Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-06-02
NAPOLEON IN EoYPT.
nov his Grand idea Of Founding an ORR
entail Empire was Foiled.


would Outvie In grandeur all that had
yet been told In ancient or modern
sto:y Collecting a large army and a
powerful fleet he set sail May 10.
1902. The fleet consisted OF thirty
ships Of the line and frigates: seventy
two briggs and cutters, ana 400 trans
ports 1t bore 10000 combatant.
and literary corps of 100 men. fur.
nished In the most perfect manner.
tn transport to Asia the science and
the arts of Europe, and to bring back
In return the knowledge CLEANED
among the monuments of antiquity.
On June 10 the expedition reached
Malta, and two days later took pos
session of the island. by July the
French fleet anchored in Aboukir
Bay and the following day took Alex
andria after a short combat. Leav.
Ing 1000 men In Alexandria under
command of General klcber, Napo-
leon set out with the rest OF his
army
TO CROSS THE DESERT
to Cairo. The march over this
bcundless plain Of shifting sands was
terrible. No living creature met the
eye hut Arab horsemen who appeared
and disappeared like visions, and who
hiding ut times behind the sand hills
murdered any stragglcrs who wan
dered away from the French army.
As the French approached the Nile
the famous Mameluke hOrscmen Of
MOurad Bey harrassed the army.
Their appearance and the impetu.
0sity Of their onset was imposing.
Each one was mounted on feet
Arabian stced, and was armed with
pistol, sabre, carbine, and blunder..
Duss. These fierce warriors accus.
toned to the saddle from infancy
presented an array indescribably
brilliant, as, with gay turbans and
waving plumes, and gaudy banners,
and gold. bcspangled0 robes, m me.
teoric splendor, with the swiftness
Of the wind they burst from behind
the sand hills Charging like the
rush Of tornado they rent the air
with hideous yells, and discharged
their carbincs, while In full career,
and halted, wheeled, and reiterated
with a precision and CELEBRITY which
amazed even the most accomplished
no semen Of the French army After
five days OF inconcctvable suffering
the French reached the Nile and two
days later approached Cairo. There
Mourad Bcy h id assembled 10, 200 Of
his Mameluke warriors and these
were supported by -, 200 infantry
MAMELUKE WARRIORS.
The combat between the opposing
forces was terrible. Ten thousand
hOrsemen, magnifcently dressed,
with the fectest horses In the world,
urging their horses with bloody spurs,
TO the lmost impetuous and furious
onset, rending the heavens with their
cries. and causing the very earth to
trcmb.e beneath the thunder OF iron
feet, came down on the French lines
The moment the Mamelukes arrived
within gunshOt, tho French artillery,
At the angles, plowcd their ranks,
and platOOns Of musketry, vOllcy
after v0lley, In o perfectly uninter.
rupted flow, swept into their faces u
pitiless tempest OF destruction.
Horses and riders, struck by the
balls, rolled over each other, by hun.
dreds 10 the sand, and were tramplcd
anu crushed by the iron hoofs OF the
thousands Of frantic steeds, en-,
vclOped In dust and smoke, compos.
Ing the vast and impetuous column.
The French squares stood as firm as
the pyramids ut whose base they
fought. Not zone was broken; not
one wavercd. The daring Mamclukes,
In the frenzy OF their rage and dis.
appointment, threw away their lives
with the utmost recklessness. They
wheeled their horses round, refined
them back upon the ranks, that they
might kick their way into those ter,
rible f0rtrCsses Of living men. Rem.
dered furious by their inability to
break the ranks, they hurled their
pistols and carbines ut the heads of
the French. The wounded crawled
along the ground, and with their
sclmitars cut ut The legs Of their In.
aomitable foes
A SCENE OF FEARFUL CARNAGE.
But an incessant and merciless fire
from NapOleOn's well.trained bat
taliOns continually thinned their
RANKS, and at last the Mamclukes, In
the widest disorder broke and fled.
The infantry In the intrenched camp
witnessing the utter discontinue Of
the mounted troops, whom they had
considered invincible. and seeing
such incessant and volcanic sheets of
dame bursting from the impenctrabIe
squares, caught the panic and lOined
the flight Napoleon now, In his
turn, charged with the utmost i'm.
pctuOsity. A scene OF indescribable
confusion and horror ensued. The
extended plain was crowded with
ugitives--footmen and hOrSein men, be-
wildered with terror, seeking escape
from their terrible foes. Thousands
plunged into the river and endeavOred
to escape by swimming to the oppo.
site shore. But shove OF bullets,
like hail stones, fell upon them, and
the waves of the Nile were crimsOned
with their blood. Others sought the
desert, a wild and rabble rout.
Grand though this victory was for
Napoleon 1t was followed by u great
disaster Admiral Brueys command
Ing the French fleet was attacked by
Nelson In Aboukir Bay. For fifteen
hours a desperate battle was waged
and when the firing ceased the
French feet was destroyed. Only
four ships escaped. The loss of the
English was 1000; the French lost
5000 killed and 5000 prisoners.
EuNl-s