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Article NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION OF BUONAPARTE. ← Page 2 of 6 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Narrative Of The Expedition Of Buonaparte.
conducted himself with great honour . The cavalry of the Mame ^ hikes soon inundated all the plain , surrounded all the wings of the French armv , and pressed them on all sides in flank and in the rear ; but they every where found their line equally formidable , and were opposed with a double fire from the flank and front . They made several attempts to charge , but without determination . In fine , after having remained a great part of the day at about ha-lf cannon shot distance ,
they commenced their retreat and disappeared , with a loss of about 300 killed . On the morning of the 2 d of August , the French perceived the Pyramids : and towards the evening of that day found themselves within six miles of Cairo , and learnt that the twenty-three Beys , with all their forces , were entrenched atLambabe ; tliattbey had covered their entrenchments with more than 60 pieces of cannon .
On the 3 d , at day break , the French met their advanced guard , which they pursued from village to village . At two in the afternoon , they found themselves at the enemy ' s entrenchments . General Buonaparte ordered the divisions of Generals Desaix and Reynier to take a position to the right , between Gizah and Lambabe , in order to cut off the communication of the enemy with higher Egypt , their natural retreat . The army was ranged in the same manner as at the
battle of Chebreissa . The instant that Murat Bey perceived the movement of General fiesaix , he resolved to charge . He sent one of the bravest of hi 3 Beys , with a chosen body of troops , who charged the army with the rapidity of lig htning . The French let them approach within fifty paces , when they overwhelmed them with a shower of balls , which made great slaughterThe Bey ' s troops threw themselves between
. the spaces which formed the two divisions , where they were received by a double fire , which finished their defeat . The French General seized that moment , and ordered the division of General Bon , who was upon the Nile , to proceed to the attack of the entrenchments ; and General Vial , who commanded the division of General Menou , to proceed between the body of troops which had charged him and to
the entrenchments , in order to accomplish this trip le objectprevent the body of troops from re-entering the entrenchments ; to cut off the retreat of those who occupied them ; and lastly , if it should be necessary , to attack the entrenchments on the left . The instant Generals Vial and Bon advanced , they ordered the first and third divisions of each battalion to range in columns for the attack , while the second and third preserved the same position , forming always a battalion four deep , and advanced to maintain the columns of attack .
The columns of attack of General Bon , commanded by the brave General Rampon , threw themselves into the entrenchments with their usual impetuosity , notwithstanding the fire of a great quantity of artillery , when the Mamelukes charged them . They went out of their entrenchments at full gallop . The French columns had time to halt , and to form a front to oppose them on all sides , and receive them with the bayonet , and a shower of balls . At the same instant , the field of battle was strewed with the slain , and the French gained
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Narrative Of The Expedition Of Buonaparte.
conducted himself with great honour . The cavalry of the Mame ^ hikes soon inundated all the plain , surrounded all the wings of the French armv , and pressed them on all sides in flank and in the rear ; but they every where found their line equally formidable , and were opposed with a double fire from the flank and front . They made several attempts to charge , but without determination . In fine , after having remained a great part of the day at about ha-lf cannon shot distance ,
they commenced their retreat and disappeared , with a loss of about 300 killed . On the morning of the 2 d of August , the French perceived the Pyramids : and towards the evening of that day found themselves within six miles of Cairo , and learnt that the twenty-three Beys , with all their forces , were entrenched atLambabe ; tliattbey had covered their entrenchments with more than 60 pieces of cannon .
On the 3 d , at day break , the French met their advanced guard , which they pursued from village to village . At two in the afternoon , they found themselves at the enemy ' s entrenchments . General Buonaparte ordered the divisions of Generals Desaix and Reynier to take a position to the right , between Gizah and Lambabe , in order to cut off the communication of the enemy with higher Egypt , their natural retreat . The army was ranged in the same manner as at the
battle of Chebreissa . The instant that Murat Bey perceived the movement of General fiesaix , he resolved to charge . He sent one of the bravest of hi 3 Beys , with a chosen body of troops , who charged the army with the rapidity of lig htning . The French let them approach within fifty paces , when they overwhelmed them with a shower of balls , which made great slaughterThe Bey ' s troops threw themselves between
. the spaces which formed the two divisions , where they were received by a double fire , which finished their defeat . The French General seized that moment , and ordered the division of General Bon , who was upon the Nile , to proceed to the attack of the entrenchments ; and General Vial , who commanded the division of General Menou , to proceed between the body of troops which had charged him and to
the entrenchments , in order to accomplish this trip le objectprevent the body of troops from re-entering the entrenchments ; to cut off the retreat of those who occupied them ; and lastly , if it should be necessary , to attack the entrenchments on the left . The instant Generals Vial and Bon advanced , they ordered the first and third divisions of each battalion to range in columns for the attack , while the second and third preserved the same position , forming always a battalion four deep , and advanced to maintain the columns of attack .
The columns of attack of General Bon , commanded by the brave General Rampon , threw themselves into the entrenchments with their usual impetuosity , notwithstanding the fire of a great quantity of artillery , when the Mamelukes charged them . They went out of their entrenchments at full gallop . The French columns had time to halt , and to form a front to oppose them on all sides , and receive them with the bayonet , and a shower of balls . At the same instant , the field of battle was strewed with the slain , and the French gained