B L O 



B L O 



his martial abilities. It was, however, tinder the aufpices 

 of Julius Csfar, that this branch of military fcience attained 

 itshightfl point of perfeftion among the Romans; and whe- 

 ther we confult the annals of ancient or modern warfare, 

 we find no example to equal the talents dlfplayed by that 

 unrivalled jreneral, in the formation of his immenfe works 

 before Alcfi?, and at Dyrrhachium, which have defervedly 

 excited the vi'onder and admiration of pollerity. 



In the former inftance, he urdcrtook the ardnovis taflc of 

 blocking up an arr.".y of So,ooo Gauls, doubly fuperior in 

 number to his own forces, commanded by a general of the 

 greateil milltar)' knowledge. Vercingetorix, and entrenched 

 under the walls of a fortified city, iiruated itfelf on an al- 

 moll inacceffible mountain. Cxfar's line of contravallation, 

 extending nearly eleven miles, was compofed of a ditch 

 fifteen feet broad, and as many deep, defended by a ram- 

 part twelve feet in heignt, furnilhed with a parapet, and 

 fortified all round by turrets, at the regular diftance of 

 eighty feet. The front of the rampart, looking towards the 

 town, was protefted by a pallifade of fharp Hakes and boughs 

 of trees, interlaced, cut iharp, and pointing outwards. Be- 

 fore the foiTe were planted five different rows of cippi, or 

 large branches (harptned at the ends, fixed in trenches five 

 feet in depth, and fo ftrongly interwoven, as not to be re- 

 moved or plucked up, witln ut infinite labour. In front of 

 thefe were arranged eight other rows of lUia, or pits, three 

 feet deep, difpofed in the form of a quincunx, ftuck thick 

 with ftrong (harp ftakes, and covered over with bufhes to 

 deceive the enemy. Before thefe again were fcattered up 

 and down numerous ftakes of a foot in length, fattened in 

 the earth, and headed with barbed iron hooks, called by the 

 Romans Jlhnuli. Farther advanced than thefe laft, at 400 

 paces dillance from the rampart, Casfar drew another ditch, 

 twenty feet broad and deep, to keep the garrifon at a dif- 

 tance, and prevent them from annoying his foldiers while 

 employed on the contravallation. Not contented with fuch 

 immenfe labours, he conllrufted the like fortifications to- 

 wards the country, for the purpofe of fruflrating any at- 

 tempts the expefted Gaulifh fuccours might make for the 

 relief of their befieged countrymen. Between the lines, a 

 fpace of nearly half a mile in breadth, was difpofed the invert- 

 ing army, and their principal encampment was pitched in 

 the moft convenient fituation for communicating with every 

 part of the circumvaliation. Behind thefe defences did 

 Caefar bailie the utmoft efforts of a new army of 350,000 

 Gauls, fent to extricate Vercingetorix ; and, after a fcries of 

 the moll brilliant atchievements ever recorded, obliged the 

 tovn of Alefia, and the aiTny inclofcd witliin its walls, to 

 I'urrender at difcretion. Ccef. de Bel. Gal. lib. vii. 



No Icfs famous in hiftory, though not produftive of 

 equal fuccefs, were the celebrated lines at Dyrrhachium, 

 carried over a trad of fifteen miles, and within which, 

 Csefar flattered himfelf, to furround, and compel to a capi- 

 tulation, an army exceeding his own in ftrength, and com- 

 manded by the great Pompey. But in this inllance the 

 tonqueror of Gaul had to do with Romans, and the enter- 

 prize proved too vaft for his ftrength. Pompey, by a fudden 

 and well-direfted effort, broke through the blockade, when 

 It was on the very point of being completed ; and had he 

 brilkly followed up the advantage, might, according to 

 Csfar's own confcffion, have converted his adverfaries' hopes 

 of fuccefs into total defeat. Csef. de Bel. Civ. lib. iii. 



