The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-05-30

/ -, 81. =. ahc1 were sent L.L
on 'iie morrow, TO take their chance !, =,
s''5e. hi'er q severe contest aud dr..,ii,
carnage, the French forced lh,Ir w. ,a ~. u
.he C"za IN the very centre Of the eft; ~" III
before the day closed, were in poss.s: 80 'al
one half of Zaragoza. Lefexre .o ,,Ou %
iie'ed that he had effected his pornosa 'e,
required Paiaiox TO surrender. in ano
containing only these words -. ,I Io'e
quarters, ST Engraeia, Caliiulation I ~
Inc heroic 5Paniard iDmedial,ly ~
TINS reply -" Head quarters. II, '1.leo
war at the snite's point ~ ee'%a,
The contest which was now c.,..:
IS unexampled in history. One ~, ~ IN
the coza, street about rs wide - M OF
mall, was possessed by the Freorb .ia AL
the centre of it, their General y.rsi'.e "u IN
his orders from The Franciscan cot gave
The opposite side was nain,ained p I'M
gonest' who threw up batteries at The o nsa-
'hs OF me cross streets, within ii few ~,
oi those winch the French erected aa pae's
them. The intervening space wa, n reo'n5t
ly heaped with dead, either slain u p,s;eG'-
spot, or thrown out from the win "e
Next day the ammunition of The 80
began to fail-the French were .va ehs
every moment to renew then eG,l,.
completing the conquest, and n,.'a ~, ,9F
circumstance occasioned no di.n,," INA
d1d any one think of capituIation nor
cry was heard from the people. Nb.a.''
PalatoX rode among them, that If ,,,,,.
Failed, they were ready to attack the ona'.-
with their Understandable weanana
the hands OF desperate men. Just har,. :"
| the door closed, Don Francisco p.lc,
the Generals brother, entered tbe c;t, I'o'
convoy of arms and ammunitinn Nv WI"
reinforcement of three thousand mo-, 'u d
posed OF Spanish guards, Swiss and yonn
GERS OF Arragon--a succour as little ey.
peeted by the Zaragozans, as it had hen,
provided against by the enemy. ' ''s"
The war was now continued from streo.
to street, from house to house. and fr,,,,'
room TO room pride and Indignation ba"'
ing wrought up the French To \ mich s.
obstinate fury, little inferior TO the deyo,aa
courage of the patriots. During thr ubu1a
siege, 40 man distinguished himself noro
remarkably than the curate of one If ~,
parishes, within the walls, by name p. San.
tlago Sass. He was always to b. se.n i.
Tue streets, sometimes fighting with tho
most determined bravery against the ono
mes, not of his country alone, but Of fr.e-
dom and ofall yirtuous prnciples. u harm.
yer they were to be found at other t;ne.
administering the sacrament 10 the dy;n,
ana confirming, with the authority of faith,
that hope, which gives to death, under sucb
circumstances, the joy, the exultation, the
triumph, and the spirit of martyrdom.-
falaiox reposed the utmost confidence in
'hls brave priest, and selected him whene.
yer any thug peculiarly difficult or hazar.
uo''s was TO be done. At the head of forty
CHOSEN men, he succeeded in Introducing
supply OF powder into the town so essen
tillly necessary for its defence.
ms most obstinate and murderons ron.
test was continued for eleven successive dave
ana nights more indeed by night than by
uay, Tor u was almost certain death IN an.
pear by daylight within reach of those
houses which were occupied by either
party. But under cover of the ,iarkneco
the combatants frequently dashed across
me street, to attack each others batteries
and the battles which began there w.re
often carried on into the houses bevond
where they fought from room to room and
moor 10 floor The hostile batteries ,yor.
50 near each other, that a Spaniard in one
place. made way under cover of the dead
bodies, which completely filed the space
between them and fastened rope To one
OF The French cannon in the struggle
when cnaued, the rope broke, and The
Zaragozans lost their prize at the very mo.
hlent "heA they thought themselves sure
Oft. 9''N
"A ne" horror was added TO the dreadful
circumstances of war in this ever memora-
Die siege. In general engagements the
oead are left upon the field and the sur-
NlVors remove TO clear ground and an rln-
.dlated atmosphere; but here in Spain, and
~ 'lle month OF August, there where the
deaa iay,the struggle is carried on; and
peStilence was dreaded from the enormous
accumulation otputrifying bodies. Nothing
IN the whole course of the siege so much
embarrassed P;dafox as this evil. The
Only remedy was to tie ropes TO the French
prisoners, aud push them forward amid the
DEAD and dying, to remove the bodies, and
oflnG them away for interment Even for
ms necessary office there was no truce,
and 1t "auld have been certain death to the
aragonese, who should have attempted TO
perform 1t ; but the prisoners were in gen.
era' secured by the pity Of their own sol
dlers, and in this manner the evil was in
SEINE degree diminished.
council of war was held by the Span
Yards on the 9th, not for the purpose which
IS too usual in such councils, but that their
heroic resolution might be communicated
WITH authority to the people 1t was, that
IN those quarters of the city where the
Aragonese still maintained their ground,
they should continue to defend Themselves
with the same tirmness; should the enemy
at last prevail, they were then TO retire over
the Ebro into the suburbs, break down the
orlaDe, and defend the suburbs till they
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