The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-31 00:00:00

BATTLE-FIELDS OF THE LATE WAR.

The following interesting reminiscence of the late war
has been sent to The Times for publication :

. -
So large an amount of interest was evinced by Eng-
lishmen of all classes in the sufferings of the two
nations engaged in the late war, that I am induced to
send you a letter from the pen of one whose services as
ean officer of the Red Cross Society, and again as a re.
presentative of the French Peasant Farmers' Seed Fund,
give a weight to his opinions, which induces me to
hope that you may consider the letter worthy of publi-
cation.—l am Sir, your obedient servant,
VERNON.

16, Obera-promenade, Hamburg, Aug 24.
P.S. --Mr. Purley is engaged in distributing a small
balance which it was necessary to keep in reserve to
mset contingencies.

"9, Rue Neuve, Versailles, Aug. 15.
'Dear Lord Vernon,—! have just returned from a tour
through Lorraine, Luxembourg, and the Ardennes. During
the last two years I have so frequently written to you about
the waste and destruction occasioned by the late war, that
It is a great satisfaction to me now to be eble to tell you how
rapidly this country is assuming its wonted appearance—
though in some places evidences of the campaign are still
painfully conspicuous, and to assure you of the generally
good results obtained roar the lebours of the committee of
which your Lordship is the preetient. I paused hurriedly
through Lorraine. The once gay town of Metz, now in the
hands of the commeror, and from which more than 9.0,000 of
the French inhabitants have gone, is too sad a subject to
dwell upon.
"I visited Luxembourg in order personally to thank
those persons who at the outbreak of the war rendered me
so much willing aside, ance then Thionville, and after-
wards came • n to eeden. There, notwithstanding the
foreign occupation—end the inhabitants themselves admit
that the three or four thousand Bavarians who DOW form
the garrison behave admirably welt—everybody was look-
ing cheerful A return of fine weather ann the promise of •
abundant crops have made people more or less forget their
troubles. I spent a day in the neighbeurhood of the town.
I crossed the now celebrated battlefield, and at Dem had
a long conversation with the Cure end those persons with
whom I I wiped during the fortnight that succeeder the
battle All declared the crops tube very fine, arid far beyond
the average, and they sahl that ten days of ann.
shree would be of incalcu table value to France I also called
on M. Mieset, the Cure if Bazeilles, who has shown no much
energy or, behalf of his nefortimate parishioners, and whose
appeals on their behalf have been responded to from all parts
of Europe and America. The village, which was utterly de-
stroyed,, is repidly rising azain from the ruins, and its pre-
sent appearance indicates that its former prosperity will
again return to It. I was struck by a sign over one of the
best of the well-built stone houses in the principal street;
French vitality is well expressed by the words printed
In large characters on the front of this inn, which
is decidedly superior to its unfortunate predecessor.
Ala Raines (Ds Bazeilleß. Often during the day my thoughts
wandered from the cheerful scenes before me to
that memorable time, not quite two years ago, when on
fields from which every vestige of verdure and fertility had
been trodden out of the soil, I stood among the dead and
the dying. Now golden corn and patches of green crops
stretch as far as the eye can see, but here and there a white
woodeo enure with a laded wreath suspended to it is visible
over the waving ears if grain. In most cases where bootee
had been buried separately they have been remover to a
cemetery or collected in larger graves, on some of which
the inscriptions are painful in their simplicity.
" Close to IA Moncelle Is a wooden cross on which are
the words ' Many Bavarian Warriors (Viele
K.:eget) fell here on the field ef honour, Ist Sep,
Neer the park wall of the Chateau Sionvililere a small black
marble obeli, k has lately been erected, and on this, under a
bronze wreath, is the epitaph, here rest seo brave
Bavarians" Al 'my, both Ermicii and Germans, lie in the
cemeteries of Sarah and linzeilles. Two days ago I was at
etez.eree ( ;Hermes,. fhe terrible bombardment to which
this town was subjected is still very evident, but many
hou.es have been rebuilt, and the flue church which
was very much injured has been restrred, with the
exceptieo of some of the whidows. The ns,yor, the
Comte the Bethune, being unwell and confined to his
chateau a few miles out of the town, on the borders of
the Forest in whit!, the limits between France and Belgium
are so difficult to trace I had an opportunity hi see addit tonal
proof of toe wealth ellthe present harvest A few words in
conversation struck me a, particularly expressive. It was re-
marked that ten coneecutive year, of such ham et would re
stote France to her former posit on, and a farmer replied,
Ten consecutive days of inch weather as this, and Fiance Is
saved.' Wherever I go the greatest gratitude is expressed for
the aid rendered by England to the Innocent victim.. the
war, especially through the Daily New, Fund, the
Society of Friends, and that Society in which I have
the honour to be associated with your Lerdship. In
some places actual starvation was warded MY by means
of these societies. The mayor of a village told me the other
day that the peasantry, when first they saw the seed sent out
from Ragland, could scarcely believe that the donors were
disinterested, while some even auggested that the grain
would be found to be worthless. They were, however, per-
suaded to sow it, tad the result has been so stmcestful that
in more than one commune they are now anxious to blow
how they can purchase similar seed in future, nie will, I
am sure, be gratifying Information to those gentlemen who
devoted so much time and valuable experieace to the selec-
tion and purchase of the seed.
"1 have not thought it newer/try to weary you with &UM
as to the manner in which I am disposing of the Wawa
lift In my hands. Twill lead the receipts and report sat.
the rawer In wlatch the mew teenpulei )Lr. Asking

In the course of af.wweaki. In distributing this sum, in-
cluding the £2OO sent to me a fortnight ago, and the £lOO
intrusted to me by the Society of Friends. I use my own dis-
cretion, the original object of the Seed Fund having neces-
sarily changed with the iesson. I merely confine the money
exclusively to small cultivators for the purchase of anything
mutat to them in agriculture. Again, I must thank you and
my colleagues on committee for having Parinitt.ei ml to be
your almoner, and. hus furnished me with an object for
work which has my entire sympathy.
"Although at the outset of this special undertaking,l4:=
to the war of the Commune, I was more or less de,
from serving the Seed Fund to the full extent of my wishes,
it is a satidaction to me to feel that I have since been of
some use, and that my presence in France has enabled me
personally to distribute every shilling committed to me with-
out any deduction for expeusea—" Allow me to remain, dear
Lord 'terror, faithfully yours. "50112 }TRUES'.
"The (tight Ilea. Lord Vernon, &o."