The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-01-13
GREAT Sieges 81 History
Nothing More Clearly Shows the Evolution o. the Art OF Warfare
Than the Siege of Port Arthur.


me Saracens there were many mem
arahte sleses, more characterized nov
eNer. by b~arharfty on either side than
oN sklti. me taxing or Acre, IN the
thifo Nfusaot, consumed more tnah
SMo Years iiSs-sl, ana required the
eHoftS OF several hundred Thousand
nieI' iVV.VoV OF "fonn' ~accorclls 10
Safaeeh historians. We're stain.
Parma's Grcat Feat.
During the struggle of the Neither
lands to free themselves from the woke
of Philip III of Spain occurred three of
the most fagnous of all sieges: those
of Haa,iem, Leyden and Antwerp.
Space can only be given 10 the last of
these. which is the most remarkable.
G~unpowder had long before changed
the whole general science of warfare.
But Alexander Farnese, duke of Par
ma. introduced into his operations
against the great commercial capital
of Belgium, then also the richest port
III Europe more daring engineering
schemes thar had ever before been
tried by any commander since the DAYS
of Demetrius. All the other details of
this Siege might we'll be neglected in
order to give room for a description
OF the monumental exploit of bridging
the Scheldt. below the city. in face of
the most formidable difficulties. so az
to cut off communication with the sea,
by which route alone it could hope for
succor. But this was not his only feat.
OF this siege Motley y Land CON
verted into water and water into land,
easll,s quiz upom me breasts OF rapid
stistliis. rivers turned from thelr beds
atia 'augme new courses, ths distant
".r"n ~ aVioss ahciehe puiWafks'
.n.'es uus neioW 'he sea, ana canals
- ~ pelGoiate obscene inorasses-
a ml.'Iaa we ,ea nano ol war by me very
a :, tsh,,' ttea ,at1 nioonllis slraehs.
a. i.tsn' steam piiaStu ana mastered
ii .me Nery teeln OIL winter hoating
aepulss' o9eiil .ides ana an alert ana
ueept az roc eNei feadE Win deetSs
~ 'iii at,e'ies-Suc We're
ene 80 iatS VI Niici ehe great spec
80 /" tuHiposed' d spectacle Whlch
.I .,e a'teHsioh Oh Europe Tor
sINs. iiolths' ana on Tue result OF
M4teh' ~ was tLoushl. depended the
ld.e OF az we Sethefiallds. ana per
FPS u 1nltsteluoih desperate and
.atn e'iofts We're mace by the Ant
Me,pcis 10 uestIoS farlna $ bridge, ana
iaii'ns W ,hdt, 70 cut the ulkes. 50 that
tie oSleiat foula sweep through them,
ana mus give access TO the city across
.he covered Iats Tor ships bring
iis SuPpiies amu ielnlorce1nehts me
pattie az me bikes, half In water and
nan on lahd' was one OF the most spec
.acular known. Paffna, however, held
8.heWefp CLOSELY ockaded and the
prospect OF stafVatloh, after nearly a
year OF s.sge, compelled capitulation on
ugust ~, 1855.
HichciIeu Coops UP the H~uguenots.
Rochelle, the stronghold of the
French Calvini3ts. withstood several
attacks of the opposite party until
Richelieu, the cardinal statesman. re-
solved to prove that he also was a
warrior. The famous siege of Rochelle
was begun in JULY. 1927. The Hueue-
nots in the town were supported by an
English fleet and army. Louis NIII and
Richelieu too charge Of the siege in
person in October. but in November
the English forces withdrew. Richelieu.
anticipating Il renewal of the attack
the next year.. undertook a work in
tended at once TO battle foreign enemies
and TO place the town ut his mercy. A
vast wall was constructed along the
whole front of the port, with but n
small opening in the middle, which was
commanded by batteries. BY the re-
turn of spring the work was completed
under the Nigilant supervision OF the
cardinal himself. Another English fleet
appeared, but found Richelieu's wall
unassallable retired. AS the siege
proceeded the Huguenots Were reduced
to feed on their own horses and on bits
OF steWed leather. The mayor kept u
dagger on the council table to stab any
man who should talk of surrender. The
siege lasted more than q year, and only
5000 CT the original $4,000 defenders
remained when they consented TO yield.
The island of Crete was lost to the
Nenetians In 1869 after n siege of its
capital, Gambia, by the Turks, which
is leckoned to have lasted
twenty-four years n during which
100000 men persisted. The Ottoman
army kept Caudia ~blockaded the great
er part of this period.
Sever Test of Gibraltar.
Ar
cules," regarded as impregnable was
,,o5a ca ~. tla Io,i,ieI ~. +.aI- /.
s ffs@ h seS S &, 4ss sp in lT94 ana and r, sass