three galleries to cross the Rua Quemada. Two of these failed. By
means of the third they succeeded in establishing themselves in
the ruins of a house which formed an angle of the Cozo, and of the
Rua del Medio. A building, called the Escuelas Pias, commanded
several traverses, made for the defence of the Cozo. Aware of the
importance of this post, the assailants made several unsuccessful
efforts to gain possession of it. They then attempted the adjoining
houses; but in this also they failed. The system of blowing up the
houses, now adopted, was favourable to the besieged; for the enemy,
who established themselves on the ruins, were thus exposed to the
fire of the surrounding buildings. In the meanwhile the continual
succession of formidable and unforeseen obstacles, which presented
themselves to the French soldiers, had damped their ardour; while
the spirits of the besieged, who had to contend against famine,
fever, and the French army, were yet unbroken.
The inner town is encircled by the Cozo, which reaches at both
extremities to the river; and the French, in order to connect
their operations with those of Gazan, on the left of the Ebro,
determined, at all risks, to gain possession of it. The convent of
St. Francisco, therefore, became their immediate object. A mine was
exploded, which brought down part of the building; and a severe
contest ensued, which lasted for two days. The Spaniards were at
length driven out by the bayonet--the superiority of physical, as
well as of numerical strength, being on the side of the assailants.
From the tower of this building, the French now commanded the
street, for a musket-shot on either side. There, however, their
progress was for a time arrested. The buildings in the Cozo were
large and massive; and from their construction with roofs of
arched masonry, nearly incombustible. Experience had perfected
the Zaragozans in their defensive warfare; and the contest was
continued with, if possible, augmented pertinacity. Three days
were the French sappers successfully opposed in their endeavours
to cross the Cozo. The university was partially breached by the
explosion of two small mines. The besiegers then endeavoured to
carry the building by assault; but they were met by a fire so
destructive as to compel them to retreat.
Hitherto the suburb on the left of the Ebro had been exempted from
attack, since Gazan’s failure on the first night of the investment.
That officer, availing himself of some ambiguity in his orders,
had declined to re-engage in active operations; nor was it till
Lannes arrived, with authority to enforce his orders, that Gazan
was induced to resume the offensive.
On the 7th, the convent of Jesus, on the left of the road to
Lerida, was attacked. Trenches were opened against it; and twenty
battering pieces having effected a breach, it was carried with
little loss, the building not being considered by the besieged as
of material importance. The enemy then succeeded in establishing a
lodgment to the right and left.
On the 18th, the suburb, after two unsuccessful efforts, was
carried by assault. A tremendous fire from fifty guns soon laid
open the way to the assailing columns. By mid-day a breach was
effected in the convent of St. Lazarus, commanding the bridge; and
the defenders, after a strenuous resistance, were driven from the
building. All communication between the suburb and the city was now
cut off; and the French advancing to the river, intercepted the
retreat of about 1500 men, who, enfeebled by disease and suffering,
were made prisoners. The capture of St. Lazarus necessarily
involved that of the suburb, which was without ammunition or
provisions, yet many of its defenders continued to wage a fierce
but hopeless war in the streets. The loss of the besieged amounted
to about 2000. The brave Baron de Versage, who commanded on the
Ebro, was killed.
The besiegers, imagining that the courage of the garrison had been
abated by this irreparable misfortune, continued their operations
with vigour. By means of mining, two enormous breaches were made in
the university--both of which were attacked and carried; and the
traverses of the Cozo were at length abandoned by the Spaniards. In
the mean time, Palafox had been smitten with the dreadful disease,
whose ravages had been more widely spread than even those of famine
and the sword. This admirable and heroic leader, who, for above a
month, had been unable to quit the vault where he lay stretched on
a bed of suffering, at length saw the necessity of resigning the
command.
On the 19th he transferred his authority to a junta, of which
Don Pedro Ric was appointed president. A council 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 the general of cavalry, that only 62 horses remained, the rest
having died of hunger. Of the infantry it appeared there were
little more than 2800 men fit for service. Ammunition was nearly
exhausted; and should a shell penetrate the Inquisition, their
only manufactory of powder would be destroyed. The fortifications
were stated, by the chief engineer, to have been almost utterly
demolished. There were neither men nor materials necessary for
repairing them; and bags of earth could no longer be formed from
want of cloth.
