Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-07-04
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GIN. PELLISSIER,

This officer, who has been recently inves.
ted with the command of the army of France
before Sevastopol, earned his claim to that
distinction about ten years since, in Africa,
by an exploit which will forever cover his
name with infamy. He suffocated some 300
men women and children of one Of the Arab
tribes, in q cave, because he was unable to
make them surrende: to his arms. The fol.
lowing rather apologetic account of this al
fair is copied from the Pantheon Populaire,
Of Paris:
"The cave had only two entrances, one
above the other, to which an inclosed foot.
path led. A company of grenaders re-
ceived orders to follow this difficult route,
and to arrive as soon as possible at the re.
treat OF the Kabyles; but the latter had the
advantage Of firing with certainty of killing
the men engaged in this species of ravine'
1t was found necessary to abandon the at
tack in front.
Gan investment Of the place was then
thought Of. Famine would probably have
compelled the Ouled Rhias to submit; but
Col. Pellissier was in hurry to join his col.
league. On the other hand, there were not
troops sufficient to take up permanent en-.
campment on these mountains, where an in.
surrection might annihilate the column; in
short a siege was not in conformity with the
coloneps instructions. He had directions,
at any price, to destroy the prestige attach
ed to the retreats of the Kantara.
"-An internal idea. borrowed, unfortunate.
ly, either from our civil wars or from the
wars of the Spaniards in America, had been
indicated as an extreme measure by the
Governor General. 1t was to terrify the
Kabyles by threatening to sufocate them in
their caves by fire. 1t was thought that in
presence of such a menace, all resistance
would cease. After succeeding--although
not without good deal of difficulty-in
placing himself in communication with the
defenders of the cavern, Col. Pellissier threw
out thethreat suggested by Marshal Bugeaud.
The Arabs laughed at it, and one OF the
French flags of truce was even killed by
them.
CA commencement of the project was
made, in the idea that their Indifference only
a rose from the certainty which they enter.
tanned that the threat would not be put in
execution. Heaps of dry wood and straw
were thrown from the tops of the Kantara
in front of the caves. The Kabyles remov-
ed them, accordingly as they were flung
down, but the.6re Of the French having dri.
ven them back into the caves, these combus.
tibles after while made vast heap, to
which il now only remained to apply fire. No
signs of surrender on the part of the Arabs
having been made, fire atlength was thrown
into the pile. AS if it did not wish to asso.
ciate itself with the horrors of this human
butchery, it long refused to communicate
itself to the combustible masses piled by the
French at the entrance Of the caves.
GA few Arabs escaped, and went to a
short distance to obtain water. It was ex.
pected that others would follow them, and
that the whole body would then submit
This was vain hope. Just as the sun be.
gan to quit its zenith a breeze arose, which
blew directly in the direction of tho entrance
to the Dhar. The smoke began to whirl
and curl in the air, the flames burst forth,