Arizona republican., 1891-05-17

mael Pasha Ihrough the iorce or destiny and desire to enjoy the wild sport of the campaign in Mexico received command of the first company of the Egyptians. and today my heart beats higher when recall to mind those dusky savage comrades, whom had the honor to lead from Octo- Der, 1864, to the end of 1866, with whom l shared joy and suffering, and who, obedient and faithful as dog, brave and dauntless as the lion of their native wild, freely haZ arded their lives to save that of the "Sahib," or master. They were without exception six footers, of massive build, and appeared to advantage in their white uni form, with red turban and green sash. l exacted the most implicit, ,slavish obedience, and to this end insisted that the pay and subsistence of the men be liberal and punctual As result of my action the sol. diers were united to me by the strongest ties of trust and dependence, becoming as wax in my hand, bindly following where l led; yes, they kissed my hands and shoes even when, as unbending discipline often demanded, l set my feet upon their necks.
 had absolute control of my company of 2l5 men and the power of life and death over each one. Only once was obliged to exercise the extreme rights of punishment. That was one night when returned from an absence unexpectedly, and nearing camp heard most unearthly howl in the corral where my people lay. Ilurrying forward, with my revolver ready cooked, distin- guished strange tumble of white stock ings and white eyes, and among them two red legs, that now whirled through the air and now disappeared in the black and white mass beneath. fired in the air, and before my footsteps and the flash of my sword the pile burst apart. On the earth lay one of my French subordinates dead, with his abdomen completely slit open. Over another prostrate European knelt a gigantic African, endeavoring with drawn knife to pry open the tightly closed teeth of the fallen man for the purpose, as l learned afterward, of cutting out his tongue. As tore the bloodhound from his ready prey he sprang upon me In moment shot from my pistol struck him on the forehead over the right eye, and simultaneously another assailant was dash ed to the ground by powerful blow from my sword handle. If my skull had re- ceived that stroke it would have cracked like an egg she'll but he only fell on his knee, crossed his arms over his breast, and with his tongue half bitten through and bleeding, licked my boots. The cause of the outbreak was an insult offered by the frivolous FrenChmen to the religious Mo hammed. One had atoned with his death and the other was reduced to the ranks The riotous negroes were placed in sitting position on the ground, their wrists bound together underneath their knees with gun straps. Between the arms and legs below musket was placed, and another across the back of the neck and the two muskets were drawn as close as possible at the butts and near the muzzles by tightly laced straps. These formless heaps of com pressed humanity allowed to remain so twenty-four hours, and stationed guards at hand with strict orders to shoot down any who attempted to give the culprits so much as drink of water. l carried out this barbarous punishment to the end, al though my heart reproached me, but l never had cause to repeat it. Ten weeks before this occurrence l had been blown into the air by mine explosion with no oI my men, and came out with only s. The fellows knew by this and former experi, ences that did not spare myself and was A stranger to fear.
 Four days after this horrible yet neces. sary act of discipline in the bloody street fight at CatOrze where the Zouaves, num- bering 2GO against 2,0OO Mexicans, made booty of a million piasters, eighteen of my blacks were literally hewn to pieces before the enemy succeeded in reaching my body, which the braves held sacred. When at length recovered cOpsciousnesS--for even