Chapter 38: The March on Cairo
The proximity meant that the accuracy of smoothbore muskets was irrelevant. The combatants were practically face to face, making it possible for even a blind man to hit his target with a rifle.
"Fire!" A volley erupted from the French lines, and instantly, several hundred more Mamluk cavalry were struck down, marking a devastating blow that would be the final straw for their forces.
Worst of all, during this volley, their commander, Muhammad Ali, was hit. The close-range shot of a musket, despite his armor, penetrated his chest, spilling blood profusely. Losing strength rapidly with the loss of blood, Muhammad Ali fell from his horse and hit the ground.
The death of their commander sent the already low morale of the Mamluks plummeting. Under the relentless assault of the French, the Mamluk formation disintegrated completely. Countless Mamluk cavalrymen turned their horses and fled; the once formidable cavalry disintegrated instantly.
"The enemy's cavalry has collapsed, we have won!"
"We are victorious!"
The defeat of the Mamluks was both expected and surprising. Every French soldier on the field was incredulous; after all, the Mamluk cavalry had dominated the Middle Eastern world for nearly two centuries, never facing a real challenge. Yet today, the valiant French infantry had shattered their renown at their doorstep.
"General Napoleon, should our forces pursue the victory?" General Marmont, also exhilarated, had not expected such an easy defeat of the enemy and thought they were in for a tough fight.
But as soon as Marmont made his suggestion, he was met with a stern refusal from Napoleon.
"No need, we have already achieved an absolute victory in this war. Whether we destroy this cavalry unit or not is irrelevant now. Moreover, we are infantry; how could we possibly catch up with cavalry? And considering the vast desert, there's a risk that Murad might have set an ambush. If we were to be ambushed, that would be disastrous."
"Yes, I understand, sir." Marmont nodded solemnly after Napoleon's refusal.
This was why Napoleon favored Marmont. Although his talents were modest, he possessed an endearing quality of accepting guidance and commands without hesitation, which was valuable in Napoleon's tightly disciplined military structure.
Now, with the battlefield secured and the enemy in disarray, the French prepared to march towards Cairo, intending to secure their foothold in Egypt and capitalize on their hard-won victory.
"Exactly, Cairo. Now that Murad has just been defeated, he is in a state of panic and won't be able to gather forces to confront us. This is our opportunity to take Cairo and deal another blow to the enemy's morale."
At this moment, Napoleon was completely confident. He firmly believed that Murad was nothing more than a startled bird, incapable of defending Cairo. Once he led his army there, the enemy would surrender upon their approach.
"Marmont! Desaix!" Napoleon continued, calling their names.
"General!" Both Marcell and Desaix responded.
"Both of you, go now and regroup your troops. I want to set out tomorrow. The army will head south along the Nile, straight towards Cairo." Napoleon's gaze fixed on the distant south, where Cairo lay.
At this moment, Napoleon already considered Cairo his territory.
"Marching tomorrow?" Marcell opened his mouth wide, his face in disbelief.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem with marching tomorrow?" Napoleon turned to look at the colonel beside him and asked.
"General Napoleon, it's not that I question your decision... it's just that the soldiers have just been through a major battle, and to continue marching tomorrow, I'm worried they won't hold up," Marcell expressed his concern, noting that today's battle had greatly exhausted the French soldiers, and without rest, they might collapse.
"Of course, I know our soldiers are very tired, but have you thought about this? If even our elite troops feel fatigued, how much more so the enemy? That's why we need to seize this opportunity."
"While the enemy has not yet recovered, we must wipe them out."