The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-06
MADGEBURG. GLENCOE. .SAMAR

The most horrible example of war
fare in modern times was the destruc-
tion of the city of Magdeburg by Pap
penheim and Tilly in 1881 during the
thirty years war. Schiller describes it
as follows:
THE SACK OF MAGDEBURG.
1.-TWO gates were now opened by the
storming party for the main body, aad
Tilly marched in with part of lis in
fantrv. Immediately occupying the prin-
cipal streets, he drove the citizens with
pointed cannon into their dwellings,
there to await their destiny. They
we're not long held in suspense; word
from lilly decided the fate of Magde-
burg Even more humane general
would in vain have recommended mercy
TO such soldiers; but .Tilly never made
the attempt Left by their generals
silence masters of the lives of all the
citizens. the soldiery broke into the
houses to satiate their most brutal APP
petites. The prayers of the innocence
excited some compassion in the hearts Of
the Germans, but none in the rude
breasts of Pappenheim' Walloons.
Scarcely had the saddest cruelty com
menced when the other gates were
thrown open, and the cavalry, with the
fearful hordes of the Croats poured in
upsn the devoted inhabitants. Here com
menced the scene of horrors for which
history has no language, poetry no pen
Gil Neither innocent childrhOOd. nor
helpless old age; neither youth, sex,
rank, nor beauty could disarm the fury
. of the conquerors. Wives were abused
i'll the arms of their husbands, daugh-
tiers at the feet of their parents; and
the defenseless sex exposed to the double
sacrifice of virtue and life. No situation
however obscure, or however sacred,
escaped the rapcity of the enemy. In
a single church fifty-three women were
found beheaded. The Croats amused
themselves with throwing children into
the flames; Pappenheim's Wallooons with
stabbing infants at the mothers breast.
Some officers of the League, horror
struck at this dreadful scene, yentured
TO remind lilly that he had it in his
power to stop the carnage. Return in
an hour" was his anwser; Il will see
what l can do; the soldier must have
some reward for his dangers and tolls"
These horrors lasted with undated
.
proved check to the plunderers. To
augment the confusion. and to divert the
resistance of the inhabitants. the i'm
peralists had, in the commencement of
the assault. fired the town in several
places. The wind rising rapidly, spread
the flames till the blaze became uni
yprsal Fearful indeed WAS no fumuIt
amid the clouds of smoke. heaps of
dead bodies, the clash of the swords,
the crash of falling ruins, and streams
of blood. The atmosphere glowed; and
the intolerable heat forced at last even
the murderers to take refuge in their
camp. In less than twelve hours this
strong, populous and fourishing city, one
of the finest in Germany, was reduced to
ashes, with the exception of two
churches and a few houses. The ad-
ministrator, Christian William, after re-
prisoner, with three of the burgomasters
most of the officers and magistrates had
already met an enyiable death. The
avarice of the officers had saved four
hundred of the richest citizens in the
hope of extorting from them an exorbi-
tant ransom. But this humanity was
confined TO the officers of the League,
whom the ruthless barbarity of the I'm
perialists caused to be regarded as
guardian angels,
Scarcely had the fury of the flames
abated when the Imperialists returned
TO renew the pillage amid the ruins and
ashes of the town. Many were suffocated
by the smoke; many found rich booty in
the cellars, where the citizens had con-
cealed their more valuable effects. On
the 18th of May lilly himself appeared
in the town, after the streets had been
cleared of ashes and dead bodies. Hor-
rible and revolving to humanity was the
scene that presented itself. The living
crawling from under the dead children
wandering about with heart rending
cries, calling for their parents; and in
fants still sucking the breasts of their
lifeless mothers. More than six thousand
bodies were thrown into the Elbe TO
clear the streets; a much greater num-
Der had been consumed by the flames.
The whole number of the slain was
reckoned at not less than thirty thou
sand
The entrance of the general, which
took place on the 14th, put stop TO the
plumber and saved the few who had
hitherto contrived to escape About
thousand people were taken out of the
cathedrab- where they had remained
three days and two nights without food,
and in monetary fear OF death. Tilly
promised them quarter, and commanded
bread to be distributed among them. The
next day a solemn mass was performed
IN the cathedral. and TIE Deum sung
amidst the discharge of artillery. The