Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-04-09

Tor ten, and > horse for FIFTY. 10 one
instance. which fell Immediately undo,
my own observation, some household
furniture was sold for one thousand
francs, (I0t } for which the owner had
given seven thousand francs (2s0i,) on
iy three weeks before. This was by no
means a solitary instance; indeed in
most cases, the loss was much greater
and IN many, houses foil of furniture
were entirely deserted, and abandon d
10 pillage.
Sunday morning was ushured ia BY
one OF the most DIRE adiul tempests ever
remember. The crashing of thunder
was followed by the roar of cannon
which was now distinctly heard from the
ramparts, and it is mol possible to de-
scribe the fearful effect ct this appare nj
Dockery of heaven never before felt
so lorcibly the feebleness Of man The
rain was tremendous The sky looked
ike that in Poussin's picture Of the De-
luga, and a heavy black cloud spread.
like the wings Of mousirous vulture,
over Brussels. The wounded continued
10 arrive the whole OF Saturday night
and Sunday morning, in a condiuon
which de6es description. They appear
ed to tavs been dragged for miles .hro'
oceans Of mud; their clothes were torn.
their caps and feathers cut to pieces.
and their shoes and boots trodden Of
The accounts they brought were sagne
and dishearieping--in fact, We could
only ascertain that the Duke of Vel.
iington Rad late on Saturday taken up
his position at Waterloo, and that there
be meant TO wait the attack of the
French That this attack had COM
mencedswe needed not to be informed,
as the roar of the cannon became every
instant more distinct. till We even fan
cied that il shook the town. The wound.
ed represented The field Of battle as
perfect quagmire, and their appearance
testified the truth Of their assertions.
About two O'clock fresh alarm was
excited by the horses. which had been
Put IN requisition to draw the baggage
wagons, being suddenly gallopsd thro'
the town. We fancied this proof of
defeat, but The fact was simply thus: The
peasants, from whom the horses had
been taken, finding the drivers Of the
wagons absent from their posts, seized
the opportunity 10 cut the traces, and
gailop of with their cattle.
AS this explanation, however, was not
given till the following day, we thought
that all was over: the few British adhe
rents Who had remained were in des
pair, and tri-colored cockades were
suspended from every house. Even
for the first time, lost all courage, and
my only consolation was the joy Of An
net.e. England cannot be much in
iu,ed BY the lass Of single battle
thought /; land as for me. II is OF little
consequences whether | am prisoner
ON parole, or mere wandsrer at plea
sure. ] may easily resign myself 10
ny fate; butthis poor girl would break
her heart il she lost her lover; for he is
every thing to her" In this manner 4
reasoned, bat in spite of my affected
philosophy, | could not diyest myself Of
all natural feeling; and when about SIX
o'clock we heard that the French bad
gwen way, and that the Prussians had
eluded Groushe, and were rapidly ad
vancing 10 the Geld, iqaite forgot poor
Annette, and thanked God with all my
heart At eight o'clock there was no
longer any doubt Of our success. for a
battalion OF troops marched into the
town, and brought intelligence that the
Duke of Wellington bad gained CON
plete victory. and that the French were
flying. closely pursued by The Prussians
Sunday night was employed in en-
thusiastic rejoicing The tri-coIored
cockades had all disappeared, and The
British colers were hoisted from avery
window. The great bell Of st. Gudule
tolled to announce the eventto the SUR
rounding neighborhood, and some OF
the English who had only hidden them
selves, ventured to re appear. The on
" alloy 10 The universal rapture which
prevailed, was the number of the
wounded; the houses were insnfficie ut
to contain half; and the churches and
the public buildings we're Uttered down
with straw for their reception. The
body ofthe Duke of Brunswick, who
fell at Quarire Bras, was brought in on
Saturday, and taken to the quarters he
had occupied near the Chateau de Lac
ken. Twas powerfully affected when I
saw the corpse of one, whom had so