_THE FIFTH SIEGE._
The 4th of September, 1478, the army of King Louis XI. was reported by a
company of horsemen to be half a day's march from the town. This army,
consisting of five hundred lances and infantry, forming a total of about
six thousand men, was commanded by Messire Charles d'Amboise, lord of
Chaumont, a sage and moderate man, no plunderer as his predecessor had
been, and as valiant a man of war as he was a clever politician.
Messire Charles d'Amboise was expecting a reinforcement of twelve
hundred Swiss; for he had been able to push his interests so ably with
some of the gentry of the Cantons by offering them attractive
advantages, that they had resolved to furnish him with troops.
Besides the four florins and a half a month which he gave to each man,
Messire Charles d'Amboise paid for this service twenty thousand francs
to the cities of Berne, Lucerne, Zurich, Solerne, and twenty thousand to
the private individuals who undertook the recruiting. For which
consideration, a body of Swiss troops for the service of the king was to
be raised, amounting to six thousand infantry.
The king's army took with it a good and powerful artillery, consisting
of twelve large bombards, twenty-four spiroles, veuglaires and
ribeaudequins, without reckoning fire-arms and the munitions for this
ordnance. Thus accompanied it marched slowly and in good order, well
guarded on its flanks.
Some of the Burgundian lords, with about forty lances, having wished to
try the strength of the French previous to their arrival before the
city, suffered for their adventurous spirit; for they left half their
number on the field. The governor, therefore, commanded that no one
should go out without his orders. The first troops of Messire Charles
d'Amboise showed themselves at nightfall on the northern side of the
plateau, just beyond the range of boulevard D[38], and began to install
themselves, setting up between them and the town, mantelets brought on
carts, and fixed with the help of stakes driven in the ground. When it
became quite dark, the Sire de Montcler tried to attack them; but
perceiving that this vanguard was efficiently sustained by a large body
posted in the rear, he retired after a slight skirmish.
Next day, the 5th of September, Messire Charles d'Amboise sent some
scouts into the lower town, and on the eastern side towards the mills,
which he took without striking a blow, for they were not guarded.
Immediately, some bombs were discharged at these mills, and the
besiegers were obliged to abandon them for the moment, for at the second
discharge one of the roofs fell in. The Sire de Montcler organized his
troops as follows:--
In each of the four wards mentioned above, 200 armed men from the town
were intrusted with the guard and defence of the ramparts 800
There remained 500 Burgundian foot soldiers, among whom there were
bombardiers and culverineers 150
Skilled javelin men, archers, and arbalisters 250
Pioneers 100
The Germans who were not on friendly terms with the inhabitants were
posted in reserve in the abbey, amounting to 800
And in the castle, amounting to 400
The men-at-arms, partly in the abbey 200
Partly in the castle 200
Partly in the neighbourhood of the gates 50
-----
Total of force 2,950
-----
It was evident that the garrison was not numerous enough to attempt
sorties; it had already enough to do to guard its defences in presence
of a besieging army amounting to nearly six thousand men; an army
moreover which might receive reinforcements. The governor was clearly
awake to the facts, and felt that he must economise his strength.
He resolved, therefore, to limit himself at least for the moment to an
energetic defence; but this did not prevent him from sending messengers
to Maximilian before the complete investment, to ask him to intervene
and send a corps of relief, if he did not wish to see the place fall
into the hands of the king of France, which would certainly happen if it
were left to itself. But he added it would resist to the last, and he
could answer for the disposition of the garrison.
On his side, Messire Charles d'Amboise seemed not to wish to precipitate
matters; he hanged several soldiers who had been guilty of acts of
pillage in the neighbourhood, and ordered that the dwellers in the
suburbs should be considerately treated. By the evening of the 8th of
September the town was completely invested. A body, consisting of three
thousand two hundred men, remained encamped on the northern plateau,
acting in conjunction with five hundred men posted among the ruins of
the lower town and three hundred men behind the walls on the lower
slopes of the hills on the east.[39] Most of the cavalry occupied the
right shore of the larger stream and the valley on the south. A body of
about five hundred men blockaded the _tête du pont_, and had orders to
seize it when a favourable occasion offered. That night some pieces of
artillery were brought into position on the lower slopes of the eastern
hills to command all the eastern declivity of the _cité_. Some were
assigned to the body of troops blockading the _tête du pont_.
The besiegers' artillery was thus disposed:--
Veuglaires,
Bombards. Spiroles.
Attack on the northern boulevard 4 2
Battery on the slopes of the eastern hills 2 4
Before the _tête du pont_ 4
On the western slopes of the plateau commanding
the lower town 2
Park of reserve 6 12
-- --
Total 12 24
-- --
The artillery of the besieged consisted of:--
Bombards. Culverins.
On the platforms of the three great northern
towers 3 3
In the casemated batteries of these towers 6
On the earthwork in front of the northern
boulevard 2
On the northern boulevard 1 2
On the boulevards B, C, H, I, K 5 5
On the cavalier commanding the bridge 1 2
Reserve in the abbey and the castle 4 8
-- --
Totals 14 28
-- --
On the 10th of September the besiegers began a cavalier in form of a
horseshoe, three hundred paces from the boulevard, E, towards the
north-east, to rake its gorge at A (Fig. 53). This cavalier was armed
with two bombards and a spirole. Northwards, on the side of the road, a
second cavalier, B, was also provided with two bombards. Next was
commenced an earthwork, running obliquely with traverses, to reach from
this cavalier in a south-west direction as far as the edge of the
plateau near the defenders' intrenchment C, D. The great boulevard, E,
of the defence was armed with a bombard and two culverins, and two other
culverins flanked the intrenchment C, D. On the morning of the 17th of
September, the four bombards of the besiegers sent into the boulevard
stone balls two hundred pounds weight, which very much damaged the
gorge, and about noon dismounted the bombard and one of the culverins.
