Weekly Trinity journal., 1862-08-16
The Siege of T0uion.

cities of Toulon, Lyons, Marsellles and the adJa
4 cent country.
t The city of Toulon, is situated in the south
east of France, on the Mediterranean and
besides being he arsenal of France, 1t contained
at that time immense naval stores besides Iee
of seventeen sail of the line, ready for sea, ana
thirteen or fourteen more which could easily p'
fitted out; all of which we're held by the enemies
of the French government.
But great as the rebellion was, II was ue'el
mined by the convention to crush it; and accor'
dinghy, after the fall Of Lyons the French army
was ordered TO move to the investment OF Iouioh
Lord Mulgrave, who commanded the forces WIN
in the city, began the defense Of Touioh Win
great spirit Soon alter CartauX arrived auu
advanced on the west Of ToulOn. while Lanope
bockaded the city on the east with part Oi the
army of Italy.
On the east side the town was covered by the
strong fort of La Malgue, and on the west by
smaller one, called Malbe-quet In order TO
support Malbosquet, the English had iortn'd an
eminenee called Hauteur de Grasse, the hight OF
which bent into a sort Of bay, the two promon-
tories of which were secured by redoubts, WHICH
communicated with and supported the new iorti-
fcalion which the English had termed Fort Mpl-
grave.
Although there was little union between the
commanders within Toulon, yet they were so lar
successful that the French began TO be alarmed
at the slow progress Of the siege and even bar
ras wrote to the convention, saying that the siege
should be raised, and the army Withdrawn beyond
the Durance But while ordinary minds were
! despairing, young man was coming forward,
who was to join his name with that OF Ioulon.
| When Napoleon BOnaparte arrived at ToulOni
he advised that instead Of besieging The city the
sttestion Of the army should be directed to obtain
/ possesson Of Hauteur de Grasse, by driving the
beseged from the strong works Of Fort Mugraye
and Malbosquet, in consequence OF which the
! English would be compelled to evacuate Toul0n
- Ia oil 10 H..
ly, through famine, if they remained in the har-
bor.
At a "counciI Of war" this plan was adopted,
and soon after Napoleon assembled against Tou-
lon, over two hundred cannon, by which he
greatly annoyed the English shipping lying in
the harbOr In the meantime Cartaux had been
superseded by Doppet, who himself was shortly
succeeded by an old veteran, Dugommier. When
Napoleon saw Dugommier, he is said to have
remarked that he had no doubt Of the final con-
1ict of Toulon.
Napoleon, with the greatest vigilance and Sc
crecy, was constructing large masked battery
against Malbosquet, which, with the ones he had
constructed against Mulgrave, he hoped to con
found the enemy, by opening the assault upon
them simultaneously. But Ferron and Robes
pierre. while visiting the works, come across this
battery, and at once ordered it TO be opened on
Malbosquet Although the battery was not
completed, yet the fire from it was so effective
mined at once to take it from the French Pac-
ing bimself at che head of three thousand men,
be advanced upon the French. At first be was
successful in driving them from the battery, but
upon pursuing the French too far, they were
reinforced by B0naparte, when short skirmsh
ensued, in which the English were driven back
aud their general wounded and taken prisoner
Napoleon himself was slightly wounded in the
thigh by bayonet.
But bark Five Of Napoleon's great batteries
are opened on Fort Mulgrave. Death, terror
aud destruction reign supreme over TOulon.-
The earth trembles by the incessent roar of the
cannon vast smoke rolls up over the city, and
obscures the light of the sun. Deadly bombs,
cannon balls and iron hail are flying over Tou-
Ion, dealing death and destruction all around
The awful fire is continued without intermissOn
all night, and is watched with the utmost anxiety
by the trembling Royaiists. Toward morning
heavy columns Of French troops, with Napoleon
and Dugommer at the head, are seen advancing
upon Mugrave. They march to the attack with
the greatest bravery, but were driven back in
confusion. By renewed and extraordinary efforts
the French succeeded in driving the Spanish ar
tlleryists from their guns and very shortly
| afterwards the French flag waved over the walls
Of Mulgrave.
Great was the CONSERVATION Of the A HES when
they beheld the important fortress of Mulgraye
in the hands Of the French. They instantly
resolved to evacuate TOulon ; and were accom-
panied by about fourteen thousand Royalists,
who preferred to leave their homes, rather than
by remaining to Withstand the vengeance Of the
victorious Republicans.
But the English and Spanish undertook to burn
and sink the French shipping, which they were
unable to take with them, The Spanish, through
tmdty or carelessness set fire to two large
ships which contained many hundred barrels Of
gnnpowder. The light of the burning vessels
shed lurid glare over the heavens, revealing to
the retiring English large bodies Of Republicans
forcing their way into the town. The guns Of
Malbosquet are turned upon the suburbs OF the
town, which together with the shrieks of the fly
ing Royasts, and the yells OF the victorious
Jacobns, form a horrible uproar.
Suddenly an awful explosion of the two burn
ing vessels is heard shaking the city to its very
center, and Lighting up the heavens with lurid
blaze. Then all was still in the Egyptian dark
ness which followed. When 10 The Star of
Napoleon is seen to be rising in the East, over
Toulon, and is glittering all over France.