Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-02-16

Their numbers increased every min
ute. SoonI could count dozen, thc1
twenty, then thirty ships. all making
for Acre. = .sss
The Ottoman fleet, beyond doubt.
The town was all joy and excitement
and the blue Jackets and marines, botl
ashore and afloat, gave hearty cheer
ut is all over" said Col Douglas
who had succeeded Phelippeaux as en-
gfneerein chief.
With any other general it might have
been all over; but, instead Of abandon.
ing the contest because he was going tc
be overmatched, Bonaparte made su'
preme effort to take the place before
the achievements could disembark.
The besiegers' batteries were worked
with frantic energy. and a column Of
attack was formed by Bonaparte in
person, whom we could plainly see on
Ceur-de-Lion's mount, giving his orders
| and haranguing his men. In the mean
time, Sir Sidney. fully alive. to the
danger, signaled for every blue jacket
| that could be spared to come ashore and
| lend a helping hand to the defenders.
and himself went off in the Tiger to
meet the Turks and hurry them on
The assault was delivered late in the
afternoon, and, though the Turks
fought like lions and the gun-boats
piled the French with shot and shell
without surcease, the leading file sue
ceeded in effecting Judgement in the
ruins of the old tower, where they pro-
tected themselves from the flanking fire
of the squadron with barricades of sand
bags and dead bodies. When daylight
came, the tricolor was floating from the
outer angle of the tower; and the
French renewed the attack with great
energy at the very moment the rein
forcements were landing at the mole
The commodore led the Turks up to the
breach in person, and the fight soon be-
came SO hot that the muzzles Of the
muskets touched and the spear-heads of
the standards interlocked. While this
was going on. another body of Turks
and contingent of blue-jaclxets, armed
with pixies, made q sally in force,
drove the enemy from their Judgement
in the tower, and checked the advance
of their main body. We still held our
ground, but we had not yet won the
victory; and from the commotion in
their camp, and the presence of Bona
parte in the trenches, it was evident
that another and, probably, still more
desperate assault was impending.
In accordance with a suggestion
made 10y Djezzar it was decided that as
the French came on the defenders of the
ramparts should retire from the breach
Lot xx-1,a f1,o~v
entangled in the narrow streets of the
town and the gardens of the seraglio
the fresh troops, supported by the sail
ors and marines of the squadron, should
attack them with dagger and scimitar
in the traditional Turkish fashion.
Shortly before sunset q massive col
umn advanced to the attack under
q heavy fire from the gunboats
and the walls. Needless of the
leaden hail which strewed their
path with, the dying and the dead the
fine fellows rushed up the glacis at the
double, and when they found the breach
unoccupled hoisted the .tricolor on the
ramparts, and shouting: "Victory"
crossed the inner works and poured into
the town. And then the Turks, Alba
nanians, Maugrabins and blue jackets,
emerging from their ambush, fell upon
them and literally put them to the edge
of the sword. The French fought with
splendid courage and logged resolution,
but being both outnumbered and taken
at advantage they had no chance, and,
as heard afterwards, few of them es-
capped. For I knew only by hearsay
how this, the fiercest fight in which I
ever was engaged, and the last, came
to an end.
The horrorof it was increased by the
bafbarity of the Turks. No sooner was
man wounded or disarmed than they
cut off his head. When the stress of the
struggle was over did all could to
save the Frenchmen who asked for
quarter from the fury of our savage al
lies. My humanity nearly cost me my
life.
Seeing an old mosque beset by num-
Der of Turks I inquired what was the
matter, and, finding that few French
soldiers had got inside and barricaded
the door, I told them that resistance
was useless. and that if they would
surrender to me and my Kangaroos I
would guarantee their lives. They
thanked me heartily, and one Of the
poor fellows opened the door. A Turk
ish officer shot him dead. Without a
hesitation l ran the villain
through, and the Frenchman retreated
into the mosque.
Fire the cartridges! Let us all die
together!" shouted one of them.
Back! back, for your ives!" shout
ed to my men.
Then there was dull roar. and
flash; something struck me on
the head, and remember no more.
=
When came to myself was lying |
on my back, in darkness, and, as it |,
seemed to me, bound hand and foot.
My first thought was that had been |
taken prisoner by the French, heavily |
ironcd, and thrown into some horrible |
dungeon.
And then hear footsteps, and voices
And know that am not |
D prisoner; for the whisperers are Eng
lish.
How does he seem this morning. |
Mrs. Bruce?" says one of them.
/ recognize the voice; it is that Of
Blake, the Kangaroo's surgeon.
'.Blake! Blake, where am II" ask,
teebly.
.Good! Good! You speak; you have
Consciousness; you are Bet
;er; you will recover" says the doctor.
coming near and speaking louder.
s.But where am I?' &