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

showed bis teeth and guns as though a
steond and unnatural mouth had open
I'd below bis first Another. quite
blind from a cash across his ewes, sat
upright, gaspIng for breath, aud mur-
muriug, DE peau de ieaui" The anx-
iety for water, was indeed most distress.
ug, The German 'Vaserl vassrr' and
the French De I'eaul de peaui'' still
seem sounding in my ears. am con-
vinced that hundreds must have perish.
ed from tbirs, alone, and they had no
bore of assistance. for even humane
persons we're afraid Of approaching the
scene OF blood, lest they should be ia
ken in requisition TO bury the dead; al.
most every person who came near, be
ing pressed into that most disgusting
aud painful service.
This general burYing was truly horri :.
bic, large square holes were dug about
SIX feet deep. snd thirty or forty fine
young fellows stripped to their skins
were thrown into each. psll nell, aud
uea covered over in so sIovenly man
Ger, iha, sometimes a hard or foot
peeped through the earth One OF these
holes was preparing as l passed, and
the followers OF the army were strip.
ping the bodies before throwing them in
to It. whilst some Russian Jews were as.
sisiing IN the spo,lstion Of the dead. by
ch'selling out their teeth! an operation
which they performed with the most
brutal indifference. The clinking ham
meFs OF these wretches Jared horribly
upon my ears, and mingled strangely
with the occasion al report OF pistols,
which seemed eehoing each other at
stated intervals, from different corners
of the field could uct divine the mean.
ing IT these shots. till was informed,
that they proceeded from the Belgiens,
who were killing the wounded borses
Hundreds of these fine creatures were.
indeed, gal!oping over the plain, kick
ing and pianglng, apparently mad with
pain. whilst the poor wounded wretch
es who saw them coming. and could moi
get out Of their way, shrieked in agony,
and tried to shrink back to escape from
them, but in VAN.
Soon after. saw an immense horse
Cone of the Scottish Grsss) dash towards
colonel OF the Imperial Guard Who
had had his leg shattered; the horse was
frigbtfully wounded, and part Of brnk
en- lance still ranked in one of is
wounds. Ii rushed snoring aud plung.
ing past the Ffenchman. and shall new
er forget hispisrcing cry as i. approach
ed. ] flew instantly to the spot, out ere
! reached it the man was dead; tor,
though do not think the horse had
touche d him, the terror he felt had been
too much for his exhausted frame.
Sickened with the immense heaps of
slain. which spread in all directions as
lar as the eye eou!d reach. was pre-
paringto return, when as was striding
over the dead and d. ing. and mediating
on the horrors oil war. nv attention
was.attracte by young Frenchman,
who was lying on bis back, apparently
at the last gasp. There was something
in bis couEtenance which aierestsd me,
and | fancied though knew not when
Or where, that had seen him before.
Some open letters we're lying around. &
one wac yet grasped 10 bis hands tho
he bad been reading il to the last mo
ment. My eye fell upon the words
"slon eherGls." in female hand, and
felt interested for the fate Of SO aHes-
tionaie son.
When left home in the morning. I
had put flask Of brandy and same bis
cult into my pocket, in the hope that
might be useful to the wounded, but
whsa | gazed on the countless multi
|tude which strewed the field, felt dis.
eeuraged from attempting to relieve
them. Chance had now directed my
attention to one individual, and was
resolved to try 10 save his life. His
thigh vas broken, and he was badly
wounded, on the left wrist. but the vital
parts were untouched and his exhaus.
ton seemed TO arise principally from
loss Of blood. poured lev drops Of
brandy into bis mouth, and crumbling
my biscuit contrived to make him swal.
low small parole. The effects Of the
dose we're soon vissa Die; his eyes half
opened, and faint tinge Of color spread
over his cheek. | administered little
more, and il revived him so much that
he tried to sit upright ! raised him and
contriying to place him 10 such a man
ner as To support bin against the dead
body of horse, put the flask and bis