Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-04-18
A FIGHT IN ARMoR
Apparel of Ancient Knights Used
as Late as 1899.
WORN BY FRENCH SOLDIERS.
Besieged by Peasants In the Town Of
Aquila, a Detachment of Napoleon's
Army Dressed In Coats o; Mail to
Spike Guns of Enemy.


Spike Guns of Enemy.
The last fight in armor occurred in
Napoleon'S time. In 1890. the main
army of the French having withdrawn
from the town of Aquila, body OF
some 400 soldiers remained in the
place, whose inhabitants were we'll dis
posed toward them. But the peasants
of the surrounding region were bitterly
hostile and, rising in revolt. penetrated
the town and drove the Frenchmen
into the fortress, which was small and
weak, yet powerful enough TO hold the
insurgents at bay with its cannon.
These insurgents numbered ten or
twelve thousand. They harricaded the
street and loopholed the houses so that
they were safe from attack, but this
did not satisfy them. They wished To
take the fort, which, without .rtilery,
was manifestly impossible. Finally
some cunning brain devised n scheme
that came near to being successful.
Between the fort md the nearest
houses there lay on the glaciS, without
carriage and resting upon pieces OF
wood, twelve guns which the French
had not had time to take into the fort
with them The position of the guns
exposed them to fire from both sides,
so it was not believed they would he
interfered with. though by way of pre-
caution two of the guns of the fortif-
cation were kept trained upon them.
One night the sentinel heard noise.
He fired, but the sound continued and
did not Immediately cease after other
shots, though it seemed TO draw
farther off. When daylight came il
was seen that under cover Of darkness
the insurgents had reached the nearest
gun, attached rope to the breech and
then, fastening the rope to a capStan
in the nearest house, had attempted TO
haul the piece away.
Had it been Il military man who
tried the trick he would have succeed.
ed, but the peasants did not know
enough TO thrust rollers under the gun
before hauling, and consequently the
breech dug Il furrow into the soil
which soon became deep enough to
stop further progress
Nevertheless the besieged were much
irritated by the occurrence and deter.
mined to prevent Il repetition of it,
They cannonaded the house from
which the rope issued. but when the
walls fell they found that the capstar
was in the cellar and consequently un.
injured, although blocked for the time
by debris. This did not content them.
Then ii was that the commandment OF
the fort remembered having seen stow.
ed away in it somewhere dozen suits
of ancient armor. He selected twelve
of his coolest men, gUnnerS and grena.
dierS. clothed them in this armOr and
sent them out to spike the gums.
Covered with steel from head TO foot
and carrying spikes and hammers. the
men marched heavily. awkwardly, out
of the fort and moved in dead silence
toward the coveted guns, the white
smoke curling about their mailed fig.
ureS and bullets pattering harmleSSly
against antique helm and corslet.
Many of the peasants were horror
struck and believed the strange figures
to be diabolical and invulnerable
while after the first anxious moment
was passed their own comrades. look
ing from the walls. broke into eXutant
roarS of laughter.
The twelve latter day knights re-
turned safely from their raid. having
spiked the guns ana cut the rope.