| Nile Voyageurs | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1884–1885 |
| Disbanded | April 1885 |
| Country | Canada |
| Allegiance | British Empire |
| Size | ~ 390 men |
| Engagements | Mahdist War |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | Col. Frederick Charles Denison |
The Nile Voyageurs were a force of Canadian volunteers who served in the Sudan with British forces as part of the Nile Expedition from 1884 to 1885.[1] Though they were civilian volunteers, serving as boatmen for the British Army, they can be considered Canada’s first overseas contingent of war volunteers.[1]
16 voyageurs died on active service during the campaign, and as Canada’s first overseas casualties they are commemorated in the Book of Remembrance in Ottawa.[1]
| Soldier | Casualty | Date of casualty |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Burgess | Died of disease | September 26, 1884 |
| Louis Capitaine | Drowned near Semneh | October 30, 1884 |
| John Morris | Drowned | November 16, 1884 |
| Michael Brennan | Died of dysentery | November 21, 1884 |
| George Fletcher | Drowned near Ambigoll | November 23, 1884 |
| John Edward Faulkner | Died from drowning | November 29, 1884 |
| William Doyle | Drowned near Ambigoll | December 13, 1884 |
| Solomon Bigneault | Died of small-pox | December 17, 1884 |
| Leon Chatelain | Drowned near Semneh | December 18, 1884 |
| Alexander Michael Armstrong | Died of fever | January 3, 1885 |
| William James O’Rourke | Died of disease | February 4, 1885 |
| Leon Pilon | Died of disease | February 4, 1885 |
| John Andrew Sherlock | Died of disease | March 26, 1885 |
| Patrick Leonard | Died from enteric fever | April 10, 1885 |
| Daniel McLean | Died of disease | April 16, 1885 |
| Col. William Nassau Kennedy | Died from small-pox | May 3, 1885 |