The besieged had answered their fire as well as they could, both from
the boulevard and the two great towers G, H. But it was only the balls
of the bombard mounted on the platform of the tower H, that reached the
cavalier A. Those of the tower G only rolled as far as the slope of the
cavalier B. The governor might have mounted other bombards on the
boulevard E; but he was afraid of losing the pieces, and preferred
reserving them for the defence at close quarters. On the 18th the
besieger had terminated his earthwork as far as the point I, and there
he brought up a veuglaire to dismount the flank culverin C. At this
point some men were lost on both sides; for the besiegers sent among
those engaged in the works large balls of stone and leaden bullets,
fired from the bombards of the tower G, and from small cannon.
[Illustration: FIG. 53.]
On the 18th of September, at daybreak, the bombards of the cavaliers, A
and B, redoubled their fire on the boulevard; then Messire Charles
d'Amboise, having massed a body of four hundred men at the point, I,
sheltered by gabions and fascines put up during the night; at the word
of command this body fell upon the flank, C, which was vigorously
defended for an hour. After this the Sire de Montcler, observing that
the besiegers were continually sending reinforcements to this point,
withdrew his troops into the barbican, K, and the boulevard, E, which
enabled the artillerymen posted in the tower, G, to keep up a brisk fire
from their bombard and their small cannon upon the assailants.
From the boulevard, E, the besieged, in spite of the projectiles they
received in their rear, sheltering themselves as best they could,
discharged volleys of stones with their culverins on the point occupied
by the enemy. The latter sought to avoid them by descending a short
distance below the ridge of the plateau; but they were none the less
exposed there to the fire from the tower, G. They brought up gabions and
fascines, and endeavoured to gain a footing on this flank, not without
some loss, when about three o'clock in the afternoon another attack was
contrived against the flank, D. Passing round the end of the
intrenchment, and hastening with all speed along the slopes, the enemy
attempted to take the defenders in the rear. This attack was
unsuccessful. Those who served the bombards and culverins of the tower,
H, seized the right moment for discharging volleys against this column
of assailants, which made deep lanes in the battalions. These, moreover,
who were retired within the barbican, precipitated down the slopes those
of the enemy who had already passed beyond the intrenchment; and the
struggle ceased towards evening, the besieger occupying the point C
alone, without being able to advance. He was endeavouring to find
shelter there, both against the projectiles and against any attack in
retaliation. The citizens had lost only a few men and a culverin. The
enemy reckoned one hundred and fifty dead, and a large number of
wounded.
During the night the Sire de Montcler brought up fascines, casks, and
timber _débris_ with which he raised a barricade connecting the barbican
with the boulevard along the road, and a second connecting the eastern
extremity of the intrenchment, D, with the fausse-braie of the tower, H,
along the ridge of the plateau. He brought up one of the reserve
culverins, and mounted it in the centre of the first barricade, then,
with gabions, he strengthened the shelters and parados of the boulevard.
The bombard was remounted as well as it could be, and directed against
the point, C, of the intrenchment. And a second bombard was brought from
the abbey to the platform of the tower G.
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.
The conflict was sanguinary. The besiegers, driven back against the
intrenchment, could neither deploy nor manoeuvre. Messire Charles
d'Amboise sent a reinforcement, but the bombardiers of the tower G, at
the risk of killing some of their own party, discharged stone balls and
leaden bullets over the intrenchment at the fresh troops. Some
well-aimed shots threw this battalion into confusion, as the soldiers
could not see what was taking place in the interior, and were besides
exposed to projectiles thrown by defenders mounted on the salient of the
intrenchment. In fact the utmost these last comers could do was to
facilitate the retreat of their comrades, which had become a very
perilous one. The outwork was therefore recovered by the besieged--were
they able to keep it?
Messire Charles d'Amboise saw that it was not prudent to hurry on an
attack, and that in the face of a resolute garrison he must determine to
proceed methodically. As the last rays of daylight faded the besiegers
had all repassed the intrenchment conquered the day before, and were
leaving on the field more than a hundred dead, wounded, and prisoners.
They had been obliged to abandon the culverin they had seized. The
wounded were transported to the abbey and consigned to the care of the
monks, who attended to them as well as to the wounded among the
besieged. The prisoners were shut up in the castle, where they were well
treated. Some Swiss were among them.
It was painful to the Sire de Montcler to abandon the outwork after this
success; but it was evident that the besiegers would make new efforts to
seize it, since the place was accessible only on that side, and many
men must be sacrificed in retaining it. Now the garrison had suffered in
the last struggle losses at least equivalent to those of the enemy; and
these losses could not be repaired, while the troops of the king of
France would be reinforced, if necessary. The Swiss prisoners, when
questioned, had not concealed the fact that the enemy might reckon upon
a fresh body of their own countrymen, five hundred in number, before
long.
At nightfall therefore the governor assembled the captains of the
various posts and the Burgundian lords, and spoke to them as
follows:--"Gentlemen, our troops have displayed courage and intelligence
in this day's struggle; and this assures us success, with the help of
God. Though inferior to the enemy in numbers, we have defended and
recovered the outwork; it would therefore be possible to keep it. Yet we
cannot do so without directing all our means of resistance to this
point, and imposing a severe task on the garrison. We should be rapidly
exhausting our strength, while the enemy, which is much more numerous
than we, can employ fresh troops every day. It would seem wise, then, to
abandon this outwork, exposed to the batteries of the enemy, and to
retire behind the ramparts; but besides the disinclination which men of
honour must feel for retreating, after a success has been gained, and
not trying to avail themselves of the advantages they have secured,
there is the consideration that if we abandon the boulevard this defence
will be turned against us by the besieger, and will support him in
attacking our front. I have, therefore, resolved to unite this boulevard
with the extremities of the curtains by two intrenchments, which will be
flanked by the towers. This very night we must begin; and if we have not
finished the works to-morrow morning we must defend our present
intrenchment, that we may secure time to finish the new one. Be so good,
therefore, as to assemble the townspeople in their various quarters
within an hour, and let them be in readiness on the ground to work at
the said intrenchments."
