The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-11-13

GREAT ClTAD
I'D the bones of Gaul Goth and
TeutOn. the hosts of the CHM
merit. the legions of Rome and
all others who have battled
about the walls Of "Namu,
the Strong" thrill at the familiar
tread Of marching men, the sound of
trumpets and the shouting ADORE
them?
One wonders.
Namur was the strongest place in
| all Transalpine Gaul when stormed BY
Caesar in 81 b. c.. writes E. e.
, 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 strongholds and centered on
that place for a last stand.
Who first fortified that precipitous
hill at the confluence Of the Sambre
and the Meuse is not known definite.
| ly, but. back Of the Caesars. the his
tory Of western Europe is lacking in
details. We know. however, that as
early az 700 B. c. the Bole, or Belg, q
tribe Of the Cimmerii. from over near
the Black sea. began migrating into
western Europe and locating In that
country we know now as Belgium
Caesar says that the town We know
as Namur was the strongest place in
all Gallia Belgica; hence. it was prob
ably that tribe of Belg that fortified 1t
several hundred years before Caesar.
Fought For Many Times.
Goth. Hun, Teuton., visigoth. Gaul,
Saxon. Norseman, Briton. Roman.
Frank, Burgundian. have died by hun
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 4 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 SUI
fered during the civil wars in France
along about 1850. Don John Of Aus
trfa died in his camp before it in 1873.
Louis XIV of France sat down before
it with an army Of $4,000 men in 1892.
A correspondent wrote at the time:
"The place was taken after a few
days. resistance, parley having been
beat by the drummer who never dis
covered (tol6 who ordered him to do
So" The French strengthened its fort
itications, but the place was captured
by the Dutch and English under Will
liam Of Orange In 1896, after a desper.
ate siege. Marshal Bouhlers, the
French commandant. was permitted to
march out with the honors of war.
drums beating and flags flying. He
rode at the head Of 1890 men, all
that was left Of the garrison of $4,000.
Namur was again taken by the
French in 1901, but was restored to
Austria, but in 1746 the French cap
tured it again after a continuous bonn
bardment of seven days and nights.
At that time 1t had garrison Of
1000 Austrians, many Of whom were
killed BY the blowing up of two pow
der magazines. In 1884 Joseph II OF
Austria destroyed the ancient fortifi-
cations. In 1892 the French took it
again. evacuated It in 1893. retook it
in 1874. again fortified it and held it
until after Waterloo, when it was de-
. Nvered to the allies. It was again forti
fled in 1917, 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 Notifications consisted
of a 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 we're 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 Notifications at time
when battering rams, catapults, on.
azers, and other forms of ballistae
were used, and when scaling ladders
and battle axes were used in an es.
calade while the defenders tossed
melted lead, boiling water, stones
beams. grenades, etc., on the besieg
ers.
desperate Siege Of 1875.
The siege Of Namur in 1906 was one
Of the most desperate Of those times
the French garrison refusing to sur
render until it had lost two thirds OF
its men. The city having been invest
ed on July 3. seven days were passed