The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-05-31
Turkish Capture Of Constantinople.


Capture Of Constantinople.
FoK nearly 425 years Constantin0ple
has remained undisturbed In the pos
session of the Turks. On May 20, 1853
the city was then the capital of the Byzan.
tine Empire lit was stMmed by the
Turks, the first Byzantine Emperor, Con-
stantine I'LL, losing his life in the de-
Tense. The taking of the city is thus
described by Richard Knowles
in his history of the Turks, published in
1908, and second edition in 1910:
A little before day the Turks up.
preached the walls and began the as
sault, where shot and stones were de-
1ivered upon them from the walls a.
thick as hail, whereof little fell in vain,
by reason of the multitude of the Turks,
who, pressing fast unto the walls, could
not see in the dark how to defend them
selves, but were. without number, wound
ed or slain; but these were of the COM
mon or worse soldiers, of whom the
Turkish King made no more reckoning
than to abate the first force of the de-
PENDANTS. Upon the first appearance Of
the day Mohammed gave the sign up
pointed for the general assault, where
upon the city was in q moment and at
one instant, on every side, most furiously
assaulted by the Turks; for MOhammed.
the more to distress the defendants, and
the better to see the fOrwardness of the
soldiers, had before appointed which part
of the city every Colonel with his regl-
ment should assail, which they valiant!y
performed. delivering their arrows and
shot upon the defendants SO thick that
the light of day was Herewith darkened:
others, in the meantime, courageously
mounting the scaling ladders and com.
ing even to handistrokes with the defend
ants upon the wall, where the foremost
were for the most par. violently borne
forward by them which followed after.
On the other side. the Christians, with
no less courage, withsto0d the Turkish
fury, beating them down with great
stones and weighty pieces of timber, and
so overwhelmed them with shot, darts and
arrows, and other hurtful devices from
above, that the Turks, dismayed with the
terror thereof, were ready to retire.
Mohammed, seeing the great slaughter
and discontinue of his men, sent in fresh
supplies of his janissaries and best men of
war, whom he Lad for that purpose re-
served as his last hope and refuge; by
whose coming ON his fainting soldiers
were again encouraged, and the terrible
assault began afresh. At which time the
barbarous King ceased not to use all pos
siblc means to maintain the assault; by
name calling upon this and that Captain,
promising unto some whom he saw for
ward golden mountains, and uLto others
in whom he saw any sign Of cowardice
threatening most terrible death; by which
means the assault became most dreadful ;
death there raging in the midst of many
thousands. And albeit that the Turks lay
dead by heaps upon the ground, yet other
fresh men pressed ON still in their places
over Their dead bodies, and with diverse
event either slew or were slain by their
enemies.
In this so terrible conflict it CHANGED
Justinianus, the General, to be wounded
in the arm, who, losing much blood, cow
ardly withdrew himself from the place of
his charge, not leaving any to supply his
room, and so got into the city by the
gate called Romano, which he had caused
to he opened in the inner wall; pre-
tending the cause of his departure to be
for the binding up Of his wound, but be-
ing, indeed, man now altogether dis
couraged.
The soldiers there present, dismayed
with the departure of their General, and
sure charged by the janissaries, forsook
their stations and in haste fled to the same
gate whereby Justinianus was entered !;
with the sight whereof the other soldiers,
dismayed, ran thither by heaps also. But,
whilst they violently strive together 10 get
in at once, they 80 wedged one another in
the entrance of the gate that few of 90
great . multitude got in; in which 30
great press and confusion of minds 500
persons we're there by them that followed
trodden under foot or thrust to death.
The Emperor himself, for safeguard of
his life, flying with the rest in that press,
as man not regarded, miserably ended
his days. together with the Greek EN-
pire. His dead body was shortly after
found by the Turks among the slain, and
known by his rich apparel, whose head
being cut of, was forthwith presented to
the Turkish tyrant. by whose command
ment it was afterward thrust upon the
point of . lance, and, in great derision,
carried about as trophy Of his victory,
first in camp, and afterward up and down
the city.
The Turks, encouraged with the fight
Of the Christians, presently advanced their
ensigns upon the top OF the uttermost
wall, crying Victory" and by the
breach entered ~ ii it had been . great
flood, which, having once found . breach
in the bank, 0verf1ows, and beareth down
all before it; 30 the Turks, when they had
won the outer wall, entered the city by
the same gate that was opened for JUS
tinianus, and by breach which they had
before made with their great artillery,
and without mercy cutting in pieces eli
that came in their way, without further
resistance became lorus of that most
famous and imperial city.
In this fury Of the barbarians pelished
many thousands of men, women and chill
dren, without respect Of age. sex or con-
diti0n. Many, for safeguard OF their
lives, 6ed into the Temple Of Sophia,
where they were al, without pity, slain.
The rich ana beautiful ornaments and
jewels OF that most sumptuOus and mag.
nificent church-the stately building Of
Constantine, the EmperOr-were, In the
turning of . hand, plucked down and
carried away by the Turks; and the
church itself, built for God to be honored
in, for the present converted into stable
for their horses; the image Of the crucifix
was also by them taken down, and
Turks cap put upon the head thereof, and
so set up and shot ct with their arrows,
and afterward, in great derision carried
about in u.eir camp, - It had been In
with drums playing before Il.
railing and splitting at It, and calling Il
the God OF the Christian, which / note
not 80 much done In contempt OF the i'm.
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