The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-29
TROOPS CUT DOWN
French Forces ASsaiIed
by Arabs.
SORTIE PARTY SURPRISED.
:
Another Flassacre Occurs Near
TimbuCtoO.
A VERY SEVERE LOSS OF LIFE.
Retreating Soldiers Followed to the
Fort, Which Was Held by
Re-Enforcements. z

PARIS. Aug. 28.-Accordlng to a report
received at st. Louis, the French garrison
at Timbuctoo, after three days of desperate
hgnting with the Tu aregs and other hos
tile tribes which have been investing that
city, made sortie. The beleaguering forces,
overwhelming in numbers, fell upon the
sortie. party, fairly annihilating it. This
news has created CONSERVATION In army
circles. as it is the second serious disaster
the French have met with in the vicinity
OF Timbuctoo since that important Sou
daUese town was occupied by them early
the present year.
A French column, commanded by Colonel
BANNER, arrived at Timbuctoo January l.
aud two days later detachment of troops
under Colonel BANNER, accompanied by
Colonel Hugier and the entire staff, started
out on recOnnoitering expedition, leav-
ing Captain Philippe as senior captain in
charge of the post at Timbuctoo.
This French detachment. in some man.
ner never fully explained to the public.
was surprised asleep in camp at Dougoi,
two hours march from Timbuctoo The
Arabs, chiefly Tuaregs, mounted and on
foot. and arm ed with lances and knives,
entered the French camp by several sides
during the dark and the hours of early
morning and overturned the stacked arms
in front of The sharpshoOters, who, sur
rounded, W ere unable 10 seize their rifles
TO defend tn emselves successfully.
The Arabs massacred nearly the entire
detachment, consisting of the fifth and
eleventh comp anies of Soudanese sharp
shooters. A French officer, Captain
Nigotte. though Sc riOusly wounded in the
head, succeeded in escaping to platoon
of soldiers left some yards behind the
main camp to guard some captured f1ocks.
This platoon was under the command of
Lieutenant Sarda. It retreated to Tim
buctOO bringing with it a few wounded
men who had escaped the massacre at
DOugui.
The Tuaregs pursued the retreating
soldiers and practically invaded Timbuc-
too. which Captain Philippe made haste
to defend peDding the arrival of re-enforce-
-I1oe-ts- 1t was stated a DouRoi that the
French lost nine officers, two European
sergeants, an interpreter and one ser
geart. six corporals and sixty-une native
sharpshooters.
For the defense of Timbuctoo Captain
Philippe had 800 rifles and six cannons,
but this was a very small force with
which to hold a town of 12.OO0 people,
situated amid hot. moving sands Oh the
verge of a morass and having walled in
closure about three miles in circumfer-
ence. But a column commanded by
Colonel JOffer was on its way TO re-enforce
the French at Timbuctoo and having sent
messengers to the colonel and communi-
Gated with the commander of the French
fotilla on the Niger River the captain
made the best disposal possible of his
small force and with the cooperation of
the popuIace succeeded in holding ont
until the ,Joffer column arrived.
This column was composed of a COM
pany and a half of sharpshooters. a
squadron Of Spahis, a splendid African
cavalry. $50 auxiliary Spahis and two
guns. Ii also included the horses, mules.
drivers, ETC., of the first column. 1t fol-
lowed the land route by Sanding Monipe.
Namapli, Ere, SOumpe and Goudam and
met with a serious opposition during its
advance.
On January 20 a company of sharp
shooters marched on Nafunke supported
by cavalry and artillery. They were con-
tronted by two kilometers of a swami
which surrounded the village, in front of
which were 400 warriors drawn M in hat
tie array. The warriors charged ON m.
French force. The latter in less than IF
teen minutes killed over 100 OF the Afri-
cans. The others took flight and the viii
lage was captured without any loss on the
part of the Joffer column.
Several such engagements took place
cannon and cavalry being repeatedly
called into use, but on February 20 the ad-
vance guard of the Joffer column and the
latter reached TimbuctOo soon afterward.
1t is in all proba bility part of the force
Of Captain Philippe and Colonel Joffer.
which according to the advices from Sene-
gal has been cut to pieces by the Arabs.
II is believed that the garrison of Timbuc-
too has since the Joffer column arrived
there been again re-enforced.