The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-01 00:00:00

A GENEVESE TRAVELLER.

THE FRENCH IN ALGIERS.
(From the Paris Papers.)

The Minister of War has received several reports from Algeria,
the first is from General Lamoriciere, dated the 17th, from bivouac
of the Oued Teiata, near Nedroma. It is as follows:
" I set out on my march from Djemma Ghazaouat on the
12th, us I announced to Sou I intended to do by my letter of
the 10th, in the direction of Nedroma, and the Col d'Ain
Kebira, which gives access into the country of the Traras. I
left at Djemma Ghazaonat a certain number of fatigued men,
and three squadrons of cavalry, with whom I could for the
moment dispense, being in the mountains. I marched with
about 4,500 bayonets, 650 sabres, and 10 mountain guns. On
arriving on the Oucd Telata, at the spot where I am bivouacked
to-day, a great many of the Beni Menir foot soldiers (a frac-
tion of the Traras), and some horsemen, approached my left
Sank and began to fire. In the horizon, on the crests of the
mountains, nn both sides of the Col d'Ain Kebira, 1 could distin-
guish a numerous body of cavalry, immovable spectators of the
battle, which the Emir had ordered the tribe to engage in with us.
I did not think it proper to suffer them to be emboldened by con-
tinuing an offensive position, I therefore formed my convoy en
maw, and sent against the assailants some battalions without their
knapsacks, with a few squadrons, which drove the enemy back into
the mountains. This engagement cost the Beni Menirs about 15
men, and us an officer, M. Burcaille, of the 15th Light Infantry,
a non-commissioned officer of the 41st, and a chasseur of the 2d
regiment, killed. I came to my bivouac at Nedroma without being
followed for a moment. The ardour of the insurgents had already
subsided. The chiefs of Nedroma came in the evening to my camp,
to make their excuses for having, through necessity, submitted to
pay a contribution in money to the Emir, and furnishir g him with
barley and other provisions for his troops. The gates, however, re-
mained shut against him, and the inhabitants showed too much firm-
ness for him to attempt to force them, or talk of an emigration to
Morocco. I learned through the chiefs that the Emir,with 2,800 horse,
rested at Ain Kebira, fomenting the insurrection of the Traras,
the Grosschs, and a feeble portion of the Beni Amer Garabas,
whom, however, he could not succeed in seducing into Morocco.
All these populations were heaped together in the mountains which
fill the triangle formed by Lalla Maghrina, Djemma Ghazaouat,
and the mouth of the Tafna. All the combatants had given this
as a rendezvous for the defence of Ain Kebira, by which I must
necessarily enter the mountain. I shall ascend the Cul to-morrow
morning, the 13th of October. General Cavaignac nu:relied to
the left of the position by a path which we had perceived the
evening before. I arrived with difficulty at the height by a narrow
path on the right, proceeding from the gate of Nedroma. Colonel
Cheydesson, of the 15th Light Infantry, marched at the bead of
the column with his regiment and two battalions of the 6th Light
Infantry. We perceived in front of us, and principally on the
left, the heights covered with numerous bodies of Kabyle Infantry.
A steep mound, well provided with troops, rose its the middle of
the hill, aod, advancing, separated our two attacks. I directed
Colonel Gachol, of the 3d Light Infantry, to remain there with a
battalion of his regiment. I kept myself near the 44th of the line, as a
reserve at the head of the convoy. At 11 o'clock the three
columns moved forward together, and were received by a well-
sustained fire. That on the left, having to climb up, in the teeth
of a numerous force, sharp slopes, exposed in all their length to
the fire of the enemy, appeared in some danger ; but such was the
impetuosity of the 41st of the line, animated by General Cavaignac
and their Colonel, M. de M'Mahon, that the position was at once
carried. Many of the enemy were killed on the opposite side of the
hilt. On our side, Chef-de-Battailon Corondelet, of the 1 lth Itegi.
ment, was grievously wounded in the head with a ball; and Capt.
Moonier, of the same regiment, was mortally wounded, as was a
soldier; five men were more slightly wounded. The height of
Ain Kebira was thus occupied, and I established my camp there.
General Cavaignac came and joined me in the afternoon, after
having pursued to a distance all the foot soldiers that attempted to
make a stand on the neighbouring heights. A section of the 6th
battery and of the 14th Regiment, commandell by Captain
Geslin, seconded his movements by a well-dire -d fire. The
cavalry of the ex-Emir was not engaged in this difficult
ground; it had at an early period evacuated the heights on
the left before being engaged. General Cavaignac had
seen it descending towards the Oued Telata, and had heard
the cries of the Traras abandoned by it. The next day,
the 14th, I made a movement of a league and a half only, to
encamp at the Marabout of Sidi Mohammed el Kraouen, where I
knew where to find abandoned silos, filled with bailey for my
cavalry and my convoy. I thus penetrated into the hear: of the
