The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-12-03
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
SERASTOPOL AND OTHER SIEGES.

The delay before Sebastopo and the dangerous position
Of the allies to be surprising when the insucency
Of the attacking army, in point of numbers is taken into
consideration The effective force of the assaian the
last authentic accounts did exceed $4,000 including
Turks or scarcely half of what ought to be- Judged by
former siege famous in history, this number is unpardon
ably dsproportonae Great blame rests somewhere for
attempting so vaa undertaking with such small num-
e8 The slightest acquaintance with military history is
sufficient TO show the extreme hazard of attempting to
uCe fortified position like Sebastopo without assai
Ing force least three times that Of the de-
lenders and without, also complete investment Of the
place
Three places became celebrated for their eges during
the Peninsular war Ciudad Rodrigo and Badaoz were
both beeged twice In 1910 Massena captured the first
place but only after delay of six weeksand this though
his force was nearly eighty thousand and the garrison
only four thousand. In 1912 Wellington, at the head
forty thousand men, rc-took il but to do this was
driven assault in which he suffered frighttu loss.
In 1871 the British general after waiting nearly month
before Badajoz attempted to storm it, but was repulsed
aud French army of relief coming up finally compel
led to abandon the investment In the following year he
renewed The attempt and not having time to wait for the
elect OF famine the garrison carried 1t by Storm sacri-
dcng three thousand FIVE hundred in the assault or
many the whole number of the brave defenders left to
surrender In 1873 st Sebastian with garrison Of three
thousand, held out against ten thousand British for
month and finally repulsed assault Wellington, with
his entire army now hurried up and after fighting bat
Tie with Soult finally succeeded in reducing the place but
moi until the conquerors had lost twenty-five hundred
men and been detained sixtyrec days thirty Of which
We're in open trenches
All these however were third-rate lortresses If we
would lind scges worthy TO be compared with those of
Sbastopo must 60 back to The days of William the
Third and Marlborough. In 1851 Mons held out for
4viry seven weeks against the French, and Limerick
Tor six weeks against William Of Orange. In 1895
Namli stood siege of almost two months. In 1908
n citadel of Lille kept Marlborough Mt bay for six
weeks after the town itself had capulated, and cost
nun loss OF from twelve thousand to fifteen thousand
men, In the succeeding year Tourney held out for three
weeks and the citadel for six weeks longer and it would
nave held out yet stubhornly if it had not been in
sulcenty garrsoncd Al these places were regularly
invested on every side which Sebasopol is not and were
saed by forces often eight ten times large as their
8Nrsons Some idea of the difficulties of siege may be
gathered from these facts. A brave resistance will fire.
qnently protac the fall Of fortress for month
beyond the usual time. II has been said, we know that
10 place permanently resist which properly invested
and this doubtless trur but the attacking force at Sc
0asopo strong enough TO make the investment
onpetc and is apparently too weak for an assault
1t the allies forced TO abandon the siege, will the
prospect of peace be incrcased We think not So seri-
Gus repulse viii only put them their mette, Eng
nd Is celebrated for the tenacity with which she fights
oS'ng game Her logged pertinacity in war has passed
o aproverb Everything indicates that the war viii be
along one that will eventually involve all Europe and
" political changes little anticipated at the present time
will result from IT,
SINGULAR AccrDREr-A very singular accident occurred
|0eyesnd on Monday, noticed in the Herald. horse
ndng in livery stable ran his tongue through crack