The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-09-06

1892 France would have become amour
er Ireland, under the yoke OF the tri-
umphnnt English. and never could
have developed those powers which
have made her such an influence In
the arts and letters and on the man.
pers and feelings Of NIL 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 ~mlraculously ap-
peared to break the English power ut
the fnteful city.
II Is o possible here to discuss the
mystic personality, the tragically ro-
mantle career and the pitlful end of
the Maid of Orleans, but there Is not
the slightest question that to her and
To her alone was due the Orleans Vie
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 ~actuatlng power OF the French
arms as IL was n represent upon the
previously irresistible English, while
In higher strategy, as In utilization OF
the psychologist effect; her powers OF
dlvinatlon were uncanny. To Joan
belongs the glory Of driving the Eng
lish out of France.
With her population starving, the
English ~ravasing her at will. a for
eign king proclaimed In her capital
and her own dissolute prince trifiing
at Chinon, the affairs Of the kingdom
were In desperate state when the peas
ant girl ut 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 n series Of strong works the
English set themselves down to walt
the aid of famine, pestilence and ex-
haustion.
1t was then that Joan succeeded
In making her way into the pres.
ence OF the Dauphln, Charles. So
powerful we're 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 1.-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 a 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 superstltious soldiery. March
Ing from Blols with re-enforcements
and provisions for Orleans h sue
ceeded under cover of night and a
terrific thunderstorm In marching
right through the works OF the Eng
lish into the city itself. Here the
whole population swarmed about hel
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 th'
town, called upon the English holding
the captured Tcayelles TO depart I'm
der peril of being visited by judgmen'
Of God. Gladsdale. who commanded
the post, only reviled her. Then fol
days Joan did nothing. until fnall,
Dunois, growing impatient, took ad
vantage Of an afternoon when she rest
ed to sally forth for an attack on the
bastile OF st. Loup, one OF the NOS
formidable OF the English investing
works. So warm, however, was thu
reception he got that his troops brok'
and fled. the uproar rousing Joan, whC
galloped TO the scene In all her shin
ing armor and with her white banner
flying owe her. At once the Orlean
nais rallied. returning to the attach
with Joan at their head In what tn
English afterward called 'the charg'
Of hell" st. Loup vas stormed, car
ried and all It's defenders put to tn,
sword, save only n few whom JoaI
was able to save. This was her frs
sight of battle. She wept as sh'
looked upon the dead and wounded,
Next Joan put her forces in boat
and crossed the river, storming an
capturing we of the English bastioni
ut the south. In this engagement sh'
was wounded In the heel. but undis
mayed she determined upon an imme
date assault against the Tourelles
strongest Of the English posts and tn
key to the city. Early on the morning
of May Z she compelled her thousand