Battle of Zaatcha

The seat of the town of Zaatcha to the autumn 1849 opposed the French troops Général Herbillon to the troops of the sheik Bouzian decided, in the name of the Holy war, to drive out the French.

Those not being able to let their credibility be blamed at the risk to see all the country raising itself, were forced to move more than 7000 men in order to remove this Ksar strengthened and bitterly defended.

Countryside preceding the battle

At that time, if Abd El-Kader went to the French forces, the wind of revolt starts to come up. The Kabylie, near to the north, which resists the French troops, still opposes a tough resistance. The indigenous S feel the fragile colonial capacity and temptation is large to want to return the French to the sea.

In May 1849, the sheik Bou Zian, pretexting the rise of the tax on the palm trees, harangue populations. He claims to have received a divine message to drive out the infidels.

After an attempt at removal of Bou Zian by a lieutenant of the Arab businesses, the preacher proclaims the holy war.

The 2 {{E}} Foreign, in round of police force between Batna and Sétif is diverted towards Zaatcha.

Unfolding

The Colonel Carbuccia arrives with its legionaries as well as the 3rd Bataillon of Africa on July 16th in front of the Ksar. It is immediately attacked and pains to push back its adversaries. It decides to continue them in the village. But the oasis appears a maze of low walls and Zaatcha, surrounded by a crenelated wall and a ditch filled with water their bar the road. He asks reinforcements then.

The seat

October 7th, the Général Herbillon arrives in front of the oasis with a task force extremely of 4000 men and material of seat.

Supported by artillery, the 2 {{E}} Foreign, then removes a group of houses in the north of the palm plantation. But the total occupation of the oasis is always impossible.

Attempt at attack

The French troops then try the construction of works of seat in order to bore a breach in the walls of the Ksar. October 20th, the sappers give the attack supported and follow-ups by the legionaries and the 43e regiment of infantry of line. It is the failure, the attackers are pushed back by defenders protected well at the price from heavy losses.

During this time, the French troops push back indigenous rescue parties unceasingly come to carry helps to besieged which have from now on the appearance of a hero.

Reinforcements

November 8th, the Colonel Canrobert arrives with two Bataillon S of Zouaves. The 12, arrives the 8th battalion of hunters at foot, which carries the garrison of besieging to 7000 men.

But the Zouaves of Canrobert brought with them the Choléra and this last fact from now on more death than the enemy.

November 24th, besieged, benefitting from the effect of surprised ensured at the time of the changing of the guard, carry out an exit. The Berber combatants and the women of the Ksar ruent themselves in the trenches with the knife. The hunters with foot, reinforced by the riflemen of the commander Bourbaki push back them in a bloody body with body.

Final attack

In the night from November 25th to 26th, three breaches are open in the wall and the partially filled ditch. At seven o'clock in the morning, three columns of 300 men each one, to the orders of the colonels Canrobert, Barral and Lourmel give the attack simultaneously while the riflemen of the commander Bourbaki make diversion.

The attack is terrible, the lanes small, are boxed and the defenders, remarkably prepared. The combat are terrible, but the French soldiers make themselves main of the terraces then, gradually, take possession of the houses, with one at the price of heavy losses.

A massacre was perpetrated by the Army of Africa, from which the goal, beyond revenge was to discourage from all attempts at revolts to come. In connection with the brutality of the final attack, Alfred Nettement in his work notes: “The obstinacy of defense (of Zaatcha) had exasperated the zouaves. Our victory was dishonoured by excesses and the crimes Nothing was crowned, neither the sex nor the age. Blood, the powder, the fury of the combat had produced this terrible and homicide intoxication in front of which the crowned rights of humanity, the holy pity and the notions of morals did not exist any more. There were children whose head was crushed against the wall in front of their mothers; women who underwent all the insults before obtaining death that they requested from great cries like a grace. The military bulletins insisted on the effect which produced, in all the oases of the desert, the news of the destruction of Zaatcha, soon widespread gradually with all the horror of these details. ”. in “History of the conquest of Algeria”, quoted COp, p.298-299

Assessment

Bou Zian is finally captured by the Zouaves of the commander Lavarande. On order of the General Herbillon, it is carried out and its head will be exposed on the place of Biskra in order to make conceal the rumor of its invulnerability and put an end to the rebellion in the area.

As of the shortly after the French victory, the first tribes are presented to the Général Herbillon to make their tender.

During this 52 day old seat, the army of Africa lost more than 2000 men of which 600 died of the Choléra.

All inhabitants of Zaatcha, without exceptions, whose women and children, were massacred.

Sources

the Second Foreigner - P. Cart-Tanner and T. Szecsko - B.I.P. 1986 - ISBN 2905393025
Internet site of the algériansite

See too

Conquest of Algeria

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