XXIV. 1799. CHAP ranks. He instantly took his resolution. General Letourcq was despatched, with the cavalry and two pieces of light artillery, against the Mamelukes who were in reserve at the foot of the mountains of Naplouse, while the division of Bon, divided into two squares, advanced to the attack of the flank and rear of the multitude who were surrounding Kleber's division, and Napoleon, with the cannon and guides, pressed them in front. A twelve-pounder, fired from the heights, announced to the wearied band of heroes the joyful intelligence that succour was at hand; the columns all advanced rapidly to the attack, while Kleber, resuming the offensive, extended his ranks, and charged the mass who had so long oppressed him with the bayonet. The immense superiority of European discipline and tactics was then apparent; the Turks, attacked in so many quarters at once, and exposed to a concentric fire from all the squares, were unable to make any resistance; no measures, either to arrest the enemy or secure a retreat, were taken, and the motley throng, mowed down by the discharges of Miot, 176, grape-shot, fled in confusion behind Mount Thabor, and finding the bridge of Jacob seized by Murat, 413. Dum. rushed in desperation, in the night, through the Jordan, where great numbers were drowned.' 182. Jom. xi. 412, ii. 207, 208. * Th. X. 389. This great victory, gained by 6000 veterans over a brave but undisciplined mass of 30,000 Oriental militia, completely secured the flank and rear of Napoleon's army. The defeat had been complete ; the Turkish camp, with all their baggage and ammunition, fell into the hands of the conquerors; the army, which the people of the country called "innumerable as the sands of the sea or the stars of heaven,” had dispersed, never again to return. Kleber occupied in force the bridge of Jacob, the forts of Saffet and Tabarieh, and, having stationed patrols along the banks of the Jordan, fixed his headquarters at the village of Nazareth, while Napoleon returned, with the remainder of the army, to the siege of Acre.' CHAP. XXIV. 1799. ' Dum. ii. 208. Miot, Th. x. 389. the siege of The French cruisers having at length succeeded 181, 183. in debarking 3 twenty-four and 6 eighteen-pounders at Jaffa, they were forthwith brought up to the Renewal of trenches, and a heavy fire opened upon the tower, Acre. which had been the object of such vehement contests. Mines were run under the walls, and all the resources of art exhausted to effect the reduction of the place, but in vain. The defence under Philippeaux was not less determined nor less skilful than the attack; he erected some external works in the fosse, to take the grenadiers in flank as they advanced to the assault; the mines of the besiegers were countermined, and constant sorties made to retard their approaches. In the course of these desperate contests, both Caffarelli, who commanded the engineers of the assailants, and Philippeaux, who directed the operations of the besieged, were slain. The vigour and resolution of the garrison increased with every hour 6th May. the siege continued. Napoleon, by a desperate effort, for a time succeeded in effecting a lodgment in the ruined tower; but his men were soon driven out with immense loss, and the Turks regained possession › Jom. xi. of all their fortifications. The trenches had been open 414, 415. and the breach practicable for nearly two months, but 212. Th. no sensible progress as yet made in the reduction of Miot, 190, the place.* At length, on the evening of the 7th May, a few sails were seen from the towers of Acre, on the farthest verge of the horizon. All eyes were instantly turned in that direction, and the besiegers and besieged equally flattered themselves that succour was 2 Dum. ii. x. 389. 193. CHAP. 1799. at hand. The English cruisers in the bay hastily, and in doubt, stood out to reconnoitre this unknown fleet; but the hearts of the French sunk within them when they beheld the two squadrons unite, and the Ottoman crescent, joined to the English pendant, approach the road of Acre. Soon after a fleet of 30 sail entered the bay, with 7000 men, and abundance of artillery and ammunition, from Rhodes. Napoleon, calculating that this reinforcement could not be disembarked for at least six hours, resolved to anticipate its arrival by an assault during the night. For this, the division of Bon, at ten at night, drove the enemy from their exterior works. The artillery took advantage of that circumstance to approach to the counterscarp, and batter the curtain. At daybreak, another breach in the rampart was declared practicable, and an assault ordered. The division of Lannes renewed the attack on