Battle of Beni Mered

Part of French conquest of Algeria

Date	11–12 April 1842
Location	Béni Mered, Algeria 36°41′53″N 3°43′57″E / 36.6980434°N 3.7325224°E / 36.6980434; 3.7325224
Result	Algerian Victory

Belligerents

France

Emirate of Abdelkader

Commanders and leaders

Sergent Blandan †

Ahmed bin Salem

Strength

300 Berber horsemen

Casualties and losses

7 killed
9 wounded

Unknown

v t e French conquest of Algeria
War against the Deylik (1830–1837) Pre-invasion Bay of Algiers (1827) Dellys (1830) Invasion of Algiers Sidi Fredj (1830) Staouéli (1830) Sidi Khalef (1830) Bordj Moulay Hassan (1830) Mitidja (Beylik of Titteri) 1st Blida (1830) Médéa (1830) Médéa (1831) El Harrach (1831) El Harrach (1832) Hadjout (1834) Beylik of Oran Oran (1831) Beylik of Constantine Annaba (1832) 1st Béjaia (1831) 2nd Béjaia (1833) 3rd Béjaia (1835) 1st Constantine (1836) 2nd Constantine (1837) War against Abdelkader (1832–1847) First Kaderian war (1832–1834) Kheng-Nettah (1832) Second Kaderian war (1835–1838) Sig (1835) Macta (1835) Habrah (1835) Mascara (1835) Tlemcen (1836) Sikkak (1836) Reghaia (1837) Beni Aicha (1837) Boudouaou (1837) Issers (1837) Somah (1837) Third Kaderian war (1839–1847) Mitidja (1839) Ammal (1840) Beni Mered (1842) Smala (1843) Tadmaït (1844) Dellys (1844) Sidi Brahim (1845) Issers (1846) Oued Aslaf (1847) Agueddin (1847) Pacification of Algeria Zaatcha (1849) Laghouat (1852) Sebaou River (1854) Tachekkrit (1854) Mokrani Revolt Palestro (1871) Touggourt (1871) Flatters expeditions Battle of Tit

French conquest of Algeria

War against the Deylik (1830–1837)

Pre-invasion

Invasion of Algiers

Mitidja (Beylik of Titteri)

Beylik of Oran

Oran (1831)

Beylik of Constantine

War against Abdelkader (1832–1847)

First Kaderian war (1832–1834)

Kheng-Nettah (1832)

Second Kaderian war (1835–1838)

Third Kaderian war (1839–1847)

Pacification of Algeria

The Battle of Beni Mered took place in April 1842 between the French forces and the Algerian resistance from southern Algiers (Boufarik to Beni Mered in Blida Province). The French had established a military reserve camp around the town of Beni Mered between Blida and Boufarik.

The Berber horsemen under Ahmed bin Salem extended their operations from the region of Kabylia to the Mitidja Plain in early 1842 by attacking the French forces around the area of Béni Mered.The attack took place on April 11, 1842, not far from the French military reserve camp, against a detachment of 22 French soldiers under the command of Sergent Blandan. About 300 Berber horsemen under Ahmed bin Salem attacked and annihilated the French detachment. When reinforcements under lieutenant-colonel Morris arrived, forcing the Algerians to withdraw, only five men were still standing.

References

le sergent Blandan (1819-1842) nouvelle version (read online)
^ Jourdan, Adolphe (1887). Le Sergent Blandan Et Le Combat d'El-Mechdoufa (Près Beni-Mered), l'Historique de l'Oeuvre: , La Constitution Des Comités, Le Concours, Le Monument, L. AdolpheJourdan. p. 18.
D’après un extrait de la monographie de E. Perret (ancient Capitaine de Zouaves) « Les Français en Afrique: récits algériens » Editeur B. Bloud (Paris) – 1902 (read online)
Tombeu du Sergent Blandan (read online)
Historique Beni Mered - Ville (read online)
Jean Pierre Hippolyte Blandan (read online)
12 Avril 1842: Mort du Sergent Blandan (read online)
^ Explication des Ouvrages de Peinture, sculpture, architecture, gravure, et lithographic des artistes vivants exposés au Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées (read online)

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