Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-21
THE EGYPTIAN ARMY.
Organized BY American officers.
Fighting Qualities of Bed
Ouins and Negro Troops.

lneSe OmC6Fe, bOme twenty-five 10
number, went to Egypt in 1867, nearly
all broken in fortune and filed with
high hopes in their new employment,
1t was through General Thaddeus p.
Mott, a son of DR.. Valentine Mott,
who made his way to Constantinople
and there married a Greek lady, that
these gentlemen were induced to enter
the service Of the Khedlve.
General Mott served In Italy, and
afterward rose to therank of Brigadier
| 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 staff, and 0 o after
firmly established himself in a post
similar in power and authority to that
of General Won Moltke toward the
German armies. 1t was not long be-
fore the American officers began to
feel hostile pressure from two quar-
ters-one from the American Consul
General, Colonel George H. Butler,
and from the English influences pre-
vailing in Cairo and Alexandria.
Then followed some personal en-
counters and general pickering, dis
graceful to all concerned, and as a
body among the Christian coloBies of
those two cities these gentlemen soon
lost any collective standing. Individ-
ually, however, they were soldiers of
| established reputation, the larger pro-
portion being from the Confederate
army, and they have nearly all lead
very adventurous careers, both before
and after leaving the Egyptian service.
The most prominent Confederate was
Colonel Charles Rhett, chief of staff
to General Joseph Il Johnston during
the civil war.
When Colonel Rhett went to Egypt
he was very much disinclined to adopt
the habits of the military in matters
of costume, and, in fact, had no sym
PATTY with the country at all, and was
quite outspoken in his views. From
this circumstance he was never given
an important command, but, like
many others, was given his pay regu-
larly. according to contract, which
was an i1Aexible instrument. He was
seized with paralysis while on a visit
to Europe, dying suddenly. He was
the most popular of all the American
officers in Egypt.
An officer Of no less note was Loring
Pasha, who in 1949 performed the
most difficult and p~aiBstaking march
known in American military annals.
BE conducted a regiment supplied
with artillery across the Rocky Noun
tains to Oregon-a five mouths tramp.
He subsequently engaged in the Mexi-
can 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, the Khe-
dive gave him $4,000, which, it is
understood, has almost melted away
in disastrous speculation. 1t was Gen
eral LoriDg who constructed almost
all OF the important defenses Of Alex
audria, commanded the disastrous ex-
petition against Abyssinia, and whose
hand is visible in the military organi-
cation as it exists to day. He is en-.
gagged upon a book recounting the
experiences of his life.
The career of General Charles P.
Stone is well known to all army off.
GERS, and had he remained in his orig
inal position in the army list there Is
scarcely an officer in the active service
that would rank him. He was, how
ever, at the instance of the late Senator
Sumner, sent to Fort Lafayette on
. charges of reasonable conduct Me
battle of Bull Run, and was SGbss.
Quently dismissed. This event nearly
upset his reason; but he rallied. be-
came a mining engineer, and finally
accepted the position at the head of
the Egyptian staff, which he still
holds.
His conduct in Egypt has been both
highly praised and severely criticised.
One thing is certain, he is about the
only American officer who was able to
hold his place against all intrigue. first
with Ismail Pasha, the deposed Khe-
dive, and then with his son, TWefk,
his successor. General StOnen not only
undertook to organize the present
army to revolutionize the rotten
methods he found in vogue. but he
set on foot a comprehensive system Of
Central Africa exploration under
Colonel 9. G. Long. Sparrow Purdy
and Majors Mason, Prout and Dye.
The officers now remaining at the
scene of conflict are General Stone,
Colonel CO Long (now Of the army,
and MSj9r Mason. Sparrow Purdy is
dead. Among those no longer living,
too, are Colonel Jenifer. the inventor
Of the Jenifer saddle Colonel Sibley,
the inventor Of the Sibley tent; Gen
eral Reynolds, Colonel Frank Rayuor,
Major Hunt and Colonel Campbell, all
ex-C Confederate officers. General R.
Y. Colston. who made a journey of
100 miles on a litter from Equatorial
Africa to the Nile, is now engaged as
a military Instructor at an academy on
Washington Heights. Colonel Wood
is living quietly in Norfolk.
1t is hardly probable that any Of the
American officers will participate in
the struggle, with the exception Of
General Stone. and it is extremely
doubtful if he will be permitted to
retain any important command if a
religious raj grows out of the present
situation. The army numbers fifty
thousand men, and the troops carry
Remington rifles, In all of the local
events OF the Soudan the negro troops
have proved themselves better soldiers
than the Egyptians. As to the Bed
ouins, there is the same romance
| . 49, H. E-las -