Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-29

Thrilling Details of the Massacre In Syria.
One Hundred and Fifty Towns Burned
Ten Thousand Persons SInin-Twenty
thousand Widows and Orphans mined.
Private letters from different parts of Syria
have been recently published in the London
Times, from which we make these extracts;
Whatever you might have learned of the
fearful occurrence in these places is not one
part of what happened lately in Damascus,
through the connivance of the Ottoman au-
thorities. After the burning of about l50
towns, villages and hamlets OF the Christians,
the massacres of about 10000 persons, re-
ducing them TO the utmost poverty, scatter
ing them in every place, ill-treated and in
suited by all nations, the Moslems of Da-
maseus on the 9th inst, rose up against the
Christians, burned all their churches, patri-
archates and consulates, except those Of En-
gland and Prussia, and murdered about
6,00C-some say more, some less-and also
murdered the numerous clerical body Of that
capital, both Franks and natives, except
about ten persons, and forced many women
to become Moslems, married some of them
and killed some of them, while others were
sold-the married for fifty piasters, and the
unmarried for sixty. All this was done
with the knowledge of the Government,
their connivance and assistance, as is re-
ported by the Moslems themselves and the
Prussian Consul. t1
As to the remainder of the Christians, it is
said that $4,000 of them are in the Castle
with the Pasha, who has given them slight
subsistence, and many of them are dying
daily of starvation; some also sought protec-
tion with some respectable Moslems of the
place; others, to the number of about 300,
took refuge with Abd-el-Kader, the Algerine
chief; q few also are at the English and Prus-
onla of ha ha1 cor 80
attacking these two places is that their
respective Powers are their coadjutors, serv-
ants of His Majesty and Sultan Abdul Med
| lid; but with regard to the other Powers they
spared nothing but did all they could do
| against them, burning their converts and
killing their clergy. The Christian quarters
of damascus became a complete ruin strewed
| with corpses; besides those who met their
death, precipitated into wells, and flames OF
the burning houses, as many who could not
find place of escape hid themselvesin wells,
cellars and other places and who, being
starved and faint, after remaining there two
or three days, came out, but were met by
their enemies who either stoned them or
threw them back into the flames. OF these
the number is not known.
Another letter has the following:
We received such startling intelligence by
! telegraph from Syria, that our captain, upon
his own responsibility, steamed off to Bel
rut at once. We arrived there about four
days afterward, and found the Druses, a
powerful tribe of Mahomedans, massacreing
Christians all over the country, and threat
ening to attack Beirut. The Turkish
troops were doing nothing toward prevent
ing them, but rather encouraged them, and,
in two or three instances, actually took part
in killing the unfortunate Christians. The
arrival of ourselves, French frigate, and @
large Russian frigate, however, prevented
them attacking Beirut, and about week
afterward my old ship, the Ermouth, ninety
came in, which made the inhabitants of Bey.
rout feel themselves quite safe. Two OF
three days after that we were suddenly
ordered to get up steam with all speed, and
found we were going to rescue some poel
wretches who had just escaped fearful
I massacre at a place called Deir-el-Kamer
and had managed to reach the sea shore
about fifteen miles off.
When we got to the place pointed out, we
saw on some hills, about two miles off the
beach, crowds Of women and children hud.
died together, apparently in great distress
and we could not make out how it was they
did not come down to the beach to be taken
off. So the captain sent me ashore with al
the boats to bring them off. i made all the
boats lay off the surf and then landed myself
with an interpreter. Imet an armed party
of Druses on landing, and told them wished
to see the chief as it appeared it was he tina
would not allow the people to depart
went about two miles to village where the
chief lived. On my way up, met crowds o
women and children in a fearful state o
distress, but no men; they had all been killed
If had been an angel, could not have beer
more blessed; for, poor creatures, no soone
did they catch sight of my uniform, thar
they fell down at nv feet and kissed m,
hands, and implored me to save them.