The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. 279 “In the meantime, Mendez, who had been the life and soul of the defence, was attacked by fever, and, as he lay writhing on a bed of suffering in an old vanlt, was compelled to give up his command, “A council of war was immediately assembled to deliberate on the condition of the city, and the measures most proper to be adopted. ‘“At this meeting it was stated by a cavalry officer that only 100 horses were now alive, the rest having died from want, or been slaughtered for the use of the famished troops. “ OF the infantry; not one-third were fit for duty, nearly all the ammunition was exhausted, and if a stray shell now struck the only magazine; their last cartridge would be destroyed. “ The engineers stated that the walls and fortifi- cations were almost demolished. “ There were neither men nor materials for re- pairing them, and bags of earth could no longer be made for want of material, “In order to ascertain the chances of external succour, Mendez, the commander, was sent for ; but the fever had seized upon his brain, and he could communicate nothing. “His papers were examined ; but) these only tended to increase the conviction that no ‘relief could reasonably be expected from without. — “With regard to the measures to be adopted, the council were divided in opinion. “Twenty-six voted for capitulation, and eight (amongst whom was the president) against it. “ The latter urged that there was a posstbility of being succoured. “ With a lofty gallantry of (spirit which has not its parallel in modern history, the opinion of the minority was adopted. “ For they who had voted for surrendering had done so for the sake of others. “For themselves, there was not one among them a i not rather have died than have capitu- lated. “ A flag of truce was sent to the enemy, proposing _@ suspension of hostilities for three days, with the view of ascertaining the situation of the capital ; it being understood that should no immediate succour be at hand, the council should then treat for a sur- render, “This proposal was declined by the French com- mander, and the bombardment recommenced. “On the next day the garrison made a last and unsuccessful attempt to recover two guns which the enemy had captured on the preceding day, “ Affairs were now desperate. ‘“‘ The fifty guns which had been employed in the attack of the suburbs, opened fire on the city, and the streets in the neighbourhood of the old cathe- dral were completely destroyed, , “The council now deemed it necessary to order that measures should be taken to ascertain the sentiments of the people with regard to the state of the city. “Two-thirds of it were in ruins, ‘Thousands of the inhabitants had perished, and from three to four séore persons were dying daily from the pestilence. “Under such circumstances the council déélared they had fulfilled their oath of fidelity, and that Puebla was destroyed. A flag of truce was despatched to the French bead-quarters, followed by a deptitation from the council to arrange the terms of capitulation. “The French were at first disposed to listen to nought but uticonditional surrrender. “The proposal was indignantly refused by the deputies, and Don Miguel declared that rather than submit to it the garrison should die beneath the ruins of their city. ‘“¢> and my companion,’ said the noble patriot, ‘will return there and defend what. remains to us as best we may. “We have yet army and ammunition, and if these fail we have daggers. “< War is never without its chances, and should the Pueblans be driven to despair, it yet remains to be proved who are to be victorious,’ “This answer convinced the French commander that the sooner the siege was concluded the better for the honour of their arms. “Tt was accordingly conceded that the troops should march out with the honours of war, that the herioc Mendez should be suffered to retire to any plaee where he might think proper to fix for his residence, and that all persons not included in the garrison should be suffered to quit, the city in order to avoid contagion, : “Next day the posts of the city were, delivered up to the French, who began immediately, as was their custom, to pillage. .. “ And thus ended one of the most strenuous and Saraard nae struggles. of which . history ., bears record. ie : “ By their. own account.the French threw above 17,000 bombs into the city, and expended above 160,000 lbs, of powder. — ee ‘More than 8,000 men and 500 officers lay buried beneath the ruins of Puebla, exclusive of a yast number of women and children who perished, the victims of fire, pestilence, and famine. “The loss of the French must have been very great, but it was studiously concealed. “The contemplated operations of the besieging army on other points were in consequence pre- vented, | ‘When the French took possession of the city, - only 2,400 men were capable of bearing arms. ‘The rest were in the hospitals. | ~ “Qn the Mareh to Vera Cruz, 270 of these men, weakened by famine and ‘disease, were unable to proceed with the rapidity with which their con- ductors considered necessary, ._ “They were left on the road to perish, and. to serve asa spectacle and a warning to the sueceeding divisions, } | ‘Among the prisoners was, Ponquita Isabella; who had distinguished herself in the former encounters with the French, ‘“‘ At the commencement of the siege she took, her station, at the Hast Gate, by a gun, which sha served constantly through the siege. . «See, general,’ said she, with a cheerfal goun- tenance, pointing to the gun, ‘I am again with my old friend, “Once, when her wounded husband lay. bleeding at her feet, she discharged the cannon at the enemy in order to avenge his fall. “Though exposed during the whole siege to the most imminent danger,’ Isabella always escaped without a wound. | “‘On the surrender of the city she was too well known to escape notice, and was made prisoner, “ But she had already caught the contagious fever, and being taken to the hospital she subsequently made her escape. “ Another heroine, named Juanita, wasshot through the heart. “ Her sister, who headed one of the female corps which had been formed to carry provisions, bear away the wounded, and fight in the streéts, escaped the hourly dangers to which’ she exposed ‘herself, mas es COMIGHOOKSKEO