The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-03
S p Al N
THE BATTLES OF. THE REVOLUTION.
Two Days Fighting at
SaraEOssa.
Prim's Order Discerning the
Republicans.
Its Reception by the People and
Consequences.
March Of the Troops On the Barricades,
the Fire, the Defence and Bay
onet Storming.
Defeat and Surrender of the
Republicans.
THE FIRST DAYS BATTLE.

SARAdOssA, Kingdom OF Arragon,
Get. So +. M.
earagoxsa, heroic Saraqossa, famous In history,
poetry and romance, famous for its brawny-muscled
peasants and lion hearted women, has at last
spoken spoke In behalf Of the republic OF Spain,
with sonoious musketry, superhuman efforts OF
defence amid vivas to the federal republic. The
republicans Of Spain have anxiousy looked toward
this; they had hoped brave things from the heroic
CITY, and they have not been entirely disappointed.
Only three short weeks ago I sent you
. letter about the hearty ovations paid
to CASTELAR, BY the people Of this city, for
he WAS their IDOL Of Spanish poet and orator, who
alone could please the warmhearted sons OF ARA
gon with graphic tales OF the seges OF Saragossa, Of
the stern their toreiathers made against Berber
Tarik and Moor Almanzor, Of the undying herolsm
OF their women during the hard not to be forgotten
days Of $685. when they defeated 900 armed Gauls
under the most famous of their generals while Sara
g0ssa was pinng away with hunger and as these peo
pie with their eager eyes and burning blood crowded
around him, CASTELAR, made them weep hot tears Of
PRIDE Of love and veneratlOn. He 80 appealed
to their heart Of hearts that they could not
restrain themselves He gave the words "viva la
Republtca Federal, !" In his own clear silver tones
and n, 900 men, women and children caught them
and voalmed them upward to the sky. But Of all
these things my letter Of three weeks ago told you
naragossanese would not play Wean part in 1t.
Neither have they; for they have done well. fought
with the same traditional heroism, though under
disadvantages. But they could do no more, for
military law had already ald It's iron hand upon the
city before insurrection had appeared IN Arragon.
6aragossa Is the capital OF the kingdom OF ARA
gon. 1t Is city containing 10000 inhabitants.
strongly fortified and always well garrisoned. II
stands On an eminence In the middle OF most fer
tile vega, brown at this time oil the year with
stubble, dusty. yellow looking, crispy grass and
Rutumna coloring OF trees. The Smiling Ebro rolls
past the city with stately flood, having tho base OF
tho formidable Arragonese towers and castleated
mansions OF noblos as well remnants Of Roman
and Moorish walls, and sweeps under two bridges
one Of Roman times-tnen 1t makes two or three
short windings, when 1t becomes lost to
sight behind tabular emlnences, with which the
Plain OF Saragossa Is marked Seen from outside,
the city has an imposing appearance; its numerous
slender church spires rear themselves upward above
the city like the masts Of o good-sized fleet, and
here and there among them the well built towers
show prominent. and the eye CT . stranger. after
sweeping above, naturally runs to the strong,
substantial walls which surround the whole, time
honored weather stained, once tested by batterlng
rams, scaled often by ladders, preached many
time by French bombs and cannon balls But since
1903 innovation has crept into the customs Of the
the pround old city. Saragossa has had
suburbs, outside Of the walls, on the other
side OF the Ebro, and though they are dsdan-
fully regarded by the dcnizens Of tho city proper,
the suburbs remarkably pleasant to live IN,
healthly open to sun, air and rain, with features
bespeaking comfort il not wealth. Within Saragossa
has not o whit changed since the days OF Don
Qutxote dc la Manchs the houses are small castles
In themselves, W tn ponderous doors studded with
-.
and limestone. with superb solfts, exqusitely
carved corniccs. and cunningly traced machicoa Ia
lions along the edge OF the parapets. This Is the
city briefly described, which burst out into mighty
explosive blaze Of Instruction to-day. upon half
hours warning, and this is how 1t was DONE accord
ing as 1t was seen by your correspondent
Conforming with the explicit and peremptory
general order promulgated by General Prim to all
the captain generals OF the Provinces the Captain
General, senior Bass0ls, in command OF the Kingdom
OF Arragon, having his headquarters al Saragossa,
caused an order to be issued and posted on every
available place requiring every member OF tho
Republican Volunteers OF Liberty to surrender their
arms before four o'clock OF the afternoon OF Fri
day. Tho enthusiasm excited in the republicans
Of Ssragossa BY the grafton OF CASTELAR, had not
Al subsidized but had, II nythnx, increased, not In
noise. but in depth and feeling. Castear's
words were taking deep root IN the hearts Of ALL
for sheets containing his Grafton were being sold
for two cuartos every day; In TACT, you could hear
nothing hardly spoken OF save the speech OF Gas.
telar" and the "barricades OF Barcelona As
might be imagined, when the passion Of such people
as bpaniards, ana SaragossaHese at that, were
in1amed-were kinded intoH frenzied love for the
ut0pian liberty that had been so graphically and
agonlsticaily pictured by Castelar, the order OF
General fassols was received sulenly with frowns,
rAl1Ses, nl,esus to tyrannical government, which
broke forth finally into open resentment into vol.
canio blaze which made Saragossa quake to her
foundations from very terror. But the order
OF Bass0ls was TO be seen by light of day.
there was It on the usual billscking places,
large and farng, 1t demanded compliance In per-
ompt0ry tones, there was TO be no hesitation, no
domurring, but the arms OF all republican volunteers
we're W be surrendered Immediately without fail, to
she last iusll, matchbox, revolver, one-barrelled
pistol there were to be exceptions MADE In favor
OF any swords or pixies, but whosoever possessed o
weapon which could innict mortal wound that
person was bound to deliver 1t up instantly under
penalty OF being arrested. trod and certainly con-
victed as person having intent TO do bodily harm
TO Q servant OF constituted authority.
II had been remarked by Madrid people that seve.
raj battalIons and regiments Of the three arms had
been despatched toward Saragossa, and the ques-
lions na turaly asked wore:-"What was going on
at saragossaw "what did the departure OF oil
these troops FOR Saragossa mean y, ''Were there
many republicans at Saragossa. aud did they intend
to proclaim the republic ~ Tue said peremptory
order OF the Military Governor Of Saragossa
explained the purport Of this unusual concentration
OF troops at that city, and as soon as intelligence
nad arrived at the capitol OF Its issue.
which was about half-past seven Thurs
DAY evening, ! posted on for sarogossa on
the haf-past eight train, one hour after
the news had arrived. saragossa was reached by
me the following morning at SIX O'Clock, which was
tho morning OF the day when the republicans were
to give up thoir arms. After washing or the dust OF
the journey and making some change In my dress /
sailed out into the streets to SOC what was to DO