The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-28 00:00:00

back behind some slight eminences of sand, scarcely
high enough to cover them. Meanwhile, the first column,
which Lanusse had left to proceed towards the second,
had just carried the first redan of the redoubt, erected on
the hill towards the right. It then marched onwards to-
wards the main work, with a view to storm it, but, being
baffled in this attempt, wheeled round in order to attack
it on the flank. The centre of the army, under Rampon,
perceiving that column foiled in its attempt, likewise
turned from its object in order to support it. The 32d demi-
brigade, detached from the centre, also came up to storm
this fatal redoubt. These general concurrent efforts led
to a sort of confusion. They pressed furiously against
this obstacle, and the rapid operation, which was to have
consisted in carrying, in double quick time, the line of
the works, was converted into a long, obstinate attack,
in which much valuable time was lost. The 21st
demi-brigade, which belonged to the centre, leaving the
32d engaged before the redoubt, the possession of which
was so hotly disputed, alone executed the plan originally
laid down, passed the line of entrenchments, and, ad-
vancing boldly, deployed in the face of the English
army. It received, and returned, a most tremendous
fire. But it needed support, and Menou, during this
time, incapable of commanding, paced up and down the
field of battle, issuing no orders, but allowing Reynier to
extend his line uselessly in the plain on the right, with
a considerable force, without any duty to perform.
" Menou was at this time advised to undertake with
the cavalry, which was 1,200 strong, and of incompara-
ble valour, a general charge upon the mass of English
foot, which the 24th had alone advanced to encounter.
Menou, adopting this advice, gave orders to charge. The
gallant General Roize placed himself immediately at the
head of the 1,200 horse, crossed rapidly the line of the
enemy's destructive fire, formed by the redoubts which
our infantry were in vain attempting to carry by storm,
got safely over to the other side, and finding the 21st
demi-brigade at close quarters with the Englis, fell im-
petuously upon them. This gallant body of cavalry first
leaped the ditch which separated them from the enemy,
and then dashed fiercely upon the foremost line of the
English infantry, drove them back in disorder, and cut
down a great number of men. The enemy was thus
forced to give way. If Menou, at this moment, or rather
Reynier, supplying the place of his chief, had brought
up our right wing to the support of the cavalry, the
centre of the English army, thereby thrown into cinfu-
sion, and driven beyond the works, would have left us a
secure victory. The works, isolated, cut off from all
support, would have fallen into our hands. But the cal.e
was far otherwise. The French cavalry, after having
broken the enemy's line, seeing before them still other
lines to overcome, and having only the 21st demi- brigade
to support it, fell back, repassing under the exterminat-
ing fire of the redoubts.
"From this moment the battle could not possibly have
a successful issue. The left, deprived of all energy by
the death of their general, poured an ineffectual fire upon
the entrenched positions, which returned it with most
murderous effect. The right—deployed in the plain,
near the Like Mare_ais, in order to make a diversion,
which had no longer any aim in view, since the en-
ga,zement, now become general, had fixed each party in
its respective position—in this way performed no ser-
vice whatever. Without doubt an energetic general
who would have recalled it to the centre, and with this
additional force have renewed General Roize's attack,
might have attempted a second inroad upon the main
body of the English, and thus have changed, perhaps,
the fortune of the day. But General Menou gave no
such commands, and Reynier, who at that moment might
have taken the initiative, which he assumed inoppor-
tunely on other occasions in civil matters, confined him-
self solely to venting complaints at not receiving direc-
tions from the Commander-in-chief. In this state of
matters, the only thing which remained to be done was
to retreat. Menou issued the orders, and the division
fell back, presenting a bold front to the enemy, but suf-
fering fresh losses from the fire of the works.
" 'What a spectacle war becomes, when the lives of
men, when the destinies of empires, are thus confided to
incapable or disunited chiefs, and when blood is made to
flow in torrents, commensurate with the inaptitude or the
dissensions of those who are invested with command !
"It could not be said that the battle was lost, the
enemy not having made a step in advance ; but it was
virtually lost, inasmuch as it was not completely gained,
for it was essential that our success should have been com-
plete to enable us to drive back the English towards
Aboukir, and compel them to re-embark. The loss was
great on both sides. The English had about 2,000 men
killed and wounded, and amongst them was the brave
General Abercromby, who was carried on board the fleet
in a dying state. The loss of the French was about the
same. Exposed during the whole day to a downward
fire, both in front and in flank, they had suffered severely.
The troops displayed admirable coolness. The spirit
with which the cavalry charged had filled the English
with surprise and admiration. The number of officers
and generals wounded during the battle was greater than
usual. Generals Lanusse and Roize were killed ; the
General of Brigade, Silly, commanding one of Lanusse's
columns, had his leg carried off ; General Baudot was
wounded so severely that his life was despaired of.
General Destaing, also, was badly wounded. Rampon
had his uniform riddled with balls.