The works thrown up by Auguftus at Perufia, and the 

 entrenchments within, which Stilico at Fosfula enclofed, and 

 deftroyed an inundation of 400.000 Goths, are proofs that 

 in after ages the Romans retained a remembrance of the 

 means by which Caefar had triumphed at Alefia, and were 

 Vol. IV. 



ftill capable of praftifing them fortlie extermination of their 

 numerous enemies. App. de Bel. Civ. Zozim. Profp. 

 Marc. Chron. 



In modern warfare, there are two ways of forming 

 blockades. The firft, and moft firople, confiils in fortifying 

 and occupying different pofitions at a fmall diftance from the 

 place, principally upon all the highways and avenues, and 

 along the banks of rivers, both above and below the town. 

 Thefe pofts are guarded by dillinft corps of infantry and 

 cavalry, who take care to keep up an eafy communica- 

 tion with one another, and to prevent all fupplies of pro- 

 vilions from being conveyed into the foitrefs blockaded. 

 This, by degrees, reduces the garrifon to great nectfTity, 

 caufes them Co defert, and frequently occafions fuch mur- 

 murings and mutinies among the inhabitants, as to force thj 

 governor to a premature capitulation. Such a fpecies <^f 

 blockade is extremely tedious ; for it is almoft impoflible to 

 prevent provifions from being fometimcs introduced in linall 

 quantities, and reviving the courage and patience of the 

 befieged. But it is of advantage, after having thus for 

 fome time inverted a town at a diflance, to convert the 

 operations into a regular fiege, as the garrifon are then ge- 

 nerally unprovided with the materials neceffary for protra(ft* 

 ing tlicir defence. 



The fecond kind of blockade is much clofer and nearer. 

 It is effefted by means of lines of circumvaliation and con- 

 travallation, between which the army lies encamped, and is 

 adopted only in particular cafes. If, for example, after the 

 lofs of a battle, the enemy fhould retire into a town which is 

 well known not to be over-abundantly fupplied with provi- 

 fions, and, it is prefumed, muft be obliged to furrendcr in a 

 few days. But as it would be the height of imprudence 

 in a beaten general to expofe the remains of his army to cer- 

 tain ruin, by fhutting them up in a place fo ill-circumftanced, 

 (a fault, neverthelefs, committed by marfhal Wurmfer in 

 1796, after the lufs of the battles of BafTano and Roveredo, 

 and which all the importance attached by the imperialifts 

 to the prefervation of Mantua can hardly excule,) this kind 

 of blockade is feldom put in praftice. 



It is i-arely a fortrefs is reduced to furrender, by the mere 

 procefs of blockading ; but fieges are often greatly accele- 

 rated by it, on account of that fcarcity of neceftaiies, whether 

 for the fubfiftence or defence of the garrifon, which, in a 

 greater or lefs degree, is its never failing confequence. 



The blocking up of towns by corps principally of cavalry, 

 ported in the neighbouring places of ftrength, is more con- 

 venient than any other method ; becaule the troops form- 

 ing the inveftiture, are not fo fatigued as they would be in 

 occupying open pofitions, and unfortified villages. In the 

 latter cafe, it is neceffary to be always on the alert, not only 

 againft the garrifon, who, by a well direfted fortie, may- 

 interrupt the communication, and cut off fome ot the de- 

 tachments ; but, againft the enemy from without, who, by 

 fecretly marching a ftrong force, may furprize, beat up one 

 of the bcfieger's quarters, and introduce a convoy, or rein- 

 forcement into the town. On account of thefe incon- 

 veniencies, it is efTentially neceffary to afccrtain the quan- 

 tity of provifions and ftores contained in the magazines of 

 a place blockaded, in order to compute how long it may 

 hold out, and to have an army in the field fufficiencly ftrong 

 to protect and cover the blockade. For, fliould the enemy 

 fucceedinfurprifingand cutting off one detachment, its defeat 

 might occifion the fucceflive deftrudion, orcaptureof all the 

 otheis, before they could affemble in competent force to 

 repulfe the coUefted attacks of an enterprizing and vigorous 

 adverfary. (Feuquieres, Mem. chap. l(Kxii. p. 377.) 



It is chiefly, lince the conteit for the imperial fucceflion 

 4 K in 