the tower, while General Rambaud led the column to the new breach. The grenadiers, advancing with the most heroic intrepidity, made their way to the summit of the rampart, and the morning sun displayed the tricolor flag on the outer angle of the tower. The fire of the place was now Desperate sensibly slackened, while the besiegers, redoubling their boldness, were seen intrenching themselves, in the lodgments they had formed, with sand-bags and dead bodies, the points of their bayonets only appearing above the bloody parapet. The troops in the roads were embarked in the boats, and pulling as hard as they could across the bay; but several hours must still elapse before they could arrive at the menaced point. In this extremity Sir Sidney Smith landed the crews of the ships, and led them, armed with pikes, to the breach. The sight reanimated the courage of the besieged, who were beginning to quail assault of the tower. CHAP. XXIV. 1799. under the prospect of instant death, and they mounted the long-disputed tower, amidst loud shouts from the brave men who still defended its ruins. Immediately a furious contest ensued; the besieged hurled down large stones on the assailants, who fired at them within half pistol shot, the muzzles of the muskets touched each other, and the spearheads of the standards were locked together. At length the desperate daring of the French yielded to the unconquerable firmness of the British and the heroic valour of the Ann. Reg. Mussulmans; the grenadiers were driven from the 1799, 32. tower, and a body of Turks, issuing from the gates, 416. Dum. attacked them in flank while they crossed the ditch, Miot, 194, and drove them back with great loss to the trenches.' 196. Jom. xi. ii. 213. But while this success was gained in one quarter, ruin was impending in another. The division headed. by Rambaud succeeded in reaching the summit of the rampart, and leaping down into the tower, attained the very garden of the Pacha's seraglio. Every thing seemed lost; but at the critical moment Sir Sidney Smith, at the head of a regiment of Janizzaries, disciplined in the European method, rushed to the spot. The progress of the assailants was stopped by a tremendous fire from the house-tops and the barricades which surrounded the seraglio; and at length the French, who had penetrated so far, were cut off from the breach by which they had entered, • Jom. xi. and driven into a neighbouring mosque, where they 416, 417. owed their lives to the humane intercession of Sir 213, 214. Sidney Smith. In this bloody affair the loss of lives was very great on both sides: Rambaud was killed, and Lannes severely wounded.' Notwithstanding this disaster, Napoleon was not yet sufficiently subdued by misfortune to order Dum. ii. Th. x. 390. Ann. Reg. 1799, 32. Miot, 197, 198. a retreat.3 "The fate of the East," said he, Miot, 184. 1 CHAP. 1799. "is in yonder fort; the fall of Acre is the object of my expedition; Damascus will be its first fruit." Although the troops in the fleet were now landed, and the force in the place greatly increased, he resolved to make a last effort with the division of Kleber, which had been recalled in haste from its advanced post on the Jordan. Early on the 10th May, he advanced in person to the foot of the breach, and seeing that it was greatly enlarged by the fire of the preceding days, a new assault was ordered. The summit of the breach was again attained; but the troops were there arrested by the murderous fire which issued from the barricades and intrenchments with which the garrison had strengthened the interior of the tower. In the evening, the division of Kleber arrived, and, proud of its triumph at Mount Thabor, eagerly demanded to be led to the assault. "If St Jean d'Acre is not taken this evening," said one of the colonels, as he was marching at the head of his regiment to the assault, "be assured Venoux is slain." He kept his word; the fortress held out, Miot, 199. but he lay at the foot of the walls. A little before sunset, a dark massy column issued from the trenches, and advanced with a firm and solemn step to the breach. The assailants were permitted to ascend unmolested to the summit, and descend into the garden of the Pacha; but no sooner had they reached that point, than they were assailed with irresistible fury by a body of Janizzaries, who, with the sabre in one hand, and dagger in the other, speedily reduced the whole column to headless trunks. In vain other columns, and even the guides of Napoleon, his last reserve, advanced to the attack; they were all repulsed with dreadful loss. Among the killed in this last encounter was General Bon, and the wounded, Crosier, aide-de-camp of |