XLV. 1844. 38. ment of Tangiers dor. Aug. 6, 1844. CHAP. is surrounded on all sides by a high wall, on which, towards the sea, eighty heavy guns were mounted on bastions, constructed after the European fashion. The more eleBombard- vated of these batteries were placed on two hills about a hundred and fifty feet in height, the others were on the and Moga- water's edge. Seeing matters growing so serious, the Emperor informed Mr Hay, as the Prince de Joinville was standing in towards the harbour, that he had accepted the ultimatum of the French Government. But meanwhile a steamboat came into the bay with despatches from the Cabinet of Paris, which enjoined, that if the ultimatum was not accepted, the attack should immediately commence. Fortified by this authority, the Prince, disregarding the communication made by Mr Drummond Hay, as to the acceptance of the ultimatum by the Marocco Government, or deeming it unsatisfactory, gave orders for an immediate attack. Accordingly, at daybreak on the morning of the 6th August, the three line-ofbattle ships, the Suffren, Jemappes, and Triton, and the Belle-Poule frigate, were towed into the bay by the war-steamers, the Viton, Platon, Gassendi, Pharo, and Rubis. Admiral Owen, with three sail of the line, was in the bay as a spectator, as well as a Spanish squadron and an American frigate. The French took up their ground steadily, the Suffren, which bore the flag of the Prince de Joinville, being nearest to the batteries, and within four cable-lengths of them. The instructions of the Prince were to destroy the exterior fortifications, but to spare the town. This was soon accomplished. As at Algiers and Acre, the MohamJoinville's medans allowed the enemy to take the positions assigned to them without firing a shot; the fire commenced on 1844; Ann. the part of the French at half-past eight, and was im263; Ann. mediately answered by the discharge of ninety guns, for 267, 269; the most part of very heavy calibre, from the batteries.1 ii. 430, 433. But the Moors, not expecting the French vessels to come so near, had levelled too high, and great part of their 1 Prince de Despatch, Aug. 7, Reg. 1844, Hist. xxvii. Regnault, XLV. 1844. shot went above the masts. The contest was soon found CHAP. to be unequal, and at the end of an hour their fire was silenced, and the batteries in ruins. This success was gained with the loss only of three killed, and sixteen wounded, which demonstrated how unequal the contest had been, for in the attack of Algiers in 1816, Lord Exmouth lost 816 men.1 This was followed by an attack upon Moga- ii. § 73. dor, on the 16th of the same month, which, after a severe Aug. 16. contest, was ruined, and the island at the mouth of the harbour carried, after a desperate resistance, by the French sailors and marines. 1 Ante, c. 39. sition of the their resolution to fight. These gallant and decisive actions sufficiently demonstrated that the Moorish batteries were no match for Critical pothe European broadsides, and that the days were far gone French, and when the pirates of Tangiers swept the Mediterranean in search of Christian slaves. But it was not by maritime victories that the empire of Marocco, a power essentially inland and military, was to be overcome; the real blows were to be struck by Marshal Bugeaud with the land forces. They were not long, however, of being delivered. The Emperor's son had at length taken the command of the army, and it was daily swelled by the accession of large bodies of savage warriors from the interior, who advanced as to certain victory under the standard of the Prophet, to exterminate the infidels. Fresh reinforcements, consisting chiefly of infantry from the hill tribes, were daily expected, which were to assail the French on the side of the mountains, on which their left flank rested; while the numerous squadrons of the Moorish horse enveloped their right, which was in the plain. In a few days, the enemy's forces would be raised to 40,000 men, while the French had no corresponding addition to their numbers to look for.2 In these circumstances, the general-in-chief wisely judged that he had everything to fear and nothing to hope from any farther 437, 438; delay, and he resolved upon an immediate attack—a de- 1844, 263. termination which diffused universal enthusiasm in the Ann. Hist. xxvii. 270, 271; Re gnault, ii. Ann. Reg. XLV. 1844. CHAP. army. Yet was the resolution, though prudent in the circumstances, a bold and venturous one; for the French forces were only 8500 regular infantry, 1500 regular and 2100 irregular horse, while the Moors had 25,000 cavalry and 10,000 foot-soldiers around their banners. 