The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-20 00:00:00

A. VISIT TO THE WOUNDED.

A medical correspondent of the Cologne Gazette, writing
rom Speicheren on the 9th of August, draws a picture
which may serve as a useful antidote to any enthusiasm
about the " glory "of war In the evening we went to
take a look at the wounded. In the school-roams, which'
-were full this morning, all the wounds had been
redressed, windows had been opened to change
and sweeten the air, the dead had been buried, and all
seemed to long for nature's restorer, sleep. It is other-
wise at the church—French soldiers who have under-
gone operations, are lying upon portable, beds, and are
placed in rows under the avenue leading from the
gate to the porch. In the dark porch we had to step
over some of the more seriously wounded, who were con-
stantly creeping out of the corners, and barring as it were
the way with their chaff-beds. The floor is covered, as
also the chaff-beds, with patches of dried and drying
blood. Inside the church, by the altar, where all the
seats have been removed, the floor is strewn with straw,
upon which lay the mortally wounded remnants of
General Froissard's corps d'arntee, some nude, some only
half-dressed, some silent, with eyes and mouth finally
closed, some restless, moaning, and in agony. The
beautiful pictures of the Passion of our Lord
that hang around the church, and over the
heads of those poor sufferers who are leaning against the
walls almost past sense and feeling, strongly impress us,
and we cannot but compare them with the pain and agony
being endured by many in the dark, quiet, and obscure
corners of the church. Numerous windows in the church
had been broken so as to allow of a free current of air to
carry off the foul smell, but the air was still most im
pure. In the choir of the church where the windows
had not been opened or broken, on account no doubt
of their being stained glass and expensive, the odour
that pervaded the place was most insupportable ; and,
in order to try and comfort the wounded with some
fresh air, I had the windows forcibly opened. Ido not
know whether I shall get into any great trouble about
this. The only light that could be perceived in the
church was the still small lamp, the symbol of the lights

The

that burn in the angel's choir; and in the semi-darkness
we had to feel about to find the wounded. In the nave of

the church all seemed in pain and comfortless, save two
who had been wounded in the thigh, and who were seated
on the steps of the altar, surrounded by their dead
comrades, smoking their cigars. Beneath the picture of
the Holy Virgin lay a young French captain who had been
shot through the breast, his head reposed upon the faith-
ful bosom of a soldier who acted as nurse, and when
we informed him that the officer had ceased to live, the
poor fellow burst into tears. The Sisters of Mercy had
all their work to do to attend 4:o the different calls of the
sick men. Some cried for a draught of water, although
perhaps they could only swallow a drop. Some wanted
to be turned on one side, some on the other. Some hoped
to lessen their agony by having their head raised, and tried
to decrease the horrors of death by stretching out their cold
and stiffening hands towards us ; indeed, they seem to
die more contented and peacefully when they can by any
means take hold of any of our hands. On the other side of
the church the benches had not been removed ; on them
were laying or sitting such as had been only slightly
wounded, smoking cigars and writing or dictating letters
to their friends at home, and forming a strong comparison
to the grievously wounded on the left side, for
they were able to discuss different topics with the medical
attendants and nurses. As I left the church I perceived
by the dim glimmer of a patrol lantern an old French
soldier, who, as I passed out, gave me the military salute.
I saw through the open door of a stable, in which the san-
guinary operations were performed by the military surgeons
that the nurses were hard at work cleansing the operat-
ing table and floor from pools of blood. The amputated
limbs were gathered together and buried in the church-
yard. The operators had laid aside their long black oil-
skin aprons and put their uniform on over their red shirts.
After their arduous and trying task they sat down in the
dark cool street smoking their cigars and dividing their
wine rations with those who had undergone the opera-
tions. I returned to the bivouac of my corps, but so
fearful had been the sights I had witnessed that I paused
many times on my way to ask myself if what I had seen
were really true, or if the whole had not been some
dream, some horrid nightmare, such as would affect us at
'times ; but no ; on my arrival I read the chronicle of the
Army of the South, and found, alas ! that all was stern
reality, and that I had yet to be inured to all the horrors
of war."

A TALK WI-1H A. PRUSSIAN SOLDIER.
The Prussians wander about the country : one sees
them from every window, right and left, above, below,
• on the railway track where no more trains run, on the
lofty road which closes the horizon between Saverne and
the Haut-Barr, at every angle of the forest, and even at
my garden gate. That dripping sentinel, who
seems to have chosen his abiding place under
one of my walnut trees, irritates my nerves
to the last degree. I put on a pair of sabots,
for everything is flooded, and go straight at
my man. "Is it me you are watching ?"
" 'Why should I, sir ?" " Then you are protecting me ?"
" Not a bit. I am here in vedette with two comrades
who are gone I don't know where. We ought to have
been relieved at least two hours ago, and I am wearied to
death of this." " You are a Prussian ?" " No, sir ;
a man of Nassau." "In other words, you are
only half Prussian ?" He smiles, and I add—
" Like the men of Wurtemberg and Bavaria."
" You are mistaken about the Bavarians, sir ;
they attacked like mad things with the bayonet. One
would have said they were urged on by deadly vengeance.
The Prussians were not so hot; for, in fact, we were all
led on as if to the slaughter-house !" " You were at the
affair of Woerth, then? " " And at Weissenburg as
well ; but what was Weissenburg in comparison of the
' great, dreadful battle? Never was anything seen more
terrible. Six leagues of sky and corpses. Ah ? my
God ! Villages burnt, orchards shaved down like
the palm of my hand, vines and hops trampled to
manure—all the country-side ruined for twenty years !
In truth, we do ourselves a deal of mischief, and we pile
up vast misery, to content a few men who are not a bit
better than ourselves." " You do not talk like a pro-
fessional soldier ?" "I belong to the reserve, and
am a mechanic by trade. I have even worked
for some time at Strasburg." " Are you married ?"
" Not yet." "What do you think of our
army ?" " I don't understand enough about it to judge,