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History of Clayton County,
Iowa:... A Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. In November, 1879, occurred the death of Abd-El-Kader, the Algerian patriot for whom Elkader was named. The Register gives an account of the naming of the town and a biography of Abd-El-Kader, as, follows: "In 1844, when John Thompson, Chester Sage and Timothy David, the founders of Elkader were laying out the town, the attention of the whole world was turned toward Algeria, where Abd-El-Kader was fighting for his country, trying to preserve it from the French. When the town had been platted, and a name was necessary to complete the work, Timothy Davis, with the exploits of Abd-El-Kader fresh in his mind, proposed the name, Elkader, which was adopted. The chief from whom the town derived its name, died last week in Damascus, in the seventy-second year of his age. Abd-El-Kader, Sheik-up-Islam, descendant of the prophet, Emir of Mascara, Sultan of Algeria, was born in Mascara, in 1807, and during his early years made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and studied Arab philosophy in the schools of Egypt and Morocco. In 1828, having offended the Dey of Algeria, he was obliged to flee to Egypt. In 1831, during the first war between Algeria and France, he again appeared in his native country and took the leadership of the army against France, and at the head of 10,000 horsemen attacked Oran, in May, 1832. His attempt was unsuccessful, and other engagements followed without decisive results. After several changes in the personnel of the French officers, General Voivol succeeded to the command. Finding that Abd-El-Kader's influence was every day extending, the French concluded to make peace with him, and, in February, 1834, a treaty was concluded between him and the governor of Oran, by which Abd-el-Kader recognized the suzerainty of France, but was named Emir of the province of Mascara, with many important commercial rights over the whole of Oran. "In July, 1835, for some alleged misdemeanor the French again declared war against him, and after a war of over a year, in which he defeated the French in several battles, a treaty was again made with him, May 30, 1837. In 1839, Abd-El-Kader declared war against France, for marching an armed force through his territory, and after a terrible war of over seven years, in which he was stripped of the last vestige of power and reduced to the extremity of distress, he was finally obliged to surrender. It was during this war that his name became widely known, beaten in battle after battle, his troops deserting him, he would not give up the contest until all was gone. After his surrender he was placed in the castle of Ambroise, near Blois, where he remained until 1852, when Louis Napoleon released him, and gave him an annual pension of 100,000 francs. Subsequently, he removed to Damascus, and his name will be held in grateful remembrance by the Christians of that city for his courageous efforts for their protection from the fury of the fanatical Turks, during the massacre of 1860, when the Druses fell upon the Maronites. For this service he received the cross of the Legion of Honor. He was one of the lions of the Paris exposition of 1855, and in 1863 visited the Suez canal, receiving a present of a piece of land from M. DeLesseps. In 1863, he went to England and, in 1867, attended another exposition at Paris. The last years of his life have been peaceful, and free from the volcanic fire of patriotism that animated him to do for his country, what Marco Bozzaris sought to do for suffering Greece, Kosciusko for Poland and Schamyl for Caucasus." |