The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1917-09-07

~ noon Of August %, 1914, the
~ Germans took possession Of the
city of st. Quentin on the
Somme. Owing to the incredible
swiftness of the enemy advance the
tiny garrison and the population were
taken completely by surprise, and no
resistance could be offered. The city
being surrounded on all sides, the en-
envy stormed in at every point. With
out a siege, without a battle, st. Quen-
tin was overwhelmed by the countless
hordes of the Germans, who were car
rying all before them in that great re-
sistless westward movement towards
Paris the. seemed to promise complete
and dazzling victory to their arms.
Through the changes and chances of
centuries of war; st. Quentin has seen
heroes in all generations lay down
their lives in her streets and about her
walls, from the dawn of history till
present times, says e. Maxtone Ora
ham in Country Life. A prosperous
manufacturing town with 100000 in
habitants engaged in modern industries
/ associations. The st. Quentin of to-
| day has spread over a large acreage,
and has grown to be one of the main
centers in France for railway com
munications and for cotton and many
other useful, if unpicturesque, indus
tries.
| To visualize st. Quentin in old days,
| Imagination must clear away all but
| few old streets and buildings, retaining
the exquisite Hotel de Vile and the
glorious Gothic church begun in the
twelfth century, with its double tran
sept and arches soaring to incredible
height st. Quentin lay always in the
fiery path of war, and, like all other
cities of the Somme even in early days
could never count on any lasting peace.
| The pages of the old French chron-
| iclers of the fifteenth century are al
most entirely taken up with records of
the wars between the crown and the
powerful dukes of Burgundy, one I'M
ending list of personal feud and foray
| the Selling and sacking of small towns,
| the skirmishing of small forces. In the
spring of 1414, Charles VI, the Mad
| King of France, who was so keen a
soldier between his attacks of insanity,
was engaged in the congenial task of
turning Burgundy out of various towns
on the Somme. Having wrested Sos-
sons from the duke, after siege, he
reduced the captured town to the last
depths of misery. A few days later
the king rode, well pleased, to st.
Quentin with his knights and found
royal lodging there.
Was Strong Frontier Town.
st. Quentin was for centuries con-
sidered the strongest frontier town of
Pcardy. The wide-spreading marsh
of the Somme formed protection on
three sides. The city lay In the direct
road of all northern invasions. Who
ever held ST Quentin held the key TO
Paris. Yet in 1857 the Spanish war
found the ramparts in ruinous condi-
ton and the defenses neglected. The
resources of Spain included 10000 men
under Manuel Philibert, duke of Savoy
and the Flemish Count d'Egmont
Against these forces were opposed the
finest chivalry of France, hopelessly
outnumbered. Gaspard de Coligny
admiral of France, and Anne de Mont
morenci, constable of France, one OF
the illustrious veterans of Francois |
both men full of wisdom, courage anc
greatness of soul, are the outstanding
names in the story of the battle ane
Siege of st. Quentin, whnh was des
tined to be for France one of those de
feats which add luster TO her name.
At the outset Coligny forced tn,
Spanish lines and got into st. Quentin
with 900 men. before the first attacl
could be delivered. Once inside, h
realized the desperate condition of af
fairs, the ruined ramparts, the lack o
provisions and of munitions. Unless
help could be got from outside, th'
place could not hold out for week
The constable was at La Fere with thu
! French army. The Spanish host wa
gathered threateningly on the one sid
OF ST. Quentin that was unprotected b.
, the marshes. Some of the inhabitant
Of st. Quentin told Coligny tina