[Illustration: FIG. 54]
The orders of the governor were peremptory, and about nine o'clock four
hundred workmen, and even women, issued by the north gate to raise the
earthworks marked out on the ground by the engineer (Fig. 54). This
intrenchment consisted of a small ditch with an earthwork surmounted by
stakes, rubbish from the demolition of houses in the town, fascines, and
barrels filled with earth. On the western side it started from the
boulevard at N, and joined the fosse of the curtain at L, leaving a
passage of twenty-four feet between its extremity and the ditch. On the
eastern side it reached the entrance of the boulevard O, and followed
the line O M, with a similar passage at M. At R and P two culverins were
mounted, protected by strong gabionades. On the enemy's side an
embankment, with platform and gabions, had been raised at S, and the two
bombards of the cavalier, B, were mounted on this platform. At T,
Messire Charles d'Amboise had placed a culverin, protected by a
gabionade.
The bombards of the cavalier B were replaced by three veuglaires to
crush the battery S, if the besieged, taking the offensive, endeavoured
to seize it.
On the morning of the 20th of September the works of the besieged were
almost completed, or at any rate were high enough to present an obstacle
to the assailant. The boulevard, E, had been well furnished with
fascines and gabions that very night. The bombard, remounted, swept the
point C, and the two culverins the exterior. The intrenchment, C D, was
strongly occupied by the defenders at the break of day with small cannon
and powerful catapults. The barricades on the flanks, V and X, were
strengthened. The Sire de Montcler sent two hundred men to the
boulevard, E, with orders to keep under cover as far as possible, and to
use their weapons only in case of the intrenchment being forced. The
attack commenced about six o'clock. The two bombards, S, discharged
stone balls on the salient of the intrenchment and on the boulevard; at
the same time the two pieces, I and T, directed their fire on the
epaulement, C, and the interval, S T, was occupied by arbalisters and
men who served the small cannon under cover of mantelets. From the
cavalier, A, the bombards continued to discharge balls broadcast on the
boulevard E, as on the previous days. From the platform of this cavalier
A, Messire Charles d'Amboise had observed the intrenchment which the
besieged had raised during the night; he therefore resolved to bring all
his efforts to bear on the salient and the boulevard. With this view,
about eight o'clock, he brought up two culverins at Y, which, protected
by gabions, were also made to do duty. The besieged replied only with
their small cannon and the two culverins of the epaulements, C and D,
and their arbalisters. They were husbanding their fire for the moment of
assault. At noon, the salient of the intrenchment was broken down, and
the escarpment of the boulevard was greatly damaged. The defenders were
driven from their position at Z; their culverin, C, was dismounted, and
the western epaule rendered untenable. They dispersed or took refuge
along the intrenchment from Z to D, which was less exposed. The Sire de
Montcler gave orders to return within the second intrenchment. They
brought away the culverin D, which was mounted at the extremity L; but
they were obliged to leave the piece C after having spiked it. As soon
as Charles d'Amboise saw the besieged abandon his intrenchment he ceased
firing, and, having marshalled an assaulting column furnished with
ladders, poles, and cutlasses, ordered it to cross the ruined salient
and assault the boulevard without giving the enemy breathing time. This
was the moment for which the commandant was waiting. As soon as he saw
this column begin to move and pass the intrenchment, he directed upon it
a simultaneous fire from the pieces of the two towers G and H, the two
culverins mounted on the boulevard, and all the small cannon. The
assaulting column, thus taken obliquely and in front, hesitated and
fell back; when it was greeted by a shower of crossbow bolts from the
ramparts of the boulevard. It rallied, however, behind the battery S,
which discharged a volley upon the boulevard, and, turning slightly on
its right so as at least to shelter itself from the fire of the tower H,
it passed the intrenchment once more and threw its scaling ladders on
the escarpment of the boulevard. The defenders sustained the assault
resolutely. The tower, G, then began to fire on the assailants as well
as the culverins brought up at L and P.
The besiegers suffered severe losses. On two occasions some of their
number reached the parapet, but could not hold their ground. They did
not fall back, however; and most of them heated by the fight, not
obeying or not hearing the voice of their captains, advanced along the
new intrenchment N L, hoping to force it, for it was but weak. In fact,
in a few moments this defence was passed, and the assailants then
endeavoured to take the boulevard by the gorge. The defenders posted
between C and M seeing themselves taken in rear, took refuge, some in
the boulevard and others in barbican K. A hand to hand fight began in
this triangle. In this _mêlée_ the garrison dared not shoot from the
curtain. The Sire de Montcler, who was in the barbican, then put himself
at the head of his men and encouraged them by saying that the enemy was
taken in a snare from which he could not escape; he sallied forth in
good order, driving the scattered assailants before him as far as the
gorge of the boulevard, which was crowded by the defenders, crying
"Burgundy! Burgundy!" (Fig. 55). The works of this boulevard were
commanded by a cool-headed captain, who was able to prevent his men from
being disturbed by the struggle going on behind them; and who
maintained his ground against the assault--now diminishing in
vigour--issued from the gorge, and rallying all the panic-stricken
soldiers who were massed together at this point, rushed on the enemy.
The French were then obliged to retreat as best they could, not without
leaving many of their men on the field. But it was evident that the
boulevard P could hold out no longer. Surrounded by the enemy's fire,
and the outer intrenchment taken, a fresh assault would place it in the
power of the enemy. Its parapets were ruined, and its three pieces
disabled. All night the besiegers occupied both sides of the
intrenchments N, L, O, M and kept up an incessant fire to hinder the
besieged from reinforcing this defence. The Sire de Montcler determined,
though with regret, and only to avoid a useless sacrifice of life, to
give the orders required for bringing back into the town such pieces of
ordnance as were still serviceable. He was obliged to abandon the
bombard, of which indeed the besiegers could make no use. Two of the
five culverins were placed on the platforms of the great towers, and the
three others on terraces raised behind the curtain, together with three
pieces taken from the reserve.
