CHASSEURS D'AFRIQUE. Autograph manuscript... - Lot 279 - Ader

CHASSEURS D'AFRIQUE. Autograph manuscript of Private Etienne DOMAS, of the 3rd Regiment of Chasseurs d'Afrique, 1st squadron, 1867-1873; small in-8 notebook of 103 pages filled with a small writing, cloth cover (worn, some ff. detached and soiled). Interesting relation on the military life in Algeria and the war of 1870. Étienne Domas, born in Saint-Genès-l'Enfant near Riom in 1846, retraces his journey since his drawing of lots on January 7, 1867 and his incorporation, on November 22, into the 3rd Chasseurs d'Afrique. He arrived in Marseilles at Fort St Jean, then made a stormy crossing to Stora in Algeria. Then it was the march to Constantine, and Batna, a fortified city, "a cold country where it snows and freezes", where he did his training, until March 1868. It is then the departure, through the foothills of the small Atlas, for Biskra, excessively hot country in edge of the desert, where the "siroko" blows unceasingly a suffocating heat, under 63° in the shade... Then return to Constantine, and Batna. It was then that a cholera epidemic broke out, decimating the troops. He fell ill in his turn; when he left the hospital, after 5 months, "there were only 12 able-bodied men in each squadron". After the illness, there was famine, "the Arabs were dying like flies"... Back to Constantine, and for 15 months (1869-70), he made numerous trips, convoys, escorts, detachments, etc. On July 30, 1870, he returned to France, in the cavalry division of Gal Margueritte, and began the terrible fighting at Pont-à-Mousson, which lasted throughout the month of August, and which he recounted in detail: charges, attacks, executions of Prussian prisoners, escorting the Emperor to Verdun, and then fighting again: Valmy, Sainte-Ménéhould, Vouziers, Rethel, Bazeilles, etc. The cuirassiers, whose shining armor served as a target, were decimated by shells; then the charge was sounded: "all those who were in skirmishers were sabred and decimated"... The Prussians trapped them, and his squadron returned with serious losses: 46 men less. They are surrounded by the enemy, shells fall, the divisional general is killed, he shouts "Hunters, avenge me! [...] my horse received a shell that cut his legs [...] we had hoisted the white flag with the Red Cross but they did not respect anything, they shot at it and crushed all the wounded [...] we were surrounded by 500 high-caliber fireballs [...] we found ourselves 22 men of my squadron out of 130 that we were [...] we were prisoners of war, our commander began to cry". They were first detained on the "island of misery", so called because they were dying of hunger; then in Germany until April 1871. On April 22, he embarked in Marseille to return to Algeria, to join the south: revolts, escorts, expeditions, Kabylia, etc. On September 28, 1873, he returned home after six years of absence... A school notebook is attached, History. Conquest of Algeria 1830-1848, Revolts of Kabylie 1849-1882, Question of the Orient-Crimea 1854-1856 (in-12 of 20 p. with 5 maps and plans).