Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-04-30
From Harpers Magazine.
Thrilling Sketch-s-RattIe of the Pyra-
gnidS.
BY JOHN s. c. ABBOTT.

BY JOHN 5. c. ABBOTT.
Cairo i. on the Eastern Banks Of the Nile
Mourad Bev had there assembled the greater
part of the Mamelukes, nearly ten thousand in
number for a decisive battle. These proud and
powerful horsemen we're supported by twenty
four thousand foot soldiers strongly entfenched
Napoleon was marching along the western shore
On the Dist of July, Napoleon conscious tina, he
was near the city, set his army in motion before
the break of day. Just as the sun was rising in
those clOudess skies, the soldiers beheld the lof-
ty minarets of the city upon the left, gilded by its
rays, and upon the right, upon the borders of the
desert, the gigantic pyramids rising like noun
talns uponihe apparently boundless plain. The
whole army instinctively halted, and gazed awe
stricken upon those monuments of antiquity.
The face Of Napoleon beamed with enthusiasm
Soldiers he exclaimed, a. he rode along the
ranks from these submits forty centuries con-
template your actions The ardor of the soldiers
was aroused to the highest pitch. Animated by
the Clangor of martial bands, and the CLEAN of
Haunting banners, they advanced with impetuous
steps to meet their toes. The whole plain before
them, at the base Of the pyramids, was filled with
armed men. The gIitteTing weapons of ten thou
sand horsemen, in the utmost splendOr of barbaric
chValry, brilliant pIumCs, the arms of FURNISHED
steel and gold, presented an array equally impOs-
ing. Undismayed, the French troops, marshall
ed into five invncble Squares, marched on
There was apparently no alternative.
Napoleon must march upon these entrench-
ments behind which twenty -four thousand men,
we're stationed with their musketry to sweep his
ranks, ana formidable body of ten thousand
horsemen, on fleet and powerful Arabian secds,
awaiting the onset and ready 10 siazo upon the
&c 10
all the fury which fatalism can inspire upon his
bleeding and manglcd squares. 1t must have
been a moment of intense anxiety. But as Ma
poeon sat upon his horse, in the centre of one of
the squares, and carefully examined with his tel
escope the disposition Of the enemy, no one could
discern the slightest trace OF uneasinCss. His
grave gaze was long and intense.
The kecnness of scrutiny detected that the
guns Of the enemy were not mounted upon car
rages and thoy could not therefore, be turned
from the direction in which they were placed
No other officer, though many ftham had equal
ly good glasses, made this important discovery
He Immediately, by a lateral movement, guided
his army to the right, towards the pyramids, that
his squares might be ont of the range of the
guns, and that he might attack the enemy in the
flank. The moment Mourqd Boy perceived this
evolution, he OWNED It's object and with great
military sagacity, resolved instantly to charge.
You shall now see US, said the proud Bey,
cut up those dogs like gourds.'
1t was indeed fearful spectacle. Ten thou
sand horscmen, magniGccu,ly dressed, with the
tinetest stecds in the world, urging their horses
with bloody spurs to the onset, rending the hGa-
vcDs with their cries, and causing the earth to
trcmble beneath the thunder of iron feet, came
down upon the aIamantiue host. Nothing was
IN vE-nr than cba
Ten thousand hOrscmen in an enormous mass.
Those longest Injured to danger felt that it was
an awful moment '; seemed impossible to re-
sist such an avalanche. The most profound ST
lcnco rcigned through the ranks, interrupted on
| ~ bv the word Of command The nerves of ex-
element being aroused to the utmost tension,
| every order was executed with the most marvel
ons rapidity ard precision. The soldiers held
their breath, and with bristiing bayonets stood
shoulder 10 shoulder to receive the shock.
The moment the Mamelukes arrived within
gun-shot the ortillery Of the angles ploughed
their ranks, and platoons of musketry, voley Of
ter volley, in perfect uninterrupted flow, swept
into their faces pitilcss tempest Of destruction.
Horses and riders. struck by balls. rolled over
each other by hundreds in the sand, and were
trampIed and crushed by the iron hoots of thou
sands of frantic stecds, enveloped in dust and
the squares stood as firm as the pyramids at
/ whose base they fought Not one was broken
not one wcycred-the daring Mamclukes, in
the frenzy of their rage aud disappointment,
threw away their lives with the utmost reckless
/ ness.
They wheeled their horses round, and refined
them back upon the ranks, that they nigh. kick
their way into the terrible forrcsses OF living
men. Rendered furious by their INABILITY to
break the ranks, they hurled their pistols and
carbnes at the heads Of the French, The woun-
dad craWicd along the ground, and cut at the
legs of their mdomitable foes They displayed
superhuman bravery, the only virtue which the
Mameuke possessed.
Bat an incessant and mercess fire from Ma
poleon's wel-traincd bataons continually thin
ned their ranks, and at length the MameIukos,
in the widest disorder, broke and fed. The in
tantry in the intrenchcd camp, witnessing the
utter discontinue of the mounted troops, whom
ttoy had considered inyincbe, caught the pan
c and ioinad the flight Napoleon now, in his
turn, charged with the utmost impetuosity. a
scene of ludescrbabe confusion and horror en-
sued.
The extended plain was crowded with furi-
tivcs-foormen and hor~emen, bewdered with
terror seeking to escape from their terrible foes
Thousands plunged INTO the river, and endeav-
ored to escape by swimming to the opposite
shore. Buta shower of bullets, like hail stones,
fell upon them and the waves Of the Nile were
crmsored with blood. Others sought the dos-
err. wild and rabbIe rout The victors with
their accustomed CELEBRITY, pursued, piulcssy
pouring into the dense masses OF their flying
foes, :Ae most terrible discharges Of artillery and
musketry The rout was comPlete--the car
mage awful The sun had hardly reached the
meridian, before the whole embaU.ed host had
disappeared, and the plain, as far az the eye
/ could eAt4ud, was siTewn with The dead and dy
ing
The camp with all its Oriental wealth, fell in
to the hands Of the vic;ors and the soldiers en-
rcGed themselves with its profu>ions Of splen-
did saaw,s, magnificent weapons, Arabian hor
seS, and purses filed wiki gold. The Name
.ukes were accustomed 70 lavish great wealth
in the decoration Of their persons, and to carry
with them large sums Of money. The gold and
tn trappugs found upon the body of each Ma
meiukc were worth from twelve hundreds to TWO
thousand dolars Besides those who were slain
upon the field. more than thousand Of these
formidable horsenen were drowned in the Nile
For many DAYS the soldiers empoyed themselves
in fishing up the rch booty, and the French
camp was filed 10 abundance This most san
culinary battle cost the French scarcely one han
/ bred men in killed and wounded. More than
ten thousand Of the enemy persisted. Napoleon
Cs POL tvi,f, ration q 70r the bravery vz-b5eA