[Illustration: FIG. 55.--ASSAULT ON THE BOULEVARD.]
On the morning of the 21st of September, the besiegers found the outwork
abandoned; but in occupying it themselves they were exposed to the fire
of the two great bombards of the towers and of ten culverins, which did
not cease to fire on the boulevard and the intrenchment.
Towards evening, however, they had succeeded in opening a wide breach in
the boulevard, opposite the gorge, and inclosing the latter. They were
occupied all night in restoring its slopes and parapets in front of the
town, and raising platforms and mounting three bombards on the
boulevard.
[Illustration: FIG. 56
ATTACK ON THE OLD FRONT.]
At the two epaulements of the intrenchment C, D they raised two
gabioned cavaliers, and placed a bombard and two veuglaires on each of
them.
On the 21st of September, these works having been terminated by noon in
spite of the fire of the besieged, one of the bombards of the boulevard
discharged its stone balls at the gate, the two others at the two
towers. At the same time the veuglaires of the cavaliers fired on these
towers with iron balls and the bombards with their stone balls. These
projectiles left only feeble traces on the masonry, but often threw down
the gabionades and the parapets, and dismounted the pieces (Fig.
56).[40]
This artillery fight lasted till evening; on both sides pieces had been
dismounted or were silenced; and the whole of the night was employed
both by besieger and besieged in replacing the cannon on their repaired
carriages or in bringing up new pieces.
Messire Charles d'Amboise was irritated; the affair was advancing but
slowly. He had already received pressing letters from the king; for
Louis XI. was afraid that a prolonged resistance would determine the
other parts of Burgundy which had remained faithful to the court of
France, to declare for the young duchess. He knew that emissaries of
Maximilian were going through the province and endeavouring to persuade
the authorities of the great towns that the king's army was feeble and
disheartened; seeing that, in spite of formidable artillery, twenty days
had not enabled it to make any impression on the little city of
Roche-Pont.
Although the besiegers concentrated their fire, the number of pieces
mounted by them was inferior to that of the cannon of the besieged. The
stone balls of the bombards did no great damage to the defences. Messire
Charles d'Amboise, therefore, during the night intervening between the
22nd and 23rd, raised a cavalier at A, strongly gabioned and terraced,
and armed it with three large culverins. On the morning of the 23rd of
September the corner tower, G, received the fire of five pieces loaded
with iron ball and of a bombard discharging stone balls. After two
hours' fire all the defences of the platform were knocked down and the
three pieces dismounted, the embrasures of the tower battery shattered,
and the defenders killed or wounded. Then orders were given that the
tower should be fired upon only by two pieces from the cavalier C; and
the fire of the three culverins of the cavalier A, and the three
bombards of the boulevard, concentrated their fire on the gate and its
barbican. Towards the end of the day this fine gate presented the
appearance shown in Fig. 57. In the evening the besieger's pieces that
had not been dismounted--that is to say, two culverins of the battery A,
a veuglaire of the cavalier, and one of the bombards of the
boulevard--concentrated their fire on the terrace P, of the
besieged.[41] By evening the wall was dismantled, the gabionades tumbled
down, and only one of the three culverins was available. However there
was no breach, and an assault could not be attempted.
[Illustration: FIG. 57]
The Sire de Montcler decided that he must at all risks retard the
besieger's progress if he could do nothing more. He reckoned that in two
days the enemy would be able to effect a breach, either by his cannon or
by mining, and that then the _cité_ must be taken; for the garrison
could not long hold out behind the interior retrenchments. In the
cannonade of the preceding days the Sire de Montcler had lost but few
men, and his reserve force had not been drawn upon. He therefore got
them under arms about nine o'clock, summoned a troop of one hundred
well-mounted horsemen, and gave the following orders:--The hundred
horsemen, accompanied by a hundred _coutilliers_ on foot, were to sally
forth by the eastern gate against the post established at the mills,
attack the small encampment installed in the meadows below, fall back by
the road skirting the plateau on the east side, skirmish on the
outskirts of the French camp, or cut down the posts they came upon on
their way, and then return at full speed to the east gate. A second body
of a hundred foot soldiers was to be at the cross road above the mills
to protect their retreat. During these attacks, designed to attract the
enemy's attention to the left, a troop of five hundred men on foot would
issue from a masked postern giving egress below the front of the abbey
on the west, and filing off along the ramparts, vigorously attack the
cavalier C, and the battery A, spike the pieces, and do all possible
damage. It was to retire by the same way, protected by the western
ramparts.
Messire Charles d'Amboise was too experienced a warrior to fail in
pushing his advantage. He knew that success, especially in sieges,
ultimately accrues to him who leaves the enemy no repose, and does not
fall asleep when his first advantage has been gained. The north front of
the place was rendered powerless; but an energetic governor of a town
may, in a single night, accumulate many obstacles, devise a hundred
stratagems, and very greatly hinder the efficiency of an attack. Charles
d'Amboise had therefore resolved to have fascines conveyed to the ditch
by a body of a thousand men, some yards from the great tower of the
corner G, and to attempt an escalade, while the ordnance, firing on this
tower at discretion, hindered the defenders from fortifying the platform
again. He had observed the embrasure on the flank of this tower raking
the ditch, and had summoned a body of twenty men, furnished with
mattresses, and pieces of wood to mask it. As regarded the
_fausse-braie_, that was ruined, and could not present any serious
obstacle.
