Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-01-19
sieges Ancient and Modern.

SebastOpOl Is the most nODle on record. w e Oh
course know not what may be the end of this siege
as great and energetic are the parties concerned
but think there have been repeated instances Of
endurance and skill On the part of besegers and
besieged.
Among the most celebrated blockades and seges
Of the ancients aret hose Of Thebes, Troy Plataa,
Athens, Tyre, Vel, Argrigentum, Saguntum and
Syracuse.
In tie siege of Thebes, the attack and defence,
after being maintained for long time. ended in
mutual forbearance, the single combat between
Eteocles and Policies terminating the affair, at least
for a season.
Platma-the small town Of Platea-with only a
miserable garrison of four hundred citizens, eighty
Athenians and one hundred women, besides child
rem, sustained siege and blockade for nearly two
years against the power Of the combnded States Of
Peloponessus.
Athens capitulated after blockade Of six months
the known character Of their population and that
Of the opposing power sufficiently suggesting the
manner of conducting that instance of warfare.
Tyre was, in seven or eight months, brought into
Alexander's possession-the sequel showing how
he thought the Tyrians behaved themselves in its
defense-his orders being that the city should be
burned to the ground, (eight thousand of the in
habtants having already, in the final assault and
entry of the Macedonians been put to the sword
two thousand prisoners being crucifed, and three
thousand sold as slaves.
Syracuse-The mention of Syracuse and Arch
imedes on the one side, and the Romans on the
! other, is enough on the head of this siege Three
years were exhausted in it, and then it was carried
| by surprise at last.
But there is a more modern and less remarkable
instance of this kind perhaps too generally over
looked or forgotten. l allude to the attack made
| by the Turks upon Crete, or Gambia, as then and
| since called. Crete, as every one knows, is the
largest and finest island in the Mediterranean, mea-
suring, according to modern survey $50 miles
! by 50.
1t was an island then, peopled by various nations,
distinguished by their brave and martial spirit Its
last king was Idomenus, the same who assisted
Agememnon in the Trojan war. His adopted son
usurped the kingdom, but was soon expelled, and
| it became celebrated republic. The Romans,
however, at last subdued it, and it became pro-
| consulate, and finally consulate of that empire.
It afterwards fell into the hands of Constantine, but
was taken by the Saracens in the ninth century.
These again were defeated, and it was once more
annexed to the empire. Thus it remained till sold
by the Earl of Flanders to the Venetians in 1894,
who called it Gambia, because the metropolis had
borne the name of Gambia, for rasher Kendoc, a
fertilization, given to it by the Saracens, whilst
holding the island. So much for description of
the island Now for a brief account of the siege
which so distinguished it.
In 1916, and when least expected, the Turks at
tackled the island with feet of four hundred sails,
with 10000 troops on board commanded by four
Pachas The Canadians could only muster some
$500 infantry, and a few cavalry not worth men,
tioning as to their number; but nevertheless, with
this handful of men they withstood these invaders,
and not only So but the whole strength Of the Otto
man Empire for thirty years, contrasting every step
made in the unjust encroachment upon their island,
with courage and hardihood unequalled. And when
the Turks had obtained possession and counted up
their losses, they found 100000 men less in their
empire-the number falling before the brave Can
dians-and treasure exhausted that perhaps could
hardly be counted
RoMANclNG IN BosroN-The people of the
Modern Athens" have been in state of intense
excitement for some time past on account Of an
episode in life's drama. About the middle of No
vember last two married sisters, daughters of a
| wealthy merchant, made the acquaintance, in a
confectionery saloon, of two unmarried men, named
| Josiah Porter and William Sumner and the parties
INDUCED in little Irritation, such as walking in
the Streets meeting at eating saloons and places of
them, but the Young men had never visited the
houses Of the married sisters and the Acquaintance
had not been carried to any dangerous extent. By
means Of note, which accidentally fell into the
hands of the husbands manned Edward O. Coburn
and Frank Dalton the affair became known to
them, and they Immediately plotted revenge. One
of the wives was persuaded to write q note to her
gallant Porter inviting him to her house. He
went and found lying in wait for him the two en-
ragged husbands, who gave him severe fogging.
Porter, however, escaped from his chastisers be-
fore they succeeded IN dangerously hurting him.
Sumner was enticed into the same house by the
personal entreaties Of the two husbands, whom he
did not know, and was almost forced there in a
carriage, under the preteKt that his ady-love was
extremely urgent to see him On arriving at the
house they dragged him into coalsellar and beat
him unmercifuily in spite Of the entreaties Of the
TIVE wives, who were present Sumner died from
this inicton, at his fathers residence, in Milton,
last Tuesday morning. Both Coburn and Dalton
have been arrested and put into jail to await fur
Their action on charge Of murder. 1t would seem
from the accounts given, that the Emery wives !"
made all the advances did most Of the love-letter
writing appointed the hour Of meeting, &c. So
far as we can Judge here at this distance from the
scene, the blame falls mainly upon the softer sex,
and the public sympathy is principally against them.
sumner was very young, hardly out OF his teens,
and was about to enter the practice Of the law.
Porter graduated at the University at Cambridge,
and is respectfully connected Both Cobum and
Dalton are clerks, the former in the store Of his
father-in-law. - Windsor Journal
WEALTH OF TRINITY CHURCH, New York
The Rev. VIM. Berrian has published q pamphlet
with view Of disabusing the public mind Of
erroneous views Of the great wealth Of Trinity
Church, in New York. The Philadelphia In
quirer thus sums up his statements: ...s,
According to the statement prepared by the
rector, with the fullest opportunity of informa-
ton, the gross revenue Of the corporation up to
that time, from ground rents, pew rents, and
every other source, had never at any one time
reached higher point than $57,932. After
deducting the interest on the debt of about
$4,000, the nett income in 1847 was only
1913, 1870. But, continues Mr.. Berrian, in order
to present the whole subject with frankness and