The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-02-10
THE WAR IN AFRICA.
French Troops Massaored by Muir
derOus Tuaregs.
FIGHTING AGAINST HEAVY ODDS.

|
! Premier Cassimir- perier the latter ad-
mitted that it was true that the French
| column had been attacked and DESTROYED
! by the natives near Timbuctoo. The pre-
mier added that it was also true that sew
! 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 IimbuctoO, 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.
| yidcd INTO two divisions The attack OF
the Tuaregs was so desperate and well
sustained that the first division was ap.
parently cut to pieces
Thr news Of the disaster was brought
to the second portion of the column by
Captain Nugette, French officer. who,
badly wounded in the head, managed to
escape from the crowds OF natives which
assailed the first division
The second division was encamped few
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 Tuaregs were so vivid
ha Of tl
guard Immediately ordered his force
under arms, abandoned his encampment
and commenced TO retreat upon Timbuc.
too, leaving the unfortunate vanguard
which was commanded by Colonel Bon
nier, to fate.
Reports are conflicting as to the num-
Der killed, but the official report admits
that at least nine French officers iuclud-
ing Colonel BONNER, two European non
commissioned officers and siXty-eight ma
tive soldiers were killed.
The unofficial reports, originating in
rumors emanatiug from the minor EN-
ployes of the war department and col
onial Office, say that the loss in killed and
captured is at least 800. The government
officials, however, deny the truth of this
statement.
The rear guard, after enduring consider
able na1---sLips, and being badly pressed
by the enemy, succeeded in regaining
Timbuctoo ON Dec. II, carrying with them
"a number OF wounded A 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
7 "A. Hl... L
| ouel BONNER sent out several scouting
! parties with instructions TO see if there
were any survivors of the vanguard.
These scouting parties, it is added, sue
ceeded in finding few survivors, but the
men were i'm a terrible condition, suffering
/ fearfully 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
/ ith the greatest effect, soon causing a
panic, during which the efforts Of the
French officers TO rally the native soldiers
were entirely useless. The French otli-
GERS are said to have fought most gal
lantly 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, but the Tuaregs began closing
around them and eventually drove them
back into Timbuctoo following this up
by assembling in large masses prepara-
tory to making 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 Tuaregs pushed up close to
the French soldiers at work in the in
trenchments and killed and wounded sew
, eral of them. This caused Captain Phil
ippe to organize two small parties OF
picked soldiers, who, in order to protect
Z the men at work in the trenches, made
several spirited rallies upon the Tunregs
driving them backward and killing a
number of them.
AT least once or twice every night the
Tuaregs would make an attack OF some
3 description upon the French lines. Op
posed to an enemy estimated TO number
from 4, 900 to 10000 the French only had
2 300 men in the intrenchments at limbuc
too, and this force was only supported by
Six small field pieces. The famed rapid
fire gun which has proved SO etfectiy,
seems to have been missing. They sue
ceeded, however, in com pleting the worI
OF intrenchment, and at last reports wer,
p awaiting the arrival Of the relief column
commanded by Colon el Jotfre, which hat
been sent to their assistance
Captain Philippe reports that the pop
ulation of Tmbuctoo, estimated at abou
1900 souls, principally negroes and som,
, MOors, is favorable toward the French
but is cowed by the Ara bs, who hav,
8 ruined trade with that section of Africi
9 by raidIng caravans and by making
slaves of the prisoners who fell into thei
8 hands
= Fistiouffs on Change.
s CHICAGO, Feb. lO.-Broker John Gayno
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