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in renewed strength, and from all quarters ruin might be poured upon the armies of France. This foreboding prospect was rendered still darker, and more pregnant with alarm, when Sir Sidney Smith was viewed in connection with the plan of attack. It was not to be supposed, that an officer of bis vigour and enterprise would remain inactive among so many movements of heroism and danger. His success at St. John d'Acre would naturally stir him up to further pursuits of victory, and who knew but he had his station among those very ships which brought the Turkish army to the coast of Aboukir.

Bonaparte, whose courage and resolution never forsook him, determined upon an instant trial of strength and fortune; and perceiving that the Turks made no movements, either for battle or attack, he, upon the 25th of July, 1799, had his troops early under arms, and, by day-break, marched to attack the Turkish lines. The following account of the desperate struggle that ensued is given by a French general, and is the most minute and methodical of any that has appeared.

"The squadron came to anchor in the road, about a league and a half from the shore. After a march of two hours, the advanced guard came in sight of the enemy, and the sharpshooters commenced a discharge of musketry. Bonaparte ordered the columns to balt, and made his dispositions for the attack. Brigadier-General Destaing, with his three battalions, were to carry the height on the enemy's right, which was occupied by 1000 men, while a picquet of cavalry was at the same time to cut off the retreat of this corps upon the village. The division of Lannes was ordered to advance upon the sand hill, to the left of the first line of the enemy, where he had 2000 men and six pieces of cannon. A squadron of cavalry was ordered to observe the motions of this corps, and to cut off its retreat. The remainder of the cavalry proceeded against the centre. The division of Lanusse remained as a long line. General Destaing advanced upon the enemy at

the charge of the bayonet. He abandoned his entrenchments, and retreated towards the village. The fugitives were cut in pieces by the cavalry.

"The corps against which the division of Lannes marched, seeing the first line give way, and the cavalry about to turn its position, fired only a few shot, and immediately quitted it. Two squadrons of cavalry, and a platoon of guides on horseback, cut off their retreat, and killed or drove into the sea this body of 2000 men, of which not an individual escaped.

'The corps of General Destaing marched upon the village, which formed the centre of the enemy's second line, and turned it, while the 32d demi-brigade attacked it in front. The enemy made a vigorous resistance; his second line detached a considerable corps from its left to the relief of the village. Our cavalry charged and routed it, killing many with their sabres, and driving a great number into the sea. The village was then carried, and the enemy pursued as far as the redoubt in the centre of the second position. This second position was very strong, the redoubt being flanked by a ditch of communication, which secured the peninsula on the right as far as the sea. Another ditch of the like kind stretched along on the left, at a small distance from the redoubt. The remaining space was occupied by the enemy stationed on the sand hills and in the batteries. In this position the enemy had from 8 to 9000 men.

"Whilst the troops took breath, some pieces of artillery were planted in the village, and along the shore on our left. A fire was opened on the redoubt, and the enemy's right: the battalions under General Destaing formed the centre of the assailing corps opposite to the redoubt: orders were given to advance to the attack. General Fuguieres received orders to form in column, to march along the shore, and to carry, by a charge of the bayonet, the enemy's right. The 32d, which was posted on the left of the village, was ordered to keep the opposite body of the enemy in check, and to support the 18th.

The cavalry on our right attacked the enemy's left, which it repeatedly charged with great impetuosity, cutting down, or driving into the sea, every one that came in their way. But they could not penetrate beyond the redoubt without being put between its fire and that of the gun-boats. Hurried by their bravery into this terrible defile, they feel back at each charge, and the enemy made a stand with fresh forces on the dead bodies of their companions. The cavalry performed prodigies of valour; they pressed forward, and charged the enemy to the very ditch of the redoubt.

'The Chief of Brigade Duviviar was killed; but the Adjutant-General Roize continued to direct their movements with distinguished ability and coolness. The Adjutant-General Leture, the Chief of Brigade Bessieres, and the cavalry guides, were at the head of the charging column. Leture thought that it was necessary to have a reinforcement of infantry; on communicating his desire, the General in Chief sent him a battalion of the 75th. He again joined the cavalry; his horse was shot; he then put himself at the head of the infantry, and flew from the centre to the left, in order to join the van of the 18th, which he saw on their march to attack the enemy's right.

