Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-10
LAST FIGHT IN ARMoR.
Sally of Steel Clad Soldiers From o'o
French Fort.

'rhp last fight in armor occurred auf
ing Napoleon's time. In 1893, the mann
army of the French having WITHDRAWN
from the town of Aauila, n body oil
some 400 soldiers remained whose IN
hal,itonts were well disposed toward
them.
Bat the peasants OF the sufrouhoti'S
region were bitterly hostile and rising
in revolt penetratcd the town ans
drove the F'renchmen into the fortress,
which was small and weak. yet power
full .naagh to hold the insurgents az
bay with IT'S Cannon.
These insurgents numbered ten o.
twelve thousand. They barricaded inc
street and ioooholed tue houses 50
that they we're safe from attack, but
this did not satisfy them. They wished
70 take the fort, which. without artil-
,erv was manifestly impossible. Final
IL. saws Harper's Weekly, some cum
ming brain devised scheme that came
near IL being successful
Between the fort and the nearest
houses there lay on the glacis, WITH
out carriages and resting upon pieces
of wood. twelve guns which the French
had not had time to take into the tort
with them The position of the guns
exposed them to fire from both sides so
that il was not thought they would be
interfered with, though by way OF pre-
eaution two of the guns of the fofti-
6oation were kept trained upon them.
One night the sentinel heard noise.
He fired, but the sound continued anu
did MT Immediately cease after other
shots though it seemed TO orawfi af'l-
or off. When daylight came 1t was seen
that under cover of darkness Inc M
s,irgents had reached the nearest gun
attached a rope to the breeeh, ana .hei'
fastening the rope to a capstan IN the
nearest house. had attempted TO maui
the piece away.
Had il been a military man VINO tfieo
she trick he would have succeeded seae
the peasants did not know enough 10
thrust rollers under the gun Deiore
hauling. and consequently the nreecn
dug A furrow into the soil. which soon
became deep enough TO stop further
progress.
Nevertheless the besieged were mueh
irritated by the occurrence ana detel
mined te prevent a repetition oi II
They cannoned thee house from Whcn
the rope issued. but when the walls leil
they found that the captain was IN the
cellar and consequently uninJured, al
though, blocked for the time by DEBRIS
This oid not content them, Then IL
Voc that the commandment of the fort
remembered having seen slowed away
in ii somewhere dozen suits Vi an
cient armor. He selected twelve OF MS
coolest men. gunners and erehaoiers'
clothed them in this armof ana Sent
them out 10 spike the guns.
Covered with steel from head 10 iopl
and carrying spikes and hammers tle
men marched heavily. aWk"arqiy ot'e
ef tfo fort and moved in dead sllehec
towara the coveted guns, the White
cnol<e curling above their mailed Hs
rres and bullets patteringly harmless
~ against antique helm and eofse'et'
Many of the peasants were hoiloi
e,r,,o1x AND l,elippsd the strange figures
10 he aiabolic;,I and inyulnerable while
after the first anxious moment was
passe1 their own comrades iookihs
from the walls. broke into exultant
roars OF laughter.
The twelve latter day knights return
ed safely from their raid. having spik-
ed the guns and cut the rope. Thoush
many times hit they had but one
wound among them, d slight one re-
ceived by a soldier who had wrongly
adiusted a ..brassart" so that IT teit
off AMI left his arm exposed. The IN
surgents were discouraged, and though
the blockade continued, there was little
more fighting and the beslesed We're
soon relieved by their friends