The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-09-06

~ 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-
emy stormed In at every point. With
out siege, without n 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 that 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 Il. Maxtone Gra-
ham in Country Life. A prosperous
manufacturing town with 100000 in
habitants engaged in modern industries
does not seem suggestive of historical
associations. The st. Quentin of to-
day has spread over 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 II
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
aery path of war, and, like all other
ities of the Somme, even in early days
could never count on any lasting peace.
The pages of the old French chron-
lclers 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 un-
ending list of personal feud and foray,
the seizing and sacking of small towns,
the sklrmishing Of small forces. In the
spring of 1414, Charles vi, the Mad
King of France, who was so keen q
soldier between his attacks of insanity,
was engaged In the congenial task of
turning Burgundy out of various towns
- on the Somme. Having wrested Sois-
sons from the duke, after n 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
Picardy. The wide-spreading marsf
of the Somme formed a protection OF
three sides. The city lay in the direc
road of all northern inyasions. Who
ever held st. Quentin held the key t.
Paris. Yet In 1857 the Spanish wal
found the ramparts in ruinous condi
ton and the defenses neglected. TIT
resources of Spain included 6O,0OO mel
under Manuel Philibert, duke of Savoy
and the Flemish Count dEgmont
Against these forces were opposed tn
| nneSt cnlNuiry ol riuHSe, HpPeieSSi'
outnumbered. Gaspard de Coligny
admiral Of France. and Anne de Mont
morenci, constable of France, one o
the illustrious veterans of Francois
both men full of wisdom, courage AM
greatness of soul, are the outstandin
names in the story of the battle an
siege of st. Quentin, which was des
tined to be for France one of those dc
feats which add luster to her name.
At the outset Collgny forced tn
Spanish lines and got into st. Quentl
with 900 men, before the first attac
could be delivered. Once inside, h
realized the desperate condition of al
fairs, the ruined ramparts, the lack O
provisions and of munitions. UnleS
help could be got from outside tn
place could not hold out for weel
The constable was ut La Fere with tn
French army. The Spanish host wa
gathered threateningly on the one sid
of st. Quentin that was unprotected b
the marshes. Some OF the inhahitant
Of st. Quentin told Coligny thu