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
On his side, Messire Charles d'Amboise had not remained inactive. At the
point, I, an earthwork was raised with gabionades, and two bombards were
brought thither. The point captured was strengthened by great gabions,
all covered with fascines, and well furnished with small cannon. These
works were scarcely terminated when the day broke (September 19th). It
was the besieged who began to direct the fire of their bombard from the
boulevard, E, against the point C.
Immediately one of the bombards from the platform, I, replied, while
the other discharged balls on the tower G, whose pieces were not slow in
responding. Then the bombards of the cavaliers A and B joined in as on
the previous day. The fire of these five pieces, converging at once on
the boulevard, soon threw down the gabionades, killed most of the
artillerymen, and dismounted the bombard a second time. This defence was
no longer tenable. However, the governor would not yet abandon the
advanced work: protecting his men as best he could along the interior
slopes, he sent for five hundred Germans held in reserve in the abbey,
and when duly marshalled, at a signal agreed upon, all the pieces of the
tower G, the culverins of the barricade, and another culverin that had
remained in battery on the boulevard, fired at once on the point C; and
immediately putting himself at the head of the Germans and one hundred
volunteers, among whom were most of the Burgundian men-at-arms, crossed
the barricade and charged the enemy's position, who, surprised by this
bold attack, defended themselves but feebly, and were partly driven on
the slopes of the plateau. Messire Charles d'Amboise, who was on the
platform I, seeing this rebuff, threw two large battalions, held in
reserve behind the earthwork, against the intrenchment between the point
C and the boulevard.
His men crossed the obstacle quickly enough, in spite of the barricade
and the defenders posted at this point, and attacked the troop of the
besieged in flank and in rear. In the midst of this _mêlée_, the
artillerymen on both sides were prevented from firing; it was a combat
with sharp weapons only. The Sire de Montcler found himself much
jeopardised when, from the barbican and the boulevard, those who were on
the field, although they had orders not to quit their posts, fell in
their turn on the troop of besiegers. Immediately dividing his forces
into two bodies, the governor was able with one to hold his ground
against the assailants thrown on the slopes, and with the other to make
head against the French, in their turn attacked on both sides.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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