South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-07-02

news will come TO their ears, as the
sound Of the fall Of a mighty oak 10
The stiffness of the woods"
sazms
Hiew Of the Field Of Waterloo, after
the Battle.
"The only alloy to the universal
rapture which prevailed, was the num-
Der of the wounded. The houses were
insufficient TO contain half !; and the
churches and public buildings were lit
tered down with straw for heir recep-
ton. The body of the Duke Of
Brunswick was brought to the quarters
he had lately occupied. Twas power
fully affected when ] saw the corpse
Of one so lately blooming with youth
and health ; but my eyes soon became
accustomed to horrors.
On Monday morning, June 10Th, ]
has.ened to the field of battle; l was
compelled to 60 through the forest, for
the road was so completely chcaked
up as TO be impossible.
The, dead required no help; but
thousands Of wounded who could not
help themselves, were in went of every
thing features, swollen by the sun &
rain, looked ligid and bloated. One
poor fellow had ghaatly wound a
cross his lower lip, which gaped wide,
and showed his teeth and gums, as
though second and unnatural mouth
had opened below his first Another,
quite blind from gash across his
eyes, sat up wright, gasping for breath,
and mnrmuring, Ode Peau |" The
anxiety for water was indeed most dis
tressing. The Germans, "Waser !
waser !" and the French, "De l'eau |!
de l'eau |" still seem sounding in my
ears am convinced that hundreds
mus. have persisted from thirst alone,
and they hal no hope of assistance,
for even humane persons we're afraid
of approaching the scene of blood, lest
they should be taken in requisilion to
bury the dead almost every person
vho came near being pressed into that
disgusting aud painful service.
This general burying was truly hor-
rible large square holes were dug a
bout six feet deep, and 80 or 40 fine
young fellows, stripped to the skin,
were thrown in to each pell NELL, and
then covered over in so slovenly q
manner, that sometimes a hand or q
foot peeped through the earth.
One Of these holes was preparing
as passed, and the followers of the
army were stripping the bodies before
throwing them in it, while some Rus
sian Jews were assisting in the spoil
alton Of the dead by chiselling GU, their
teeth an operation which they per-
formed with the mos. brutal indiffer-
cnce. Hundreds Of fine horses were
galloping over the plain, kicking and
plunging, apparently mad with pain,
while the poor wounded wre,ches, who
saw them coming and could no, &c,
out Of their way, shrieked in agony, &
tried TO shrek or escape from them in
vain.
Soon after I saw an immense horse,
Zone of the Scotch Greys) dash tow
ards Col. Of the lmperial Guards,
who had bis leg shattered ; the horse
was frighifully wounded, and a part
ola broken lance still ranked in one
Of its wounds. 1t rushed, snoring &
past the Frenchman, and I
shall never forget his piercing cry as
i, approached. fled instantly to the
spot, blu, ere reached it, the man was
dead for though | do not think the
horse had touched him, the terror be
felt had been too much for his eXhaus-
ted frame.
Sickened with the immense heaps
OF slain which spread in all directions,
as far Us the eye could reach, was
TO return, when, as | was
striding over the dead and dying, and
on the horrors Of t0ar, my
attention was attracted by young
Ffenehman, who was lying on his
back, apparently at the last gasp.
Some open letters were lying around
and one was yet grasped in his hand,
as though he had been reading it to the
last moment. My eye fell upon the
words, "My dear SON." in a female
hand.
Reader, how many such ties, think
you, were torn assunder on that field
Of blood | - husbands, fathers, sons
but iorbear.
Silence Speak not but what may
benefit others OF yourself; avoid tri-