The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-31

THE BATTLE OF THE PYRAMIDS,

sailed rom l0uIOn, Ontne Eky ptian eXpe-
diuOn. His armament consisted of l02
vessels Of war, with 400 transports, con-
veying AZ, 900 combatants. With dispatch
never before equaled, this gigantic expedi-
tion was got up. Napoleon worked night
and day, infu>ing his energy into every
department, and experimenting the mi
nuteSt details.
"Now, Sir," said he to one Of his agents,
" use dispatch Remember that the world
was created in but six days Ask me for
whatever you please except time : that is
the only thing which is beyond my pow
er."
The destination OF the feet was kept a
profound secret even from the leading Of
ticerS of the expedition. St am was then
uSkROT@.. 4 voyage Of twenty-SeyeD
days conveyed them to Malta.
1his fortress, deemed imM Ngna6ie, was
promptly seized, and 5000 men being left
to garrison it, Il g Heet yv~s-eiA -, Ms way.
On the evening of the lst July, after a
passage Of forty one days from France.
and having traversed distance Of 2DO0
miles, the fleet entered the bay of AbOu-
kir, within sight Of the minarets of Alex
andria. The landing Of the troops was
commrnced without an hours delay, and
was continued through the night The
horses were lowered into the STA, and
swan to tie land. following by instinct
the few which. led by haterS, conducted
the column to the shore.
When the morning sun rose over the
desert, proud array of cavalry, infantry
and artillery was marshalled upon the
beach, prepared to resist any attack
That very morning, while the diSem6ask
alton Was cOoAo>2.'11, .S'Sf;sle92 ilaced
himself at the head Of three thousand men
and marched upon Alexandria. that he
might seize the city before the Turks had
time to prepare for a defense. Every
hour of time lost" said Napoleon, &" is a
chance for misfortune"
Napoleon commenced his march upon
the city actually before the morning had
dawned.
II was found that he was as minutely
informed respecting the country as if he
had lived there from childhood. The Nam.
eukes rushed bewildrred to the ramparts.
The French, with their ladders all ready
and Of the right length, swept over the
walls like an inundation. The conflict was
short, and with the loss of but thirty men
the flag of the conqueror waved over the
city of Alexandra.
Six DAYS Napoleon remained in the city
to establish aud consolidate his power, and
to prepare for his inland march. Instant
ly artisans, artists and engineers, all were
busy, and energies unknown before were
infused into the sepulchral streets OF the
Moslem city.
The harbor was improved, the forttica'
tionS repaired, mills erected, manufacto'
ricS established, schools founded, and the
antiquities explored.
On the 9th July, leaving 5000 men to
garrison Alexandria, NAPOLEON set out to
cross the desert sixty miles to the Nile.
\ tiotila, laden with artillery, provisions,
ammunition and baggage, sailed along the
shore to ascc0,f the Nile, and meet the
army, to accompany its march up the river
to Cairo. Four DAYS Of great suffering
were occupied in crossing the desert. -
Arab hor>cmen lowered around. cutting
down any vino >tragglcd from the ranks.
Napoleon shared the fatigue Of the hum
blest soldier, toiing through the sand, on
foot, at the head OF the column. lie was
the last to fold his cloak around him for
the light, and the first TO spring from the
ground in the morning.
As the army approached the Nile, the
Mamuluke horSrmen increased IN numbers
and in the frequency and rrckleS>ne>S OF
their attacks. The morning Il the fifth
day Of their march had just dawned, when
the long wished for Nile appeared, wind
ing through II valley Of the richest verdure.
The whole army, 900 in number, rush
cd to the river with shouts and in almost
dclirium Of joys
But Just then a hOdv of a thousand
Mameluke horsemen, on ieciest chargers,
came sweeping down, rending the air with
their ytllS. The wcll,drillrd soldiers in
Stantly formed in squares, with the artil'
lery at the angles. \ palisade Of brlstlng
bayOnctS was opposed To the breasts Of the
horses. A vocalnic burst rt fire, from
artillery and mu>kctry, proStrated SteedS
and riders bl scores in the dust. The
survivors wheeled their StredS, aud Ike
the whirlwind, as they had come, disap-
pcared.
The march Of the army was now like a
dream or romance. Beneath sunny skies,
and through the Inxuriance and verdure
OF the Nile valley, they sang and danced
in the cxuberance of joy. Pigeons were
abundant, and the most delicious water
melons were brought to the camp in eX-
hauStIess supplies.
But scarcely an hour was allowed II
rest Day after day the army was pushed
encrgetically OH, daily encountering the
foe, but never in sufficient force to arrest
their progress The delay of few days
would have enabled the enemy to concen-
trate so as to organize very formidable
resistance. The Mameluke horsemen com
posed the most formidable cavalry in the
world. On their fleet Arabian chargers,
they came sweeping, almost resi>tlcsSly,
from behind the hills, and it was neeessa-
ry to be prepared every moment for an
attack.
The disposition of the troops for this
purpose was novel and effective. Their
army was organized in five squares, each
square composed Of ranks six men deep.
The artillery was placed at the angles. -
The centres Of these squares were occu-
pied by the officers, the baggage and by
troops in patoons, ready at any instantt 70
support the point of attack. When on
the mal ch all faced in one direction, the
two sides marching in flank. At any alarm
they halted and ironted on every side
the outer hankS knecllng, that those be-
hind them might shoot over their heads.
The whole square thus presented living
fortress, which no cavalry could penetrate.
When necessary to make an assault,
the three front ranks detached themselves
instantly from the squares. The remain
ing three ranks still preserved the integ-
ri y of the square, into which the column
could be received in case Of repulse -
On the morning OF the 2lSt Of duly, after
an almost uninterrupted march of fifteen
days, the army came in sight of the doInes
of Cairo. The city was on the eastern
bank of the river, while the narrow but
| wonderfully lnYuriant valley of the Nile