The Sire de Montcler had some reason to expect a night attack; but he
intended to be beforehand with it, and crush it in the bud. "Whatever
happens," he said to the troops ordered for the sorties, "act according
to your instructions: do not allow yourselves to be diverted by any
attempt at an assault; on the contrary, execute the orders given you to
the letter. We are still numerous enough to sustain an attack."
At a quarter past ten the two detachments were in the act of issuing
forth by the eastern gate and by the abbey postern. The governor then
mounted the _débris_ of the defences of the tower at the corner C, and
attentively examined the attitude of the enemy. The fires they had
lighted were no longer to be seen; but, on listening, he heard
indistinct sounds along the works of the besieger. The sky was overcast,
and drops of rain were in falling. The Sire de Montcler descended to the
lower battery; all the embrasures fronting the exterior were in ruins,
and all the pieces of ordnance covered with rubbish. The embrasure of
the flank was intact, and the small piece with which it was furnished
was in good condition. He had it loaded in his presence with nails and
old iron, and gave orders to those serving it not to fire till they saw
the enemy a few paces off; behind this piece he had a second placed
similarly loaded, so that two volleys might be discharged one after the
other. Then he went up again to the rampart walk of the curtain, and
himself drew up his men, who were armed with long bills and good daggers
and axes. He next visited the ruined gate. It presented such a pile of
rubbish that the enemy would not have been able to pass it in the night;
nevertheless in every corner he posted troops, with orders not to use
their weapons till they found themselves face to face with the enemy, to
observe absolute silence, and not to shout during the fight. This done,
he placed a reserve of two hundred men behind the interior retrenchment,
and fifty men, furnished with tarred bundles of straw, on the ridge of
this retrenchment, with orders to kindle them when they heard the cry
"Burgundy!"
About three-quarters past ten the Sire de Montcler again ascended the
platform of the corner tower, and recognised the presence of the enemy
some yards from the ditch. Notwithstanding the darkness, he could see a
black mass deploying in silence; then he heard the fascines rolling into
the fosse and the wood cracking under the men's feet. In a few minutes,
about fifty ladders were set up against the curtain, and each of them
was covered by the enemy. These ladders were provided with hooks at the
top and stays along the sides, so that the defenders could not throw
them down: two, however, fell, dragging the assailants with them.
At this moment the small pieces of ordnance on the flank of the tower
fired, and the cries of the wounded resounded from the ditch, while
three more ladders were broken and fell. The hosts of assailants surged
over on the rampart walk, and at the cry of "Burgundy!" the fires having
been kindled, the encounter with keen weapons in this narrow space
presented the strangest spectacle.
The artillery of the besieged was then directed to the flank of the
curtain and the exterior, from the platform of the corner tower; while
shouts arose from this battery, and the five hundred Burgundians who
were ordered to the sortie on the west began an attack, and the troops
that were preparing to reinforce the assault turned their backs to the
town to fall on this attacking body.
The Sire de Montcler heard shouting in the distance on the north-east
side, and saw a bright gleam through the darkness. He then went down to
bring his reserves to the curtain. The French, however, succeeded in
getting to the top of the rampart, and reached the corner tower. The few
men who were on the summit of the dismantled platform struggled bravely
until the moment when the reserve sent by the governor, ascending the
incline on which the artillery was posted, fell on the French, and drove
them back to the rampart walk of the curtain. The assailants then
forming in a column on the rampart walk, directed a vigorous attack
against the tower. From the interior retrenchment, showers of bolts,
arrows, and small-shot were discharged upon them in flank; and although
they had bucklers, the French lost a great many. As the rampart walk was
narrow, the head of the column could present only three men abreast, and
was met by a compact mass of defenders. It was not advancing; the
soldiers in the rear, who were exposed to darts in flank, were pressing
on those before them in order to force the platform and fight. In this
press many fell mutilated within the town. One of the culverineers of
the tower, aided by a dozen men, had succeeded during the struggle in
getting a culverin out of the rubbish and carrying it without its
carriage, loaded, into the midst of the group of Burgundians defending
the passage. Thrusting the mouth of the piece between their legs, he
fired it: the ball, and the stones with which the bore of the culverin
had been filled, made a frightful lane in the compact body of the
French: some leaped down into the town, others ran towards the towers of
the gateway, and several climbed the parapet to regain their ladders.
The Burgundians made another rush along the rampart, killing all who
resisted.
But at that juncture a large body of the French issued forth through the
gate of the lower battery. By aid of pickaxes and crowbars they had
succeeded, after filling up the ditch with fascines, in enlarging the
openings of two of the embrasures, already broken down by the cannon;
then, throwing into these openings lighted bundles of straw and tar
mixed with gunpowder so as to drive away the defenders, they had made
their way into the interior at the risk of being themselves suffocated
by the smoke, and rushing towards the gate, killing the few that had
remained in the battery, they had forced the doors and made an entrance
for their comrades by the same road. Issuing forth into the town they
ascended the incline at full speed.[42] The cry Of victory on the part
of the Burgundians was answered by cries of "France! d'Amboise!" These
shouts revived the courage of the French who had remained on the
rampart, and they renewed the attack. The Sire de Montcler despatched
his last reserves against the new comers, but they continued to pour out
on level ground and fought valiantly. Their number was increasing every
moment, and they succeeded in driving back the reserves to the
retrenchment. The Burgundians, cooped up on the platform of the tower,
surrendered after having lost half their men. Messire Charles d'Amboise
ordered that they should be honourably treated. The tower of the
north-west salient was in the power of the enemy, as well as the whole
of the curtain stretching from this tower to the north gate.
