The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-08-27 00:00:00

HEROIC ACTIONS BY GERMAN PATROLS.

The Times' C, irreepondeut with tire head-quarter.
the Second German Army communicates the following
incidents :
Yesterday night tugutt 13) I joined a corps which furnishes
the outposts of the •2nd Army, in order, if possible, to get o
little nearer the front. I was received with the usual kind-
ness that I have met with throughout, and had the good for-
tune to coma ill time to hear of • very dashing exploit Per-
formed the day before by a light cavalry officer of the 17th,
or Brunswick Ilussars—one Captain Brown tiy imme. Ile was
patrolling Olin a squadron of his regiment, and had the
pluck to take it up to Ponta Mousson, between Nancy and
Metz, and at that time aerie twenty-flee tulles from Ma re-
giment Ile arrived at the railway st ation, having previously
destroyed the telegraph w ires some three miles off, and, plac
iog some of his men out of sight, in the waiting.roorne,
calmly awaited the arrival of the ,at train. Italy it came
in sight, and, as he etpecite-d, the number of hope that mo-
triteleu from the windows proclaimed it midtary convoy.
As it halted at the station be matte a dash at it with his men,
captured tight miremers, and before they could be rescued
by their comrades had fattened them each to the saddle of
one of his 111011 and carried them in safety back to his corps
You may, perhaps, thing this exploit not worth mentioning,
nut I notice it to stow the "go " these Unsnarl have In
them ... I have just beard of two more "rides" that
Shirk may prove interest', g. An officer of a regiment of
llussara wan sent p itrollit g with three men and a non C..-
offieer. Ile starred from Saargentlnd, and arrived
at Fiittlange, wlttre he halted mine home. Ile Warted at
halt-Past feu in the morning, and rode to Arroncourt,
where he was need at by the peasantry: thence he pro-
ceeded to Vatermont, where Oa found a mass of the p
Pantry armed with niii6kets, and, with the burgomaster
or mayor of the place at their heal, barrieg the
principal street. Ile instantly charged, and, seizing the
burgomaster, declared that he would blow his Melos
out it he was tired on. This, therefore, checked the
argressive movement, and tying him to Ma s Addle he
trotted throngh in sa'ety Then, after 1111Villir cleared the
town, he released his unwilling hostage and galloped en to
St. Berme, where he came upon the baggage and rear- guard
of the enemy. he then, having ascertained their exact
position, made a long detour and retarn:d to I androff alone,
his Of cort being quite done up, ai.d be having been to hour.)
on the same horse, without once battle. to bait. I saw the
animal in question, an Irish horse, and. as may be gathtred
from its performances, one that a soldier might trust his tile
tm Another account it yet mole stirring. A young
Driumon officer, who, though young in years, in
making his tiara campaign, was ordered to make ,
a re .01111aiPillaCO from rolguemont towards Penge. Ile
had 15 men with him When I,ear the lat'er [dare he fell in
with a French patrol, commanded by an °Meer. its totter, tly
charged, and captured four nice, Milieu two, the efficer,
however, escaped. lie then left Ma prisoners in charge of teu
of his inert, and proceeded with five towards the place he was
ordered taco to. Seeing a bivouac lire in front of him he
made • detour of some miles, over 110/110 high wooded mouu• ,
trans that lay on his right fl ink, and getting raund it was
proceeding, when, to his amssemetit, he found
there was another in front of him, and shortly after-
wards two more sprang up on either side, so that
he was c, moletsly ins trap. Conc-aliog himself in a wood
he waited till the dawn of day. While tney were io this
position he heard the rumble of a baggage lean, and, creep-
ing up to the road, discovved that it was tha b:ggage of
Marshal lissaine, thus doling ont for his commanding eineot
the name of the division that Wan lx front of him. Oti May
breaking begot back safely to where he had left the re•
maluder of his escerr, and returned whit his pritoners to
Came having acoomplished OS English nules, over the vu it
difficult passes at a stretch,

TRE EMPEROR NAPOLEON._

A corrmpondent of the Tempe, writing from hhelron on
Saturday, says that a striking change Is to be observed id
the manner of thoce who surround the Emperor, and some
very free critic:strs are now openly indillged in by them.
"The Emperor," they say, ia no longer of an age or dispo-
sition to adopt decision, which are sometimes necessary.
He ought to return Tr St Cloud, and especially to take with
him his son, who talks too much at table upon all sorts of
questions with imp rturbable sell-confidence if I were to tell
from whom I heard these opinions, you would be asto-
nished."

THE REMEAT.

A correspondent of the Soir, who was one of the last men
to leave Ile,z before communicat MIA were cut tt with that
town, had the melancholy privilege to assist at the arrival of
• convoy of wounded from the battle.ll,ll of GraveLates.
Ells deiscription recalls acme of those graphic pemand•ing
pictures of sulfering that thrilled England to the core during
the Crimean war. The roads were hard and rough frc to the
place where the poor fellows had fallen ; wheels of the betty
artillery had sunk into them and broken them up into the
semblance of American corduroytracks. Judge of the tor-
ture the jolting of the epringlest country carts must
have caused to linen in the agonies of di alit. For
r•uch ureic the human bundhs that ley writhing on the
straw! Those who had e, csped with slighter wounds
marched ts. well as they .-ont.i beat... their less fortunate
comrades iney did not make a single murmur of complaint
On they tottered, SeMetieees hOhling by the waggons to I.elp
their weak step., nut then, was no slim of frirlog to TusY
were only men'• of the rank and file," but they were heroes,
nevertheless. When the carts came to a descent these mag-
nificent soldiers attached themselves to the wheel, with all
the strength that was left in order to act as sort of drag
and save their comrades from • shaking. You have seen
those terrible paintings of'' Toe Retreat from Mose iw."
Th•s return to Metz was • sketch from the mond
brush. Wrecks of retiments pasted; they were
dusty, black with powder, aud foot-sore ; their tu.l-
- were torn, and their gaiters hung about their hetia,
but there was °nettling they had clime to with a fine soldier
pride—their Chassepot. Not one of them was without his
tire-arm clung from hit shoulders. The knapsacks and
eititteene were thrown away, but the gun was kept still. On
they held their way, hungry and thirsty as they were, with
set teeth and compressed lips—not a cry from them though
they roust have bees in acute pain, many of them. Those
red rags round their Ilmbt ore not there for nothing. Bat
their thoughts are elsewhere. They satisfy themselves for
all that by the re liectiou—" The chances of war; the enemy's
turn comes next."