With regard to the measures to be adopted, the junta were divided
in opinion. Twenty-six voted for capitulation; eight against it.
The latter were averse to surrender, while even a possibility of
succour remained. With proud gallantry of spirit, the opinion of
the minority was adopted by the junta. A flag of truce was sent to
the enemy, proposing a suspension of hostilities, with the view
of ascertaining the situation of the Spanish armies; it being
understood, that should no immediate succour be at hand, the junta
would then treat for a surrender. This proposal was peremptorily
declined by Marshal Lannes; and the bombardment recommenced.
On the 20th, the garrison made a last and unsuccessful effort 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 suburb, now opened fire on the city; and the
streets of the quay were laid in ruins.
Thus situated the junta ordered measures to be taken to ascertain
the sentiments of the people with regard to the situation of their
city. Two-thirds of it were in ruins. Fire, famine, and slaughter,
had done their work; and from 300 to 400 persons were daily dying
of the pestilence. Under such circumstances, the junta declared
that they had fulfilled their oath of fidelity--and that _Zaragoza
was destroyed_. A flag of truce was dispatched to the French
head-quarters, followed by a deputation of the junta, to arrange
the terms of capitulation. Marshal Lannes was at first disposed to
insist on unconditional surrender. The proposal was indignantly
rejected by the deputies; and Ric declared, that rather than submit
to it the Zaragozans would die beneath the ruins of their city.
“I, and my companions,” said this noble patriot, “will return
there, and defend what remains to us as best we may. We have yet
arms and ammunition, and if these fail we have daggers. Should the
Zaragozans be driven to despair, it yet remains to be proved who
are to be victorious.”
In this temper of the garrison, Lannes did not think it prudent to
refuse granting terms. It was accordingly conceded that the troops
should march out with the honours of war: that the heroic Palafox
should be suffered to retire to any place where he might think
proper to fix his residence, and that all persons, not included in
the garrison, should be suffered to quit the city, to avoid the
contagion.
On the 21st of February, 1809, the city was delivered up to
the French; and thus terminated one of the most strenuous and
extraordinary struggles of which history bears record. The
resistance continued for 52 days with open trenches; 29 of these
were consumed by the enemy in effecting an entrance--23 in the war
subsequently carried on in the streets and houses. By their own
account, the French threw above 17,000 bombs into the city, and
expended above 160,000 pounds weight of powder. More than 30,000
men and 500 officers perished in the defence, exclusive of a vast
number of women and children. The amount of loss sustained by the
besiegers was studiously concealed--that it was very great, cannot
be doubted; and the contemplated operations on Lerida and Valencia,
for which the army was destined, were in consequence given up.
When the garrison quitted the city, only 2400 men were capable of
bearing arms; the rest were in the hospitals.
Among the prisoners, was Augustina Zaragoza, who had distinguished
herself in the former siege. At the commencement, she had resumed
her station at the Portillo gate. When Palafox visited the battery,
she pointed to the gun she had formerly served with so much effect,
and exclaimed, “See, general, 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.
She frequently led the assaulting parties, and with sword in hand
mingled in the daily conflicts which took place in the streets.
Though exposed, during the whole siege to the most imminent danger,
Augustina 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 contagion; and being taken to the
hospital, she subsequently succeeded in effecting her escape.
The terms of capitulation were shamefully violated by Lannes.
Palafox was sent a prisoner into France; and the city became
a scene of pillage and atrocity. Nothing was to be heard but
the drunken shouts and cries of the French soldiery. Even the
convents were not spared; their gates were beaten in, the costly
plate seized, and the decorations torn down; while the monk, with
uplifted hand and scowling brow, listened to the drunken revelry
and obscene jests of the heavy mailed cuirassier.”
ZEALAND, NEW.--Discovered by Tasman in 1642. Captain Cook planted
several spots here in 1773. Great Britain’s right to this
island recognized at the general peace of 1814. Since then it
has continued slowly developing its inland resources. A rather
disastrous war was waged against the British forces by the New
Zealanders not long ago; but after some months of continual
annoyance the Aborigines were subdued and the island quieted, with
every prospect of commercial development.
ZELA, BATTLE OF.--In which Julius Cæsar defeated Pharnaces, King of
Pontus, and sent the Senate the well-known laconic letter of three
words: “_Veni, Vidi, Vici._” Fought B.C. 47.
