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

I Steadman, on the right OF the northern
| works, was taken by the confecerates in
| a heavy assault on March 70, but was re-
| captured, Lee was thus compelled to wait
the movement Of his antagonist. The final
operations OF the siege commenced In the
last days Of March. From this time on
there was continuous and heavy fighting.
Grant sent a strong column TO flank the
confederate right and to cut Lees sole
remaining communication with the army
under Johnston and the country south OF
him. The movement eliminated in the
battle of Five Forks, which determined
the immediate fall OF Petersburg. The
evacuation of Richmond by the confeder-
ate forces and government followed two
days later, and the surrender at Asoo-
mattox on April . actually marked the
ending of the war.
Metz and Paris.
In the Franco-German war of 1901 the
siege of Metz and that or Paris are the
two great salient spectacles, and they had
a certain dependence upon each other,
Had Marshal Bazaine's army not been
shut az in Metz and held there for sew
enty days by the Germans, 1t is not likely
that they could have remained before Paris
for 1S days, as they did, without a Sc
we're struggle A more reprehensibie thing
than Bazalne's surrender was the render
ing OF the troops powerless within the for
tress OF Metz at a moment when they
were most needed in the open field. AL
most as soon as the news of the fall OF
Sedan and the capture OF Napoleon III
reached Paris IN September, 1870, steps
were taken to form a government of ma
tional defense, and means Of protecting
Paris We're organized. The Germans, who
were already before the city, completed
its investment on Septmber 10. Gambetta
left Paris in a balloon In October to set
up a provisional government in the prov
inces. All ahle-bodied males were called
to defend the capital. The defense was
active and ardent, but proved from the
first futile against the great odds opposed
to II. The Germans repulsed successive
sallies at Malrnaiso, Champigny, LIE Bou-
get and other suburbs. Dismal news came
from Metz. The French army within it's
walls had either TO starve or surrender.
1t submitted on October n. The army OF
the Loire was the only hope of Paris. 1t
attacked the Germans to the north of
Orleans, and, after several days of com
bat, was defeated. A sortie at Champigny,
at first successful, ended in the Germans
recovering their positions. Near the end
or January, 1871, there remained in Paris
provisions only for another fortnight.
More than 40, 900 inhabitants had already
succumbed to %privation. Negotiations for
~capituiation led to an armistice on Janu-
airy 80, followed by the Prussians taking
possession of the city.
PIevna. the Turkish stronghold in the
Balkan region, held out against the Rus
slams in the war of 1S77-7S from the early
part OF July to December 10 through the
sheer valor Of its defenders. Some of
the most terrific fighting Of modern times
took place on its steep slopes. The Rus
slams, who were the assailants, were put
upon the defensive, and only the lack of
a competent leader on the part OF the
Turks probably saved the car from a
bitter defeat. Reinforcement were quickly
brought forward until the total Rus
sian strength was 140,O coo men and 440
guns. The Turks were estimated to have
$4,000 men. After a desperate sortie on
December 10, which failed TO break the
line OF investment, Osman Pasha surren-
dered. The Russian killed and wounded
in this siege are said to have been 1900
and the Turkish about 10, 000.
In the Anglo-Boer war of 1S99-1900 the
siege of L~aGysmith in Natal stands out
most prominently. 1t was the capital Of
a district and the junction of two railways,
and had been used by the British as a
depot for military stores, although this
choice was severely criticised 1t has been
described as "a teacup in "a saucer" the
edge of the latter being represented by
the high surrounding hills. When the
Beers, ir October, 1899, began to invest
- $500 5000 A-tNNR OhAANA - ~
Guiding four regular cavalry regiments.
and the colonial mounted troops; six field
batteries, a mountain battery and q naval
battery. General Joubert, in command of
the Beers opened a bombardment of the
town at COCO yards. On the night of Oc-
tober 80 General White, in command Of the
British, made a sortie with his entire
force. One column became isolated, was
surrounded by the Beers, and the noun
tain battery and an Irish and an English
battery We're captured. The Beers made
a feint of entering Ladysmith, and the
British retired thither, recapturing two
cannon on the way.
This unfortunate sortie reduced the gar
rison TO less than 10000 men, and soon
afterward the force besieging the place
was increased to 1900. The Beers, with
heavy guns, fired shells into the town
daily from a long group of hills which
IL. Entertainments were con-
structed and strengthened day by day.
Those of the inhabitants who did not
leave the town by permission of the Boer
general deserted their dwellings and lived
in Domp-proor caves. cavalry and light
artillery sailed forth from time to time,
but accomplished nothing TO compensate
for their losses. Armored trains went
back and forth between Ladysmith and
Colenso until, on November 2, the latter
place was occupied by the enemy. The
bOHiDdGuiutHL Ol TIE D6SlSSeu was then
begun In earnest. On November 8 a gen
eral assault was made, but was repulsed.
The British drove the Beers from positions
which they had held near the city. Lyd-
dite shells thrown into the Boer lines de-
moralized them, but they were strength
ened soon afterward by the arrival of
cannon from the Transvaal. They mount
ed these on all the points OF vantage with
in range The rigors of the siege were by
the end of November severely felt. Ra-
tions wre reduced and fevers were preva-
lent. There were several ~sorties, I'm which
the British destroyed some OF the Boer
guns.
Relief After Desperate Fighting.
Meanwhile General Butler was advanc- /
ing with 20,O0 men to relieve Ladysmith,
and in view of his approach the Beers
themselves began TO convert their posi-
ton on the Tugela into fortresses. They
had trenches on both sides of the river.
protecting each other. and all protected
by cannon on the elevation back OF them.
Entrenchments extended along the Tugela
for twenty miles. Butler attacked the
Beers, and lost all his field artillery and
! 100 killed. Wounded and captured. The
Boer position was SO well planned that
both their entertainments and their gun
emp~lacements were completely hidden
from the attacking force. The fire from
the rifles, sfnokeless powder being used, |
caused almost all the British casua1ffas \