The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-04-18

aud army, sailed into the hArDor OF hocnelle
in the middle OF July, 1927, and undertook
to help the people against the French hing.
If Buckingham had been either soldier or
9 sailor, he might have made himself master
of the fJrts near Rochelle at once; but al
though he had command of a feet and 81
army, he really knew nothing about the
the business of q commander. and no blum
dered so badly that the Generals OF the
French King got fresh troops and provis-
ions into the forts, and were able TO hold
them in spite of sll that the English. could
do
Seeing how mstters stood, Richelieu at
once sent an army to surround Rochelle,
and at daylight on the 10Th of August the
people found strong force in front OF the
town. Rochelle had not made up its mind
to join the English, and the magistrates
Gent word to the French General that they
wanted peace. They said they were loyal
to the French King, and even offered to
help drive the English away, if their King
would promise not 20 break the treaty that
had been made with Rochelle many years
Q ore.
1t was too ls.o to settle the matter in that
wsy, however. The French General meant
to make the town surrender, and so, while
the English we're fighting to get control of
the Island of Rhe. az some distance from
the town, he began to build works around
Rochelle. His plan was to shut the people
in the city and cut off their supplies of food,
and when the Rochelle folk saw what he
was doing they opened fire on his men.
The war was now begun, and the Hugue-
nots made terms with Buckingham, hoping
with his help, to win in thestruggle. Buck
: i. ~ - h
| Try to do so in his laundering way; bat he
did them more harm than good, for when
he found that he could not take the forts, he
sailed away, taking with him three hun
dred tons of grain, which he ought 20 have
| cent into the town.
It wa November when the English
Ie.s, and Rochelle was in very bsd sltua-
ton. Richelieu set TO work 10 shut the
town in and seal i. Up. he built strong
works all around the land side, and then,
with great labor, brought earth and stones
and built q molc, or strip of land, nearly
all the way across the mouth of the harbor,
90 that no boats could pass in or out
The situation wss terrible one, but the
people of Rochelle were brave, and had no
thought of flinching. They chose theMayOr,
Guiton, for their commander, and when he
accepted the Office be laid his dagger on the
table saying: 81 will thrust that dagger in
10 the hesrt Of she frat man who speaks o.
giving up TIE town. he then went to
work TO defend the plsos. He siren gthened
tho works, and made soldiers of al the men
in the city. and sll the boys, too, for that
matter Everybody who could pull a trig.
ger had to take bis place in the ranks.
England had promised to send help, and ths
only question, Guiton thought, wss whether
or not he could hold out till the help should
come; so he laid his plans TO resist as long
g possible.
TIE French in great numbers stormed
the detences time after time. but the brave
Rochellese always drove them back with
great loss. 1t wac clear from the first that
GIiton would not gle way, and that no
columue, however strong, could force the
city gates. But there was an enemy inside
the town which was harder to fight than
the one outside. There was famine in
Rochellel The cattle we're eaten up, sno
the horses went next. Then everything
that c11ld b turned into food was carefully
used G1d made TO GO as fsr as it would
Guiton stopped every kind of waste, but
dsy by day :he food supply grew smaller,
aud the people grew weaker from hunger.
Starvation was d, ing It's work. Every day
TIE list OF deaths grew longer, and when
people nee. 10 tina streets they stared at each
other with lean, white, hungry faces won
dering who would be the next to go.
Still these heroic people had no thought
of giving up. They were fighting for lib
erty, and they loved that more than kfe.
The French were daily charging their
works, but could not move the stubborn,
starving R1cbellese.
The winter dragged on slowly. Spring
came, and yet no hello had como from Eug-
land. In March the French, thinking that
the people must be worn out, hurled their
heaviest columns against the lines; but do
what they would, they could not break
through anywhere, and had to go back to
their works, and wait for famine to conquer
people who could not be conquered by
arms.
One morning in May al English fee: was
seen outside the mole The news ran
through the town like wild-Are. Help was
al hand, and the poor starving people were
wild with Joy. Men ran through the streets
shouting and singing songs of Thanksgiving
They had borne terrible suferings, but
now help was coming, and they were sure
that their heroic endurance won not be
thrown away. 0OuehTuS OF tl1lE
mad fallen fighting. and Thousands of their
women aud children had starved to death;
but what WAS that If, after all, Rochelle was
not TO lose her liberties2
Alssl their hope was q vain one, and
their Joy soon turned to sorrow. The En-
glish feet did nothing. It hardly tried to
do anything, but after lying within sight Of
the town Tor while, it sailed away again
and lef. Rochelle TO rs fate.
Richelieu was sure that Guiton would
surrender now, and 80 ne sent q messenger
to say that be would spare the lives of all
the people il the town was given up within
three dsys. But tho gallant Guiton was
not ready even yet TO give up the struggle.
TELL Cardinel Rchelieu," he said 70 the
messenger, 'that VIC are very obedient SCR
wants. and that was all the answer ne had
to make.
When the summer came, some food was
grown in the city gardens, but this went a
very little way smong 90 many people, and
the famine had now grown frightfuL The
people gathered all the shell-fsh they could
fad st low tide. They ate the Leaves of
the trees, and even the grass of gardens and
lawns was used for food. Everything that
could in any way help to support life was
I.consumed; everything thai could be boiled
into the thinnest coup was turned to ac-
count; everything that could be chewed
for it's juice was used to quiet the pains Of
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