The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-08-24

fish and raised the siege OF Orleans In
1892 France would have become anoth-
er Ireland, under the yoke of the tri-
umphant English, and never could
have developed those powers which
have made her such an influence In
the arts and letters and on the man.
lners and feelings of all mankind. The
Regent Bedford informed his royal
nephew, Henry vi, that all would
have gone well and that France would
have been as English as England her
self had not Joan miraculously ap-
peared to break the English power at
the fateful city.
It Is not possible here to discuss the
mystic personality, the tragically ro-
mantle career and the pitiful end OF
the Maid of Orleans, but there Is not
the slightest question that to her and
to her alone was due the Orleans vic
tory. 1t Is true, Of course, that Du-
nois, La Hire and some OF the other
French generals did not hesitate at
times to deviate from the letter Of her
orders In purely military technique,
but the inspiration Of her presence
was the actuating power Of the French
arms as 1t was depressept upon the
previously irresistible English, while
in higher strategy, as In utilization of
the psychologist effect, her powers OF
divination were uncanny. To Joan
belongs the glory Of driving the Eng
lish out of France.
With her population starving, the
English ravaging her at will. a for
eign king proclaimed In her capital
and her own dissolute prince trihing
at Chinon, the affairs of the kingdom
were In desperate state when the peas
ant girl at Domremy, directed by the
heavenly voices she heard, or believed
she heard. brought herself to the res
cue. Orleans was the last stronghold
Of the French national party. With
that city once In their possession the
English could pursue their course
through the rest Of the kingdom with
out serious obstacle. So to the siege
Of Orleans came Salisbury, soon to
be slain by a cannonball-cannon fig
uring in this siege for the first time In
history-but to be succeeded by the
equally skillful and experienced Suf-
folk. Salisbury carried the Tourelles,
the fertilization which guarded the
head Of the bridge across the Loire,
but the French broke down the
bridge itself, thus preventing the sue
cessful army from entering the city.
Erecting a series of strong works the
English set themselves down to walt
the aid of famine, pestilence and ex-
haustion.
It was then that Joan succeeded
in making her way into the pres
ence of the Dauphin, Charles. So
powerful were her arguments, so
amazing her prescience and so rapidly
expanding her influence with the sol
diery and the people that Charles
and his advisors, no matter what they
may have thought privately as to her
powers, felt justified in employing her.
Thus "The Holy Maid" clad In shin
ing white armor, bestriding a majestic
war horse and carrying lance and pen
non which she handled with the skill
Of q veteran, came to the command
Of the armies Of France.
Joan's first exploit was so sensation
al as to make startling impression up
on the superstitious soldiery. March
Ing from Blois with re-enforcements
and provisions for Orleans she sue
ceeded under cover Of night and
terrific thunderstorm In marching
right through the works Of the Eng
lish into the city itself. Here the
whole population swarmed about her
for the privilege Of touching her cloak
while overwhelmingly ready with ac-
ceptance for the assertion that she
was guided by angels.
As the start of her offensive cam
paign Joan, mounting the wall Of the
town, called upon the English holding
the captured Tourelles to depart I'M
der peril of being visited by judgment
Of God. Gladsdale, who commanded
the post, only reviled her. Then for
lays Joan did nothing, until finally
l'unois, growing impatient, took adj
vantage of an afternoon when she rest
ed to sally forth for an attack on the
bastile Of st. Loup, one Of the most
formidable Of the English investing
works. SO warm, however, was the
reception he got that his troops broke
and fed, the uproar rousing Joan, who
galloped to the scene in all her shin
ing armor and with her white banner
flying over her. At once the Orlean-
nais rallied, returning to the attack
with Joan at their head In what the
English afterward called "the charge
of hell" st. Loup was stormed, car
'ried and all Its defenders put to the
sword. save only few whom Joan
was able to save. This was her first
sight of battle. She wept as she
looked upon the dead and wounded.
Next Joan put her forces in boats
and crossed the river, storming and
capturing two Of the English bastions
at the south. In this engagement she
was wounded in the heel, but undis-
mayed she determined upon an imme-
date assault against the Tourelles,