The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-10
THE WAR IN AFRICA.
French Troops Massacred by Muir
derous Tuaregs.
FIGHTING AGAINST HEAVY ODDS.

Party OF Three Hundred, After Having
Massacred tho vanguard-The French
Government Admits a Loss Of Eighty.
PARIS, Feb. l0.-In an interview with
Premier Cassimir- Perier the latter ad-
mitted that 1t was true that the French
column had been attacked and destroyed
by the natives near Gimbuetoo. The pre-
mier added that II was also true that sew i
eral officers had been killed. He declared,
however, that the French would not evac-
uate Timbuctoo and reinforCements had
already been forwarded to the French
commander at that place.
The report of the disaster was sent by
the governor of Soudan. who received his
information from Captain Philippe, the
French commander at Timbuctoo. and
the following details were given out by
the government;
The Tuaregs. Captain Philippe reports,
were armed with lances and knives, which
they used with terrible effect against the
French native troops. The Tuaregs made
their first attack on the leading portion
of the French column, which was di-
yided into two divisions. The attack of
the Tuarcgs was so desperate and well
sustained that the first division was APP
parently cut to pieces.
The news of the disaster was brought
to the second portion of the column by
Captain Nugette, a French officer, who,
badly wounded in the head, managed to
csc ape from the crowds of natives which
assaulted the first division.
NJ. Il. L
miles to the rear of the advance guard,
which seems to have been surprised dur
ing the darkness of early morning. In
spite of the desperate situation in which
Captain Nugette reported the vanguard
to be the account he gave of the number
and ferocity of the Tuarcgs were 20 vivid
that the officer in commend of the rear
guard Immediately ordered his force
under arms, abandoned his encampment
and commenced to retreat upon Timbue-
too, leaving the unfortunate vanguard,
which was commanded by Colonel Bon
nier, to fate
Reports are conflicting us TO the mum
Der killed, but the official report admits
that at least nine French officers, includ-
ing Colonel BONNER, two European non
commissioned officers and sixty-eight ma
tive soldiers were killed. ~r....
The unofficial reports, originating in
rumors emanating from the minor EN-
ployes of the war department and col
onial Office, say that the loss in killed and
captured is at least 500. The government
officials, however. deny the truth of this
statement.
The rear guard, nfter enduring consider
able hardships, and being badly pressed
by the enemy, succeeded in regaining
Tinbuctoo OH Dec. II. carrying with them
a number of wounded. 4 number of men
in addition to those admitted to have
been killed when the vanguard was cut
to pieces are said to have been either
killed or left dying along the route dur
ing the retreat.
Captain Philippe, upon hearing of the
disaster to the force commanded by Col
onel BONNER, sent out several scouting
parties with instructions to see IL there
were any survivors of the vanguard.
These scouting parties, it is added, sue
ceeded in finding few survivors, but the
men were in terrible condition, suffering
fenrfully from thirst and loss of blood.
These survivors told terrible tales of des-
perate fighting. which had taken place
after the vanguard had been surprised.
The Tuaregs used their lances and knives
with the greatest effect soon causing q
panic, during which the efforts of the
French officers to rally the native soldiers
were entirely useless, The French Off
GERS are said to have fought most gal
lnntly and to have died covered with
wounds.
The scouting party would have pushed
onward and have attempted to secure
further details of the fight and to have
ascertained if there were any more sur
vivors, hut the Tuagcgs began closing
around them and eventually drove them
back into Timbuctoo, following this up
By assembling in large masses prepare
tory TO making n combined attack upon
the city itself. Captain Philippe at once
gathered his entire force together and
began the work of throwing up intrench
ments.
Finally the Tumcgs pushed up close to
the French soldiers at work in the in
amendments and killed and wounded sew
eral OF them. This caused Captain Phil
lippe 10 organize two small parties OF
picked soldiers, who, in order TO protect
the men vt work in the trenches, made
several spirited rallies upon the Tuarexs,
driving them backward and killing II
i number Of them.
/ Tuarrrs would make All attack OF some
description upon the French lines OPP,
posed 10 an enemy estimated to numb eI
J from 800 to 10000 the French only had
500 men in the intrenchments at Timbu
too, aEd this force WAS only supported by
SIX small field pieces. The famed rapid
! fire gun which has proved so effective
seems TO have been missing. They sue.
ceeded, however, in completing the work
OF iutrcnchment, and at last reports were
awaiting the arriva! OF the relief column
commanded by Colon Ell Joffre, which had
been sent TO their assistance.
! Captain Philippe reports that the pop
ulRtlon Of 1inbuctoo, estimated at about
$4,000 souls, principally negroes and some
Moors, is fhN orable toward the French,
but is cowed by the Arabs, who have
ruined trade with that section of Africa
by Riding caravans and by making
slaves of the prisoners who fell into their