The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-12
TIE FORTRESS Of
HAp,A HISTORIC SPOT

Washington. ID, c. April Ire
firing from Noynn. Whore. IS Clamon-
ceau was 20 fond Of haunting lrind,
the Germans lay so long ensronred
he Teuton invader and his pursuers
swept hy the rufus of the town and
fortress OF Ham when they had
encompassed about two-thlrda Of the
distance to the so-called Non linden
burg line. which runs from ST. QUEEN
TIN on the south to Cambria nortn,
Here, in the department Of the
So}hmc and on the river Of the /
name, stood the town, dating from
the earliest period of French history
and counting no less than half a
dozen successive ecclcsIasl!c and
fendal lcrdships until 1t finally was
united with the French crown In the
reign OF Henry "" says a war geo
eraphy bulletin Just prepared and
issued the National Geographic
society which goes on to tell some
thing of the history OF this famous
old ccnter Great names appear in
the list OF Hams chieftains--E Eng hien,
Rohan. Nendoms and Navarre-and
greater names still are found In the
roster Of state prisoners who have
found incarceration In Its mighty
fortress.
t'3 ERt FNhutF 'lAAtu rom fUa
eighth century, aHG i'm form IL was
huge square. t1nnkcd by four round
towers united by three ramparts. It
had but one entrance, on tho side
next the town. to which access was
had by draw bridge spanning dry
moat ON TWO sides the waters Of the
st Quentin canal bathod the walls Of
the ancient citadel
Its dungeon was built by Louis
or Luxem hourg, whose house at one
time held the ticf Of Ham He at the
time-~under the reign Of Louis XII
was Constable of st Pol, and the
greatest of the tWotow ers which de-
tfetftteA-tiir tain. -tsf-tife- frrtre*s
was known AZ the Constable's tower.
II was "A hundred feet high it's walls
having r thickness of thrty-six feet
and three heXagonai chambers filed
Its interior
The basis OF the entire works Is
the old structure. founded before the
tenth century. and enlarged and
strengthened In the centuries. since
notably in the fifteenth. when the
great constable not only provided the
outworks but also immeasura bly,
strengthened the main walls SO ei-
fectively that Violletle- Due Is said to
have considered them capable OF re-
sisting the cannon or the nineteenth
century; though they could not with
stand the ruinous explosives OF the
rctroating Teuton.
six years prior 10 the beginning
Of this work. which covered the period
from 1895 TO l470~-Joan of Arc was
imprisoned al Ham. whence, after
some months, she was sold by John of
Luxembourg into the hands of the
English, WHO, in turn, delivered her
over for trial.
''Much later, in The midst OF the
enclosure within the huge walls
brick harrack -guardhouses were built
in architectural form following the
style Of the old Notifications of Paris
and one of these has served as n place
% detention for prisoners of state
Here II was that tho ministers o.
Charles X we're brought 10 expiate
theit offence OF signing the ordinance
that caused the downfall Of the
Orleans throne; andaoGe OF them. The
conlte de- Peyronnet has gone on re
cord IN q complaint, which was pub
lished IA tne newspapers OF the time.
against The conditions which he found
there. The prison OF Ham is very
badly situated he wrote. and, more
over. unhealthy, It is envelopcd IN
fogs half the day. The promenade
eoVcrB a space OF about so feet M
the cId Of d IA npart where rot more
than TWO persons can walk abreast
These prisoners were released IN
1896 by the terms Of the amnesty
then proclaimed, and four years latel.
Ham opened its doors to the most
adventurous of all It's capttves, Louis
Napoleon
This isustator az his great uncle,
having failed in his Eoulogna aH-
ba1tering expedition Of August. 1870
VIZ temporarily held at Ham for q
few days following his csptGre and
phtl he could be taken To Paris for
his trial before the chamber OF peers
At;er bis conGsTDnation 10 perpetual
Impeachment, he vas returned n