The Osceola times., 1880-12-18
MOHAMMED'S NIGHT.
Graphic Account OF his Siege OF Constan
tinople In 1853.


New lOrk NATION.
The city was more than II miles in
circumference. On the side of the sea
it was defended by a simple wall; the
other sides were covered by regular for
iiGcations, towers and bastions. The
Turkish army was immense, numbering
probably 200 000 or 100000 men; the
imagination OF the Greek historians ex-
tended this number TO 100000 and even
| 100000, The regular army was probably
| under 100000. The Greeks had lost en-
tiroly the use IF arms, and depended
| upon their mercenars. The emperor
would not arm more than $1,000; the
chief lieutenant was an Italian Giustin-
| iani, who had with him manv Nenetiaus
and GenoCse. The Legate, lsadore, did
| his duty bravely as a soldier. The city
| had l0i guns, among the number was
one gigantic Tor the time, which could
only fire six or seven times a day
and had TO be cooled each time after it
had been fired. The art OF siege was
still in its infancy. Mohammed used all
| the old machines which were made for
approaches and assaults. lie had guns
also. Arrows, molten lead and boiling
oil were used against the asslilants, as
well as the famous Greek fire, the secret
! Oh WHICH NdS sun ptcctINtu III lDt
Greek empire. The investment of Con-
s'antinople began Apul 5, 1853. The
siege went on methodcally, and various
assaults were repu!sed by the Greeks.
Mohammed was surprised to find so
much resistance. The Turkish ships
succeeded in forcing the entrance OF the
Golden HON, and the city from tina
moment began to show all the terrible
! ,y l,gn,,ta,,,
which are noticed in all seices of popu-
lous capitals While the soldiers were
on the ramparts the city was convulsed
with theological discussions. Even on
| the eve of the ruin of their cause, the
| ianatical Greeks showed more abhor-
renee for the dogmas and n,es of the
! Latin church than for the enemies who
were before the gates. Consi antinople
was like Jerusalem when it was besieged
| by the Romans. The monks infiamed
| the multitude. but did not turn their
wrath against the cal enemy. II would
prefer a hundred times" said one, "to
see in Constantinople the tufban of the
Turks rather than the tiara of the pope"
! The crowds rushed to the shrines where
the miracle working virgins were kept,
but did not rush to the ramparts. All
sorts of prophecies were made; the
Greeks became the pitiable victims OF
wrat was called during the last siege of
Paris, "obsidional" madness.
Constantinoplc did not surrender be-
cause it was starved If was regularly
taken by storm. While the mob accused
the emperor Of treason Mohammed kept
firing his l3O guns against the walls and
making breach. He promised his
4 Il a Il IL 4.
was then, after Rome, the richest in the
world. The last attack was preceded by
a solemn fasting and by prayer. II be-
gan on MAY 2S, in the middle of the day,
to the sound of la il6h an Allah"
The resistance Of the Greeks and ltal-
lans, who were fighting one agains, 20,
was truly heroic. Constantine was
among his troops, and showed the great
est bravery. Giustiniani was mortally
wounded. In the evening the Italians,
having lost their chief, took TO their
ships and abandoned the unfortunate
emperor. The battle began again the next
day; the emperor fought Ike a common
soldier, like a new Samson The fight
was hand! -!o.hand, Constantine fell in
the carnage, and the confusion was such
that his loss WAS not noticed at first.
His body was found aferward in mass
of corpscs. The Turks were at last
within the city. They had been prom
i-ed three days of plunder; they sacked
the magnificent capital numerically.
The pen of Victor Hugo could hardly
describe the scenes OF horror Of which
Byzantium became the theater. Blood
ran in torrents III the streets. An Ital-
ian witness SAYS that "corpses were
! floating on the Dardanelles like spoiled
melons on the canals of Venice" Some
historians speak of 10000, some 10000
victims. The most noble ladies were
given up to barbarous soldiery; 10000
prisoners were made, only Of the richest
class, in the hope of ransom. Gold, sill
yer, bronze, precious stones, ornaments.
were seized everywhere. What could
not be taken was destroyed. The con-
vents and churches were especially
marked for plunder. Saint Sophia be-
came the scene of a horrible orgy.
Mohammed made his entry among the
corpsos, and went on horseback TO Saint
Sophia. This church from that moment
became a mosque, and the crescent took
the place Of the cross. 1t is better to
throw a vail over the excesses of Mo-
hammed and of his lieulenants. The
Turks showed no mercy, no generosity;
they trampled upon their unhappy vic
tins like so many wild beasts.
Europe learned with horror the details
of the fall of Constantlnople. There was
call from many sides for a rev crusade.
In the year 1850 the crusade had not yet
begun; and when lately the Russians.
encamped before Constantinople, saw in
the distance the dome of Saint Sophia,
they had the singular courage to remain
within their lines and recross the
Danube without having avenged the
Emperor Constantine.