The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 284: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— 278 those which were shot into the town, and which they collected and fired back upon the enemy. “Tt was on the 20th that the besiegers effected their first lodgment within the walls. “ Every house was defended most heroically, and eyery day houses were blown up. “On the 21st, sixty were thus destroyed. “ This mode of war occasioned the loss of a great number of lives to the French, for every inch of ground was purchased dearly. ‘¢ Noel, their commander, was killed. “The bombardment continued two and forty days, but still within the walls the contest was carried on as unshrinkingly as at first. ‘The inhabitants of the part of the city most injured by the bombardment were driven into the other quarters, where many of them took up their abode in cellars, which afforded comparative seclu- sion from the shells. | * The consequence was that these dark and miserable receptacles became the focus of infec- tious fevers. : | “ The Plazza was crowded with ‘soldiers from all parts of the town, and one night, when the besiegers received a severe defeat, part of the troops were under arms inthe Plazza for two or three hours while heavy showers were falling, which was suc- ceeded by intensely hot weather on the morrow. ‘This produced an infectious catarrh, which was soon followed by ,all. the alarming and dreadful symptoms ‘of camp contagion, “To these causes may be added scantiness of food, crowded quarters, unusual exertion of body and anxiety of mind, and the impossibility of re- cruiting their exhausted ‘strength by needful rest in a city which was almost incessantly bombarded, and where every hour their sleep was broken by the tremendous explosion of mines, ‘‘Tt was impossible to check the ravages of the pestilence, or confine it to one quarter of the city. ‘ Above thirty hospitals were immediately estab- lished, and as soon as.one was destroyed by the bombardment, the patients were removed to another. “And thus the infection was carried to every part of Puebla. ‘4 7 ‘‘ Famine aggravated the evil, The city had, probably, not been provided at the commencement of the siege, and, of the pro- visions which it contained, much was destroyed in the daily ruin which the mines and bombs effected, “The misfortunes of the Mexicans were hourly accumulating, “The number of dead per day amounted to hun- dreds from the fever alone, ‘The hospitals were too small to contain the vas’ number of patients, and the necessary medicines were exhausted. , “The burying grounds were choked with corpses, and large pits were dug in the streets, into which the dead were tossed indiscriminately. ~“ Heaps of bodies were piled before the churches, where they were often struck by the shells, and the maimed and ghastly carcases lay dispersed along the streets, a frightful spectacle of horror. “Kiven under such evils the courage of the Mexicans did not fail. ‘The city was soon open to the invaders, but not one inch of the ground was yielded without a struggle, ‘¢ Juarez, however, did not limit his efforts to ob- structing the progress of the enemy. ‘‘ He made vigorous efforts to recover the ground already lost, and drive the assailants from their stations, _— THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. —— “The nuns and ladies bore part in these opera- tions. - ‘The former carried munitions, and gave succour to the dying, animating the soldiers at once by their words and their example. | ‘The latter carried refreshments to their sons or husbands, or fathers, and, sometimes, when one dear relative fell by their side, they seized his arms, determined to revenge his death or perish by his side in the same glorious cause. ‘“‘ Notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the gar- rison, the French gained ground on the left. “They obtained possession of two monasteries, which adjoined each other; two of the strongest, and most defensible places left. “ Having been repelled in assaulting the breaches, the assailants sprung amine, and by that means effected an entrance. . “A desperate and determined struggle was long maintained in the church. ‘“ Hvery column, eyery chapel, every altar became a point of defence. ‘The pavements were stained with blood, and the aisles and body of the church strewn with the dead or dying. ‘In the midst of this scene of horror, the roof of the edifice, shattered by balls and bombs, suddenly fell in with a terrible crash upon friend and foe alike. “The boldest held their breath for a time ; but those who escaped renewed the fight.- “Fresh parties of the French poured in; men, women and children rushed to the defence, and the contest was continued amid the ruins, and above the mangled, writhing bodies of the dead or dying. i kg day after day passed on, the situation of things for the brave Mexicans looked so desperate that persons of rank and unquestionable patriotism begged Juarez Mendez, Don Miguel, and other brave leaders to resist no longer, but surrender, ‘ * But, with proud, undaunted hearts, these brave leaders of the people refused to listen to any such advice; but, instead, they addressed the citizens in stirring speeches, and roused up all to fresh exertions and deeds of daring. “For several days longer they continued th defence. . * At last the French made a fierce attack on the suburb nearest the cathedral, and, after two un- successful trials, carried it by assault. , “A tremendous fire from fifty guns soon cleared this suburb of all obstructions, and made a clear road for the assaulting columns. “ By mid-day a breach was effected in the stout walls of the convent of San Jerome, which com- manded a bridge over the river, and, after fiercely fighting, the Mexicans were driven from the old building. ** All communication between the suburb and the city proper was now cut off, and the French, inter- cepting Mexican reinforcements, captured 200 prisoners, who were too feeble from disease and suffering to make any stout resistance to the numbers who opposed them on all sides. “The capture of the convent of San Jerome in- volved that of the suburb round it, which was without ammunition or provisions, yet many of the people continued to wage a fierce but hopeless war in the streets, “Some scores crossed the broken bridge under a anon of bullets, and effected their escape to the city. ‘Others crossed the river by swimming or in boats. 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