Virginia statesman. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1828-1829, 1828-06-04

pale, insenslble, and apparently dying.
The blood oozed from wound in her side
and there were livid marks upon her throat,
as though produced by a violent grasp of
the hand. The manifestation of despair
by Velasquez was such as, in our, colder
countrymen, would have been considered
as extravaganza; but in him, these frantic
transports were no more than natural.
With alternative tears and curses, he vow
ed vengeance, deep and desperate, upon
the author of his calamities. Atlength We
bore the body OF the dying person to the
barn. which have mentioned as thehead
quarters of our piquet for the night and
she was laid upon some straw that had
been spread out for the soldiers to sleep
on.-Cameron and | then bound up the
wound. Velasquez seemed wholly ncou-
scious OF what was going on. When we
desired him to hold the handkerchief, he.
appeared not to understand us; but when.
the end of it was placed in his hand, he
held it until it was tied. | despatched a
man to bee the attendance Of the surgeon
of the regiment, and then retired with Ca
meron, within a partition which screened
us from Velasquez and his charge. The
rest of the guard had, with that delicacy
which the rudest learn instinchvely at the
sight of deep distress, withdrawn from the
place, and left them alone together.
That was the longest and most painful
night / ever spent. thought day would
never break. Hour after hour expected
the arrival of the surgeon-cvery noise /
thought was that ofhis arrival; but he came
not. Towards one O'Clock, the wind be
Gan to rise; and, as it howled through the
crazy building, it rendered the silence that
otherwise reigned, broken only by the
means of the dying woman, still more
dreadful The whole scene, indeed, Inn
pressed my mind with a degree Of awe 1t
has never forgotten.-Velasquez sat by
the side of the wounded girl; his musket
rested between his knees, with one hand
clasping hers, and the other supporting
his head. During the whole of these drea-
Try hours, he spoke no word, he shed no
tear-despair seemed to have frozen allhs
faculties. As the Pickering Of the fire fell
upon his countenauce, beheld his eyes
glazed and fixed on vacancy. His body
rocked mechanicily to and fro; and this
was the only sign he gave Of animation.
lie seemed lost to every thing, except the
intense consciousness Of his misery.
The night wore heavily away, and still
the surgeon did not arrive. l afterwards
learned that he was called by duty to ii
distant part of the lines, and That my mes
senger did not reach him until it was too
late. st an hour before day-break, it Is
usual for the advanced guard TO get under
arms, and we rose from our straw for that
purpose. As we passed through that part
of the building in which Velasquez and his
betrothed were, we found the unhappy man
in exactly the same posture as when be
first sat down. We went up to them, In
order to ascertain the woman's state; when
we found that her consciousness was be-
ginning to retUrn.-I feared that it was, as
indeed it proved to be, that restoration of
the senses which so often precede dissolU
ton. After a time, she was enabled to
give a distinct account Of all that had oc
CURED the night before. She said, that
about night-fall, when she only was at
home, a party Of about five or six French
soldiers. with an officer at their head, had
entered the house. This man she describ-
ed, as being a tall, powerful man, with
light hair and especially remarkable for
wearing enormous mustachols, which were
still more conspicuous from their extreme
whiteness. This man, it seems, had pro-
ceeded to commit upon this unfortunate
Girl every outrage which the utmost brutal
ty could suggest In the meantime her
father and uncle (for she was Velasquez's
cousin came in, endeavored to rescue her
from the rufiians grasp. The result was
the instant murder of them BOTH and she
herself was struck down by pistol ball.
The men, then, fearing the reports would
alarm our picquet, escaped with precipita
ton. The cap, however, which had be-
longed to the officers, CHANGED to contain
some memoranda and papers, from which
we learned not only his regiment, but his
name.
The scene which ensued between Velas-
quez and his cousin was the most affecting
thatit has ever been my lot to witness. She
survived but a few minutes. The man
/ still continued sitting by her side, and still
held her hand in his. Cameron shoye to
arouse him; and addressed to him those or
binary topics ofconsolation, beyond which
there is nothing to urge, but which. alas J
we fol IN be fntlle. a. last. varring from