About Algeria: Algiers, Tlemçen, Constantine, Biskra, TimgadThomas-Stanford, Charles
History
About Algeria: Algiers, Tlemçen, Constantine, Biskra, Timgad
Thomas-Stanford, Charles
Algeria -- Description and travel
France had her way without interference; the admiral’s prophecy
(recorded after the event) was fulfilled to the letter. An army of
35,000 men under General Bourmont was transported in 300 vessels, and
disembarked with no great difficulty at Sidi Ferruch, about fifteen
miles to the west of Algiers, on June 14th, 1830. The landing was
unopposed, Hussein having expected it to take place to the east of the
town and collected his army there. A few days later the Dey’s son-in-law
and general, Ibrahim, came into conflict with the French troops and was
defeated. A second attack had the same result. The French army marched
on Algiers, laid siege to Fort l’Empereur, so called because it stood on
the heights above the town where Charles V had pitched his tent. The
French soldiers knew only one Emperor, and promptly called it Fort
Napoleon. The Turkish garrison blew up the fort and fled, and Algiers
lay at the mercy of the invaders.
It appears that Hussein was ready to resist to the death, and sooner
than submit to blow up the city. But disaffection appeared among his
troops, who sent an emissary to Bourmont, offering the Dey’s head as a
token of conciliation. The Dey then decided to treat; he was willing to
make every reparation for the insult offered to the consul, to abandon
his pecuniary claims and to pay the cost of the war. But Bourmont would
have nothing but the surrender of the city and its forts. The Dey was to
be at liberty to retire to some place to be fixed on, with his family
and his riches. As regards the inhabitants,—“l’exercice de la religion
mussulmane restera libre. La liberté des habitants de toutes les
classes, leur religion, leurs propriétés, leur commerce, leur industrie
ne recevront aucune atteinte, leurs femmes seront respectées: le général
en chef en prend l’engagement sur l’honneur.” These terms were accepted;
the French army entered Algiers on July 5th; and it appears that the
conditions were fairly well observed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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