The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-29


the walls of Leyden and the Dutch shippers, whose
broad brimmed hats bore an mscnptlon-"Better
Turkish than Popish'-were beside themselves with
chagrin. Six thousand OF the inhabitants mean
While died OF hunger. AT length a strong breeze
up aaa drove .ne watsr nto e =,
Night The boats OF the relieving ships FASTENED 10
the walls and distributed nsh and bread 10 the lam
lshlng citizens. Fifteen hundred OF the Spaniards
were either drowned or slain. The anniversary OF
tins singular delivery is still celebrated as a festival
In Leyden. IL Is perhaps, The most curious example
OF rewarded patience IN history. la no other land
than inc Netherlands, OF course, would 1t have been
In the evil days OF the Thirty Years war fell victim
to horrors such as In modern history are almost
tracted siege by Maurice of Saxony In consequence
OF its having ardently embraced the principles OF
duced TO submission by famine. Wallensten also
TOOK u alter q seven months siege, but behaved
the savage Tilly to revive on a modern stage lie
enormlties Of ancient history In May, 1881 he car
ried IT by assault and massacred 10000 OF Its inhab
ltants without distinction OF sex or age. He then
set the city IN nalnes leserving from destruction
only the cathedral and lao houses. Some idea OF the
atroclous cruelty OF this monster may be formed
from the despatch he forwarded TO his government,
announcing his success. He says "such victory has
not been since the lall OF Jerusalem and Troy.n He
executed the commandant, ana then Inscribed upon
his house, "Remember the tenth of May, l631.n lie
need nave had little lear that his crimes would be
ACRE.
IN Syria, was first besieged by the Crusaders under
~
siege, IN which are said TO have persisted no less
tnan SIX archbish0ps, twelve bishops, forty ears,
later was reoccupied by Saladn and again CO. 600
Christians persisted. In 1898 II was pesieged with
terrible energy oy the Emperor Napoleon. the
French, with their nea artillery, soon reduced the
walls to pile of backened ruins, and but for the
stubborn defence OF the Europeans who its de-
lenders, and the opportune arrival OF the English
and Russian fleets the city would, undoubtedly, nave
speedily fallen. THIS is picture OF the siege,
life Of Bonaparte:-"The streets were pioughed up
and the houses blown down by bomb Shells Bleed
Ing FORMS blackened by smoke and wrn clothing
burned and tattered, rushed upon each other with
dripping sabres ana Dayonets and with hideOus
yelis which rose even above the incessant tnuDders
OF guns, the envelopng cloud OF sulphurous smoke,
converting the day into hideous night and the unln.
forming night into .urid and porlentous day; the
forms OF the combatants, gliding like spectres with
demoniacal fury through The darkness; the blast OF
trumpets, the shout OF onset the shrek or death,
presented scene no tongue can tell.n Napoleon
was at length forced TO retire, and the splendid
dream OF an empire in the East. which he had con.
ceived, and which depended on his reduction Of
Acre, melted into thin air.
THE SIEGE OF sARAGOSsA
also bears q conspicuous place in the wars OF the
first Napoleon. lnnamed to madness by the afro CT
ties OF Marshal Soult's army 10000 Spaniards re.
themselves In stone houses behind the walls
They were we'll supplied with ammunition by their
They were. indeed, headed only by few monks, in
spired by religious zeal. The attacking French force
months. The walls were battered down, converts
were blown into the air, and still the coInbatants
fought with desperate yaor from street to street and
from house TO house But the French at length tri-
umphed after losing 1000 men, and became the mast
ers ola city in RUINS Fiftyour thousand of its innab
1tants had persisted In this dreadful struggle Only
who composed the garrison were taken
and purifying corpses 1t is said that even the
French, hardened as they had been by frequent
spectacles Of the same character themselves wept
as tpey looked upon their own CHASTITY work.
GIBRALTAR
Is said to be OF the impregnable positions IN
possessors, the English, as the result OF brilliant
coup de nam by Sir George Rookie In 1904. Having
sailed the city and took 1t with comparatively little
difficulty, thanks to the negligence and cowardice
OF the Spanish garrison. About eighty years later
suffered one OF the most stubborn sieges OF modern
times. 1t was defended by General Eliot with 5000
men. The siege lasted three years, and though the
garrison were frequently relieved by Admlrals Rod
ney ana Darby, they were at times reiuced to live
on vegetables and even weeds. In the spring OF
1871 the bonbardment was terrible. 1t is said That
from the middle OF April until the end OF Nav So 900
balls and 20 600 shells fired by the French and
Spanish beleaguerng army, and yet only seventy
men were Killed. On the night OF November 26
Eliot made a sortie with 1000 men, surprised the
Spaniards destroyed their works, spiked their guns
besieging force amounted to $4,000 men, with ZIG
pieces or heavy artillery, while the English garrison
large cabre The entire world gnzed wonderingIy at
this wonderful siege Tn French and Spaniards were,
however, c0nndenl OF ultimate victory, and King
Charles Of Spain is said to have asked each morning
on waxing, us taken ~ and when he received the
In reply Mo- to have responded at VIII
Bourbon were even invited from Paris TO share the
glory OF Its reduction. On the mornlng OF Septem-
Der Is a fearful rre was opened from some floating
batteries that mad been constructed, bur the gar.
rlson simply retorted by firing red no, shot upon
w anu ing h. s "a M o. inc
hulk served TO direct the English ire with more
deadly energy, and soon the entire squadron OF
haff FOR oil nd IIp Tho nsr
feet relieved the imperied fortress.
THE CRiMEAN WAR
added TWO more famous SiegeS to military history
Sebastopo and Kais. The Siege OF Seuastopol lasted
from Nov. ], 1854. TO Sept. s, 1856. The allied
French, English, Turkish and Sandman forcps, dur
ing those evenfIul ten months, were held at bay by
the splendid engineering skill shown by the Russian
commanders The main facts Of the siege must still
tice. The allies however, could boast only hardly
won victory.
THR SIEGE OF KARs
suUugn occupying q Somewhat more obscure place
In the annals OF the war, Is perhaps more interest
Ing and Is finer display Of heroism. Kars was de-
Sir W. F. Williams and held out from the TIN Of
June until the 27th OF November. AT first the Rus
storm, but met with several bloody repulses. they
then called IN the slow but certain aid OF hunger.
the II harrison was soon reduced to terrible state
the 23d September another general attack was made,
but the enemy were forced again to retire. owing to
the almost superhuman bravery Of the Turks. At
last the condition OF the besieQed grew fearful. So
scarce was food that horse1esh was reserved the
hospitals, and even cats SAID to have sold for
hundred piastres t$4) each. On the day OF the sur
render 200 men died Of munger and the women OF
the town crowded round the Generals door, and
throwing their little ones at his gate refused to de-
part unless he gave them food Only one days
ration, even for the garrison, remained, and the
General therefore, after council Of war, capltulated
SO great was the prostraton OF the defenders that
eighteen OF them fell exhausted as they were being
marched to the Russian camp.
IN THE INDIAN MUTINY
the siege OF Delhi deservedy attracted considerable
attention. 1t tasted five months. The city was held
by almost countless Moslem and Hindoo troops who
had mustered around the standard or the Last of the
Moguls. Cholera committed sad havoc among the
investing troops, and while they were waiting IA.
vorable opportunity to make general assault they
grew too weak to do 1t was feared that they
would have to withdraw, but reinforcements
and supply OF heavy guns were at last re-
terry, and on the night of the 18th Septem.
Der two breeches were made IN the walls
Euur Thousand White n q "a.