Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-03-09

Gho borders OF the CaSplun ana BLACK
seas and trained to war, after embracing
Mohammedanism They always fought
on horseback and in line. Being COM
pletoly armed, intrepid and skillful,
they formed the best cavalry in the
world, while their gross and mercenary
natures and unsparing cruelty made
them tho real lords of Egypt, the OPP
prossors of the people. Sir Walter Scott
thus Describes their meeting with the
Fronch on the march from Alexandria
to Cairo: 1.-The whole plain was covered
with Mamolules, mounted on tho finest
Arabian stcods and armed with pistols,
cnrbincs and blunderbusses Of the best
English workmanship, their plumed
turbans waving i'll tho air, and their
rich dresses and arms glittering in the
sun. Entertaining high contempt for
the French force as consisting almost
entirely of infantry, this splendid bar
baric cavalry watched every opportun-
ity for charging them, nor did single
stragglor escape tho unrelenting edge
of their sabers. Their charge was al
most as swift rs the wind, and as their
severe bits enabled them to halt or wheel
their horses at full gallop their retreat
was as rapid as thoir advance. Even the
practiced veterans of Italy were embar-
rassed by this mode of fighting"
Napoleon promptly adapted his for
nation of lines to the Mameluke style
of warfare The five divisions were drill
ed TO throw themselves into five squares,
six ranks deep on the fronts, with the
artillery at angles and cavalry, with
baggage, in the center. These squares
moved across the desert intact, all fao-
ing in ono direction, the side columns
marching by the flank. When charged
by the Mamolulzes, the masses came to
q halt ard the side and rear lines 'front.'
ed, thus facing the foe i'll all directions
In close action the front ranks knolt so
that the rear rank could fire over them
Several small encounters ON the way to
Cairo brought the army to high efficien-
cy i'll repolling or attacking the Name
lukes.
On tho tedious march Napoleon strobe
on ahead, giving his men an example
of hardihood and determination. Though
his face was habitually gloomy and
sphirxlike, his restless activity could
but arouse enthusiasm, and enthusiasm
was needed. The soldiers grumbled at
their hardships, and the officers openly
expressed disgust. Marat and Lannes,
the future favorites of their chief, trod
their cockades in the sand and rallied at
tho mad folly of the expedition.
Finally tho column reached the Nile
and united with the fiotilla. Seven days
later it reached Cairo, where Murad
Boy, tho chief of the Mameluke horde,
had assembled $4,000 followers, each
having two armed slaves to fight on
foot The latter, numbering "a, 600, were
placed behind intrenchments on the
western bank Of the Nile, covering the
city opposite. After deploying his
squares en- echelon, or like steps, with
the right flank of each refused, Napo-
leon marched upon the trenches, but
discovering that the cannon of the
Egyptians We're in stationary rests and
not on carriages, to bo turned right OF
left, ho directed flank movement to
escape their direct front fire.
Murad Bey instantly saw the danger
and gave the order to charge. With q
yell the Mamelukes swept from their
places on the fianks of the batteries and
circled around the advancing lines. Ma
poleon allowed them to ride up within
half pistol shot before opening fire.
Meanwhile he haranguod the legions,
calling upon them tc stand fast. To the
division III front of the pyramids he ex-
claimed, Soldiers, from yon lofty sum-
mits 40 centuries look down upon you. "
His face beamed with the ardor of CON-
bat as the veterans remembered it from
Italy, and the squares stood the shock
like invincibles. Musketry, grapeshot
and shells from tho lines and tho angles
moved down the fierce riders of the des-
ert, and with unparalleled desperation
they forced their horses through the
deep ranks, then backed them out tc
clear Il pathway with their iron heels.
Failing in that, they hurled upon the
solid rnnds their pistols and poniards,
while those who fell unhorsed crawled
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