Battle of Dufile 1888
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 28 November 1888 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1888 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | Uganda | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Africa | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Mahdist War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 3.5666, 31.9333 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Dufile was fought at the fort of Dufile, Uganda on 28 November 1888 between Mahdist forces and a garrison loyal to the Khedive of Egypt. This followed a three-day siege in which the fort was penetrated and members of steamer crews were killed in the harbour. The 1,200 garrison troops were led by Selim Bey while 1,400 Mahdists were led by Umar Sālih. Between 210 and 250 Mahdists were killed and they then retreated from the area for a period.
Before the siege began, news of the approach of the Mahdists allowed the concentration of troops from other garrisons at Dufile. On November 17, Selim Bey moved women and children to safety at Wadelai along with Emin Pasha and A.J. Mounteney Jephson, who had been confined at Dufile by a mutinous garrison since August 1888. Emin's departure by steamer for Wadelai that day was saluted by the playing of the Khedivial hymn and the firing of the fort's guns to acknowledge his restoration as the Khedive's Governor of Equatoria.
The bulk of the garrison who survived the battle were taken by Frederick Lugard to Kampala Hill, after Emin had abandoned them, following the entreaties of Henry Morton Stanley. Shortly after they arrived there in December 1891, they participated in the Battle of Kampala Hill.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Dufile (revision 1370439457), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Mahdist War
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- Battle of Abu Klea 1885
- Battle of Ginnis 1885
- Battle of Omdurman 1898
All 8 battles of the Mahdist War →
Browse more: battles in Uganda · Africa · 19th century battles