The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-03 00:00:00

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN ALGIERS

The Moniteur contains the official reports from
Marshal Bandon and the generals under his com-
mand, relative to the progress of the expedition

against the Kabyles, ;nd-tbe late affair of the

French troops against the Bepi-Raten. The des-
patch of Marshal Bandon merely recapitulates the
reasons which led to the expedition, and briefly
alludes to the preliminary movements of the army
previous to their arrival at the foot of the moun-
tains of Kabylia, where he was detained for several
days in consequence of fogs and rain.
The despatch of the Marshal is followed by that
from Gen. Renault, dated head quarters, Ouvilel,

May 24, in which he says
At half-past five this morning my division, formed into
three columns of attack, left the camp of Si-Kou-Meddour,
and marched on the village of Djemma, the approaches
to which were fortified. The right column, under General
de Liniers, first occupied the Mamelon of Takscht, which
commands the mouth of the valley of Mestiga, and
thence reached the Col d'lghil, which is just below the
village of Djemma. This place was immediately attacked
by the troops of General de Liniers, and entered at one
side just as part of the centre column entered it on
the other. As soon as this village had been taken
possession of, the column of General Liniers advanced up
the rugged acclivity which commands the village of
Tiguert Haia, and after a short engagement with the
enemy, took possession of the village of Taranint.
From this point the difficulties to be overcome were
very serious, owing to the steep nature of the ground
and the energy with which the Kabyles defended
the fortified points in the neighbourhood. The
centre column, under General Chapuis, passing by the
Sonk el Head, in the meantime reached the village
of Djemma, and joined that of General de Liniers.
It now remained for me to carry the commanding posi-
tions in front. Colonel Rose, supported by the artillery,
which had, after considerable difficulty ascended the
heights, attacked and gained possession of the villages of
Tamazirt and Ald Said, and the plateau of Ouvilel, where
lam now encamped. It was not without considerable
efforts and sensible losses that I was able to hold the
important point of Tiguert Haia, on which the
Sabyles continued to make frequent and very formidable
attacks. On reaching Ouvilel at half-past 10, I occupied the
heights fronting the villages of Harhirin and Azauze, and
also the counter-fort which commands the village of Art-
Hag and the Djemma of Bou-ni.- The troops in
these positions halt, sustain two very vigourous.
attacks from the Kabyles, who were driven back
at the point of the bayonet. I afterwards formed a bat-
tery of howi'zers on the Djemma of Boa-Z;zi, the fire from
which prevented the Kabyles from renewing their attacks.
The resistance of the powerful fraction of the Irdgers
whom I had to attack was the more energetic as their line
of retreat was secured by the valley of the Oued-Assi and
that of the Mestiga ; but they could not stand before the
ent'ius'asm of th; French troops.
The second despatch, that of Gen de M'Mahon,
dated from the bivouac of Afenson, 24th, after
mentioning the order in which he had arranged his
troops, goes on to say—
The positions occupied by the enemy were the villages
of Belies and that of Tackeraich, both of them very
strong from the nature of the ground on which they
stand. A little bef ire five o'clock I commenced
my forward movement, while the artillery at the
same time took up positions to open a fire on the villages,
and on the ravine which separates the Beni-Reten from
the Fraoncen. At 6 o'clock the firing beg 2n along the
whole lise ; the artillery threw shel!s and rockets on the
entrenchments of the enemy, who were in great force,
particularly in the village of Tackeraich. In a very
short time all the ambuscades at the foot of the
mountain, and defending the passage of the ravine
were carried ; this part of the mountain almost

entirely covered with fig trees, formed an excellent de-
fensive position for the Kabyles,hut they were promptly
. .

occupied by riflemen. The village of Taeketaich was
defended with great obstinacy, but when the Kabyles saw
that the position was turned they at 'length abandoned it
and threw themselves into the ravive between that place
and Belias, whiCh `they had also strongly fortified, but
from which they were driven with vig')ur. At half past
five General Bowrbaki, being in possession of Belias,
attacked the village of Afeeson, which was carried after P.
. short resistance.
The last despatch, that of General JuSuf, con-
tains the details of similar movements on the part
of the ground in 'his line of march, and where the
villages and fortified positions of the Kabyles were
also promptly taken possession of. The loss of the
trench was one officer, M. Boyer de Rebedal, Chef
*de Bataillon of the 54th, killed ; three wounded.
and 64 men killed and 414 wounded. The supposed
loss of the Kabyles is not mentioned.
A telegraphic despatch- of the 26th announces
that the Beni-Baten begin to come to terms.