This first-day cover from Algeria commemorates the 1852 slaughter of more than 3700 residents of the city of Laghouat by the French army. Laghouat was a center of resistance towards French occupation. So on November 21nd of 1852 the French laid siege to the city. And on December 4th the siege ended with the French entering the city to begin the massacre of its residents. This was the first time a chemical weapon had been used on a civilian population. Specifically chloroform (CHCl3), which is depicted in the postmark.
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