Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-01-26
Sieges Ancient and Modern.

| 1t is common remark that the present
siege Of Sevastopo is the most noble on
record. We OF course know not what may
be the end Of this siege, as great and ener-
getic Ire the parties concerned but | think
there have been repeated instances of attack
and defence showing equal or Superior vigor,
| endurance and skill on the part Of the be-
siegers and besieged
Among the most celebrated bloekades and
sieges OF the aneients are those of Thebes,
Troy, Plataa, Athens, Tyre, Vel, Arsrigen-
| tum, Saguentum and Syracuse
In the>siege of Thebes, the attack and de-
fence, after being maintained for long time,
ended in mutual lofbearance, the single COM
bat between Eteocles and Policies terminating
the affair at least for a season.
Platga---the small town of Platea-wlth
only miserable garrison of four hundr ed
citizens, eighty Athenians and one hundred
women, besides children, sustained siege
| for nearly two years against the power of the
| combined States Of Peioponessus.
Athens capitulated after blockade Of six
months-the known character of their popu-
latlon and that OF the opposing power sut'i-
clently suggesting the manner of conducting
that instance OF warfare.
t'yre was, in seven or eight months, brought
into lexander s possesslon-the sequel show
ing how he thought the Tyrians behaved
themselves IN It's defense--hls orders being
that the city should be burnt to the ground.
teighb thousand of the inha bitants having
already, in the final assault and entry of the
Macedonlans, been put to the sword two
thousand prisoners being crueilied, and three
thousand sold as slaves.
Syracuse-the mention of Syracuse and
Archimedes, on the one side, and the Romans
On the other, is enough on the head OF this
siege. Three years were exhausted In it, aud
then it was carried by surprise at last
But there is a more modern and less re-
markabe instance of this kind, perhaps too
generally overlooked or forgotten. I al
ude 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 Mediteranean meas
uring according to modern survey $50 miles
by so.
Ii was an island then, peopIed by various
nations, distinguished by then brave and
martial spirit. It's last king was Idotnenus,
the same who assisted Agememnon in the
Trojan war His adopted usurped the
kingdom, but was soon expelled, and it be-
came a celebrated republic. The Romans
however, at last subdued it, and it became Il
proconsulate, and finally consulate of that
empire. 1t after wards fell into the hands of
Constantine, but was taken BY the Saracens
in the ninth century. These aga,n We're de-
ieated, and 1t was once more annexed to the
empire. Thus 1t remained till sold by the
Earl OF Flanders to the Eenetians in 1874
who called it Gambia, beceuse the metropolis
had borne the narie OF Gambia, for rasher
kendoc, fortihcation. given to it by the
Saracens, whist holding the island. So
much for description of the island Now
for brief account OF the siege which so dis
tinguisbed it.
In 1915 and when least expected. the
Turks attacked the island with feet OF
four hundred sails, with G0,ooO troops on
board, commanded by four Paches The
Canadians could only muster some $500 ir,-
iantry. and few cavalry not worth mentiou-
ing 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 Ottoman Empire, for thirty
years, contesting every step made in the un-
Just encroachment upon their island with
courage and hardihood nnequalled. And
when the Turks had obtained possession and
counted up their losses, they found 100000
men less in their empire-the number fall
ing before the brave Candans-and treasure
exhausted that perhaps could hardly be
counted.