Western Reserve chronicle and weekly transcript of the times. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1854-1855, 1855-01-31
sTORMING OF A CITY.

When city is taken by storm, in mil
itary phrase, and in accordance with the
usages ofwar, it is given up to the SOL
diery." What this means will be appar-
ent from the frightful picture of Badajos,
as it appeared on the night after it had
been carried BY the Allies, under Well
ington, April 9th, 1919. Says an Eng
lish officer, who participated in the as
sault
1t was nearly dusk, and the few hours
which l slept had made fearful change
in the condition and temper ofthe soldie-
ry. In the morning they were obedient
to their officers, and preserved the sem
blance of subordination now they were
in state of intoxication discipline was
forgotten. and the splendid troops ofyes-
terday had become a fierce and sanguin-
ary rabble, dead to every touch of hu-
man feeling, and filed with every demo-
lac passion that can brutalize the man.
The city was in terrible confusion, and
on every side horrible tokens of military
license met the eye.
One street, as approached the castle
was almost choked up with broken fur
niture; for the houses had been Quilted
from the cellar to the garret. the parti-
tons torn down, and eventhe beds ripped
up and scattered to the winds, in the
hope that gold might be found concealed.
A convent at the end of the strada of
st. John was in flames, and saw more
than one wretched nun in the arms of
a drunken soldier.
Further on, the confusion seemed
greater. Brandy and wine casks were
rolled out before the stores; some were
full, some half drank out, but more
stove in, in mere wantonness, and the
liquors running through the kennal.-
Many narrowing scream saluted the
ear of the passer by; many female
supplication was heard asking in vain
for mercy. How could it be otherwise
when it is remembered that twenty thou
sand furious and liceDtious madman were
loosed upon an immense population,
among which many of the loveliest wo-
men upon earth might be found All
within that devoted city, was at the
disposal of an infuriated army, over
whom, for the time, control was lost,
aided by an Infamous collection of camp
followers, who were, if possible, more
sanguinary and pitiless even than those
who had survived the storm!
1t is useless to dwell upon scene
from which the heart revolts. Few fe-
males in the beautiful town were saved
that night from insult. The noble and
the beggar-the nun, and the wife and
daughter of the artizan-youth and age,
all were involved Ill general ruin. None
we're respected, and consequently few
escaped. The madness of those des-
perate brigands was variously exhibited;
some fred through doors and windows;
others at church bells; many at the
wretched inhabitants as they fled into
the streets, to escape the bayonets of
the savages, who were demolishing their
property within doors; while some
wretches as if blood had not flowed in
sufficient torrents already, shot from
the windows their own companions as
they staggered on below. What chances
had the miserable inhabitants of escap-
ing death, when more than one officer
perished by the bayOnets and bullets of
the very men whom few hours before
he had led to the assault.