But The
Negro Has Signally Displayed The Military Qualities Of Coolness And
Courage In Many Instances, Two Or Three Of Which I Shall Here Take The
Liberty Of Mentioning, In Connexion With The Affairs Of Algeria.
Mr. Lord relates, on the authority of the French, that, when the
invading army invested Fort de l'Empereur, and had silenced all its
guns, the Dey ordered the Turkish General to retreat to the Kasbah, and
leave three negroes to blow up the fort.
It seemed, therefore,
abandoned, but two red flags floated still on its outward line of
defence, and a third on the angle towards the city. The French continued
all their efforts towards effecting a practicable breach. Three negroes
were now seen calmly walking on the ramparts, and from time to time
looking over as if examining the progress of the breach. One of them,
struck by a cannonball, fell; and the others, as if to avenge his death,
ran to a cannon, pointed it, and fired three shots. At the third, the
gun turned over, and they were unable to replace it. They tried another,
and as they were in the act of raising it, a shot swept the legs from
under one of them. The remaining negro gazed for a moment on his
comrade, drew him a little aside, left him, and once more examined the
breach. He then snatched one of the flags, and retired to the interior
of the tower. In a few minutes, he re-appeared, took a second flag and
descended. The French continued their cannonade, and the breach appeared
almost practicable, when suddenly they were astounded by a terrific
explosion, which shook the whole ground as with an earthquake. An
immense column of smoke, mixed with streaks of flames, burst from the
centre of the fortress; masses of solid masonry were hurled into the air
to an amazing height, while cannon, stones, timbers, projectiles, and
dead bodies were scattered in every direction. What was all this? The
negro had done his duty - the fort was blown up!
In a skirmish near Mascara, one of Abd-el-Kader's negro soldiers killed
two Frenchmen with his own hand. The Emir, who was an eye-witness of his
bravery, rewarded him on the field of battle by presenting him with his
own sword and the Cross of the Crescent, the only military order in the
service, and which is never awarded except fur a very distinguished
action. Colonel Scott says the black was presented to him, and seemed as
proud of the honour conferred on him as if he had been made a K.G.C.B.
In the strifes and disputes for succession that have characterized the
history of the Barbary princes, and reddened their annals with blood,
nothing has been more remarkable than the fidelity of the negroes to
their respective masters, and the bravery with which they have defended
them to the last hour of their reign or existence. When all his
partisans have deserted a pretender, when the soldiers of the successful
competitor to the throne have been in the act of pouncing upon the
fallen or falling prince, a handful of brave followers has rushed to the
rescue, and surrounded the person of their beloved leader, pouring out
their life-blood in his defence - and these men were negroes!
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