ZELICHON, BATTLE OF.--Fought, April 6th, 1831, between the Poles
and Russians. The Russians were terribly defeated, with the loss
of 12,000 men, killed, wounded and prisoners, and Deibitsch, the
Russian General, narrowly escaped being taken prisoner in the rout.
ZEUTA, BATTLE OF.--Fought, between the Germans and Turks, the
former commanded by Prince Eugene; and it is memorable for the
tremendous slaughter of the enemy, A.D. 1697.
ZORNDORFF, BATTLE OF.--Fought between the Prussian and Russian
armies: the Prussian commanded by their King. They gained a great
victory over the forces of the Czarina of Russia--21,529 men being
lost to the Russians, while the Prussians lost 11,000. Fought,
August 25th and 26th, 1758.
ZOUAVE OR ZOU-ZOU.--“The _gamins_ of Paris, we believe, first
applied to the world-renowned Zouaves the pet name of _Zou-Zous_;
and France has confirmed the pleasant diminutive. We know well
enough that Zou-Zou has certain faults; but we also know that
he possesses some estimable qualities. On the whole, we gaze
at his scarred bronzed face and long shaggy beard with respect,
and do not shrink from cordially clasping his horny brown hand,
powder-begrimed though it be. We read all about his valorous
doings, and his somewhat ludicrous and not unpardonable misdoings,
during the late Italian campaign, as chronicled daily by his own
countrymen, and we shall now compile some interesting examples of
his exploits and racy peculiarities, which have fallen under our
notice.
When the Zou-Zous embarked at Marseilles, they leapt on board the
vessels as though charging a column of Croats, crying to their
comrades, “Come, gentlemen, take your tickets for Austria!” Arrived
at Genoa, they received their fair share of flowers and kisses from
the enraptured signoras, and embracements and orations from their
lords and fathers.
M. Achard visited the camp of the famous 3rd Zouaves, and gives us
a graphic sketch of the fire-eaters reposing. We must premise that
they had only arrived four or five days from Algeria. “It was,”
says he, “like a little corner of a great war picture. The canvas
town possessed regularity, animated order, picturesque and lively
movement, and one felt the presence of discipline, and a pleasing
sense of gaiety and fearlessness. Behold the little, narrow, short
tents reserved for the sub-officers; their neighbours large, and
similar to a squab coffee-pot, for the captains and commandants;
others ample and conical, each for five soldiers, ranged in ranks;
groups of Zouaves round a candle, in a low tone chatting about
their African campaigns; some silently smoking a pipe apart; two or
three lying on the ground in corners, reading letters and dreaming,
their comrades singing the chorus of songs; the evening dies away
and sleep succeeds. Here and there, under the canvas, a little
lamp gives light to an officer, who writes in haste a last letter.
Little noise, great order; each battalion has its place. As the
darkness increases, we see red sparks in the air along the tents.
The cigar enlivens the promenade, then the sparks disappear one by
one; the bivouac fires are extinguished; the mules of the regiment
bite at each other, and endeavour to break their straps; close
by, the Arab horses of the officers, digging the earth with their
hoofs, snuffing the air, devoid of the warm odour of the desert,
and shaking their manes. * * * The next day, at seven o’clock in
the morning, the regiment, containing three battalions on a war
strength--2700 men, exclusive of officers--was reviewed by Prince
Napoleon. They looked models of hardy active soldiers. Their faces,
which appeared cut out of Florentine bronze, had the manly ardour
and the confidence resulting from habitual acquaintance with
danger. They were in marching order. At eight o’clock they started,
clarions at their head and tarbouch in front for their first _étape
de guerre_, twenty-seven kilometres, and in the evening they
encamped in the mountain, at Toreglia, very near the Austrians!”
We may remark that one great reason for the very singular celerity
with which the Zouaves encamp, provide their food, etc., is the
fact, that each company, or portion of a company, or “tribe,” as
it is called by the men themselves, is subdivided for what we may
term domestic duties, each individual being charged with a distinct
and special function; and constant practice naturally renders them
amazingly expert at doing whatever they are called upon to daily
and nightly perform.
