The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-17
Ida OF Athens Or, the Crescent and
the Cross.

heart Ot every liberal throughout the
world was beating with anxiety for the
fate of the patriots, the defenders of Mis-
Solonghi found themselves beleagured by
a powerful Turkish army. Moslem can
non had reached their walls; the ground
about them had been mined by their an
tagoniSts, their ammunition was about
exhausted; their wounded were accumu.
latiug on their hands; and finally to COM
plete the horror of their situation, famine
stared them in the face. Yet thsre was
nothing left for them but to struggle to
the last, for the foe was merciless. and
capituiation would only bring death 10
the men and a servitude worse than death
to the women.
ia the ruins of an old church, a council
Of war, hastily summoned, was assembled
by torchlight. Mott Bozzaris, the Oldest
living member Of an heroic family. dis.
tinguishcd in the annals OF Greece, the
aged patriarch Of Missolonghi, presided al
the council. Grouped around him were
the wild and haggard faces of warriors
clad in the picturesque garb Of their ma
tive land. Some were gray-haircd and
bowed with age-others in the flower oI
manhood, or the vigor Of youth, but all
bore traces of hardship and suffering.
The patriach, with a trembling voice,
counseled patience. Succor might arrive
he had 10 positive adviccs, but still
hope and faith whispered in his ear. In
the enfeeblcd state of the garrison, fighting
was no longer practicable.
n n Cnlinfn
sprarg to his feet when the patriarch had
~, 0DIp-1r1
'Faihcr,' said he cSergcncasy, ''r+gf'yter
to differ from you. But you are old. The
SHOWS of seventy Winters rest upon your
venerable head. Resignation -fortitudc-
martyrtlom- are the inspiration Of youl
wears; but we of hotter blood cannot
brook the course you counsel. What,
shall We, in the flower of life, with arms
in our hands, sit here and starve to death,
| like rats in dungeon! Forbid 1t, Heav'
en- Forbid it, our ancestral fame! The
memory Of Marathon, OF Piat@a, OF Their
mnpylp, speaks 10 US different counsel
/ Our amInuriiinn is almost gone-but We
have vet our good swords Our ancestors
had no other weapons. With these wC
mar cut our ranNs through O>man, and
open a path for our aged aud our women
| Ia liberty aud life. My voiee, then, is for
n >ortir. Let u> takc the sacred standard
/ of the eros, and this very night attack
the Epe. Your relative, the noble Marco
died in such an attack, hut he died III the
aims Of victory. RcE nh,r that, lnthcr.
, \ Young man, in Il foreign uniform, fol
lowed prmetrius. Gerald Falconcr wa,
an Am. lican Of wealth. who had abandon
( ed the luXurics aud vndearmcHtS oi home
I IT, devote his sword and fortune I" tht
Greek cause. The friend of DcmctriuS
/ hr shared hiS opinions and defended then
,ioqu, nty. The >ortic was decided on
and the cuur,i, Of war broke up.
. Within nat an hour IA small but rc>o
lutc bau,i was cpll,ctr III the dark >had
nw Of the ruined church, that rose ike
; vast br!uark against the glorious sum
mcr heaven. mow beginning to be lighted
hy the urciouhcd ,avS of the full aud ri
/ sing moon. The banly breeze hrcathec
through groves of olive and myrtle, and
/ came laden with the sweet perfume e.
! flowers. 1t WAS night for lovers to wan
der arm in nrm-it was a night for quie'
/ couycr>c-f,r peaceful contemplation
/ tyranny had wilIed it to be a night o
! deadly strife.
DrmctriuS whispered to his young
| lliend: have sought my betrothed, my
/ beloved Ida, but found her not. If
| should fall in the skirmish of tonight
and if YOU survive me, seek her out,
pray vun, and tell her that my las
thoughts were Of her More than this
Won are Iich and independent, lila is
poor orphan her parents periShed in thn
struggle. When am gone, she will have
no one to care for her. Promise me tina
YOU will Soothc her broken heart, tina
Won will leave the scene Of strife and beal
her to your happy land. There she may
cease to wecp-happy she can never O'
while she survives me. -...
Gerald gra<ped his friends hand ont
gave him his required promise. Demet
RUS thanked him and turned to his com
mand.
Forward, BRETHREN he said. Every
moment is precious. Tread silently
keep in my foctSteps-when the momen
is arrived, | will give you the signal t.
strike home. March, =
Silently and swiftly the little band o
heroes, led by DemetriuS and Gerald, Is
sued from the runbling breach, ant
keeping in the shade of trees, and tht
hollows of the ground, approached thu
Turkish camp. Their attempt was Sc
daring that no provision ha been mad
against surprise. No sentinel was there
to challenge. They burst upon their en-
emies as unexpectedly as the lightning
sometimes streams from Single clouC
upon Summers day.
At once all was uproar and confusion
I in the camp. Horsemen sprang to the
saddle but half clad and armed-infantry
collected in confused groups-artIllerINt'
rushed to their cumbrOus cannon, hal
awake and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Gym
balls and horns suddenly broke the still
ness Of the highland smothered groah'
atteSted the fatal fury of the onslaught o
the Greeks. In the midst of the battle, q
rocket, fired bv the hand OF Gerald
mounted to the zenith like shooting star
and then exploding, scattered its crimson
sparkles all over the face of heaven. II
was token to Missolonghi of the success
Of the Sortie, and warned the inhabitants
to follow the path of the victorious troops
and pass through the Turkish camp:
Striking down man at every blow
Demetrius cut his way to the tent of thu
Pacha, intending to surprise and Slay him
But the Turk had been too prompt. Al
the first sound of alarm he had vaulted
into the saddle Of his. Arab steed, and
summoiing the faithful by his rowertu!
voice, rushed to the charge and rolled
back the tide of battle. .-.
The shouts of Allah! and 'BisniIlah!
rent the air. Before the devoted Greeks
rose a tumbling sea of white turbans, Iii
by the flashing blades of cmetars. while
or their hanks poured an irregular but
deadly volley from the Turkish infantry
The standard of the cross was captured,
and the little band of patriots. after tight
ing till all hope was lost, were driven into