" The moral effect was still more disastrous than the
physical one. No hope now remained of being able to
force the enemy to re-embark. We were about to have
upon our hands, besides the English who had landed at
Alexandria, the Turks, already on their march from
Syria ; the capitan-pacha, about to arrive with the
Turkish squadron, and to disembark 6,000 Albanians
on the coast at Aboukir ; besides the 6,000 Sepoys
brought from India, by way of the Red Sea, and ready
to land at Cos,eir, upon the coast of Upper Egypt. 'What
was to be done in the midst of so many en. mies, with
troops whose courage, doubtless, was unimpaired, when
called upon to fight, but who, when the affairs of the
colony grew deperate, were always ready to say that the
expedition was a dazzling act of folly, and that their
blood was sacrificed unavailingly to a mere chimera ?
"In the three engagements of the Bth, 13th, and 21st
of March, we had lost the services of nearly 3,500 men,
of whom one-third were killed, one third severely
wounded, and one-third incapable of returning to the
ranks for some weeks to come. Although the army was
greatly weakened, we could, nevertheless, now, as at the
beginning of the campaign, rnanceavre rapidly between
the various bodies tending to-form a junction, beat the
vizier, if he should enter by way of Syria, or the capitan-
pacha if he should attempt to penetrate by way of Ro-
setta, or the English, if they should advance on the narrow
tongues of land which communicate with the interior of
Egypt. But the 3,500 men whom we had lost rendered
this plan more difficult then ever. If 3,0(.0 men were left
in Cairo, and 2,000 or 3,000 in Alexandria, only 7,000
or 8,000 would remain to manoeuvre in the open field,
even supposing that all the available forces were col-
lected, and that the secondary posts were evacuated,
without any exception. With a very resolute and able
general success would have been doubtful, yet still within
the bounds of possibility ; but what could be expected
of Menou and his lieutenants ? "
It is hardy necessary to give more instances of M.
Thiers' total want of fidelity as a historian ; but the
affair of Algeziras, which in honour of the French he
calls a brilliant engagement, and the flight of the
French and Spanish fleets from the Bay of Gibraltar,
pursued by Admiral Saumarez, are too characteristic
to be omitted. At Algeziras M. Thiers claims a
great victory, the French and Spanish fleets too—at
least what of them the English and accident had
spared, entered Cadiz, in a sort of triumph, and the
inhabitants " filled the air with acclamation, at the
sight of the Formidable, returning victoriously into
the harbour ;" but it is a curious fact that all the vic-
tories which M. Thiers recounts were gained when
the French were in full flight, either before only one-
half of their numbers, or before an imaginary enemy,
when the Swiftsure was taken by four ships of the
line and two frigates under Ganteaume. The French
were flying as fast as wind could carry them to
Toulon before Admiral Warren's ghost, and Jerome
Bonaparte was one of the runaways—at Algeziras,
Linois run his ships aground to escape from Sau-
marez, and by aid of the batteries, and owing to one
English ship, the Hannibal, running aground in the
pursuit, even according to Thiers, she was taken.
Another English ship, also, according to the same
faithful narrator, was taken, but, unfortunately, the
victorious Linois could not keep her, and when the
combined fleets entered Cadiz in triumph, they had
only saved themselves by flight, and such a dis•
graceful flight! They consisted, says M. Thiers,
of nine ships of the line and six frigates, while
Admiral Saumarez had only five- ships of the
line and several frigates ; but M. Thieri,takes care not
to say how many (probably not more than two), yet
with this disproportionate force the Englishman took
one ship of the line, destroyed two, and the forts of
Cadiz saved the remainder. But this result, ac-
cording to the ex-Prime-Minister, did the Engliah no
honour, for it required not fewer than three English
ships of the line to capture the San Antonio, and be-
sides the San Antonio " defended herself without that
order and coolness which are indispensable to put in
motion these gigantic engines of warfare," and the
other two vessels were destroyed, but not by the Eng•
lish. They absolutely fought with each other like
the Kilkenny cats, though their destruction was
more complete. The English, of course, must have
been at the bottom of the mischief, for agreeably to
the dishonourable system of warfare carried on by
"perfidious Albion," Admiral Saumarez ordered the
Superb to fire red-hot balls into the San Carlos,
which took fire—ran foul of the Santa llermenegilda,
and the two friendly ships, taking each other f
enemies, fought like very devils, till both blew up
with frightful explosion. M. Thiers of course claims
the glory of the day, or rather of the n.,ght, for it
was pitch dark, and modestly says, the English soul I
do no less than admit thbeefefo been
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the actual loss, it was equally divided. If the Fret ell
had lost one ship and the Spaniards two, the English
had left one vessel in our power, and had two so dis-
abled as to be rendered quite unfit for further service.
But for the accidental occurrences of the night, they
might be considered as having been quite beaten in these
several encounters. The battle of Algeziras, and the re-
turn of the Formidable into port, were amongst the most
distinguished exploits known in the annals of our naval
history."
A similar false account is given of Nelson's attack
on the Boulogne'flotille'" Oa that occasion," says the-
author; " it was riot an unsuccessful attempt, it -wars
aixiiitive defeat That which added still more to the
delight occasioned by this brilliant action was, that
wa had beaten Nelson in person." Not a word is