The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-30 00:00:00

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Two of yestenLav erening• Pares journals pub-
lished a statement of an affair in Algeria, in which
the French army of expedition against the Kabyles
was represented to have met with serious disasters.
We rind, however, by the following article of the
Munitcur, that the statement was unfounded, and
that it wee another instance of the readiness with
which certain journals adopt and propagate rumours
of a nature to excite opposition to the government.
The .Vositeur says :
The last news from Algeria informs us that the expedi-
tion against Little Kabylta has berm accomplished just as
we had a right to expect from the energy of our army and
the skill of the of in command of it. From the 11th
to the 21st, the day to which our dates come down, them
bad been several engagements. On the 11th, General Saint
Arnaud, in hie advance, found three heights by which he
had to pass, strongly' fortified by the Kabyles, who
bad thrown up entrenchments of stone, and which wan
defended by 4,1100 men. It was necessary, in order to dis-
lodge the enemy irons their position, to make a considerable
circuit over very bad ground, and under a heavy Sr..
General Saint Arnaud formed his force into three columns,
each consisting of three battalions, with two mortars. The
column on the left, commanded by General Lazy, was ems-
peas' of two battalions of the 20th, one native ritlemen, and
M cavalry, under the orders of Commandant Fournier.
The right column, under the command of General Basque%
was composed of as battalion of Zouaves, another of the fith
of the line, and a third of light infantry of Africa, supported
by 70 cavalry under Colonel Bonscarin. The centre column
was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edpiname,
and funned of three battalions. The division started at day-
break. At 7 o'clock the village of Kasen Was carried at the
point of the bayonet by the native infantry. At 9 o'clock the
three columns had driven the enemy from all his positions.
While General Lazy, seconded by Colonel Mauls:, at-
t•eked the position in front with the bayonet, Comman-
dant hamihe and the native riflemen attacked the left, and
threw the enemy into disorder. Commandant Fournier
wised with his cavalry on the summit of the hill at the
same time as the infantry, and the combat became very
severe. Commandant Valieuu was killed, and Captain
Fatinon, of the 20th of the line, and Captain Jollivet, of the
Rifles, were both wounded. eneral Itoaquet, on the rigbt,
bail his shoulder grazed by a ball, but he did nut .top, and
coached the heights with his Zouaves. The column under
the command of Colonel Espinatne reached the top of the
heights at the same time as the other o olumns. In thee
action of the I Ith, the expeditionary column had 11 killed
and al wounded. The whole of the 12th was a series of
coinbate, in whet* the enemy alone met any serious loss.
On the 13th and 14th, our troops had to perform a dif-
ficult and perilous march. The road was through a wooded
country on the sides of mountains where the enemy bad
poeitious which bad to be successively carried. Two com-
panies of the 10th of the line suffered heavy losses on the
Ugh. Full of ardour, but inexperienced in a kind of war.
fare which they now were engaged in for the first time, they
allowed themselves to be surrounded by enemies who ad-
van, d mad r cover of the wood, end lost a number of their
mess. They were at length relieved by a battalien of the
9th. On the 14th, the ent toy' made an attack, but were
defeat. d with great loss by the Zouaves under Commandant
Laura and the tirailleurs under Commandant Bataille, and
eumi.tied to retire, leaving a number of dead in the
memo.. On the I:ith, Colonel Mande: penetrated aft
the mountain, and sew rely punished the habyles opposed
to it.. On the lath, we bivouacked before Djijelli, without
Arising any further engagements. The rear guard, which
was formed of two companies of the foreign legion,
undo r the orders of Commandant Mayer,. acted with great
energy and skill. In a word, it may be said, that from
Fedi hem m to Djijelli, the march of our army was a
series of vigorous and succi.ssful action,. The troop at,
rind full of confidence at the plan where they expelled •
few days' repine. Oa the 19th General Saint Arnaud Mk
Djijelli, and on the very day had au engagement, M
which oar troops gained a signal advantage, with bat •
trilling boa. At noon, General Saint Arnaud eatalliithel
in the centre of the Beni-Amran, having the lienkAhnst
nu hi. right, and the Beni-Khtel on his left, Omni
his divisions into three columns, each composed WI
two leittalione, in light marching order, and ever'
mandril one by himself, and the two others by
Generais I.uzy and limmuct. Ills object was to drive
the enemy, who were posted in considerable force
on the height. which commanded the camp. Our infantry,
were irnsistdile, and when they had driven the Kabyles itt
the pond of the bayonet from their pirsitinn, they were ne.
tat Leal by the cavalry, who completed their rout. The
en. any. she were in number about 2,1010, left 120 dead 011
the field; our leas was only two killed and 31 woandeL
(h, the doh, a still 'sore important action was fought;
th neva' Saint Arnaud left his camp at 10 o'clock, with
battahous, four mortars, end all his cavalry. After ele
on the previous day the heights which commanded
Ranks, lie preceded to attack the positions which the
It shyb s occupied iafront of him, at about a league
dustenee. The enemy wire ranged along the crest
of a wooded bill, having on their left a deep
risme, and on their right a wide plain. General
Saint Aruautl sent his cavalry into the plain,
while the infantry ascended the hill, and attacked
the lialoilta on all sides, and on their descending the hill,
they were attacked by the cavalry, who thus cut off
their retreat. More than 1,200 Kabyli, threw themselves
into Ow ravine on their left, under the fire of three of
our bat; diens, and left 380 of their men dead on the •
field. Our victery was complete. In the evening of
that day, the camp of General Saint-Arnaud was full
of arm- and bulimia brought in as trophies by our soldiers.
Three great fractions of the Beni-Amnia, the Aehaib,
the Oulisl-Bouira, and the Ouled-Bou-Achair have made
their sahinissinn. The Beni-Ahnu.t have demanded the
Aman. It may therefore be said that at the date of 20th
Ilay, mint important results have been already obtained
by our cape-damn ; Djijelli has been realised from the kind
of Motile:le which had been established round it by the
Kaloyl, e, and will soon see its markets open to our com-
merce %Ve are assured that the great confederations of
lattl.. h.& begin to be dissolved. The conduct of the
Kaliyle tribes iu the neighbourhood of liougia shows
th. gam' effect which has been already produced by
our suce•-sses. We learn that the tribes have driven away
th.. fats- Cheri( Iluu•Bayla, and that the principal chiefs
bait. to Amniore our pardon. The necessity of the
tsp.-down is clearly proved by the neietanee which it has
act with. The fanatic people of the country through
which ear columns have had to puss, required the lesson
what, !h.,. have received. Every • who knows Algeria
is .twe e of the danger which would result from their base
e a moment to imagine that they could cheek**
author., y of France.