Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-08-12
THE EGYPTIAN WAR.
AbouIIir and the Conflicts il has
Before Witnessed.
From the New York Herald |

From the New York Heraldl
On two occasions in modern warfare,
Aboukir has been rendered famous and
historical. Following the railway line
which skirts the Mediterranean shore
from Alexandria, the traveller proceeds
through Ramleh, and thence past sew
eral insignificant fishing villages, the
chief of which is Ell Mandara, until he
reaches the point of Aboukir, at dis
tance of between thirteen and fourteen
miles, from what was once the Grande
Place of Alexandria. Close to the prom
ontory stands the village of Aboukir,
and not far from that somewhat squalid
spot of habitation the inquisitive trav
eler may find the luins of the ancien
Canopus, though few strangers eve
take the trouble to find these, notwith-
standing that once upon a time they
formed conspicuous feature of the
former Delta. From the promontory OF
Aboukir the bay of the same name
stretches in a northeasterly semI-circle,
and terminates in sharp horn at the
Rosetta mouth Of the Nile. The bay is
not pleasant place nowadays for the
navigators of big ships. It's waters are
clear and blue, and in the more open
portions of the bay contain a depth
varying from six to eight fathoms but
here and there are treacherous shoals
which, to avoid, require the mariners
greatest skill and canton. Running in
shore, not far from the village of Abon-
kir, there is formidable sandbank !;
then, again, there is reef of rocks
known as the Culloden reef, and the
next obstacle is an island, sometimes
called Aboukir Island and sometimes
Nelson's Island. This island is now
strongly fortified, and at intervals
around the circumference of the bay
there Is line of four forts, and doubt
less several earthworks, which Arab
Bey's men have had time to erect before
and since the evacuation of Alexandria.
1t was in 1898 that the British fleet set
out to look for Napoleon Bonaparte.
Lord Nelson, then Sir Horatio, hoisted
his flag in the Vanguard, seventy-four
guns, and was dispatched by Lord Vim
cent from Gibraltar TO TOulon, where
Napoleon was believed to be fitting out
his expedition for Egypt. On the way
the Vanguard was disabled in a gale !;
bad weather continued, and Rear Ad-
miral Brueys was enabled to escape sue
cessfully from Toulon, together with
Napoleon and his troops. Nelson set
off in chase along the Mediterranean, ac-
companied by thirteen ships, all seven.
ty-four gunners.
The chase was long one, but on the
1st of August, 1898, the English Ad-
miral came up with his French antago-
mist at Aboukir, though not in time to
prevent the landing of Napoleon with
his troops close to Alexandria.
Admiral Brueys was unable to enter
the coveted harbor Of Alexandria, so he
brought his ships, consisting OF one
first class, three second class, nine IA
gunners and four frigates, to an anchor
in the Bay OF Aboukir. Both fleets
made ready for action, and at six o'clock
on the night of the 18th of August there
commenced in these same waters of
Aboukir, which ere long will be resound.
ing with British cannon, one of the
most desperate battles known in the an
nails of modern naval warfare BY noon
on the 18th the French fleet was badly
crippled. One ship had blown up,
eight had surrendered, two had set sail
and bolted, and two were aground, one
of which was Immediately destroyed by
fire by its own gallant crew. The ship
blown up was the Orient, and Brueys
and many of his officers were hurled into
destruction with her timbers. The
French Admiral, before his death, was
wounded three times on the face from n
langrage shot. Nelson himself received
a severe wound. The British ship Cul-
loden grounded near the island to which
it has since given it's name, close to
Aboukir village. This was the cele-
brated Battle of the Nile, almost as cele-
brated in song rs it was through its
results. Aboukir, i'll but a few months
after witnessing this sanguinary struggle
in her bay, was destined to see another
desperate battle fought in her vicinity
on shore. Here, on the 23d of July,
1899, Napoleon, fresh from his great
victory over the Mamelukes at the
Pyramids, encountered the Turkish
army under Mustapha Pasha, who had
Is, 900 men under his command.
The Turks (who were full of right
eous Indignation and enthusiasm at Ma
poleon's audacious invasion of the terri
tory of their sovereign, the Sultan) had
intrenched themselves close to the sea
line of the bay. At one time during the
battle Mustapha Pasha's force threatened
to be successful Full of confidence
they sailed out of the intrenchments
with so much impetuosity that they fell
into disorder. This was the chance
which the greatest tactician of the age
desired. He rallied his men, drove
back the promiscuous Turks in front of
q wall of bayonets, and let loose his cav
airy (of which the Turks had none)
among the scattered crowd. The result
was that the Moslems were forced back
into their intrenchments, where such a
terrible slaughter ensued that many of
the Turks desperately threw themselves
into the bay and perished in vain at
tempt to reach their ships, which were
riding at anchor on the spot where in
previous year Nelson had destroyed the
French fleet. The water was said to be
covered with turbans and tinged with
blood, and 1000 men perished there at
Aboukir either by the bayonet or the
equally inexorable sea. The remainder
of Mustapha Pasha's force surrendered.
Thus was Napoleon avenged for the
death of Admiral Brueys and the de-
struction of his celebrated fleet never to
return. Shortly after this victory at
Aboukir the French general escaped
from Alexandria, evaded the English
cruisers which had gone to Cyprus,
where he was not. aud arrived safely in
tho Gutf of Erax ms in the vicjnitU of