Charles Chaillé-Long was an American explorer. He was commissioned by the United States Army and the Egyptian Army. He explored Central Africa and Korea (Corea).
Background
Charles Chaillé-Long was born on July 2, 1842 at Princess Anne, Maryland, United States. His ancestor, Pierre Chaille, a French Huguenot, had settled on the Eastern Shore after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Pierre's grand-daughter Margaret Chaille married Levin Long and became the mother of Littleton Long (of Chaille). Charles Chaille-Long was the son of the latter and of Anne Mitchell (Costen) Long.
Education
While he was a student at Washington Academy, the Civil War broke out and he left his studies and enlisted in the Eastern Shore Regiment, Maryland Infantry. Returning to New York, he studied law at Columbia University and graduated in 1880.
Career
He was soon transferred and promoted to a captaincy in the 11th Maryland Infantry in which he served throughout the war with distinction. His war experiences and his pioneering spirit then led him to seek an appointment as an officer in the Egyptian army. He was appointed in 1869 and five years later, February 19, 1874, he became chief of staff to "Chinese" Gordon who was engaged in suppressing the slave traffic in the region of the White Nile. Chaille-Long was now charged by Khedive Ismail with a secret mission: to make a treaty with M'tesa, King of Uganda. On this journey, a vivid account of which is given in his Naked Truths of Naked People (1876), he conducted explorations in the upper Nile basin. Their importance in adding to the world's store of geographical knowledge was set forth in Gordon's letter published in the New York Herald, January 23, 1880, which said, "Col. Chaille-Long of the Egyptian staff passed down the Victoria Nile from Nyamyongo where Speke was stopped to Mooli; thus at the risk of his life settling the question, before unsolved, of the identity of the river above Urondogani with that below Mooli. " On February 15, 1910, the American Geographical Society conferred upon Chaille-Long the Charles P. Daly Gold Medal which is given only to those who have made a marked contribution to geography. In 1875 he made another trip from Gondokoro which led him west-southwest along the Congo-Nile divide region carrying him across the upper tributaries of the Bahr-el-Ghazel system and linking his route with that of the explorer Schweinfurtter of 1870. Shortly after this last trip his health became impaired and he decided to leave Egypt. He went back to Alexandria to begin the practise of international law. Soon after his arrival, the Alexandria revolt of June 11 occurred. This out-break, followed by the British bombardment of the city, caused considerable anti-foreign feeling and hundreds of lives were in jeopardy. In the absence of United States consular officials, Chaille-Long endeavored to reestablish the consulate and with the aid of American sailors in the harbor was able to offer protection to the refugees. For this service he was later decorated. After being relieved of his post as acting consul-general in August 1882, Chaille-Long went to Paris where he engaged in the practise of international law. After five years he reentered the consular service, this time as consul-general and secretary of the legation to Korea. During his two years' stay in that country he took part in a scientific expedition to Quelpart Island. Familiar with French from his childhood, Chaille-Long wrote a number of books in that language, including L'Afrique Centrale (1877); Les Sources du Nile (1891); L'egypte et ses Provinces Perdues (1892); La Coree ou Chosen (1894). He also translated and edited Les Combattants Franeais de la Guerre Americaine 1778-83. Among his writings in English were The Three Prophets; Chinese Gordon, Mohammed-Ahmed (El Maahdi), Arabi Pasha (1884), and My Life in Four Continents (1912). Besides his books he made many contributions to French and American magazines and reviews, principally upon Egyptian and African subjects.