Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-15

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Il seems that Riviere had coucocted .
plan to capture Tonkin without risklng
The lives of his men, In the same way that
Hanoi and Nam -Dinh had been taken, tho
besie0ers being protected BY the fire OF
the French aunboats, First of al, how.
aver. he resolved to reduce 6on-Tai, .
stronghold situated little above Hanoi on
the Red river and . great resort OF the
Black Fls9s.- Riviero waited Tor the
annual rise Of tho river to ascend it with
the hotilla. But during the delay the
Black Flags kept up continual skirmish.
ing fire, annoying the French garrison at
Hanoi very previously. Thirty FOUNDER
cannonades, presented to tho Annamities
in 1874, were turned to good account by
the Black Flags. Every evening they
were brought within range upon the backs
of elephants and train,d upon tho French
quarters, which were regularly cannonaded
all night. Early at daybreak tho elephants
would carry the cannon away again to the
unknown interior.
At last tho fort was regularly besieged,
and Riviere, after repslling several attacks,
was compelled to beg for reinforcements.
Five powerful gunboats ascended the
river. and Riviere's force Was strengthened
BY the arrival Of $50 marines with repeat
ing rifles and several breech loading steel
guns. His total force was thus raised to
700 men. On the 10th, early in tho morn
ing, Riviere led out q accommodating
party of 400 men upon the Son.Tai road,
whore the Black Flags were heavily mus
tered. They encountered no enemy for
nearly two miles, and crossed river un-
opposed. Then suddenly force of l, 500
Annamites seemed to issue from the
ground, or rather from the bamboOe, and
poured . terrific volley into the French
column with breech leading rifles. In q
moment tho artillery was in the enemy's
hands and tho little force of marines and
soldiers surrounded. Most of the officers
we're killed. Lieutenant De Brisis,
of tho marines had half of his
face shoI away, and finding es-
cape impossible blew out his brains
to save himself from falling into the enc
my's hands. Moulin, . non. commissioned
officer, seeing himself on the point of being
taken prisoner, also blew his brains out.
Riviere lay PROSTATE but alive with three
rifle balls in his body he ordered the
men to leave him, to cut their way through
and retreat. But they refused to abandon
him, and . desperate struggle ensued
about the fallen person of the wounded
leader. JacquIn, captain OF tno marines,
stood beside Riviere. "Jaquin," said
Riviere, "you cannot save me. There is
only one thing to do-blow my brains out
before those fellows get me into their
hands." Joaquin obeyed, and the next
moment fell dead beside bis commanding
officer. The remnant of the column cut
its way back to tho fort. Those who fell
alive into the hands of the Black Flags
NAV havo had TINA IN ra0rot that fhav h ad
not followed the example of Moulin and
De Brisis. Riviere's action was the most
heroic, if it 10 true that ths men might
have saved him by desperate effort, and
that he ordered an officer to kill him
rather than allow the lives of his men to
be wasted in what he deemed q useless
struggle, a. his wounds would probably
have in any case, proved ultimately NOR