40. for the bat Having taken his resolution, Marshal Bugeaud made Dispositions every disposition which skill and prudence could sugtle. gest to insure success. To guard against the sudden irruption of the Moorish horse, the danger which was most to be apprehended, the whole army was drawn up in the form of a large square, composed of as many lesser squares as there were battalions. The ambulances, or carriages for the wounded, the baggage, the beasts of burden, were placed in the centre, in which also were the cavalry, arranged in two columns, one on each side of the convoy. The artillery was placed at the four sides at the openings between the battalions, which were 120 paces broad. This was the order prescribed for the combat; in approaching it, the arrangement was somewhat different. The advance was made by one of the angles led by the column of direction, on each side of which the other battalions followed, each keeping their square formation, on the right and left. The whole army, when in march, was thus formed in a great rectangle, composed of columns, advancing at half distance of battalions, ready at a moment's warning to fall back into the great square. Immediately behind the leading battalion were two other battalions in close column, not forming part of the square, but at the head of the convoy, Regnault, and composing a reserve intended to act according as Ann. Hist. their services might be required. In this rectangular order the whole army set out at three in the afternoon of the 13th; at night the foragers, who had been sent Despatch, out on all sides of the column, returned to their re1844; Ann. spective corps, which halted still in the order of march, in silence, and without lights. After resting three hours, the whole broke up at midnight, and advanced straight, ii. 438, 439; xxvii. 270 -App. 145; June 14, Reg. 1844, 265. in the same order, towards the river ISLY, on the other CHAP. side of which the enemy were encamped. XLV. 1844. Isly, Aug. The Isly, at the point where the passage was to be 41. effected, was divided into two branches, both of which re- Battle of quired to be crossed before the enemy's camp was reached. 14, 1844. The first was crossed before the enemy were aware of their approach, a fortunate circumstance, as the passage would have been very hazardous if made in presence of their numerous and fiery squadrons. The alarm had reached their camp, however, before the second crossing was effected, and when the leading columns of the French reached the heights which overhung its right bank, they beheld the enemy's camp stretching as far as the eye could reach on the left bank, and the opposite shore crowded with the squadrons of the enemy prepared to dispute the passage. There was not a moment to lose, for their numbers were every minute increasing; and on an eminence in their centre was to be seen a dense group of horsemen, which marked the spot where the Emperor's son, with the imperial banners displayed, had taken his station. The battalion of direction immediately was turned towards that eminence, with orders, when it was reached, to move to the right, still holding the summit of the eminence by the left face of the great square. Hardly were these orders given, when the rattle of musketry was heard in the front, arising from the leading files of the French tirailleurs, which were beginning to cross the river by three fords, and had become engaged with the Moors. They pressed on, though assailed by a warm fire from the enemy's light troops, and ere long reached the foot of the hill on which 1 Regnault, the Emperor's son was placed. Judging from the crowd .41044; there that some person of eminence was on the spot, the xxvii, 270, Marshal directed the fire of four field-pieces on the group, geaud's and, from the confusion which soon prevailed in it, evi- Despatch, dently with fatal effect.1 Encouraged by this circum- 1844. stance, the French tirailleurs, closely followed by the ii. Ann. Hist. 271; Mar shal Bu Aug. 14, CHAP. Squares, still in the oblong order of march, steadily adXLV. vanced up the slope, driving the enemy's light troops 1844. 42. victory of the French. before them. At this moment enormous masses of the Moorish Glorious cavalry, hitherto screened by the high grounds on either side, suddenly made their appearance on the summit of the crest on the right and left, and with loud cries charged the French squares. The latter had need of all their firmness, for the moment was terrible, and a heavy fire was at the same time opened upon them by the musketeers, who showed themselves between the Moorish squadrons. But not a sign of disorder appeared, not a square was broken. With admirable coolness, the tirailleurs outside the columns on their flanks retired before the advance, firing as rapidly as they could, and when the horsemen were close upon them, they lay down to give room for the squares behind to open their fire. The Moors recoiled before the terrible discharge of grape and musketry which immediately succeeded; the French continued their advance, and the height was won. Immediately the prescribed change of order took place; the square moved upon the camp, and by their advance separated in two the immense mass of the Moorish cavalry. At this moment the French horse, under Colonel Tartas, issued from the square, and dashed in a headlong charge into the enemy's camp, which was obstinately defended, but at length taken, with the whole tents and baggage which it contained. A serious danger, however, awaited the victorious cavalry in the moment of their triumph. A body of ten thousand Moorish horsemen, placed in reserve Bugeaud's in the rear of the camp, suddenly charged them when disordered by success, and scattered over the surface among the tents. But Colonel Morris, at the head of the gnault, ii. chasseurs-à-cheval, three hundred in number, charged Ann. Hist. the Moors with such vigour, in a compact mass, that they xxvii. 270, in their turn were broken, and driven off the field.1 The whole French army then advanced against a confused 1 Marshal Despatch, Aug. 14, 1844; Ann. Reg. 1844, 265; Re 441, 443; 271. |