New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-05-20
From Harpefs' Magazine.
THRILLING sKETCH-BATTLE OF THE PYRAMIDS

THRILLING SKETCH-BATTLE OF THE PYRAMIDS
BIZ JOHN s. c. ABBOTT.
Cairo is the eastern bank Of the Nile Mourad Bey
had there assembled the greater part Of his Mameukes
nearly ten thousand in number for decisive battle
These proud and powerful horsemen supported by
thousand foot soldiers strongly enrenched
Napoleon was marching along the western shore On
9th Of July, Napoleon, conscious that he the
city set his army in motion before the break Of day Just
behed the lofty mnares of the city upon the left gded
by rays and upon the right the borders Of the
an apparently boundiess plain The whole army instinct
lively halted and gazsd awesricken upon the monuments
of antiquity.
The face Of Napoleon beamed with enthusiasm Sol
diers he exclaimed, he rode along the ranks, from
those submits forty centuries contemplate your
ionsi The ardor of the soldiers was reused to the
highest pitch. Animated by the clangor of the mar
tial bands and the CLEAN Of Haunting banners they
advanced with mpetuous steps to meet their foes The
whole plain before them at the base Of the pyramids
filed with armed The glitterng weapons of ten
thousand horsemen in the utmost splendor of barbarc
biyary brilliant plumes the Of FURNISHED steel and
gold. presented an array equally imposing. Undsmayed
the french troops marshaed into five nvincbe squares
marched on. There apparently no alternative.
Napoleon must march upon these entertainments, be-
hind which twenty four thousand men stationed,
with their artillery and musketry to sweep his ranks and
% formidable body Of horsemen on fleet and powerful
Arabian seed awaiting the onset and ready to seize upon
the slightest indication of confusion to plunge with all
the fury which fatasm inspire upon his pleading and
angled squares 1t must have been moment OF intense
anxiety But Napoleon sat upon his horse in the
tire Of of the squares and carefully examined with
his telescope the disposition Of the enemy could
discern the slightest trace Of uneasness His grave gaze
was Icing and intense
the enemy not mounted upon carriages and they
could therefore be turned from the direction in which
they were placed No other officer though many of
had equally good glasses made this important dis
covery He Immediately by lateral movement guided
squares might be out Of the range the guns that
he might attack the enemy in the flank. The moment
Mourad Bey perceived this evolution he OWNED its OBJ
ec with great military sagacy resolved Instantly
charge.
those dogs like gourds.'
II was indeed fearful spectacle Ton Thousand horse
men maguifcenty dressed with the eetest steed in the
world urging their horses with bloody spurs the onset
snding the heavens with their cries and causing the
earth rembe beneath the thunder of iron feet
down upon the adamaatine host Nothing seen
in war furious than this charge. Tep thousand
horssmen enormous mass Those longest Injured to
danger felt that it was an awful moment seemed i'm
possible resist such avalanche The most profound
silence regned through the ranks interrupted only by
the word Of command. The Of excitement being
raised to their utmost tension every order was executed
with the most marvellous percision and rapdity The SOL
diers held their BREATH and with brsng bayonets stood
shoulder to shoulder to receive the shock,
The moment the Mamelukes arrived within gun shot,
the artillery of the angles powed their ranks and plaoons
of msketry volley after volley in perfectly uninter
nntcd ow swept into their faces pitless tempest Of
daptrnction Horses and riders, struck by balls rolled
over each other by hundreds in the sand and were tram
ped crushed by the iron boots OF OF frantic
steas enyeoped in dust and smoke. comprising the i'm
nainons column But the squares stood rs firm as the
pyramids whose they fought Not one broken
not wayeredthe daring NatneuAes ~ tne frenzy VI
their rage and disappointment threw away their lives
with the utmost recklessness
They wheeled their horses round and refined them back
The ranks that they might kick their into the
srribe fortresses of living men Rendered furious BY
Inability break the ranks they hurled their ps
tos and carbnes at the heads Of the French The
ido;tabls foes They displayed superhuman bravery,
the only virtue which the Mamelukes possessed
mt an incessant and msrciess fire from Napoleons
atraiped battaions continually thinnsd their ranks,
and At length the Mamelukes in the widest disorder,
broks and fed The infantry in the entrenched camp,
tnsssng the utter discontinue Of the mounted troops
,ho they had considered nvincble, caught the panic
Ind Joined fight Napoleon now in his turn charged
With the utmost impeuosity scene OF indsscrbable
y ctnfuson and horror ensued.
The extended plain crowded with fugtves-feot-
and horsemen bewildered with terror, seeking to
from their terrible foes Thousands plunged into
river and endeayored to sacAps BY swimming to the