The Arkansas advocate., 1830-05-12
MISCELLANY.
EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE.
 coc,.etS of E.o..t.,gao yoJJ;3o

An Austrian officer, the Baron Von I w. who served in l768, in the war with the Turks, lived a few years at B.. He was fond of relating the various anec- dotes ofhis military life, and among oth- CTS the following, which we give in the Barons' own worlds
 (. In the spring the year I76S. set out for Mielosvar in Pennsylvania, to conduct a number Of recruits to my re- giment, which then lay in the vicinity of Orsown. In a village near the army lived a gipsy, who carried on the trade ! of a suttier. My new soldiers, who were extremely superstitious, asked her to tell their fortunes; laughed at them, and at the same time held my hand to z the gipsy. sThe 10th of August!' said she, with a very significant air,and with- 5 out adding another syllable. Iwished to obtain some explanation, but she repeat ed tfle the saiGie words, and ;ss was going away, she called out to me in the same tone, The Doth of Augustp It may be easily supposed that this date remained impressed upon my memory.
 @We joined the army, and shared its fatigues and dangers. It is well known in this war the Turks gave no quarter. Their chiefs offered a premi- um of ducat for every head that should he brought into the camp, and neither Jannisaries nor Saphis neglected any opportunity of earning this reward. This arrangement was particularly fatal to our advanced posts; there was scarce lY a night but what the Turks came in superior numbers to seek for heads, and at day-break it was often found that part of the camp had been guarded only by decapitated trunks. The Prince ofCe- burg resolved to send every night, strong piquets of cavalry beyond the chain of videtts, for the purpose of protecting them. These piquets were composed of 100 or 200men; but the Turkish Gener- als, finding theirtroops disturbedintheir retail trade sent still more numerous de- tachments againstour piquets, whlchpro- cured them a still more considerable profit. The service of the piquets was ofsuch nature that those who were ap- pointed to perform it always put their affairs in order previous to their depar- ture. Things were in this state in the month of August; several battles had not changed the position of the army. A week before the Doth, my fortune tel Ter, of whom had frequently purchased provisions, again made her appearance; she entered my tent, and requested me to leave her legacy in case should die on the day she had predicted, and offered, in case did not, to make me present of hamper of Tokay. This wine was rarityinthe army. Thegip- sy appeared to me not to have common sense, in the situation in which then was speedy death was not improbable; but had no reason to expectit precisely on the Doth of August. lacceded to the proposal, stalking two horses and 50 du- cats against the old woman's 'rokay and the auditor took down our agreement in writing, but not without laughing.
 The Doth of August came. There was no probability of an engagement. It was indeed the turn of our regiment to furnish piquet for the night, but two of my comrades were to go out before me. In the evening, as the Hussars were preparing to sci of, the sufgeono oi the regiment, came to inform the Com. mandant that the officer named for the piquet was dangerously Ill. The one next to him, and who preceded Irie, re fcc- ceiyed orders to take his place. He dressed himself in haste and was pro- deeding to join his men, but his horse, a gentle and quiet creature, suddenly be- gan to prance and caper in such man. ner that he at last threw his rider, and broke his leg in the fall. It was my turn; set of, but, must confess, not in Ey ordinary humor. commanded So men, and was joined by l20 men belong ing to another regiment, making in the whole 200 men. Our post was about 1000 paces in front of the line of the right wing, and we were supported by a marsh covered with very high reeds
 We had advanced no sentinels, but no
 a man was allowed to leave his saddle Cur orders were to remain with drawr swords and loaded carbines till day break. Every thing wasquiet till quar
 ter before two o'clock, when we heari