Day was breaking when the combat ceased, and some hours' repose were
needed on both sides. The corner tower was lost to the besieged; the
governor strongly barricaded the adjoining tower opening on to the
curtain, and placed a number of small cannon in the upper story of this
tower. He had done the same on the broken summit of the western tower of
the gate. He wished to hinder the enemy from gaining ground on the
curtains, and outflanking--particularly on his right--the retrenchment
connected with the old wall surrounding the abbey, and meeting the tower
on the north-east corner.[43]
A short time before the end of the struggle, the two bodies destined for
the sorties were on their return, the foot soldiers through the abbey
postern, and the men-at-arms, not through the east gate, but through
that near the castle on the west. The foot soldiers brought in a hundred
prisoners; the horse had lost a third of their party. The fortune of
these two bodies had been as follows:--The foot soldiers, operating on
the left, had come upon the enemy unawares, making their way through the
brushwood of the western slope of the plateau as far as the gorge of the
enemy's battery, C,[44] had fallen on the guard, spiked the guns, and,
taking advantage of the confusion, had taken the attacking column in
flank, had entered the battery, A, whose pieces they had also spiked,
but, seeing themselves too far advanced, had beat a retreat, descending
the slopes straight towards the west. As they were not vigorously
pursued, they had entered the lower town, surprised and captured two
bodies of guards, set fire to some huts erected by the besiegers, and
regained the town. Charles d'Amboise, at first surprised by the audacity
of the attack, but quickly perceiving that it could do him no serious
damage, had given the strictest orders that nothing should divert his
men from the assault, and had contented himself with sending against the
troops of the besieged two or three hundred men to keep them back and
compel them to seek the slopes, without troubling to pursue them. The
men-at-arms had followed the governor's instructions, had fallen upon
the small encampment above the mills, and, leaving the _coutilliers_
there to complete their commission (the latter had re-entered about two
o'clock in the morning by the east gate), they had pursued the road
indicated as far as the base of the plateau, and had arrived without
hindrance at the boundary of the French camp, charging the posts in a
direct line at full speed.
This attack had thrown confusion into that part of the camp which was
occupied by the baggage, the carts, and camp servants. Stacks of forage
had caught fire amid the disorder thus occasioned. But the assailants
had soon observed three or four hundred horsemen close upon them; they
had then made straight for the north, and buried themselves in the thick
woods upon their right; they next wheeled towards the left, reached the
banks of the stream, whose left bank they followed without interruption,
but with the loss of a third of their comrades, who had strayed, or been
captured or killed. They supposed they had fallen in with a body of the
French in the lower town, and were preparing to pass it at a gallop, but
they turned out to be the Burgundian foot soldiers.
Charles d'Amboise, at the first report of this attack on the rear of the
camp, had been much disquieted, supposing that succour had arrived; but
being soon correctly informed, had sent out men-at-arms to cut off this
body of adventurers, and was only the more eager for the assault.
Messire Charles d'Amboise was accustomed (in this respect differing from
the warriors of the time) to surround himself with young captains of
intelligence and energy, who kept him constantly informed of all that
took place in the army, during the march and on the field. When the
information furnished was found to be exact, and was reported in cool
discretion and without exaggeration, Charles d'Amboise would praise
these young officers in presence of all his captains, and recompense
them liberally. If, on the contrary, the reports were false or tainted
with exaggeration, or incomplete, he would inflict severe and public
censure on the reporters, and assign them some subaltern and humiliating
duty, such as guarding the baggage or superintending the camp servants.
When Charles d'Amboise learned next morning the damage caused on the
border of the camp by a few Burgundian men-at-arms, the loss of his men
encamped at the mill and in the lower town, and the spiking of six of
his pieces of ordnance, he was much annoyed, but could not refrain from
saying to his captains: "We have to do with brave men, who defend
themselves valiantly. I beg you, gentlemen, to take care that their
wounded and prisoners be treated with all the respect due to soldiers
who do their duty." Then about the second hour of the day he sent a
herald to the retrenchment of the besieged, to ask a parley with the
governor. The Sire de Montcler having ascended the terrace, the herald
spoke as follows: "Sir Governor! Monseigneur Charles d'Amboise,
commanding the army of our lord the king of France, sends me to you to
require of you to render up the town and castle of Roche-Pont, which you
are withholding contrary to the treaties and defending against their
lawful lord. Henceforward the said _cité_ is in the power of the army of
our lord the king of France, and a longer resistance will only cause the
useless loss of a great number of brave men. In consideration of your
brave and noble defence, Monseigneur Charles d'Amboise will let you go
forth--you and your men--with your lives and property. May God have you
in his keeping and guide you to a wise decision." "Sir messenger,"
replied the governor, "Messire Charles d'Amboise is a captain too well
acquainted with war to think himself master of the town and castle of
Roche-Pont because he has got possession of a tower and a curtain. He
knows what it has cost him to advance even so far; and there is still a
considerable space between this retrenchment and the castle, and the
castle is good and defensible. I acknowledge no other lawful lords of
Burgundy, and of this city in particular, than the Duchess of Burgundy,
daughter of the noble and puissant Duke Charles, and her illustrious
husband Maximilian. I am here to defend their property against all
comers, and I will defend it as long as I have a sword in my hand.
Nevertheless, tell Messire Charles d'Amboise that if he is willing to
exchange prisoners, man for man, I am prepared to do so. If he prefers
to leave things as they are, I give him my word of honour that his
people are being well treated."
"Well, then," said Charles d'Amboise, when the herald had conveyed this
answer to him, "this _cité_ will be damaged for a long time to come!"
During the 24th of September, the rain did not cease to fall in
torrents. Besiegers and besieged were at a hundred paces from each
other. They were employed in burying the dead, whose numbers were
especially great on the side of the French, and both were preparing for
a fresh struggle, though the bad weather greatly impeded the workers.
Figure 58 shows the position of the besieged and the besiegers.[45]
[Illustration: FIG. 58
TAKING OF AN ARTILLERY TOWER.]
