Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-11

days CT the siege eight storming parties
were sent against the defenses, and en-
one occasion the town was partly Occu-
pied; but General Duroc, who led the
assault, was wounded, and the two bur
bred men who had gained an entrancs
were driven out through the breach.
Twelve sorties were made BY the be-
sieged, only to meet repulse. About the
middle Of May news came that one Of
the many Mahdis, who have 60 frequent
y arisen in Egypt. had appeared in tbs
Nile valley. Intelligence came also that
the Porte and the English government
were now at one against the French.
Napoleon guns were not heavy enough,
and his forces not sufficiently strong, to
capture Acre; and ON the goth O. May
tho siege was raised. The losses OF tbs
French in the Syrian campaign had
reached nearly three Thousand men;
haps five times that number.
Napoleon was weak in the matter OF
retreat He could not retreat we'll. His
fallings back were likely to degenerate
into panic. This fact was exemplified
in his withdrawal from Palestine. The
march began on the 20th Of May. The
22nd found the French at Casarea- Two
days afterwards they reached Jaffa.
There pest house had been established
for those who had the plague. Napoleon
ordered the Notifications of the town to
be blown up; but what should be done
with the hospital2
Man was never in q eadder dilemma
Bonaparte we'll knew that those Of his
sick soldiers who should be left behind
would be horribly butchered as soon as
the Turks should re-enter Jaffa. To take
the infected with him was only to
spread the disease. He went with his
surgeons and aides into the plague
house, and passed among the dead and
dying. He struck his boot-tops with his
whip as he went along, saying, I'm
few hours the Turks will be here. Let
all those who have strength enough rise
and come with u.s." None could arise.
Then it was that, in q hurried consulta-
ton with his physician Desgenettes,
Bonaparte proposed to anticipate with
a potion of laudanum and painless
inevitable. For this proposition he has
been condemned by sentimental world
against all reason and humanity. His
project was just such as q humane man
would propose for his own brother I'M
der the cruel alternative then presented.
The returning expedition reached
Cairo on the l4th of June. Affairs in
Egypt were already in a distracted con-
dition. El-Mahdi was crying out like =
prophet in Bohahireh. The fellahs and
Arabs were rallying to his standard.
Murad Bey was returning with his
forces from Upper Egypt, to form a
junction with the Mahdi's rout at the
Natron lakes. Meanwhile. force Of
about fifteen thousand, commanded by
Mustapha Pasba and under conduct Of
English ships, arrived at Aboukir. A
division of French, under General Mar
mont, held Alexandria; but that officer
wsald be unable TO keep the city against
the gathering forces of the enemy.
Napoleon hastily marched against tho
Turks and English at Aboukir. Here,
ON the 25th of July, 1899. with only
five thousand men, he attacked the en-
envy, three times as strong in numbers,
and gained q victory SO signal as almost
to counterbxlance the disaster Of the
year before. when Brueys's feet at the
same place was annihilated. In the ne.
gotiation that followed between Bona
parte and the English Admiral, the for
1er obtained q copy of the French Ga
zette, Of Frankfort, informing him CT
the condition of affairs in Europe. For
ten months he had received virtually no
news at all from his own country. The
French army had to all intents been
blockaded in Egypt and Palestine.
''Heavensw the General cried out; my
presentiment has been verified. The
fools have lost 1talyi All the fruits of
our victories are gone. / must leave
Egyptr
1t was necessary that Napoleon should
be secret as we'll as expeditions. He in
formed the divan of Cairo that he
should be absent briefly in the Delta.
Afterwards he published bulletin to
the army, saying that he was going to
France, but would soon be back again.
The command should remain with Cen
eral Kleber, who was truly said to have
the confidence of the General chief.
Berthier and Lannes were to accompany
the commander to France. Two frigates,
the Muiron and the Carrere, were quick
ly prepared. and, on the 23rd Of August.
q company of about five hundred men
went on board with Napoleon.
By keeping close to the African shore
the vessels were enabled to escape de-
lection. After twenty -one days the site
Of Carthage was passed, and the danger
was over. On the LIST of October the
ships were driven in at Ajaccio
While detained in his native island
Napoleon learned of the disastrous bat
tie of Now, the death of Joubert, and
all the recent misfortunes of France
On leaving Ajaccio. his ship was fol-
lowed by two English vessels. and we'll
nigh taken; but ON the Sth of October,
he reached the roadway of Frejus, and
was safe The enthusiasm of the peoulo