dominance of the North West Company (Fort Gibraltar, established in 1807) and finally the ascendancy of the Hudson's Bay Company (Fort Garry). The gate at Fort Garry constitutes the only above-ground remains of this succession of forts. On 15 June 1938 Canada Post issued 'Fort Garry Gate, Winnipeg', a 20¢ stamp. Although only the fort's main gate remains today, the name "Fort Garry" lives on through various institutions and businesses. An area or division of Winnipeg running along
901-663: The Pemmican War . Fort Garry was named after Nicholas Garry , deputy governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. It served as the centre of the fur trade within the Red River Colony . In 1826, a severe flood destroyed the fort. The fort was rebuilt in 1836 by HBC to help facilitate the administrative and supply needs for the Red River Colony. The new fort was named Upper Fort Garry to differentiate it from "the Lower Fort," or Lower Fort Garry , 32 kilometres (20 mi) downriver, which
954-624: The Red River to Fort Garry (now Winnipeg ) from 1869–1870 to suppress the Red River Rebellion , Wolseley asked the Governor General of Canada , the Marquess of Lansdowne , if it would be possible to recruit a contingent of Canadian voyageurs to help him navigate the Nile. He requested that they be commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick C. Denison , who had served as Wolseley's aide-de-camp during
1007-682: The 1880s to make way for Winnipeg's Main Street , although the fort's gate remains. The site of the former fort was designated as a part of a larger National Historic Site in 1924. Development of a provincial heritage site on the historic site of Fort Garry began in the early 21st century. Fort Garry was established by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company 's Fort Gibraltar established by John Wills in 1810 and destroyed by Governor Semple's men in 1816 during
1060-630: The Army ( Major-General do Exército ) became extinct in 1950, with their roles being unified in the then created Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces . In the Russian Army , the rank 'major general' is known as Russian : генера́л-майо́р , romanized : generál-mayór . It is equivalent to a British brigadier or an American brigadier general . The Turkish Army and Air Force refer to
1113-509: The Bayuda Desert to Metemma where they would link with Gordon's steamboats awaiting them (avoiding the Great Bend of the Nile ). The Desert Column was attacked by Mahdists at Abu Klea and Abu Kru , but repelled the rebel attacks both times and reached the Nile near Metemma where they linked with Gordon's steamboats. The remaining 6,000 soldiers continued up the river. Progress up the river
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#17328453536331166-549: The Mahdi. This led to consideration of an operational pause, to last several months over the Sudanese summer, which might allow fresh British reinforcements to be assembled in Egypt and later sent up the river to Wolseley. The Panjdeh incident of 29 March 1885, initiated by Imperial Russia in south-central Asia, gave the British government sufficient excuse to make a face-saving withdrawal of
1219-464: The Manitoba Club building. In the meeting referenced above, Mr. Jerry Gray (Friends of Upper Fort Garry), referring to the future park boundaries, states that the property is "bordered by Main Street on the east side, Assiniboine on the south side and Fort Street on the west side and then goes up to the back where the gate property is." Evidently, the Manitoba Club property on Broadway is excluded from
1272-578: The North-West, including Upper Fort Garry. In late 1869 and early 1870, the fort was seized by Louis Riel and his Métis followers during the Red River Resistance . After the Resistance, the area around the fort continued to grow. In 1873, the city of Winnipeg was established and the name Fort Garry was no longer used. In 1881–1884 the majority of the fort was demolished to straighten Main Street (it
1325-515: The Red River expedition. The Prime Minister of Canada , John A. Macdonald , did not object once he was assured that the voyageurs were volunteers and would be paid by the British. Denison complied and on 15 September 1884, only 24 days after the request was received, 386 voyageurs set sail for Egypt. The Canadians were known at the time as the Nile Voyageurs. As the traditional role of the voyageur
1378-599: The Red River south of the original fort is called Fort Garry. The hotel beside the fort is called the Fort Garry Hotel , which was originally constructed for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway company. Fort Street and Garry Street are on either side of the hotel. Many companies, such as Fort Garry Industries and the Fort Garry Brewing Company , have adopted the name. The Fort Garry Horse has been
1431-488: The Wolseley force to Egypt and then home, thereby ending any further commitment to the region, including on the coast at Suakin . With the fall of Khartoum and now the subsequent removal of the last British troops in the vicinity of the upper Nile, Muhammad Ahmad controlled the whole of Sudan, allowing him to establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. He died less than six months later. His state survived him, but Sudan
1484-644: The afternoon of 28 January 1885. It came two days too late: Khartoum had been seized by the Mahdists in the early hours of 26 January. The entire garrison, along with Gordon and 4,000 civilians had been killed. Wilson received criticism afterwards for his delay in sailing to Khartoum, with Wolseley stating that Wilson had "lost any nerve he had ever possessed". Other sources however, spread the blame, particularly on Wolseley. The public in England also blamed Prime Minister William Gladstone for not having taken steps to relieve
