The 97-Day Siege of Fort Médine

In 1857, roughly 6,000 people sought shelter in Fort Médine on the left bank of the Senegal River as the Toucouleur army approached. Under the command of Omar Tall, approximately 20,000 warriors marched on the village of Médine. The fort's garrison, led by commander Paul Holle, consisted of seven French soldiers, 22 Senegalese Tirailleurs, and 34 sailors from Saint-Louis. The defenders met the Toucouleur's first assault on April 20 by using rifle and cannon fire to repulse warriors who attempted to scale the walls with palm tree branch ladders.

The siege continued for 97 days. During the conflict, the Toucouleur launched several attacks, including a nighttime landing on a nearby island. The defenders successfully repelled these efforts, but their food and ammunition reserves began to run low. Because of the low tide of the river, Paul Holle was pessimistic about the arrival of relief. He and Sergeant Desplats secretly prepared to blow up the fort if the enemy took it, a plan kept hidden from the rest of the troops to maintain morale.

Relief finally arrived on July 18 after heavy rains increased the river's flow enough for the gunboat Basilic to reach the fort. Governor Faidherbe and his troops launched a bayonet charge and heavy artillery fire, forcing the Toucouleur army into a disorganized retreat. As soon as the enemy disappeared, the civilians who had been hidden in the fort came out to eat grass and roots nearby. Once the fighting ended, the Basilic discharged its food supply to the fort. Today, the fort remains open to the public about 12 km east of Kayes.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons