The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-08-23
THE SYRIAN OUTBREAK.
Fearful Details OF The Damascus
Massacre.

'N d" au'horatatIVe account OF the
Massacre at Damascus up 10 the 10Th OIL
July, inclusive. Three thousand Chris.
tlans had taken refuge in the citadel oc-
cupied by the Algerines under Add .el.
nader. The town was in the power Of
the murderers and incendiaries 10 the
numoer Of 24,ooO, principally Druses and
6edou'ns. The Turkish garrison cor
sisted OF {. 900 men, who were inactive or
hostile. The soldiers had driven the
Christians into the flames OF the burning
houses. Same account computes the mum
Der OF victims at three to four thousand,
but states that this may be exaggerated
owing 10 tie prevailing terror. The fol.
lowing are extracts Of letters from Euro.
pean resident in Damascus to a friend in
Beyrout:
DAMASCUS. July 1851 A. NJ.
A few minutes after | closed my letter
Of yesterday. an uproar commenced in the
street opposite my house. The Moslsms
-mtn, women and boys-began to as.
semble' crying out that all should 90 10
the Christian quarter to plunder, burn
and massacre, and threatening not to leave
a house or Christian. l went to the
street and spoke to some Of them, hoping
II would come to nothing. 1t grew rap,
ld.y worse. Every one was calling to 9th.
ers not TO come without arms, and the wo-
men were violently exciting the men,
There was some fear expressed Of the sol.
diers, but most declared the soldiers would
not Interfere with them. | now found it
prudent TO take the advice OF some of nv
neighbors, and keep inside my house.
The street past my house is about The
shoi test road from the Shughoor and the
Meedan, the two worst districts in the
city. Soon after went into my house
the ruffians began to return from the Chris.
tlan quarter with burdens of pluGder.
while the numbers running towards il
were increasing, and threats, imprecalions
and yells were numerous and loud. Every
sort aud size of thing was carried past nv
nouse-mares and goats. gold and old iron
nails, silks and cottons, chests large and
small, tables, chairs, books, and every
Imaginable article. There was regular
stream OF these plunderers p st my door
MI after sunset--nearly FIVE hours. AT.
they became fewer, but they new.
er ceased all night. and with the dawn
they again increased AS soon as they
bad plundered some of the houses they
vet them on fire, During the night tho
here was clear moonlight, the flames and
smoke presented sight as grand as it
vas awful. During the first half of the
hight the flames presented an unbroken
lrc OF circle, as vie we'd from my rocf, of
more than 70 degrees, extending from
title north Of Bah Shurky to the extreme
forth point Of Che Christian quarter. 70.
wards morning the arc became shorter.
partly because il had been steadily ap
'roaching me, and the Christian quarter
Is it comes this way grows narrower, and
partly, perhaps, because The line Of FIRE
vas not sweeping all the houses on the
lorth border of the quarter. Towards
morning the flames also became lower, or
ess violent, on most parts of the line, and
ever houses were in flames at once. Sill
he fire is raging feartullv, There has
'een an increasing tumu!t of cries, of the
ire, OF breaking open houses, &c, all
mingled up together have no means of
guessing the amount of murder commit.
ed. Last night comparatively few ap.
'ear TO have been killed, but there is said
. have been more butchely this morning.
cannot 60 out of my door without being
n the midst of the hellish ruffians thirst.
ng and crying for blood aud pIunder III
me of the native Christians in my house
we're to 90 out, believe he could not
each the corner of the street alive. So
ny means Of information, beyond what |
zee and hear Of the flames and tumult and
'lunder, are very limited. We overhesr
good deal Of their talk in the street, and
ONE Of the talk Of our Moslem neighbors
N the roofs.
| believe it would not have needed q
,reat effort on the part Of the Government
o prevent all this, but not the slightest
fort has yet been made. There were
oldiers in the Christian quarter and
eighborhood; others were sent in the eve-
ling with four guns, and more this morn.
ng, but they have not at all interfered
With the rufflans. Yet majority of the
niscreants are actually women, boys and
iris. | would affirm that there are not
n all more than few hundred men-say
'O0-mostly the lowest, Of the low, aud
niserby armed. Not one in twenty has
,un. A very large number. have only
ticks. the rest swords, pistols, dagsers or
xes. Opposite my door is a sort OF stop
ling place for them, and we can over
lear their talk; and can affirm that from
he first, and all through, they have had
he greatest dread of the interference of
he soldiers, and constantly ask one anoth,
r as they meet Yhe!ber the soldiers ii
uch and such a direc ion are stopping the
nurderers or opposing th6m; and this al
hough during seventeen hours the SOL
IierS have been passive. 1 firmly believe
hat one hundred, or at most two hundred
or armed, resolue men not sol.
liers, could have put down the insurrec-
ion at the worst moment. Of course. it
would have been. easier to do SO within
he first hour or two.
This meager account does not give any
hing like an adequate conception of this
most horrible and most disgrsoefql affair;
hat words could hardly do. Horses, don.
,eys and mules are employed to carry
,lunder, and some Of the soldiers help
hemselTes 10 q share. There were sew