i 



360 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period IV, 



of the remainder of the Turkish army, and it was soon 

 captured, and large numbers of its defenders killed. 



The Turkish main army then advanced to attack the 

 French, who formed a line of squares with the artillery in 

 the intervals, and the cavalry in rear of the centre, 

 ready to charge through at the critical moment. The 

 disposition of Kleber's army was very well conceived, 

 and proved most advantageous in the action. The 

 battle commenced with the fire of artillery, which was 

 much more effective on the part of the French than on 

 that of their opponents. The cannonading so galled the 

 Turks that they prepared for a general charge. The 

 concentration of their masses warned the French of the 

 coming onslaught ; 20,000 horsemen at full speed, 

 shaking the ground with their thundering tramp, was 

 enough to try the stoutest heart. The French stood firm, 

 however, while the artillery poured volley after volley of 

 grapeshot, with hurried vigour into the advancing 

 masses. The front rank were nearly all swept away by 

 the storm of missiles which filled the air, and the rear 

 ranks, dismayed at the carnage, wheeled about and fled, 

 before a single musket-shot had been fired.^ 



The Grand Vizier rallied his troops and attacked again, 

 but it was impossible to withstand the tempestuous 

 volleys of the French squares, which dealt death and 

 destruction far and wide through the immense swarms 

 which surrounded them. In a sh(>rt time the whole 

 Ottoman host fled in utter rout, leaving Kleber complete 

 master of the field, and of their camp. 



In these campaigns the French adopted the system 

 of forming their infantry skirmishers in little squares or 

 groups, of four men in each, in order to resist attacks of 

 Bedouins or Mamelukes. Bonaparte also had provided 

 his infantry with pikes, ironed at both ends, which were 

 intended to be placed in the ground in front of the 

 soldier as a defence against the charge of cavalry, or to 

 be used as a protection around the circuit of the camp. 

 The great heat of the climate was so oppressive to the 

 French troops, that Napoleon was afraid to overburden 



^ Alison, ii. 165. 



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