Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-21
EGG YPT,s MILITARY.
The Eminent American Officers who
Created and OrgRmizcd II.

The Eminent American Officers who
Created and Organized II.
The Egyptian army was organized by Amer
lean officers, and as fur as it has any efli-
cheney. 1t Is their creation, says the New |
York Herald. These oflicers-some twenty |
five in nunber-went to Egypt in 1867, |
nearly all broken in fortune and filed with |
high horcs in their new employment, 1t was
through General Thaddeus r. Mott, a son
OF DIR. Valentine Mott, who had made his
way to Constantinoplc aud there married a
Greek lady, that these gentlemen were in
duced TO enter the service Of the Khcdive.
General Mott served in Italy, and afterwards
rose to the rank of brigadicr. general in the
Federal army during the late civil war. The
best known of these Americans was General
Charles p. Stone, who almost Immediately
became chief of stall, and soon after
firmly established himself in post SINH
lar in power and authority to that
of General Won Moltke toward the German
armies. 1t was not long before the Ameri-
can officers began to feel hostile pressure
from two quarters-one from the American
Censul-Goneral, Colonel George II. Butler
and from the English influences prevailing
in Cairo and Alexandria. Then followed
some personal encounters and general bicker-
ing disgraceful to all concerned, and, as a
body among the Christian colonies of these
two cities, these gentlemen soon lost any COL
leclive standing. Individually, however,
they were soldiers of established reputa-
ton, the larger proportion being
from the Confederate army, and they
have nearly all led very adventurous careers,
both before and after leaving the Egyptian
service. The most prominent Confederate
was Col. Charles Rhett, chief of staff to
Gen, Joseph E, Johnston during the civil
war He was seized with paralysis while on
visit to Europe, dying suddenly. lie was
the most popular of all the American officers
in Egypt. An officer of no less note was
Loring Pacha, who in 1s40, performed the
most difficult and painataking march known
in American military annals. lie conducted
a regiment supplied with artillery across the
Rocky Mountain TO Oregon-a five months
tramp. He subsequently, engaged in the
Mexican war, leaving an arm on the field but
| when the civil war came he cast his fortunes
with the South. When he left Egypt where
he was commandant of AleXandria-thc i'm
portant post to-day-the Khedive gave him
$50, 900, which, II is understood, has almost
melted away in disastrous speculation. 1t
was Gen Loring who constructed almost
all of the important defenccs of Alexandria,
commanded the disastrous expedition
against Abyssinia, and whose hand is
visible 10 the military organization as il
gagged upon a book recounting the ex.
pcriences of his life The career of General
Charles p. Stone is well known to all army
officers, and, had he remained in his Original
position on the army list, there is scarcely ar
officer in the active service that would now
rank him. lie was, however, at the instance
of the late Senator Sumner, sent to For,
Lafayette on charges of reasonable conduct
at the battle of Balls Bluff, and was subsc
quently dismissed This event nearly upse
his reason but he rallied, became mining
engineer and finally accepted the position a
the head of the Egyptian staff, which he still
holds. His conduct in Egyp, has been boil
highly praised and severely criticised. One
thing is certain, He is about the only
American officer who was able to hold hi
place against all intrigue, first with lsmai
Pacha, the deposed khcdivc, and then will
his son, Tewfik, his successor. Gen. Stone no
only undertook TO organize the present army
to revolutionizc the rotten methods he fount
in vogue, but he set on foot comprehensiv,
! system of central African exploration, unde
} Col. c. G. Long, Sparrow Purdy and Msjs
, Mason, Prout aud Dye. The officers nov
remaining at the scene of conflict are Gen
Stone Col. G. c. Long, (not in tn
| army and Major Mason. Sparrow Purdy
IS dead. Among those no longe
| living, tDO uIc SOlOHcl JcuilcT, lHc luNcutO
of the Jenifer saddle Gen Sibey, tn
inventor of the Sibley tent; Gen. Reynolds
Col. Frank Reynolds, Maj. Hunt and Col
Campbell, all ex-Confederate officers. Gen
+ II. Z. Colston, who made a journey of 100
miles on litter from equatorial Africa t
the Nile, is now engaged as a military in
structor ut the academy on Washington
Heights. Col. Wood is living quietly il
Norfolk. 1t is hardly probable that any o
the American officers will participate in tn
struggle, with the exception of Gen. Stone
and ii is extremely doubtful if he will be per
, mitted to retain any important command if ,
, religious war grows out Of the present situa
ton. Few of the officers now live to SCI
the fruit of their labors. There is Il yer,
large number Of Americans and officers ev
erywhere who will watch the result of tn,
fighting as an evidence of what our militar,
taskmasters can do with African material
The army numbers $4,000 men, and tn
troops carry Remington rifles. In all the loca
events of thel Soudan the negro troops hav
proved themselves better soldiers than tn
Egyptians. AS to the Bedouins, there is TIN
same romance about their fighting qualitie
as there is about the North American Indian
in the open field. Like other nomads, the,
are valiant in ambush, and can produce hav
oc, but they do not love modern artillery.