1537-411: The attack. The fall of Khartoum and the massacre of all within led to various communiques between Wolseley and London. Indicative of the confusion, on 7 February 1885, three days before the battle of Kirbekan, Wolseley was told by London to make no retrograde steps down the Nile to Egypt. Wolseley himself, however, was concerned that with the fall of Khartoum, he lacked sufficient military force to subdue
1590-409: The buildings already on the site of their proposed heritage park, including a Petro-Canada gas station. The only building that was allowed to stay untouched was the current home of the Manitoba Club, which started as an organization in 1874, only one year after the incorporation of Winnipeg . The existing Manitoba Club building was completed in 1905. The historic Fort Garry Hotel across the street
1643-463: The city. Dismayed at the sight of the city's fall, Colonel Charles William Wilson , the on-scene commander, ordered his flotilla to turn about and steam back down river to Metemma. It was the closest the relief column would get to Khartoum. Emboldened by their victory at the Siege of Khartoum , the Mahdists resisted British efforts to force the Nile. This included, on 10 February 1885, the Mahdists defending
Nile Expedition - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-488: The contingent of North American Indian voyageurs who led the British boat..." by Louis Jackson.) On 7 October 1884, the Canadians reached Alexandria by sailing ship and headed up the Nile by a combination of shallow draft steam launch and train. On 26 October 1884, the Canadians met Wolseley and his force of 5,400 soldiers at Wadi Halfa . By November the combined force were at the first of six cataracts and began to ascend
1749-505: The defence of Khartoum. On 18 March 1884, the Mahdist army laid siege to the city . The rebels stopped river traffic and cut the telegraph line to Cairo . Khartoum was cut off from resupply, which led to food shortages, but could still communicate with the outside world by using messengers. Under pressure from the public, in August 1884, the British government decided to reverse its policy and send
1802-531: The evacuation of Egyptian soldiers, civilian employees and their families. Travelling from London , General Gordon reached Khartoum on 18 February 1884. He immediately began sending women, children and wounded soldiers back to Egypt as the military situation deteriorated in Sudan with the south of the country being in danger of being cut off from Egypt by the Mahdist army. Britain withdrew its troops from Sudan until Khartoum
1855-432: The fort's original "footprint". However, the Friends of Upper Fort Garry, a group dedicated to developing a historical interpretive park at the site, was convened to oppose them. The plan called for an interpretive centre just outside the old fort's walls, and a large surface parking lot that would have been placed closer to the walls than the apartment itself. After a City of Winnipeg-imposed deadline to raise funds to build
1908-716: The position of chief of defence force, who commands all of New Zealand's armed forces. This position is subject to rotation between the heads of the New Zealand Air Force , New Zealand Army, and New Zealand Navy . Major general in the Pakistan Army is equivalent to rear admiral in the Pakistan Navy and air vice marshal in the Pakistan Air Force . It is the lowest of the general officer ranks, ranking between brigadier and lieutenant general. The rank of major-general
1961-747: The rank as tümgeneral . The Turkish Navy equivalent is tümamiral . The name is derived from tümen , the Turkish word for a military division ( tümen itself is an older Turkish word meaning 10,000). Thus, linguistically, it is similar to the French equivalent for a major general, French : général de division . In the United States , the rank of major general exists in the United States Air Force , United States Army , United States Marine Corps , and United States Space Force . Generalmajor
2014-409: The rapids. The southward progress of the expedition sped up with the experienced voyageurs manning the boats. The boats that Wolseley selected were modified Royal Navy whalers. They were almost 10 metres (33 ft) long, 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) wide and .75 metres (2 ft 6 in) deep, and were equipped with twelve oars, two masts and a removable rudder . The boats had the capacity for
2067-594: The siege of Khartoum and some historians have held Major-General Gordon responsible, because he had refused the order to evacuate while it was still possible. Not wanting to be involved in the costly suppression of the rebellion led by Mahommed Ahmed, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ordered Egypt to abandon its administration of Sudan in December 1883. The British government asked General Gordon, former Governor-General of Sudan, to go to Khartoum and aid in
2120-461: The small boats up the river. General Gordon's last entry in his journal, dated 14 December 1884, read, “Now mark this, if the Expeditionary Force, and I ask for no more than 200 men, does not come in ten days, the town may fall; and I have done my best for the honour of our country. Good bye.” On 26 January 1885, Khartoum fell to the Mahdist army of 50,000 men. At that time of year the Nile
2173-401: The voyageurs, including their commander, Denison, signed up for a second six-month contract. The rest elected to return to Canada, hoping to arrive in time for the spring logging season. This did not halt the expedition, as the worst of the river was already behind them and the smaller number of soldiers travelling by river reduced the need for the Canadians. Denison and his men continued piloting
