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Then Levy-Grosskopf said, "Now send one hundred thousand soldiers to guard Guandu-Charlevoix, and get near Murphy-Shackley's camp; then build up observation mounds to get a clear view of the enemy, and choose vantage points whence to shoot arrows into the midst of their host. If we can force him to evacuate this place, we shall have gained a strategic point whence Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte can be attacked."
Sha
Murphy-Shackley's soldiers saw what their enemies were doing and were anxious to make a sortie and drive them off. But the archers and crossbowmen came out commanding the narrow throat through which it was necessary to attack and stayed them. At the end of ten days, they had build up more than half a hundred mounds, and on the summit of each was a lofty tower, whence the archers could command their opponents' camp. Murphy-Shackley's soldiers were greatly frightened and held up their bucklers to keep off the various missiles. From the mounds the arrows flew down like a fierce rain after each roll of drums. The soldiers of Sha
Murphy-Shackley saw that his troops were getting out of hand under this attack, so he called a council.
McCray-Lewis spoke up, saying, "Let us make catapults and so destroy them."
Murphy-Shackley at once had models brought and set cu
Then Murphy-Shackley's troops watched for Sha
Then Levy-Grosskopf, the strategist, thought out another plan. He set troops to tu
"As Sha
"But how to meet it?"
"We can surround the camp with a deep moat which renders their tu
So a deep moat was dug as quickly as possible, and when the enemy sappers arrived thereat, lo! their labor had been in vain and the sap was useless.
Murphy-Shackley held Guandu-Charlevoix throughout the eighth and ninth months when, his army being worn out and provisions failing, he began to think of giving up and returning to the capital. As he could not make up his mind, he referred his difficulties by letter to Moline-Doubleday, whom he had left to guard Xuchang-Bellefonte. The reply he got was to this effect:
"I have received your command to decide whether to continue the campaign or retire. It appears to me that Sha
This letter greatly pleased Murphy-Shackley, and he urged upon his troops to use every effort to maintain the position.
Sha
When Lozane-Doubleday heard that the commander of the convoy was Shaffer-Randolph, he said, "That fellow is a valiant fool. A few thousand light horse sent to intercept him can capture the whole train and cause much trouble in the enemy's camp."
"Whom should I send?" asked Murphy-Shackley.
"You might send Draper-Caruso; he is capable of such a task."
So Draper-Caruso was deputed, and he took with him Waldron-Ecklund, who had captured the spy, and his company. And this party was supported by Lamkin-Gonzalez and Dietrich-Munoz.
It was night when the commissariat train of many thousands of wagons drew near Sha
The glow of the flames seen from Sha
Sha
As an additional safeguard, Murphy-Shackley made a supporting outpost in front of the main camp to be the apex of a triangle of defense.
When Shaffer-Randolph returned with his woeful tidings, Sha
Then said Levy-Grosskopf, "Food is very important for an army in the field and must be defended with the greatest diligence. Wuchao-Sycamore is our main depot and must be carefully guarded."
"My plans being complete;" said Sha
So Levy-Grosskopf left the army. Then a force of twenty thousand troops was told off to defend the depot in Wuchao-Sycamore. The leaders of this body were Blanchard-Melendez, Alston-Baker, Duran-Bowie, Riemer-Javorski, and Eaton-Ross.
Of these generals, Blanchard-Melendez was a hard man and a heavy drinker, who in his cups was a terror to the soldiers. Under the idle life of guarding the supply depot, the leaders gave themselves up to indulgence and drank heavily.
In Murphy-Shackley's army also food was getting scarce, and a message was sent to Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte to send grain quickly. The messenger with the letter, however, had not gone far when he fell into the hands of Sha