The Litchfield County post., 1828-04-10

was tue ouiy Slgn Hc gave ol aulm atoh He seemed lost to every thing, except the intense consciousness of his misery.
 The night wore heavily away, and still the surgeon did not arrive. I afterwards learned that he was called by duty to distant part of the lines, and that my mes Senger did not reach him until it was too late. At aI hour before dav-break, it is usual for the advanced guard to get under arms, and we rose from our straw for that purpose. As we passed though that part of the building in which VelaSquez and his betrothed were, we found the unhap- py man in exactly the same posture as when he first sat down. We went up to ] them to observe the woman's state: when we found that her consciousness was begin ming to return. feared that it was, as in- deed it proved to be, that restoration of the senses which so often precedes disso- ! lutiOn. After time she was enabled to give distinct account of all that had occurred the 1 night before. She said, that about night- ! fall, when she onl was at home, party of. about five or six French soldiers, with an officer at their head. had entered the house. This man she described as being tall, powerful man, with light hair, and ] especially remarkable for wearing enor- nous mustachios, which were still more conspicuous from their extreme whiteness. This man it seems proceeded to commit upon this unfortunate girl every outrage which the utmost brutality could suggest. In the meantime her father and uncle (for she was Velasquez' cousin) came in, and endeavored to rescue her from the ruf1ians gripe. The result was the instant murder ] of them both, and she herself was struck down by pistol-ball: The men, then, fearing the report would alarm our picket, escaped with preci tation. The cap, however, which had belonged to the off, cer, chanced to contain some memoranda and papers, from which we learned not on- ly his regiment, but his name.
 The scene which ensued between Ve- lasquez and his cousin was the most affect ing that it has ever been my lot to witness. She survived but few minutes. The man still continued sitting by her side, & still held her hand in his. Cameron strove to rouse him and addressed to him those ordinary topics of cosolation, be- yond which there is nothing to urge, but which, alas we feel to be futile. Al last, varying from the deed to the door, Came- ron exclaimed, elf l should meet this ruffian tomorrow, or twenty-years hence
 should be pr'soner,with the French, or he prisoner with us,--as hope for sal vation, by Heaven I'll'shoot him!' Velas- quez, who, till then, had been quite passive, started at the exclamation, and, with the impetuosity of his nation, he rushed to- wards Cameron, and seized him in his arms, poured forth flood of blessings up- on him, interrupted by the sobs and tears which now burst freely from him. They were the first he had shed ,and they reliey- ed him.
 Of sudden, he reflected that this con- duct was improper towards his officer, and breaking abruptly from him, without say- ing a word, seized his frelock, and walked instinctively towards his place in the ranks. An old English se1eant-major, veteran of fifty, took him by the hand, with that respect which sorrow always commands, and led him to his place. As he passed a. long, mingled pity and indignation gleam- ed in the dark eyes of his comrades and many an imprecation was muttered against the Frenchman, which were afterwards but too bitterly fulfilled.
 Day had by this time fully dawned-& l bcheld that of which, had of course,. frequently heard, but which had never personally witnessed but that once. The hair of the unhappy sufferer had turned from black to sDow-white, in the course of the thrice miserableDight Awful, indeed, are the ravages which the agony of the human spirit produces on the human frame!
 Some months passed on. Massena broke up from before Torres Vedras, and commenced his celebrated retreat. We were in full pursuit and had already en- tered the Spanish territory, when again it became our turn to take the duty of out pequot to the army. My detachment con- sisted of my own company; The French were supposed to be within a days march from us, and we had orders to be peculiar Ily vigilent and careful. We arrived on the ground about six o'clock on beauti- full summer evening; and had scarcely
 been there quarter of an hour, when a
 Spanish peasant came to us and gave us ) information, that an escort of about fifty Eiench, with some cattle, were about to pass within three miles of our front and ha ont raa1ed nS tn rnma and reScue inc