After the losses sustained since the commencement of the siege, the
garrison scarcely reckoned more than two thousand available men, for
typhus was already devastating the town; three-fourths of the wounded
crowded together in the abbey were attacked by it. The good monks tended
them with their utmost care, but they themselves were largely sacrificed
to the contagion; and of a community of a hundred and fifty in number
scarcely more than fifty survived. The progress of the besieger,
however, seemed only to increase the determination of the inhabitants,
and the women worked heartily at the defences. They were the first to
cry shame on those of the defenders who manifested despondency.
During the night between the 24th and 25th, the Sire de Montcler
strengthened the retrenchment. From A to B[46] he took advantage of the
ancient enclosure-wall of the abbot's pleasance, then occupied by
dwellings. A culverin was mounted on a terrace at B. The retrenchment
leading from C to D, which had been made of earth and the _débris_ of
the houses demolished at this point, was armed with three culverins at
C, at E, and D.
The French on their side had cleared the platform of the conquered
tower, G, had well gabioned the parapet, and mounted three pieces
pointed at the retrenchment, and a spirole directed against the tower,
K, which remained in the power of the Burgundians.
The women, children, and old men were employed in strengthening also the
second retrenchment, I, M, behind the abbey wall, and the junction, M,
N. This second retrenchment was armed with three pieces. Places of
egress were reserved at the extremities and through the gate, O, of the
abbey.
The rain continued during the 25th of September, which passed without
any serious engagement. The combatants were trying one another's
strength. The garrison was not numerous enough to allow of their
leaving a post at the _tête du pont_. This work was abandoned on the
night between the 25th and 26th, and the enemy entered it without
striking a blow.
But as they were fired on by the bombard of boulevard I,[47] they did
not advance along the ascent, but took shelter behind the cavalier of
the left bank. The Sire de Montcler conjectured, however, that the
French were preparing a real or feigned attack on this side.
During the night, thirty-six feet of the northern curtain, near the
tower, G, fell into the ditch, reaching from _a_ to _b_; the miners had
been working for two days to accomplish this. On the morning of the 26th
of September, the besiegers opened fire against the retrenchment. The
dominant position of the tower, G, gave them a great advantage; and
though the garrison did their best to reply, the culverins, C and D,
were dismounted and the gabions thrown down about noon, when orders were
given for the assault. A strong column of infantry advanced through the
breach, _a b_, cutlasses in hand, and in fine order. But from the
platform of the tower, F, which had remained in the power of the
Burgundians, two culverins fired simultaneously on this column. Messire
Charles d'Amboise supposed that the pieces in this tower had been
silenced, and so they had been. But during the night, the Sire de
Montcler had hoisted up three of the small pieces of the lower battery
through the vault holes, and had masked them under the rubbish of the
parapets. This discharge produced disorder in the column of the
assailants. Fortunately for them, the pieces of the outer boulevard, in
the power of the French, began to fire in their turn on the platform of
the tower, P, and soon silenced the Burgundian spiroles.
The assault was vigorous, well directed and well sustained, while from
without the French did not cease firing on the gate and tower F, so that
those of the garrison who had remained in the upper works of the gate
had to abandon them and escape by the curtain and tower F.
Messire Charles d'Amboise, standing on the breach, _a b_, was
continually sending reinforcements to the assailants, and when he saw
his people too fatigued he would replace them by fresh troops. The
Burgundians had not enough men to do the like, so that about four
o'clock they were exhausted, and some were beginning to file off along
the ramparts. At length a vigorous effort forced the centre of the
retrenchment, and the French pushed forward through the street running
along the old wall of the abbey. The Sire de Montcler, however,
retreated in good order in three columns, two along the ramparts, and
the third by the road in the middle. When he saw his men sheltered
behind the second retrenchment, he discharged the _pierrier_ placed at
M, and the culverin mounted at I, so that the assailants fell back in
disorder. Then, followed by some brave men--his last reserve--he fell on
the French coming along by the abbey and the western rampart. From the
top of this rampart the assailants were also exposed to a shower of
darts. Night was advancing: the brave men who had kept close to the
governor were urging forward, attempting to recapture the first
retrenchment. Many of the Burgundians who had retired behind the second
retrenchment, seeing the enemy fall back, began to issue forth in their
turn, filled with fresh ardour.
Messire Charles d'Amboise, however, was able to keep his troops at the
first retrenchment, and had some small pieces brought up which fired on
the groups of Burgundians who were still distinguishable in the
torchlight.
The combat lasted thus for two hours more, in the midst of confusion,
and the Sire de Montcler was obliged to sound the retreat several times
to rally his troops.
In this engagement he had lost nearly five hundred men taken, killed, or
wounded. About ten o'clock at night there was silence on both sides; the
Sire de Montcler, retreating to the second retrenchment, sent back all
his men who had remained on the ramparts beyond this retrenchment, and
prepared to defend this last line vigorously--the castle being his only
refuge should that be taken. But on reviewing his troops, he observed
the absence of a body of five hundred Germans, whom he had posted in the
abbey to protect the retreat of the defenders of the first retrenchment.
These Germans, seeing the unfavourable position of affairs, and taking
advantage of the general confusion during the last struggle, had gone
away through the abbey postern.
The governor had only a thousand men remaining. He endeavoured to
persuade his men that the Germans were shut up in the castle by his
orders; but few were deceived by this, for it was evident to all that
after the taking of the corner tower the Germans scarcely cared to fight
for a cause which had no great interest for them, and which they
regarded as lost.
The fate of these runaways was, by the way, miserable enough. To support
themselves they took to plundering in the outskirts, were surprised by a
corps of French gendarmerie employed as scouts round the camp, and put
to the sword or hanged as thieves. The few who succeeded in escaping
perished under the blows of the peasants in arms against marauders.
It seemed hard to the Sire de Montcler to abandon his second
retrenchment without awaiting an attack; so as he had scarcely any need
to economise the provisions in the town, he had a double ration
distributed to his men, and encouraged them by cheering words,
preserving his animation in mien and gesture when among them. He told
them that succour would soon arrive, and that if they resisted a few
days longer Charles d'Amboise would be obliged to raise the siege.