Nile Expedition - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-491: Was at Main Street and Assiniboine Avenue ). Fort Garry, along with the sites of nearby Forts Rouge and Gibraltar , were collectively designated a National Historic Site in 1924, under the name "Forts Rouge, Garry, and Gibraltar National Historic Site". Together, the three sites are illustrative of the evolution of the fur trade in Western Canada , from exploration and expansion westward (Fort Rouge, established in 1738 by
2279-669: Was built shortly thereafter, in 1913. The plans for the future heritage park at the site of Upper Fort Garry were officially unveiled in May 2010. From the Hansard Records of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, dated Monday, June 14, 2010, it is clear that the boundaries of the proposed Upper Fort Garry Provincial Heritage Park, described in Bill 27–The Upper Fort Garry Heritage Provincial Park Act then under consideration, would not include
2332-655: Was erected at Kitchissippi Lookout on Island Park Drive just west of the Champlain Bridge in 1966. Lance Corporal Jones in the television sitcom Dad's Army claimed to have been involved in the Anglo-Egyptian invasion of Sudan in 1896–1899 and the Nile Expedition. Major-General Major general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general . In English-speaking countries , when appointed to
2385-493: Was established in 1831. Throughout the mid-to-late 19th century, Upper Fort Garry played a minor role in the actual trading of furs but was central to the administration of the HBC and the surrounding settlement. The Council of Assiniboia , the administrative and judicial body of the Red River Colony mainly run by Hudson's Bay Company officials, met at Upper Fort Garry. In 1869, the Hudson's Bay Company agreed to surrender its monopoly in
2438-539: Was moved up one level, with the role of brigade commander being assumed by the below rank of brigadier-general. In most of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, major-general was not used as a rank in the Portuguese military, but as an appointment title conferred to the general officer that acted as the military head of a service branch . The roles of Major-General of the Navy ( Major-General da Armada ) and Major-General of
2491-504: Was re-conquered by the British in a campaign from 1895 to 1898, led by Lord Kitchener . On 17 April 1885, the Canadian contingent set sail from Alexandria for home. Sixteen Canadians had died on the expedition. They are memorialised in Canada's Peace Tower , which recognises all of Canada's war dead. Wolseley wrote a letter to the Governor General of Canada praising the Canadians' service and
2544-656: Was recruited to help the British navigate their small boats up the Nile River . The Nile Expedition was the first overseas expedition by Canadians in a British imperial conflict, although the Nile Voyageurs were civilian employees and did not wear uniforms. The expedition was commanded by Garnet Wolseley . After Commander Herbert Stewart was mortally wounded, Brigadier-General Charles William Wilson took command of an advance party of about 1,400 men. A small part of Wilson's Desert Column reached Khartoum on two Nile steamers in
2597-416: Was reintroduced in the Portuguese Army , Portuguese Air Force , and Portuguese National Republican Guard in 1999, replacing the former rank of brigadier in the role of brigade commander. As a rank, it had previously been used in the Army only for a brief period (from 1862 to 1864). It is equivalent to the rank of contra-almirante (rear-admiral) in the Portuguese Navy . In 2015, the rank of major-general
2650-418: Was shallow enough to be forded and the Mahdists were able to breach the city's defences by attacking the poorly-defended approaches from the river. The entire garrison was slaughtered, including General Gordon. His head was cut off and delivered to the Mahdi. Two days later, two of Gordon's armed steamers, towing several native boats, the flotilla carrying some 140 British and native troops, came within sight of
2703-482: Was slow, and often the boats had to be pulled through rapids by rope from shore. At several places the strength of the current necessitated several crews pulling one boat. They settled on a method of stationing the voyageurs at difficult stretches along the river, so that each group would become familiar with a particular stretch of water. The Canadians’ six-month contracts were soon to expire, and they were asked to re-enlist. Though offered generous inducements, only 86 of
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#17328453536332756-416: Was the last remaining outpost under British control. Gordon differed with the British government's decision to abandon the Sudan. He thought that the Mahdists had to be crushed for fear that they might eventually overwhelm Egypt. He based this on the Mahdi's claim of dominion over all Islamic lands. Defying orders from the British government to withdraw, General Gordon, leading a garrison of 6,000 men, began
2809-409: Was waning, most were formerly employed helping transport log booms down rivers such as the Ottawa , Gatineau and Saguenay . Eighty-six of the voyageurs were members of the First Nations , mostly Caughnawaga, an offshoot from the Mohawk and Ojibwa . (The involvement of these Indigenous men was chronicled in the 1885 book "Our Caughnawagas in Egypt: a narrative of what was seen and accomplished by
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