Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-12-04

Teuton. the hosts Of the Cim-
merit, the legions of Rome and
all others who have battled
about the walls Of "Namur
the Strong" thrill at the familiar
tread of marching men, the sound Of
trumpets and the shouting above
them?
One wonders.
Namur was the strongest place In
all Transalpine Gaul when stormed by
Caesar In 81 B. c. writes b. d.
Bowles. He tells us that It was the
capital Of the Aduatuci in Gallia Bel
gica. and after that day he "overcame
the Nervii." the inhabitants abandoned
all other stroc gholds and conferred on
that place for last stand.
Who first fortified that precipitous
hill at the confluence Of the Sambre
and the Mouse II not known definite
ly. but. back Of the Caesars. the his
tory of western Europe is lacking In
details. We know, however. that ~
early a. 700 B. c. the Bolg. or Belg, .
tribe Of the Cimmerii. from over near
the Black sec, began migrating into
western Europe and locating in that
country We know now a. Belgium.
Caesar says that the town We know
a. Namur was the strongest place In
all Gallia Belsica; hence. It was prob
ably that tribe Of Belg that fortified It
several hundred years before Caesar.
Fought For Many Times.
Goth. Hun, Teuton, Visigoth. Gaul.
Saxon, Norseman. Briton. Roman.
Frank, Burgundian. have died by hum
dreds and thousands within bowshot
Of its walls. Down the ages wars have
rolled about the foot Of that hill. and,
compared with its sieges. 1t has been
taken only . few times. Caesar took
It nearly two thousand years ago after
several Of his legions had been
crushed by the charging Belgians.
The dukes Of Burgundy were obliged
to discipline its Inhabitants several
times between 1850 and 1900: It suf-
fered during the civil wars in France
along about 1850. Don John Of Aus
tria died in his camp before It In 1878.
Louis XIV Of France sat down before
It with an army Of $4,000 men In 1852.
A. correspondent wrote ct the time:
Tho place was taken after q few
days resistance. . parley having been
beat by the drummer who never dis
covered (told) who ordered him to do
So" The French strengthened its fort
ifcations, but the place was captured
by the Dutch and English under VIII
liam Of Orange in 1895. after . desper-
ate siege. Marshal Bounlers, the
French commandant, was permitted to
march out with the honors of war,
drums beating and nags flying. He
rode ut the head Of 1880 men. all
that was left Of the garrison of $1,000.
Nanur was again taken by the
French In 1901, but was restored to
Austria, but in 174e the French cap
tured 1t again after . continuous bonn
bardment Of seven days and nights.
At that time It had . garrison Of
1000 Austrians. many Of whom were
killed by the blowing up Of two pow
der magazines. In 1854 Joseph II Of
Austria destroyed the ancient fortif-
cations. In 1872 the, French took It
again. evacuated 1t In 1898, retook It
in 1874, again fortified It and held Il
until after Waterloo, when It was de-
livered to the allies. II was again forti-
ned in 1877. under the inspection OF
the duke Of wellington, but in 1866
the Notifications were raced. Since
that time Belgium has constructed
modern forts.
The original fortincations consisted
Of glacis. counterscarp. . deep ditch
across the base Of the triangle Of land
formed by the two rivers, and double
walls Of great thickness. In addi-
ton. there were outworks, ravelins,
half-moons, etc. The citadel or cas-
tie was on the summit Of the hill. an
unusually strong fortress. protected by
double walls with bastions. These
comprised the fortilcations at . time