Having examined the retrenchment, and posted men in the houses behind
and in the northern building of the abbey, the Sire de Montcler was
preparing to take some repose, when he was informed that along the
slopes, above the bridge, the sentinels posted on the boulevards thought
they perceived some movement on the part of the enemy. He went
immediately towards that quarter, and saw in effect a black mass that
appeared to be advancing up the slope like the rising tide, opposite to
the boulevard, B.[48]
To summon the garrison of the castle and to draw them up in this
boulevard--they were only two hundred in number--required only a few
minutes. The escarpment of this boulevard, whose platform was on the
level of the castle ditch, rose but slightly above the acclivities
(about twelve feet). Before the assailant had placed his ladders, the
governor fired on that moving mass, which the darkness of the night did
not completely hide from view. The balls from the culverin and the
bombards made furrows among them; shouts were heard, and the assailants,
separating into two columns, set up their ladders on the two flanks of
the boulevard.
Nearly at the same instant the second retrenchment was vigorously
assaulted, and to facilitate this night attack, the assailants set fire
to the houses between the first and second retrenchment. Thus, having
the fire at their back, they could clearly see the defenders, while the
latter were blinded by this mass of flame, whence the French seemed to
issue like black shades. The Sire de Montcler was hastening on horseback
from one point of attack to another, cheering on his men, and exposing
himself to the projectiles; and both the attacks were well sustained.
From the abbey building the arbalisters and bearers of small cannon
inflicted very serious loss on the assailants, who, despairing of
forcing the retrenchment at this point, were moving towards the
junction, M N.
It was evident to the brave governor that the place was lost, and that
nothing was left for him to do but to rally the remains of the garrison
in the castle, if he could reach it. But he was determined that this
retreat should cost the enemy dear. He therefore sent a reserve which he
was keeping in the abbey to reinforce the defenders of the boulevard,
B.[49] This reserve consisted of a hundred men at most; but they were
brave fellows; their orders were to defend the boulevard at all cost,
and if they were outflanked to return into the castle as soon as
possible, to raise the bridge, and not let it down again till they saw
him return with the remains of the garrison through the enemy, through
whom he would force a passage.
Then he took up his position resolutely at the head of the _débris_,
which still defended the retrenchment, and, availing himself of the
houses and the abbey walls, he gave way only step by step, obliging the
enemy to besiege every house and every enclosure, and taking advantage
of the lanes and passages to resume the offensive, and inflict losses on
the French. Exasperated by this, the latter set fire to the houses which
they could not break open. The abbey resisted for more than two hours
after the besieger had taken the retrenchment. The defenders, seeing
their retreat cut off, fought with desperation; for the postern was
occupied outside by a large body of men. The church and the principal
buildings were in flames.
The Sire de Montcler maintained the struggle in the streets and houses
of the town till daybreak, and then debouched with four or five hundred
men who remained to him in the open space before the castle. He found it
almost entirely occupied by the enemy, whom some brave men were still
resisting.
He rallied this greatly diminished body, and entered the castle, whose
bridge was immediately raised. The town was taken, but much damaged, as
Messire Charles d'Amboise had predicted. He gave the strictest orders to
stay the flames and stop pillage, and to save the lives of the unarmed
inhabitants. But there were many victims. The wounded and sick shut up
in the abbey had perished in the flames; women, old men, and children,
were lying on the pavement and in the houses. The 27th and 28th of
September were spent by the French in re-establishing order among the
troops after the combat of the night, in removing the wounded and
burying the dead. Messire Charles d'Amboise, during the two preceding
days, had lost a thousand men; he was anxious to end the struggle.
During the night of the 28th, therefore, he had twelve pieces of
ordnance brought up in front of the castle, provided them with
gabionades, and once more sent a herald to summon the garrison to
surrender.
The reply was that the garrison would not surrender till it saw itself
incapacitated from continuing the struggle.
On the morning of the 29th the twelve pieces began to open fire against
the defences of the gate. The besieged could only answer the attack with
small pieces mounted on the summit of the towers. But in the evening all
these summits were dismantled, the roofs pierced, and the
machicolations destroyed.
Moreover, in the course of the 30th of September and 1st of October,
four large bombards were mounted in front of the outer tower of the
gate. In the evening this tower was falling in ruins into the ditch.
Messire Charles d'Amboise, before commencing the assault, again proposed
to the governor to capitulate. The latter then appeared on the ruins,
and declared that he would surrender the castle on condition of being
allowed to quit it with his troops, their lives and baggage being
spared, and with colours flying, and to go wherever they chose.
Charles d'Amboise on his side, then came forward on the breach, and gave
his word of honour that these conditions should be granted. The two
captains then approached and held out their hands to each other.
The city and castle of Roche-Pont were again subjected to King Louis XI.
The Sire de Montcler had but five hundred fighting men left; and even of
these there were a full third wounded. Messire Charles d'Amboise gave
them a safe-conduct, ordered that they should be supplied with
provisions, and entertained the Sire de Montcler and his captains at his
table. Two days afterwards they took their departure for Flanders with
the foreign troops that were still with them.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 38: See Fig. 48.]
[Footnote 39: See the topographical map, Fig. 1.]
[Footnote 40: In this figure the parts coloured red indicate the works
occupied by the besieger and the direction of his fire.]
[Footnote 41: See Fig. 56.]
[Footnote 42: See Fig. 50.]
[Footnote 43: See Fig. 48.]
[Footnote 44: See Fig. 56.]
[Footnote 45: The black lines show the part of the defence still
occupied by the besieged, the red lines the parts gained by the
besiegers.]
[Footnote 46: Fig. 58.]
[Footnote 47: See Fig. 48.]
[Footnote 48: See Fig. 48.]
[Footnote 49: See Fig. 58.]