Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-01-13

ward evening the enemy's guns were
silenced. Eight of the ten floating bat
teries we're On fire during the night.
The loss of the besiegers was 2,000;
that of the besieged only 81. In October
a British fleet brought supplies and re-
Inducements and, the allied feet hay
ing been scattered by a storm, did not
venture tc attack it. This was the end
Of the most important siege that Glib
raltar has undergone,
The siege OF ~Saragossa I'm Spain by the
French In 1869 was distinguished by the
heroic conduct Of the Inhabitants. Pesti-
lence spread among both the besleged and
the besiegers. 1T took five months for the
latter TO penetrate the ramparts. The
houses could be captured only by fighting
from chamber TO chamber. In the begin
ming OF February the deaths were from
400 to 500 daily. and thousands Of decaying
ccrpses were scattered about the streets.
A great assault was made on February
is, 1863, and part OF the town was car
ried. On the Goth it surrendered. All the
great leaders were dead or Frustrated
with fever.
Fall Of Sebastopol.
The siege that attracted most attention
in the nineteenth century was that Of
Sebastopol, In the Crimean war, 1915.
IL began in September of the former year.
the besiegers being the French and Eng
lish, with a small force Of Turks. Sebas-
topol, by the Russians, was counted i'm
~pregnable. The fortress occupied some
rugged heights, enclosing a part OF the
town. The principal and stronger parts
were the fort known as the Malakoff, the
central bast!on, the Redan and the Little
Redan. The besiegers suffered much from
inadequate commissary arrangements and
supplies, while the Russians were able for
months to maintain their communications
with the immense productive country be-
hind them. A very severe winter inter-
fered seriously with the Siege operations,
but In the spring they were renewed with
a very great vigor. Several battles were
fought around Sebastopol, with great losses
on both sides. The more famous OF these
were at Inkerman and Balaklava. On
August is, 1855, a Russian army sent to
relieve Sebastopol was defeated at Tcher-
maya. There were many destructive bonn
bardments, In which ironclad ships in the
harbor for the first time took part. The
allies were able, with their heavier and
more numerous ordnance, to infiict much
more injury than they received.
A great assault had been delivered on
June Is by the French on the Malakoff,
and by the English IN the Redan, but
failed. From August - to September 8
a continuous and terrific bombardment
was kept up. On the latter date the second
$500 a9SohA Noo iAohCs "a III
carried the Malakonf the Little Redan
and the central bastion of the fortress,
but the British were again driven back
from the Redan. The success of the
French, however, had rendered the place
no longer tenable,. and after setting fire
to Sebastopol and TO their ships the Rus
sions withdrew. The victory had been won
by superior battering power. The siege
had lasted eleven months and eight days.
Grant Takes Nicksburo
In the Civil war of 1919 in this coun-
try there were but two remarkable sieges
that OF Vicksburg and the Petersburg
siege.
Vicksburg is almost a natural fortress,
and as 1t was the key to the possession of
the Mississippi river, the confederate gov
had fortified il as well as lay in
it's power. The movement against Vicks-
burg was begun by Sherman, under
Grants orders, in December, 1862, and
temporarily failed. In January, 1863,
Grant himself took the immediate direc-
ton of 1t, With the assistance. OF the navy
he cut loose from his base above Vicks-
burg 10 cross the Mississippi at Grand gulf
with his army and begin the attack from
the lower side. His line, when complete,
was fifteen miles long. He whipped the
confederate armies which were lowering
about his rear and right flank while the
investment was proceeding, and taught
them TO keep at a safe distance. On May
19 an assault was ordered and was re-
pulsed at great loss. A second assault
was made on May % with like result. Re-
Inducements were sent to Grant and
Vicksburg was tightly held, with daily
and nightly bombardments, until after
six weeks of narrowing peril and priva-
ton IL was forced on July A. 1868, to sur
render. The besieged had suffered much
from lack of food, and many of the non
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clay bluffs facing the river for protection
from the federal bombs.
Vicksburg was chiefly subdued by the
tightness of its investment. 1t was not
provisioned for q long siege. A tremen-
dous labor was required of the federal
troops TO make their works of circumnavi-
cation as strong as those OF the defense,
which Grant knew to be necessary, in
spite of his superior force, to prevent a
successful soGtle. The heaviest cannon
used by the besiegers were loaned 10 the
army by Admiral Porter of the navy. The
only other siege guns were six thirty-two
Founders. But the field artillery was
ahundant-Th investing lines were 2. ne !
point more thar 600 yards distant from the
works Of the besieged, and the artillery
fire had proved very effective.
Petersburg and Richmond.
The siege OF Petersburg was one OF the
largest military operations known in
history, 1t began in June, 1864. and lasted
until April 2, 1866. The lines OF circum-
valuation finally enclosed the defenses OF
Richmond. as well as those Of Petersburg.
and were many miles In length. General
Grant had about $780, 900 men and General
Lee some $1,000. Formal investment was
not resorted TO until the federal army had
made repeated assaults upon the Peters
burg defenscs, and had been repulsed with
the loss OF more than 5000 men. The fed
eral right flank rested upon the James
river, above Bermuda Hundred, and the
left was near the Weldon railway. On
June 30 a mine was sprung under one of
the principal confederate works, and an
assault was again made, but was repulsed
with a loss Of 5000 federal soldiers. In
the autumn the besieging lines were ex-
tended north OF the James river. close to
the Richmond defenses. and were also
steadily extended TO the left The situa-
ton OF Lees army grew worse with each
day. The lines OF supply leading into
Richmond became fewer ard more slen-
der. and early In the year 1856 the southern
commander saw the necessity OF attack
ing the investing army with "a view TO
forcing his way out Of the city. Fort
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