Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

AN ASSAULT. 575As Alexander antieipatecl, so the event occurred. Ptolemyhad put to use many of the old wagons, and had interlockedthem as an obstruction near the lake ; and at night his menblocked the roads and paths leading from the city, and threwup a mound in advance of the lake, in lieu of parts of thestockade which had been knocked down. Towards morning,in the third watch, the Indians made the expected sortie, butPtolemy caught them as they came forth, vigorously attackedthem, and, on sounding the alarm, Alexander promptly putin an appearance with the other troops. The Indians werestopjjed by the wagons and obstructions, and were drivenback into the town, with a loss of five hundred killed.Porus now arrived with five thousand Indian trooj)S and anumber of elephants ;sheds, towers, and rams had been built,and these military engines were being gradually advanced tothe city wall, which was of brick, well constructed. A doubleintrenchment had now been built by the Macedonians allaround the city. The walls were also gradually underminedat a number of places. Everything savored of success. ButAlexander became impatient at the delays of a siege, andconcluded to order a fresh assault. Preparations were carefullymade, ladders were supplied in abundance to the men,and, undertaken in a moment when the Indians expectednothing less, the assault was entirely successful. The citywas taken, and, under Alexander's orders to cut down allfound with arms in their hands, seventeen thousand men werekilled, and seventy thousand captured, with three hundred ofthe wagons. There is some reason to doubt these figures.The ruins of Sangala do not appear to show a city largeenough to harbor so many people. Still, many may havebeen outside the walls. Alexander had one hundred killedand twelve hundred wounded, among them Lysimachus, thesomatophylax. Sangala was razed to the ground, and the