The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-07-26
TwENrY-rIFrH OF JULY.

TwENTY-FIFTH OF JULY.
This day IL celebrated as the anniversary Of
the battle Of Niagara or Lundy's Lane. II waa
upon this day, also, that Bonaparte, IN the
year 1899, defeated and destroyed the Turkish
army, $4,000 strong, at Aboukir, in lower
Egypt. -
The check which the French had received
at Acre, in Syria, gave rise to numerous in
surrectons in Egypt, all Of which were sup
pressed. A still more serious danger arose
from large Turkish army, which, under the
convoy ofSir Sidney Smith landed at Aboukir
on the beginning of July, and took the fort and
village of that name. They had hoped to CO.
operate with Mourad Bey, but that chief b d
already been driven into the desert by Murat,
who had killed or dispersed nearly the whole
of his forces. As soon as Napoleon had been in
formed of the landing ofthe Turks, be advanced
to Gizeh. Taking with him the divisions on
Murai, Lannes and Bon, in all or 6,OoO men,
he marched forty French leagues in four day 81
and arrived on the 18th at Rhamanleh. Inc
CONVOY which had been seen at Aboukir was
considerable, and it being rumored that por
ton of it was composed Of English troops, he|
determined to act as though he had ascertainedI
the rumor to be true. He had no fears for|
his rear, and he therefore turned his entire at
ten,ion to the enemy in front. On the 2oth mel
learned from Alexandra that the enemy, IN
stead of advancing, were entrenchIng them
selves, in two lines, the entertainments OF theI
first line extending from the redoubt, IN 'front.'
ofAboukir, and in the centre ofthe peninsula,
there only eight hundred yards wide, to thel
sea, and those of the other about two miles ln|
advance. This latter had its TANKS supported
on two sand hills, that on the left commanding
lake Madieh, and that on the right overlo0king|
the Mediterranean. Their inactivity was ac-
counted for in two ways one, because theyI
were waiting for an English army expected
from Port Mahon, the other, because Musta-|
pha Pacha, who commanded, had no cavalry
and artillery, and without either would mott
venture to attack SO strong place as Alexan
dria. 1t was added that he expected to form al
junction with the cavalry of Mourad Bey.-
The Turkish army was reckoned at 5000
men, with thirty pieces of cannon, the latter,
however, unprovided with harness or the
means oil transport.
The position of the Turks was such, that
they could fall either upon Alexandra or Ro-
setta. Bonaparte therefore chose Birket for
the centre of his operations, because from that
point he could fall upon their right flank, i'll
they debouched upon the latter, or upon theiII
left, if they moved on the former. Whilst his
columns were assembling at Rhamanieh, he;
himself went on to Alexandria. The immobil
ity of the Turks seemed to prove the truth of
the rumor that they were waiting for an En-
glish army. 1t was important TO attack themI
before the expected reinforcement could ar
rive,and Bonaparte determined to do it, though
he bad only or 5000 men at hand, for i'll
would take ten days for most Of his divisions tol
arrive, and at least twenty for that of Desaix /
The Turks, being destitute of cavalry and ar
tillery, could not, he thought, offer very Sc
rious resistance, and if, in the meantime, heI
found them stronger than he supposed, he de- 1
termined to take position parallel to theirs |!
with one wing on the sea, and the other on the
lake, fortify it, shut them up, and cut them off
from all communication with the interior, andi
attack them as soon as his whole army, TWEEN /
ty FIVE thousand in number, should have as-|
sembled. He left Alexandria on the oath, and]
encamped at the Wells, where he was rejoinedl
by all the troops from Brket. The Turks
had no cavalry. Consequently, they. were|
kept SO thoroughly in check by the French
Grand Guards of cavalry and hussars, that
they could obtain no intelligence of Bona
parties movements. He hoped, from this cir
cumstance, to surprise them, and would have
succeeded in doing SO, but for the accidental
capture of ten French sappers, from whom
they learned that the troops before them were
the main French army, commanded by Bona
parte in person. They passed the whole night
OF the Oath in making their final dispositions,
and on the morning of the 25th the French saw
them drawn up ready for battle. Upon this,
Bonaparte determined TO attack them. on the
spot, if not to carry the whole peninsula-at|
least, to possess himself of their first line
Occupying it, he would shut up the Turks, in|
the narrow peninsula, with the lake on their
left, and the sea on their right and rear, and
destroy them at his leisure, and without risk
with shells and shot.
General Lannes, with 1900 men, was to att
tack the enemy's left General Destaing, with!
an equal number, was to assail their right
Murat, with all the cavalry, and battery of
light artillery, divided his force into threeE
corps, right, centre and left, the rig acting as
areserve. The sharp shooters of Lannes and
Desiaing soon became engaged with those of !
the enemy. The Turks maintained the com
bat with great obstinacy, until Murat, penetra-
ting by their centre, fell upon the rear oftheirI
right with his left, and upon the rear of their
left with his right, thus cutting off the commu- /
nicafion of the first line with the second, which,
we have seen was considerably in the rear.
This circumstance threw them into irfeyo,
cable confusion, and they rushed back in tn
muItuous disorder, in the direction Of the Sc
rnnd line Brave but undiscipiined hayiucI