The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-04

i
proaches on the south. The river
bank at the northeast corner was de-
Tended by the guns from the fort, with
bamboo fence and other devices.
The strip of ground about two hun
dred feet in width between the east
wall of the citadel and the river was
never taken by the Chinese, but as the
men who were detailed to supply the
fort with water were exposed in pass
ing to and fro to the fire of the Chi
nese from the opposite bank, zigzag
trench from the gate to the water s
edge was dug to protect them. The
Mitrailleuse, not very well supplied
with ammunition, lay like watchdog
in front. Every device known to de-
fensive warfare was tried Dy Capt.
Domino. Every wall was topped with
bastions. Pits and trenches were dug
everywhere, either for rifiemen or for
safe passage from place to place.
Scarcely level space remained with
in the walls when relief came, except
the quiet corners where the dead had
been reverently inferred, all the
graves having boards properly in
scribed at their heads, on which
wreaths were hung, some black and
withered, others but little faded.
Five mines were exploded at differ
ent times, each costing the garrison
| several lives. The first was on the
18th of February, when four men were
killed, one of the dead bodies falling
into the trench outside. A corporal and
four men went to seek it afterward,
under fire of the Chinese guns, and
| brought it into the fortress on their
backs. On the 22d three mines were
exploded, throwing forty men into the
air, of whom fifteen were killed.
Every time mine was exploded four
or five hundred Chinese stood ready
to enter, with one thousand more in
reserve at their first parallel, a few
hundred yards away. They were al
ways met and repulsed by the French
soldiers with the bayonet. On the
Goth and 9th of February, when it
was known that the relieving column
was far on its way from Hanoi, the
black-fags exploded another mine and
made a desperate attempt to enter
with force of three thousand men.
They were repulsed in the breach and
one hundred killed. Sixty bodies re-
manned, injecting the air with .hor-
rible stencil, when Gen. Briere de
lIsle arrived, and were buried by his
order. The attack continued during
the battle of Hoamoc, the cannon
aiding being heard at intervals by the
general and his staff on the battlefield.
Three mines were ready to be exploded
when the order was given to the be-
siegers to retreat. Only one of these
mines was exploded during the night,
the Chinese always seeming to prefer
the early morning for assault. One
was countermined by the besieged and
successfully tloated. They were all at
the southwest angle of the citadel,
which soon became a mass of ruins.
The French always knew where they
were and understood fully their peril
Gus position, but could not for mo-
ment desert the breach, though they
knew they might at any moment be
hurled into the air.
| The intervals between the explo-
sions were occupied by constant can
nonadin@ on both sides. with musketry
fire by sharpshooters. if anyone allow
| ed himself to be seen. One French
sharpshooter killed twenty Cinnamon
and wounded several others. He was
himself wounded in the face by the
last shot fired before the black-fags
retired. Other sbarpshooters did
scarcely less efficient service. When
the assaults were made the Chinese
never hesitated for moment to brave
the danger, but threw themselves i'm
| petuously on the bayonets of the
/ French. Their estimated loss during
the siege is 1000. The garrison lost
about $50 men killed and wounded.
Their force was further reduced to 450
men bv sickness, and these had to hold
| defensive works fully a mile in length
against an enemy fierce, bloody, I'M
firing, and never allowing an interval
for repose. They declared, however,
that they could have held out two
weeks longer, which, if he had known
it, would have allowed Gen. Briere de
l'lsle time to bring up tlanking col
umn from the reinforcements just ar
rived from France, and thus have
spared the lives of many of his brave
soldiers. But the actual condition of
the garrison was not known, and he
felt that he could not afford to wait.
Besides, it was supposed that in
| fastening to the relief of the garrison
he was acting under orders from the
French government, which appreciated
the heroic defense of the garrison
/ and did not wish to have it sacrificed.
The general has his headquarters in
little room with a mud floor adjacent
to the bockhouse. His staff are in
tents near at hand. From his door he
can see every regiment of Col. Jovian-
ninelli's brigade, distributed in semi
circle at distance Of mile from the
citadel and two or three miles beyond
the tents of the black-hags, from which
the smoke rises as peacefully as from
a dutchman's pipe. Ii they had suf-
fered heavily they would not be likely
to remain so near. There is evidently
no intention of attacking them at
present. They exploded a powder
magazine yesterday afternoon, which
shows that they are ready to depart on
the road to Laskayif it becomes neces-
sary. This morning two Chinese sol
diers were captured, brought to head
quarters and promptly beheaded. No
quarter was asked or given on either
side. At Chu it is said that five hun
dred prisoners were beheaded by order
of Gen. Rriere de PISle the TOnQuin-