Annals of a FortressViollet-le-Duc, Eugène-Emmanuel
History
Annals of a Fortress
Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène-Emmanuel
Fortification -- France -- History; Fortification -- History; Siege warfare -- History
The baron's troops, seeing this, plucked up courage, and killing all
that had remained within the bailey, occupied the breach, _c_, once
more, while Anseric was occupying the barricade, C. The bosson was
destroyed with hatchets, and the mantelets left by the enemy were put in
readiness for repairing the broken-down palisades.
The duke was furious, and had broken his sword on the backs of the
runaways. But no further attempt could be made that day, and the
advantages he had gained with so much trouble were jeopardized. The
defenders were seen barricading the breaches, and he could hear the
cries of the unfortunate men who had remained in the bailey, and were
being pitilessly massacred.
The Burgundians had lost more than two thousand men since the
commencement of the siege; and on the 7th of June the duke's army
amounted to no more than four thousand five hundred or five thousand men
at most. The besieged were reduced to about a thousand; but they were
full of hope, and assured of success, while the besiegers were losing
confidence. Their advantages had been gained only by enormous
sacrifices, and this last affair threatened altogether to "demoralize"
them.
The duke had reckoned on taking the place in a month at most; and now at
the end of thirty-two days he found that he had lost the third of his
army without being much more advanced than the second day after his
arrival. Order and method had been wanting in the various phases of the
siege; this he could see when it was rather too late. If, instead of
pursuing their advantages in the centre of the front of the bailey, the
besiegers had contented themselves with taking the barbican, so as to
hinder any sortie from that side, and if with good earthworks they had
advanced under cover against the western end of this front towards the
tower, M,[33] directing all their efforts to this point and raising a
movable tower, they would be in possession of the western court, would
destroy in succession the works on their right, would be able to protect
themselves against offensive re-action on their left, and would attack
the castle on its weak side; that is, between the gate towers and that
marked Q. Thus they might take in the rear all the eastern defences,
moving along the western curtain by successive breaches.
The duke, it is true, was not acquainted with the place, and believed
that in making a wide breach in its centre he was striking at its heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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