The Zou-Zous, and their African friends the Turcos, are said to
have an invincible preference for fighting at close quarters with
the bayonet. A certain quantity of cartouches were served out at
the moment of departure, but these cartridges were not forthcoming
at Genoa. The officers were angry, and required the production
of the missing ammunition. “Be not troubled,” said the Zou-Zous;
“leave us alone, and we will return you ten for one at the first
battle.” A stubborn old sergeant added, “We wish to see if the
Austrians are like the Kabyles.” In fact, their point of honour
is to charge with the bayonet, and to charge at a swift run.
Their activity is incredible; and they have been aptly called
“foot cavalry,” which is hardly a paradoxical jest like our own
time-honoured sneer of “horse marines.”
The Zou-Zous have a marvellous capacity for physical endurance.
Some black coffee, and a biscuit or piece of hard ammunition bread
steeped in it, generally formed their breakfast, and then they were
able and willing to march with their very heavy knapsacks a whole
day in the broiling sun before dining. A Zouave’s knapsack is full
of a wonderful variety of articles, and, when in marching order, he
actually carries the enormous weight of sixty pounds! But Zou-Zou
is not an anchorite; he does not voluntarily endure hunger when
he can lawfully, or (as some whisper) even unlawfully, obtain an
appetizing addition to his rations. At Palestro, the Zouaves drolly
distinguished themselves, by marching with a pleasing variety of
edible prizes secured about their persons. They bore quarters of
lamb, immense pieces of raw meat, salad, cabbage, and all kinds
of vegetables; upon the shoulder of one was perched an old cock,
tied by the foot by way of precaution! All the world knows how
omnivorous Zouaves are; and, by way of illustration, we will only
mention the astounding fact, that at Solferino they daintily
feasted on fillets cut from the backs of the horses killed in that
tremendous battle!
The Austrians sent some daring spies into the Zouave camp, fully
and carefully dressed as Zou-Zous, speaking French, and affecting
in all respects the habits and language of the men among whom they
treacherously stole. But, as an old soldier observed, “the asses
who wear lions’ skins are recognized, not by the dress, but by the
language.” So it was with these Austrian spies. The touch-stone
which infallibly detected them was the Arab, or rather the Sabir
tongue. The Sabir is a dialect used by the Zouaves and the Turcos,
and is a singular mixture of French, Italian, Maltese, Spanish and
Arabian. Let us see what the Sabir can do with the wicked hawk who
has stolen into the Zouave dovecot, disguised in innocent plumage
like their own.
“A spy, dressed as a Zouave, holding his cap behind him, accosts
other Zouaves, (true ones these). They talk of war, ambuscades,
battles; they drink and sing. An old Zouave addresses the spy:
‘Didou, camarade, gib el touchran; j’ai laisse mon sipsi dans la
gitoun.’ This, in Sabir, signifies, ‘Comrade, hand me some tobacco;
I have forgotten my pipe in the tent.’ The spy, surprised, does not
reply. ‘Enta machache narl el Arabi?’ (Dost thou not understand
Arabian?) continues the Zouave. The same silence. Suspicions
are aroused: the pretended Zouave is closely questioned. He is
confused; he confounds Blidah with Orléansville: finally he is
seized, and duly shot.”
No body of men attracted more notice, on first landing in Italy,
than the 3rd Zouaves. Nearly all the officers had risen from the
ranks, or, at any rate, all had been sub-officers, and had won
their epaulettes and crosses in Africa. The men could reckon a
number of years’ service, both in Africa and the Crimea. Their flag
was in tatters, and tied together with shoemaker’s thread.
At Palestro, these 3rd Zouaves performed a brilliant feat of arms.
A wounded Zou-Zou subsequently described it most graphically. “We
were,” said he, “very tranquilly opposite a rivulet; we beheld
five or six horsemen upon an eminence; it was said that they must
be enemy’s hussars, watching us, and the word passed to prepare
to have a chat with them. But all in a moment, and without a note
of warning, a parcel of bullets, accompanied by a hail of cannon
balls, saluted us. The rogues had mounted cannon on the hills,
and their tirailleurs skulked in the corn, where one could not
see them. Whilst we looked out, the _mitraille_[45] mingled in
the conversation. The colonel saw whence it came by the smoke.
The officers turned towards us. ‘Eh Zouaves!’ cried they, ‘to the
cannon!’ We leapt in the stream. There was water up to our elbows,
and so our cartridge boxes took a bath; we were no longer able to
fire a single charge. From the stream to the batteries we had to
run about 300 metres. Ah, we already surpass the _pas gymnastique_!
