The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-08
pranCE Will APOLOGIZE

To England For the Terrible sttstaEs =.
west Afr5ca-Ihe French
NL.Ied By Uniforms.
7 gIz, Jan. 7.-At . cabinet connc1l
called Yesterday morning to conzloeE
tbe encounter between French and
Rrtizb troops on the borders OF sierra
Leone. President Cannot presiding, the
aea;r wag discussed in all its aspects go
far az possible With the te" facts re-
ceiyed in official circ!ez. f1nailE' ~ "a5
decided, according TO reports c!rcalassl
after the meeting OF ths m!hl5net6 80
Concluded. that if the English version
offhe affair turns ont to be correct the
Frsnch Government will not contest the
neceSaitv OF making the PREPARATION pro-
+-ided 6v international Law. Il - pc
lered that this conciliatory view OF the
roo,fer will avert any geElous once
ouence of the affair
The West India regiment a NUMBER
Of men from which we're killed ana
wounded in this fight, is unique among
the British forces az being tue only reg
imeut OF negroes IN the British army.
Il is Differed by white men, d WIN
few exceptions the privates are pure
blooded blacks. The regiment lS re,
crui,ed il the British West ndia 1sland
Of Jamaica. The men are carefully
nick cd for height. breadth and strength,
and are, without exception, lne Physl-
cal specimens OF men.
The regiment ig unique IN the BRUSH
army IN dress. too. It's uniform Is q
Kind OF a zouave dress. Baggy blue
trousers, with broad yellow strlpes
down the outside leg seams, reach 10
the calves, and there are fastened go as
to mako a buigIng ovcrhang. white
caters cover the shoes and reach to
within two inches OF the trousers, black
stockings filing the gap. Aloose tunlc
oil bright scarlet, embroidered across
the cheat with yellow braid, n with
dozens OF braes buttons Close set down
tile 'front.', reaches to within an inch or
two OF the waist. This tunlc flies open,
showing a white vest beneath.
The head dress is a peculiar turban,
a crogs between a Turkish fez and an
East Indian turban proper. It ls OF
white and red, and is adorned with a
long yellow taBseI. If the French once
saw these eoldiers they would certainly
recognize them on later occasions.
This regiment is stationed only at
Sierra Leone and nearby West African
stations and at Jamaica. They are
sent to garrison these African posts be-
cause they stand the deadly climate so
much better than do the white soldiers.
Tho facts concerning the fight seem
to be these: The French by mistake
attacked the British expedition at Wa
rina, supposing them to be Arabs. In
supposed TO be hemmed in by natives
at Koranke. and the British expedition
was sent to his relief.
Shortly before DAYLIGHT. on December
%, force was attacked by thirty Senegal
lese sharp-shootcrs, supported by 2OO
native French auxiliaries under Lieut.
enant Moritz. of the French regular
army. The French opened fire upon
the British, who replied, and after the
fighting had continued for some time
the French retired. Lieutenant Moritz
who had been wounded was captured
by the British and brought into camp.
Upon being questioned as to the rea-
son for opening fire upon the British
troops, he explained that he mlatook
them for q force OF Sofas under Euro
pean officers and Arab leaders. Lieu
tenant Moritz died OF his wounds. In
addition ten OF the Senegalese sharp
shooters were killed, and, of the front
Ter police which accompanied the eXpe-
dition, in addition to Inspector General
Lendy, two were killed and three ser
iously wounded. The British force re-
mains at Warina.
1t appears certain that the encounter
took place on British territory, accord
ing to dispatches via London. The bat
tie was fought during bright moonlight.
Tho French officer said he mistook the
white campaigning costume OF the
British officers for the white dress OF
Arab chiefs whom he supposed TO be in
command OF a force OF Sofas. It is not
yet explained, however, what the
French force was doing in a locality
which was well within the British Dor
der.
1urr1 %. rSrEn