Battle of Togbao
Part of the Rabih War (1899-1901)
Date: July 17, 1899 Location: Togbao, near Sarh Result: Rabih's forces victory
Combatants
Rabih's empire	France Kingdom of Baguirmi
Commanders
Rabih az-Zubayr	Lt. J.-L. Bretonnet †
Strength
2,700 men with firearms 10,000 auxiliaires	51 French soldiers 400 Baguirmians
Casualties
More than 1,000 dead or wounded	48 French soldiers Many Baguirmians

On October 10, 1898 a French military expedition commanded by the lieutenant de vaisseau J.-L. Bretonnet and the lieutenant Solomon Braun left France directed to Chad, at the time dominated by the Muslim warlord Rabih az-Zubayr. With the missions were the envoys of the Muslim rulers Mohammed al-Senoussi and Gaourang, king of Baguirmi, that the captain Émile Gentil had brought to France a few months earlier.^[1] July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Sarh (formerly Fort Archambault) is the largest city in southern Chad, the capital of Moyen-Chari region and the department of Barh Köh. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Rabih az-Zubayr was a Sudanese warlord who established a powerful kingdom west of Lake Chad, in todays Chad. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... An assortment of modern handheld firearms using fixed ammunition, including military assault rifles, a sporting shotgun (fourth from bottom), and a tactical shotgun (third from bottom). ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان) is an adherent of Islam. ... Rabih az-Zubayr was a Sudanese warlord who established a powerful kingdom west of Lake Chad, in todays Chad. ... Émile Gentil (4 April 1866 - 30 March 1914) was a French colonial administrator. ...

Shortly after Bretonnet's departure, news arrived that Rabih was attacking Baguirmi to punish it for its alliance with France; as a result, Bretonnet was ordered to reach the high course of the Ubangi River, and their unite with the Baguirmians and wait for instructions and reinforcements.^[2] The Ubangi River (also Oubangi) is a major tributary of the Congo River in central Africa. ...

Passing first by the Congo River and then by the lands controlled by Mohammed al-Senoussi, Bretonnet reached on June 15^[3] the French post of Kouno and met with the king of Baguirmi Gaourang. He wrote on July 8, 1899 a letter to Emile Gentil, that headed another expedition proceeding shortly behind, in which he wrote that he did not trust the rumours that Rabih in person was marching on Kouno, but all the same asked Gentil to send him Captain Julien with his 130-strong company.^[4] The Congo River (formerly known as some River) is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Even when Bretonnet was forced to admit that Rabih was pointing to Kouno, he grossly underestimated the strength of Rabih, claiming in one of his last letters that he only had out-of-date muskets. Instead Rabih had, in Gentil's opinion, a thousand repeating rifles, 500 muzzle loading rifles and at least 1500 other firearms.^[5] Muskets and bayonets aboard the frigate Grand Turk. ... A repeating rifle is a single barreled rifle containing multiple rounds of ammunition (consisting of primer, powder, and bullet contained in a cartridge). ... A rifle is a firearm with a stock and a barrel that has a spiral groove or grooves (rifling) cut into its interior. ...

When Rabih arrived at Kouno on July 16, he could count on 2,700 rifles and 10,000 auxiliaires armed with lances and arcs. Against them the Bretonnet mission was no match: it included five Frenchmen (the officers Bretonnet, Braun, Durand-Autier, Martin), 44 Senegalese tirailleurs, two Arabs, 20 armed Bakongos, 3 cannons and 400 Baguirmians led by their king Gaourang. July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... Tirailleur means sharpshooter in French. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... The Bakongo or the Kongo people (meaning hunter) live along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire (Brazzaville) to Luanda, Angola. ...

Bretonnet choosed to evacute Kouno and position himself at the nearby hills of Togbao, using the slopes to strengthen his defensive position. The day after, July 17, Rabih attacked at 8:00; the first attack was repulsed, but Solomon Braun killed and Bretonnet wounded so badly to be forced to cede the command to the lieutenant Durand-Autier. While also the second attack was repulsed, it subjected to heavy pressure the Baguirmians, who taken from panic started fleeing; at this point arrived the third and last assault, in which Bretonnet's column was utterly annihilated. Gaourang saved himself fleeing, but not before being wounded, with other Baguirmians.^[6] July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ...

Of Bretonnet's mission only three Senegalese survived, that were made prisoners and brought to Rabih, who questioned them. Bretonnet's three cannons were captured, and they were retaken by the French a year later, during the battle of Kousséri. One of the prisoners, the sergeant Samba Sall, escaped a few days later and reached the village of Gaoura, where he met on August 16 the Gentil Mission, and informed it of the disaster.^[7] The battle of Kousséri originates From French plans to occupy the Chari-Baguirmi region and so, in 1899–1900, three armed expeditions were organized, one proceeding north from Congo, one east from Niger and another south from Algeria. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The victory was to prove hollow for Rabih as it only strengthened the French determination to remove Rabih. Three distinct expeditions pointed to southern Chad, and met at Kousséri in 1900 and immediately confronted Rabih. This was the battle of Kousséri in which Rabih was killed and French possession of Chad guaranteed.^[8] Kousséri is a city in Cameroon, lying on the border with Chad, across the Chari River from NDjamena. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... The battle of Kousséri originates From French plans to occupy the Chari-Baguirmi region and so, in 1899–1900, three armed expeditions were organized, one proceeding north from Congo, one east from Niger and another south from Algeria. ...

References