The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-10-17

of the ruined houses took refuge in the
cellars of their friends, and, owing TO
the overcrowding. typhus fever broke
out. The soldiers, exposed to deep
snow, with scanty food and too little
clothing, persisted by hundreds. Famine
also began to appear, for much of the
food had been destroyed by the French
miners. Thirty fever hospitals had
been erected in the city, and as they
were removed to fresh places to escape
the inhuman bombardment, the fever
was spread in every quarter. Horrors
on horrors accumulated. From the
fever alone about $50 half-starved
wretches died daily. The hospitals
were too small, and the medicines were
exhausted. The burying grounds were
choked, and grave-pits had to be dug
in the streets, into which the dead were
tossed without care or respect. Heaps
OF prutrescent bodies, piled before the
churches and waiting interment, were
often struck and scattered by shells.
Still the French gained ground.
They carried the monasteries of the
Augustines and the Les Monicans, two
of the last strongholds. Driven from
the breeches, the French sprung mines,
and so broke in. The Spaniards fought
from pillar to pillar, from chapel to
altar. While they fought the roofs fell
in, but the people still fought madly
among the smoking ruins. The convent
of ST. Lazarus was preached, the bridge
carried, and ], 800 Spaniards captured as
they were retreating into the town.
In the meantime all went i'll with the
unhappy town, and Palafox, struck by
the fever, lay insensible in vault. OF
the infantry, only 2, 800 were fit for SER
vice. The ammunition was all but ex-
hausted; and if shell pierced the in
QUESTION, the last mandatory of pow
der would be destroyed. The fortifca-
tons were almost utterly demolished,
and there was no cloth or sacking from
which sand-bags could be made. Mar
shall Lannes, asked to grant an armistice
for three days, refused, and the cruel
bombardment continued. On the Goth
desperate sortie was made, but made
in vain, to capture two guns which the
enemy had the day before taken.
Two-thirds of the city was in ruins.
Thirty thousand (half) of the inhabitants
and 800 officers had persisted, and from
800 to 400 people were daily dying of
fever.
Saragossa was, in fact, destroyed, and
the Spaniards' oath was fulfilled. A flag
of truce was sent up to the French head
quarters to arrange the terms of capitu-
lation. Marshal Lannes, always rough
and brutal, was at first disposed to in
sist on unconditional surrender, but Ric
declared that rather than consent to
that, the last Saragossa would be under
the ruins of the last house.
1t was accordingly conceded that the
Spanish troops should march out with
the honors of war that the heroic Pala-
fox should be suffered to retire to any
place he might choose to reside and
that all persons not included in the gar
rison should be permitted to at once
quit the city to avoid the contagion.
On the DIST the forts were delivered up
to the French.
The terms of capitulation were shame
fully violated by Lannes. The French
committed all sorts of crimes in Sara
gossa, stripped Palafox even to his
shirt, and sent him prisoner to Vim
cennes while go of the prisoners, who
were compelled by famine and disease
to follow them into France, they
butchered on the road. During this
gallant and memorable defense, no less
than 600 women and children persisted
by the French bayonet, or were shot.