country of the Beni Ouersous, the most host hostile fraction of the
Traras, that which fought, on the 22d or 24th of last September,
two desperate combats with General Cavaignac. I drove before
me towards the sea all the populations in my way, and I began to
block up for them the roads to the west. The object of my move-
ment then began to be seen by the Arabs. The tribes understood
the consequence of it, and, its the evening letters were brought
me on the part of the chiefs of the Beni-Oucrsous and the
Grossils. I combined my movement on the morning of the 15th,
and established myself at Souek.Ouled.Aloui. The rocky cliffs
which surrounded this kind of funnel were covered with armed men,
who prepared themselves to receive us. General Cavaignac, who
was the first to go out from the inextricable defile, which leads
to Souek-Ouled-Aloui, had kept up a brisk fire whit the Kabyles,
among the rocks of Bab -Messemar, a passage which leads
from the Beni Ouersous to the Beni Missci. I formed my
convoy as masse, and as soon as Colonel Chadeyson had arrived
with the 6th and 15th light infantry, I put it in movement by the
right to attack the positions, while Gen. Cavaignac advanced on
the left. The principal resistance took place on tills point, whets
the enemy showed himself in force. The battalion o: the Zouaves,
which formed the head of the column, with the squadron of the 4th
regiment of Chasseurs, under Captain Vernon, did not act less well
than the llth had done on the 13th, and were more successful.
Only a Zouave was wounded. More than 40 dead bodies of the
enemy were left on the spot, and our only losses during the day
were whilst the fusillade was going on which preceded the princi-
pal
attack to the left. A non commissioned officer of the 41st
was then killed, and four soldiers wounded. This attair dis-
couraged the Traras, and on the morning of the 6th I commented
my march towards the Peak of Tadjera, drawing nearer
and nearer to the sea. The chiefs same to meet me, accom-
panied by the Caids of the Grossils, and those of the fractions
of the Beni Amers. All these tribes were at my discretion,
being between my camp and the sea, from which I was only a
league and a half distant. I could have sent into the frightful
ravines, into which they had plunged without having the means of
escape, some battalions of infantry, which would have taken com-
plete vengeance for this insurrection, but in the then disposition of
our troops this vengeance would Lava been too severe perhaps. I
was very anxious to regain the plain, and to draw near to Nedroma,
in order to watch the movements of the Emir, whose camp was
visible at Ain Kebira, at a short distance from us, but separated by
rocks and inaccessible precipices. I granted the pardons that was
solicited, and came here this morning from Hadjera. I have pre-
scribed: to the Grossils and the fractions of the Beni Atnera to
remain shut up in the mountains of the Traras, or in those of the
Oulassts, until the security of their plain shall be sufficiently re-
established. It is already a result to have closed this fortress
against the Emir. lam now in a condition to follow him in the
plains if he should attempt to hold out there."
The report concludes with an eulogium on the troops engaged,
and with a mention of the persons who had most oistinguished
themselves. General Lamoriciere incloses a letter from M. Courby
de Cognord, chef d'escadron of the 2il Hussars, who was supposed
to have been killed in the affair of the 23d ult. ; but who, after
having been severely wounded, was taken prisoner. His letter,
giving au account of the affair in question, arid which differs ins no
material point from what has already beers published, was sent to
Ger cral Lamoricicre by Abd.el Kader. The following passages,
however, will be read with interest :
"Colonel de Montagnac, who had just been wounded, gave
ordets to the company of Captain Chargere to charge the enemy,
who was pursuing us in great numbers. La an instant he was
surrounded, and entirely decimated. A past of the 2d company
remained with me; the other part, commanded by Lazzartt,
tub-lieutenant, followed the movement of the first, and
met with the same fate. Al. Lazzaret received two
wounds, anti was made prisoner. M. de Chargere,
and his lieutenant, Dl. de Raymond, were killed in the
charge. Fieditig myself now the only officer, in ral!ying all the
men who remained, my second horse was killed under me by the
Kabyles, wino pressed closely upon us, arid it was at this moment
that Colonel Montagnac gave up the command to me, his wound
not permitting him to act any longer. S eing, at a little later pe-
riod the critical position in which we we-re, the Colonel ordered
Mart:Thal.des-Logis Barbut, who was performing the duties of
' adjutant to me, to desire Commandant Froment Cos:e to hastens
to our relief with one of the two companies remaining at the
camp. This non-commissioned cfficer hastened to perform his
I mission, but unfortunately it was already too late, for the force
that enveloped us was constantly increasing, and in a few in-
: stants we were surroundc‘l by between 4,000 and 9,000 men, Ano.