Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-06-27

ch,ef of the French Army I'm the Criinea'
The officer who has been recently invested witt
the command of the French army before Sevasto
nal earned his claim to that distinction about Ten
Years since, in Africa, by an exploit which VIII
iorever cover his name with infamy. He suifoca-
led some three hundred men, women and children
&C one of the Arab tribes in cave, because he
was unable to make them surrender to his arms
We COPY from the Pantheon Popuaire, OF Paris
the following rather apologize account oil lhlS a'-
fair =
..Tbe cave had only two entrances, one above
the other. TO which an nclosed iootpath led. A
co,pn,nv of orenadiers received orders to follow
this dicuIt route. and TO arrive as soon as possi-
HE at the retreat of the Kabyles but the latter
had the advantage OF firing with a certainty OF
killing the men engaged in this species OF ravine.
Il was found necessary to abandon the attack III
front. =,
san investment of the place was then thought
of. Famine would probably have compelled the
Ouled Rhias 10 submit; but Colonel Pellisser
was in hurry to join his colleague. On the 9th
er hand. there were not troops sufficient to take
I'D permanent encampment on these mountains,
where an insurrection might annhlae the col
umn: in short, siege was not In conformity
with the Colonel's Instructions. He had dlrec-
tons, at any price, to destroy the prestige attach
ed to the retreats of the kantara.
"An internal idea, borrowed, unfortunately.
either from our civil wars or from the wars OF the
Spaniards in America, had been indicated as an
extreme measure by the GOvernorGeneral. 1t
was to terrify the Kabyles by threatening to suf-
focae them in their caves by fire. 1t was
tbouqht that in presence of such menace all re-
sistance would cease After succeeding, though
not without good deal of difficulty, in placing.
himself in communication with the defenders OF
the cavern, Colonel Pelssier threw out the
threat suggested by Marshal Bugeaud. The A
rabs laughed at it, and one of the French flags of
truce was even killed by them.
"a commencement of the project was made, IN
the idea that their indifference only arose from
the certainty which they entertained 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
removed them. according as they were f1nng
down, but the fire of the French having driven
them back into the caves, these, combustlbes at
ter a while made vast heap, to which 1t now
only remained to apply the fire. No signs OF sur
render on the part of the Arabs having been
made, fire was at length thrown on the pile. AS
if il did not wish to associate itself with the
horrors Of this human buchery, it long refused to
communicate itself TO the combustlble masses
piled by the French at the entrance of the caverns
"a lew Arabs escaped, and went to short dis
tance to obtain water. 1t was expected that 9th
ers would follow them, and that the whole body
would then submit. This was vain hope
Just as the sun began to quit its zenith breeze
arose, which blew directly in the direction OF the
entrance tv the Dhar. The smoke began 10
whir and curl into the air, the flames burst iorth,
and were drawn by the current into the caverns.
MANY thought that the Arabs had fled by some
secret issue, or at least that they had found re-
treat where the fire could not reach them lhis
state of uncertainty lasted all night.
''At day break company, composed partly Oh
artillery and partly of engineers, received orders
to nenetrate into the caves. melancholy ST.
lence, broken by distant neans, prevailed there:
At the entrance, the animals, whose heads mad
been covered over to prevent them from seeing OF
making noise, lay half reduced to cinders.--
Then were behcld fearful groups which death
had seized upon. Here a mother had been suifo-
Gated ins, as she was defending her child against
The f1ry of bull, whose horns she still held, and
whom the fire had stfed at the same time.
"Io add to the horror of the scene, the naked
cerpscs poured forth their blood by the mouth, and
BY their attitudes attested the dreadful character
Of the death. struggle. Here. two spouses, or
two lovers, were locked in each others arms
New born children lay amongst the chests and
the provisions, and in other places were concealed
in the garments of the mothers. In fine, scatter
ed in every direction, were to be seen mutilated
masses of human flesh. tramPled under foot during
the struggle Of the night, and forming altogether
sort OF human rag0ut