The _mitraille_ mowed the grass around our feet. In the twinkling
of an eye we carried the guns!”
Among the wounded Austrians taken prisoners, was a young man of
twenty-two, who had previously studied at Paris five or six years.
He fought at Palestro, and when he saw the Zouaves running and
leaping with bayonets in advance, he cried, “Comrades! they are
Zouaves! We are lost!”
An Austrian officer related that General Jellachich, struck with
astonishment at sight of the Zouaves in action, exclaimed, “They
are not men, they are tigers!” And then he muttered, “They told me
so, but I did not believe it.” A good many others of his countrymen
had reason to think and speak very much the same. Yet, even among
the Zouaves there are some who pre-eminently distinguish themselves
by their surpassing activity, daring, and successful valour.
Zou-Zou has a humour of his own even in the heat of
battle--grimmest of all grim humours! Endless anecdotes are told of
their strange speeches and stranger deeds in the midst of the storm
of battle. Many of these would be painful to our readers, but the
following give relief to the stern cruelties of war. Would that the
kindly or generous feelings which they record could be displayed on
more peaceful scenes!
During a bayonet fight, a Zouave fought against an Austrian, and
broke his thigh with a violent butt-end blow; the Austrian, in
falling, broke the arm of the Zouave. There they lay side by side,
their mutual fury extinguished. The Zouave, who had a smattering
of Italian, said to the Austrian, “Thou art brave, and I will
not leave thee to die like a dog. I have yet an arm and a pair
of good legs, and I will carry thee to the ambulance.” He was as
good as his word. When he arrived with his burthen, he said to the
surgeon-major. “You see, major, that we are on a level; cure us
quickly, that we may do our duty afresh.” We will add, that the
compassion and kindness manifested after a battle by the erewhile
fierce Zouaves towards their wounded enemies, is a fine trait in
their character. Like our own matchless seamen, the Zouaves, are
lions whilst the battle rages, and lambs after it is ended.
Here is a touching incident. The day after the battle of Palestro,
the Zouaves buried their dead comrades in a great pit dug on a
little eminence. When the earth was levelled, they bid adieu, with
emotion, to their slain brothers-in-arms. “Comrades!” cried a
sergeant, “may God receive you! ’Tis your turn to-day--to morrow it
may be ours!” With these simple words the Zou-Zous left their dead
brethren to repose on the field of their victory.
And the wounded Zou-Zous, how bear they the agony of musket ball,
or bayonet thrust, or sabre gash, when the excitement of the actual
combat is over? When Commandant de Bellefonds, of the Zouaves of
the Guard, was wounded at Magenta, his men wished to carry him
to the ambulance. “Remain in your place,” said he. “Leave me, my
friends; I forbid you to remove me: continue to fight.” After the
Austrians were repulsed, the Zou-Zous sought their brave officer
and bore him away. He eventually recovered.
The Zouaves being by far the most popular and brilliant corps in
the army, it is considered, both by officers and privates, an
absolute privilege to wear their uniform, and both sub and superior
officers have been known to refuse to exchange into line regiments
even with prospect of higher rank.
Some of the Zouaves were themselves taken prisoners and sent to
Vienna, where they attracted extraordinary notice. On their arrival
they were surrounded by Hungarian and Polish soldiers, who examined
their uniform and criticized their personal appearance with lively
curiosity, making each poor Zou-Zou exhibit himself and explain
the use of every portion of his equipments--which, it is said, he
did with great good humour. By way of contrast to the above, we
present the following. A number of Austrian prisoners arrived at
Toulouse. A sub-officer of the 3rd Zouaves, whose family lived
there, and who was himself _en route_ to Paris, happened to be at
the railway station when the prisoners arrived, and he recognized
three Austrians whom he had made prisoners at the battle of
Magenta, where he was wounded by one of them. He now shook hands
with his ex-captives, and having obtained permission to defer his
own departure, he took all three home with him, and treated them
with the utmost hospitality.”
ZURICH, BATTLES OF.--The French were defeated here, losing 4000
men, June 4th, 1799. The Imperialists were also defeated here by
the French, under Messina, and lost the great number of 20,000 men
in action. September 24th, 1799.
FOOTNOTES: