The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1860-08-16
The MassacFes ina Syria
From the Boston Traveller. ]


BEIRUT, Syria, July 2, 1860.-The
fall of Zahleh has been followed by the
most AWFUL barbarities, unparalleled by
the massacres of Cawnpore, and India
generally, at least so far as numbers are
concerned.
Zaleh was taken by stratagem, plan
ned, it is said, by an EngIshman, who
having married native wife, has been
living for several years in Mount Leba-
non. Surrounded by fifteen thousand
men of the Druses, Gypsies,
Metoualies and Bedouin Arabs, the ten
Thousand fighting men of Zahleh were
thrown h0rS dW combat and defeated,
or rather driven out of their stronghold
to the mountains of the kesrouan. The
attacking party divided themselves and
attacked at different points at the same
time-leaving one place only unmenac-
ed. While the Christians of the town
were fighting valiantly at the various
points Of danger, letter was received
purporting to be from anoted Christian
Chief, promising to come to their relief
with band of two thousand men, at a
certain hour. This gave new life and
energy to the Christians within.
AT the appointed time two thousand
men, fully armed, were seen approach
ing from the direction which promised
them aid, and when they perceived the
Christian standard floating over the adj
vancing army, they renewed the conflict
and rushed upon the foe. Alas for the
poor Christians SO cruelty betrayed !
The letter was forgery, the Christian
standard stolen one, and the two thou
sand armed men entered the only ex-
posed part of the town as friends, but
proved to be their deadliest enemies.
who set fire to their houses and attack.
ed the besieged in the rear. The re.
naming Christians formed a square
al ound their women and children, and
fought their way out, gradually retreat
lug, and thus evacuated the town, leav
ing it to be sacked ,plundered and burnt.
The Druses, not satisfied with this
triumph, and determined to exterminate
the Christians, then rushed upon DER
ell Kemr, which had previously surren-
dered and given up arms, throwing it,
pSAA u pun Vic plOOCCGlOu VI IIlG L uIKlSn
Governor and garrison. Here, In one
day, these fends brutally chorped in
pieces every male inhabitant, with hatch
cts, axes, swords, knives, and every 9th
er available weapon. More thar fifteen
hundred men and boys thus persisted
under the eye Of the Governor, a Turk.
and aided by the Turkish soldiers in
tho balIiSb x-orlr nh -. ,,o.,,,. - I - q, =,
six thousand inhabitants are wanderers
and fugitiyes, cut down wherever they
are found, without mercy Two thou
sand women and children, many of
whom were wounded, have been bro't
to Beirut by English ships of war, who
picked them up along the seacoast, and
by Americans, who, aided by guards
from the q. S. Consulate, brought ma
ny of the doomed and the perishing up
on their own horses to Beirut.
During this war English and Ameri-
cans have been treated by all parties
with great respect, and all Protestants
who placed themselves under the pro-
lection of the Druses have been saved,
for the sake of the Missionaries to whose
congregations they belonged. Our
missionaries have thus been able to re-
lleve the distressed unframed, and to
rescue scores whose lives they have pre-
served by going to the scene of action
under the protection of the Ameri can
Consulate, being accompanied by Jan
izary or consular guard, with his silver
headed staff Of Office. Some of the
wounded have been brought to the sea
shore by one of the Druse Chiefs. who
allowed his men to do the work of slaugh-
ter, and then tried to save his own head
in the day Of reckoning by his attention
to the wounded and his absence from
the scene of massacre.
Beirut, at the date of my last letter,
was a scene of wild confusion and ex-
element. An attack was hourly expect
ed from the Druses from without. while