'The 18th marched towards the entrenchments; the enemy at the same time instantly sallied out upon his right: the heads of the columns fought body to body; the Turks endeavoured to wrest from our men the bayonets, which proved fatal to them. They slung their muskets behind them, and fought with their sabres and pistols; for every Turk carries a musket, two pistols in his girdle, and a sabre. The 18th at length reached the entrenchments; but the fire from the redoubt, which every where flanked the entrenchments, where the enemy again rallied, checked the column at the moment when every thing yielded to its impulse. General Fuguieres and Adjutant-General Leture performed prodigies of valour. The former received a wound in the head, but he still continued to fight; a ball then shot off his left arm, and he was

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obliged to follow the 18th, which retreated to the village, keeping up, however, a hot fire during the movement. The Adjutant-General Leture, having in vain exhorted the column to throw itself into the enemy's entrenchments, rushed into them himself; he was unsupported, and met a glorious death. The Chief or Brigade Morangie was wounded.

'About twenty brave men of the 18th fell on the field of battle. The Turks, notwithstanding the dreadful fire from the village, darted from their entrenchments, to cut off the heads of the dead and wounded, that they might receive the reward which the Turkish government bestows for the encouragement of this barbarous custom. A silver aigrette is given for

each head thus cut off, and brought into the camp.

"The General in Chief directed a battalion of the 23d light infantry, and one of the 69th, to advance upon the left of the enemy. General Lannes, who was at the head of these troops, seized the moment when the enemy had imprudently left his entrenchments. He attacked the redoubt vigorously upon its left and on the breast-work. The 22d and 69th leaped into the ditch, and were soon upon the parapet and within the redoubt. Meanwhile the 18th rushed forward at the charging step upon the enemy.

"General Murat, who followed every movement, commanded the advanced guard, and was constantly with the sharp-shooters, displayed on this day as much coolness as talent, and seized the moment when General Lannes attacked the redoubt to order a corps of infantry to charge and traverse all the enemy's positions as far as the ditch of the fort of Aboukir. This movement was executed with so much impetuosity, and so opportunely, that at the moment the redoubt was forced, this corps had already reached its destination, and entirely cut off the enemy's retreat to the fort. The route was complete. Confused and terrified, the enemy found every where the bayonets and death. The cavalry cut them down with their sabres. They believed they had no resourse left but to fly to the sea, into which 6 or 7000 threw

themselves. There they were assailed by muskets and grapeshot. Never was so terrible a spectacle exhibited before. Not a man escaped-the ships were two leagues distant in the road of Aboukir.

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'Mustapha Pacha, Commander in Chief of the Turkish army, was taken, with about 200 Turks; two thousand men lay on the field of battle. All the tents, the baggage, and twenty pieces of cannon (two of which were English, being given by the court of London to the Grand Seignior,) fell into our hands. Two English boats fled from our grape-shot. Ten thousand Turks were drowned,

'The fort of Aboukir did not fire. The garrison was struck with terror. A flag of truce came out, by which we learned that the fort contained 1200 meu. It was proposed to them to surrender; but some were inclined to adopt this measure, while others opposed it. Thus the day passed over. We took a near position, and removed the killed and wounded. Our loss in this action was 150 killed and 750 wounded; among the latter was General Murat, who was wounded in the head, but not dangerously. Cretin, Chief of the Brigade of Engineers, died of his wounds; as also did Citizen Guibert.'

Thus the Turkish army were annihilated; but in achieving this victory, the French were called forth to severe trials of courage and skill. The Ottoman soldiers displayed that native valour which has often distinguished their countrymen, and they were so flanked and defended, that nothing but superior force, or the highest military skill, could have dislodged them from their position, or overcome them in battle. The French state the Turkish army at 15,000 men, but it did not exceed 8 or 9000. The fort of Aboukir, which continued to resist, was, in the course of a few days, reduced to a heap of ruins, and the garrison was compelled to surrender.

After gaining so complete a triumph, Bonaparte surveyed the works of Alexandria, and then returned to the city of Grand Cairo. In this capital of Egypt, General Bonaparte

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