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(WILSON, Sir Robert)
Campaign between the French Army of the East and the British and Turkish Forces in Egypt.
By General Reynier. Translated from the French. to which are added, Observations and Corrections, by an English Officer of Hompesch's Dragoons.
First and only edition. Uncommon, COPAC has just BL, Cambridge and Birmingham, OCLC adds 4 copies in the US, and the American University in Cairo. Following service in the campaigns in Flanders with the 15th King's Light Dragoons, Wilson purchased a majority in Hompesch's Mounted Riflemen "then serving under Sir Ralph Abercromby in the Mediterranean … He landed at Abu Qir Bay on 7 March 1801, and took part in the action of the 13th and in the battle of Alexandria on the 21st. Upon Abercromby's death Major-General (later Lord) Hutchinson succeeded him and employed Wilson on several missions. In July Wilson entered Cairo with Hutchinson, and was at the siege of Alexandria in August and its capitulation on the 25th. He left Egypt on 11 September and returned to England via Malta and Toulon, arriving at the end of December. For his services in Egypt he was made a knight of the order of the Crescent of Turkey" (ODNB). This copy with the ownership inscription of Colonel Tomkyns Hilgrove Turner, the man who claimed to have personally extracted the Rosetta Stone from General Menou's baggage and wheeled it away on a gun carriage; he certainly was chosen to accompany it back to Britain on HMS Egyptienne. Tipped onto the rear endpaper is a small pencil sketch of the fort at Aboukir flying the tricolor, annotated "this was drawn previous to our landing 8 March 1801 on board H.M.S. Trusty at anchor opposite the Fort," Turner has also added Wilson's name to the title page and pencil note to the text. Turner was elected to the Royal Society in 1804 for his efforts, he was Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, 1814-16, and Governor of Bermuda, 1826-32. A desirable book with an extremely appealing provenance.
Octavo (209 × 128 mm) Contemporary streaked calf, rebacked, red morocco label, compartments formed by triple rules, small foliate tools within, milled rolled panels to the boards. A little rubbed, particularly at the board edges, light browning, a very good copy.
