The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-03
The Fra1&A Commanders I'm chief I'm the
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GENERAL FUnyR, THE NIW COMMANDER IN

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GENERAL rEnErys, THE srw coMMANDER IN
i CHIEF.
This officer, TO whom the command in chief Of the
French army in the Crinsa has just been transferred
In consequence of the Of General
of those African chiefs who have won their way
TO high military rank by rather squivocal means. He
acquired infamous celebrity by the cruel exploit
which he performed in the Dshr In 1845 N suocating
SEQ men, women and children Of enc Of the Arab
tribes, In cave. We copy from the Pazxheon Popu-
aue, weedited Paris publication, tho following
rather spoogetic account OF thin alsir
The Kantara, the title Of wsh signifies Sridge is
avast thicket which connects two rocky emnences
situated on the borders of the cued-Freschch. Here
are the vast grotoes called DA.r el Freschich. Tn,
oued kahs fanced that they had placed caves.
infu security, their wives children and yaluables.
ressed coteiy by Colonel Pessier who had arrived
undertake o razla against the Ber. zsntes and who
was to be joined by Colonel st. Arnsui whs
had taken the Eastern route, they the m selves
compelled to crowd into these for safety
Sixty OF them posted themselves advance 20 appriss
the rest Of the arrival Of the French rs the
latter were in sight, the Kabylss commenced a well
sustained fire against the head OF the column Their
Gre became hsrrassiDg that party Of Arab gour
who followed the column abandoned Ia terror. After
the first fire was exchanged, however, the 0ulsd Rha
warriors fed to rcoin their brethren defence and in
martyrdom.
Tho cave had only two entrances, one above the
other, to which enclosed footpath led. company
Of grenadiers received orders to follow this difficult
route and to arrive possible at the retreat Of
the Kabyles but the latter had the advantage firing
with certainty of killing the men engaged in this
species OF ravne 1t was found necessary to abandon
mine would probably have compelled the 0ued Rhas to
submit but Colonel Pelsser was in hurry to join his
colleague. On the other hand there not troops
sufbcent TO take up permanent encampment
these mountains, wse,e insurrestion might
in conf rmity with Colones instructions He had
directions at any price to destroy the prest attached
to the retreats of the KanIara.
An internal idea borro we'd either frou,
our civil from the OF the Spanards ia Anne
rca, had been indc.ted extreme measure by the
Governor General. It to terfify tho KRbyles by
threatening TO su!ocate them in their by fire. IL
thought that in presence Of such menace all
distance would cesse. After succeeding though not
without good deal Of difficulty, in placing himself In
communication with the defenders Of the cavern, Coo
Pesie threw the threat suggested by
Bugeaud. The Arabs laughed at ii, and one OF the
French flags Of truce was even killed by them.
commencement OF the project made, in the idea
that their indifference only from the certainty
which they entertained that the threat would be put
in execution Heaps OF dry wood and straw we're thrown
from the tops of the Kantara in front of the
The Kabyles removed them, according they
we're flung do~n but the Are .si the French
combustibes after while made = vast heap.
to which ii now only remained to apply the fire. No
made fire at enst III thrown the pile As If it dd
not wish TO associate itself with this hu
the combustDle piled by the French at the
trance OF the few Arabs escaped, vent
Others would follow them, and that the whole body
would then submit. This vain hope. just as the
sun began to qu. it's zenith abreeze arose. which blew
directly in the dreoion Of the entrances to the Dbar
The smoke began TO wb and curl the air the flames
burst forth crawn by the current into the
verns. Many thought that the Arabs had fed By
come ISSUE at least they had found r-
treat where the fire could not reach them. This state
OF uncertainty lasted al night
At ybreak "a company, composed partly OF artillery
epgpeers received ORDERS penetrate into
tie caves. A melancholy silence, broken by distant
means, prevailed there. At the entrance, the animals,
whose heads had been covered over to prevent them
from seeing or making noise lay half reduced TO Gin
ders Then oebed fearful groups which death had
siezed upon Here mother HAD been sutfocated ust
che defending her chid against the fury Of bull,
whose horns che still held whom the fire had sted
at The time. To sdd to the horror of the scene,
the naked corpse. poured forth their blood BY the mouth
their attitudes attestsd the dreadful character Of
the death struggle Here, two spouses two lovers
were locked in each others New born children
places concealed the garm nts of the mothers.
In pe scattered in every direction to be
tiated mssfes Of hu flesh, trampled under foot
during the struggle OF The night and forming altogether
sort OF human ragout.
When all horrors related to the Colonel he
did not seem to believe them He sent his staff to
sure themselves of the fact 1t was still more APP
pallipg when the emptied of she
corpses and booty which they contained. There
more than six hunorsd dead bodiss in them
The greatest CONSERVATION pervaded the column It In
said however, that the soldiers not ashamed to
profit by spos Of the martyrs of Darh e Freschc
We attach credit to the statement However tins
may be- Colonel Pelisser has had ia ed upon him by this
deed terrible name 1t is certain that in giving ordsrs
TO smoke the cayerns he was far fom expecting such
fearful result
with an incredible degree Of herolsm, the Governor
Genera too upon him. in the face Of outraged public
opinion, the Iespon ability of ths command
above related Colonel Pessr sign allied himself
at Motaganem by another at OF pton,
another tribe, who had taken refuge in som. q
the mountain In the wear, q q reward
and commandsnt Of the division OF In the
autumn Of 1872 we find him besieging Laghouat in the
Sahara Of the province of Algsrs, which he stormsd
gbouAt by General Pessier deposited the 30th
OF December. 1852, a. the Invades The General has
been several Governor General Gd interim OF AlRe-
ria He is from fifty to ffty four years Of age, Of
harsh violent and energetic character and Ia generally
Louis Napoleon has selected for the important ana re-
sponEble post lately held by General Canrobert. Ths
choice is, perhaps, sgood under the
GENERAL CANRoBERT, THE OLD CoMMANDERIN CHIRF.
Francois Canrobert born in lso9 in the depart
ment Of Lot, leagues from the village whore Mu-
frat the light He entered the school of Saint
Cyr in the month OF November 1926 and obtained The
highest honors in that establishment In 1928 he vas
appointed to the sub eutenancy Of the 47h regiment
Of the line, and made lieutenant in 1892 In 1895
he embarked for Africa, and arrived in the of
Oran and in short time tns OK ssdnon to
kuscara, where he first distinguishes bH.ssH BY the
part hs took at the capture nemcen the exped ona
to Chef and ma, revictualing Of Temcen the battles
of Sid Yacoub Tafna. and Sikkak, Csnrobsrt gained
the rank OF captain 1887 after the decoes-
tion OF the Legion Of Honor was conferred ON him.
In October Captain Csnrobert incorporated into
the 9th Battalion Of pied In this ne cam
pagn he ignased himself in the battles of Mouzaia and
Gontas as well as in the ssngunary struggle with the
Benz. i.Massers Having obtained the rank Of Chef de-
Battalion in the 18th Light Regiment the 22d OF May
Pa n ~
Chssseur which Kept up the campaign the banks Of
the Cbetn. He had been officer Of the Legion Of
Honor for tso years when Colonel St. Arnaud ed
him agsnst Bou Msza. light months Of continual
warfare were followed BY the Of the country:
and Canrober obtained the rank Of Colonel After
Ing commanded the I'd regiment OF the line he was
transferred - the I'd foreign resiment op tha aist A.