Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-01
SUBSTANCE OF A NARRATIVE OF THE SIEGE
AND DEFENCE OF ZARAG0ZA.

ZtragoZA Is seated the right bank Of the Ebro with
suburb upon the left, copnecied with it by stone
bridge The city is comluauded by high grounds,
called the Torrero about mile to the Southwest. This
canal of Aragon which there is bridge, divides
the Torrero from another elevation where the Aagonese
erected battery previous to the siege. The walls az
pear have been constructed merely to facilitate the e-
wing OF upon articles brought into the town for
sale the gates nine in number, OF the most simple
cOnstruc lon and the alignment between them is in some
places preserved BY the mad wall OF garden n others
by buildings, by the remains of an old Moorish wall
which has slight parapet, but without any platform
even for musketry. The houses are three stories 10
height the strees very narrow and crooked excepting
Que or two market places and the street called the Czo
nearly in the centre of the town. The population ofZa
ragozl may be estimated ct about 80, 600 sous
IL was on the 25th Of May ls0s that the Inhabitants
of this city and the surrounding country 10 mass
to repel the aggressons Of the French and the Captain
General of Aragon having betrayed inclination TO sub
nit tho enemy hev conferred the Government upon
Don Joseph PAaiox the youngest of three brothers OF
one Of the most distinguished families Of Aragon. This
nobeman who thirty four years Of age had at this
time very little acquaintance with military ell rs he had
actual SERVICE and his time had been princl
pay past in the dissipation of Madrid where Re had dis
nCu'hed himself by the spentor aad fashion oi his aP
pearance
At Gnls time Navarro and Catalonia possessed by
the French the passes Of the Pyrenees leading into Ara
gon vers open and Murat, with the main body OF the
French forces stationed al Madrid Thus surroan-
dsd by hs enemy Gen. PGlafox found that the regusr
troops at Zlgozl ounted 10 too hundred aud tsey
meH and that the public treasury OF the province could
furnish him only with 1000 reals equal 60 $40 l6i Sd
sterling Placing however, just con6dsuc in the pat
riotsm Of the people, he Immediately declIred
against tho French by issuing spirited proclamation,
sum noning the ci; 60 Jake vigorous defence.
Elry il the moath OF Jdne aud before force could
be Organz ID far the defence of Aragon the French de-
,lched 5000 niAntry aud 900 cavalry against ZTAgoha
These troops wee opposed in their march by bodes OF
rmed peasAnIrJ. Bat the ill-armed AMI undiscplned
ATagonese weYs uniformly compelled TO retire before
their en,my, who on the l4tl Of June had advanced
within very short dstlncs pf hirlgozl, where they
took up position on the opposite side OF the Earo to
that on which the town stood. The Aragonese had
hastily plntel some cauuou bAfore tho gItes Of ther
cv ard also 10 formidable position without tho to"n,
particularly the Torrero aud apon the height near to
it.
On thsl5b the French sent detachment against the
,utpasls an The end While their m ain body attempted
% storm the city The ArAgouee Iough with great fa
~ but without order their arll cry was served by any
persons who CHANGED be IL every alternate
" commanded aud obeyed bu. all were animIted by
he spirit and their effort, after a most severe
corhct we're crowned with Vs. ApAry Of the en-
my that entered the instantly put to death,
,ni the French General convinced that il vas ruess
ia his attack withdrew his troops out OF
reach o.. the cannor. 3D.
ZarlgoEl possessed very slender 10 sustain
siege Its iort6cations consisted merely Of mud wallis
it was destitute OF heavy artillery. and without troops
that could undtrske sores. In spite OF all these dis
courGgng circumstances, the people coniidng in God
aud lstce Of their cause determined defend their
the last extremity. General PilAfox set out 10
orovde resources for sege aud also to place the res
of Aragonin state Of defence He found about twelve
huu drei soldiers who had escaped from Aad,id aui
uniting with them small division of militia he resolved
Eth bis force TO attack the French He had hoped by
mac Guvre TO place the French between his little arnv
aud the city of ZlragozI His ,i1tenions, however,
Eero irns rated by sudden attack the part Of the
enemy, when after most obstinate bu. irutless
distance he compelled to yield superior numbers
aud discipline TIE wreck Of this little force, with great
| difficulty, threw themselves into ZIragoa.
The French having received reinforcements, bign TO
,ccapy the military positions 10 the plain that surrounds
Zaragoz and though the vLor OF the beseged did not
llo them to carry on their operations unmolested In
short time they had invested nearly onehalf OF the
town. and the 2sth OF June they toe possession Of
the Torrero Toe neighborIng battery also fell into
heir hands the officer who commanded it declared
traitor for having done his utmost and on his
| turn 70 ZIragozl Immediately hanged. The city
,ould now communicate with the country only on the
side OF the Ebro.
During these operations the Aragonese employ
ID IN placing their town In the best Of defence that
their resources would admi; OF. Tney down the
awnings from theic windows aud formed them into sack
| which they filed with sand and piled up before every
yate in the form Of battery, digging round each OF
| hem deep uench. They broke holes in she mud
yals for musketry, aud sometimes where the position
! vas commanding, were stationed houses were
pulled down burned, gardens aud olive ground were
;heerfuy rooted up wherever they mpsded the defence
IF ihe city. The eIerons of the men were animated
ay the Women who formed themselves into parties for
;he relief Of the wounded and for carrying water and
provisions thc bIttere while their children conveyed
| cartridges which make by the monks.
| The french continued to inveqt the city still more
loosely and scarcely day passed without sanguitary
| detachmelte of the AraROnesP
nemy In the last few days OF the month Of June re.
nforcemeut o. upwards Of six hundred regular troops
ontrived TO enter z.ragozl About the same time two
pieces of cannon wentytour pouuder and some shells
we're procured.
The enemy drew their resources from PAmpona whis
the Aragonese Jletey surrounded had no, one
fortress to which they could have either for
nunition for cannon.
About the last day OF Juae powder magazine in the
heart OF the city blew up aud nearly whole
reduced to ruins The inhabitants had scarcely
cd from their conformation aud from the labor of eKr
eating their felo Fcizsns from the ruins when the
French opened destructive FIRE upon the city. About
iwelve huDded shells aud grenAdes fell in Ziragcz 4,
which had 10: one building tina. wa bomb proof nor
had tho inhabitants then taken the prlc uoa Of placing
esms Of timber together endways against houses behind
| Which passengers might ind shelter Whenever shell
should chEaee to fall uear them.
The attack Of the enemy was drgc ed principally
4 .eans the gate called Porllo Tue saud bag battery
efore the gate gaanty defended by the Aragonese
U several times destroyed and ottea recos ruct
under the fire of the enemy. The carnage in this
battery was truly terrible /: was here that an act OF
heroism performed by female, to which history
csrcsly sfJrds parallel Augustine ,ragoza, about
twenty-five years OF age, handsome Womln Of the
lower class Of tbs people, whilst carrying refreshments
the gates arrived at the Pc lilo AZ the u3ment when
be French FIRE had deItroyoa ry person that vassn.
iored 10 t. The cuzsns and soldiers hesitated
main at the guua Augasiaa rushed forward over tue