Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-03-31
INSANITY OF WAR.


INSANITY OF WAR.
There was certain Capt. Cook in the .
British army at the battle of New Orleans,
who has recently given to the public some
interesting incidents, which took place
under his own eye in that memorable en-
gagement. And it is incidents, the facts :
in which individuals are concerned, the .
insulated details Of battle, and not the
whole, assimilated and contemplated in :
one broad mass, which is to give us the
precisely true conception Of the miseries
which are endured on such occasions
On the morning of the eighth of January,
the officer above referred to saw three
companies Of soldiers, about two hundred
and forty in nomber, advancing on the
high road to New Orleans, for the pur-
pose of attacking what was called the
crescent battery. Among other persons
he saw lieutenant Duncan Campbell, with
whom he seems TO have been particularly
acquainted and asked him where he was
going. The lieutenant replied, that he
did not know. Then, said CAPTAIN Cooke,
you have got in:o what | call a good
thing; the far famed American battery is
in front at a short range; and on the left
this spot is fanked at eight hundred yards
by their batteries on the opposite side Of
the river At this piece Of information
the lieutenant laughed heartily Captain
Cooke advised him to take off his blue
pelisse coat, in order to b. like the rest of
the men; but he promptly refused, utter
ing at the same time some expressions of
defiance against the Americans; and hav-
ing Embraced the car tain, went onward.
He was young officer of twenty years Of
age, of fine personal appearance, and
had fought in many blood y encounters in
France and Spain. But what was the
fate, which war had reserved for one so
young, so interesting in appearance, and
towards whom, undoubtedly, the affections
of many friends in a distant land were
fondly directed! Near the close of the
butte, lieutenant Duncan Campbell, says
the writer, was seen to our left running
| about in circles, first staggering one way,
then another, and at length he fell on the
sod helplessly upon his face, and again
tumbed, and when he was picked up, he
was found to be blind from the effects Of
grape shot, that had torn open his fore
head, given him a slight wound in the
leg, and had also ripped the scabbard from
his side, and knocked the cap from his
head. While being borne insensibIe to
the rear, he still clenched the hit of his
sword with a convulsive grasp, the blade
thereof being broken off close at the hilt
with grape shot, and in a state Of deInium
and suffering he lived for a. few days.
Here is an incident which may be called
common one; he die1 much as any 9th
er soldier on the field Of battle may be
supposed to die; but this is the cause of
the difference in cur feelings; we single
him out from the rest Of the multitude -
we do not mingIe AMI conlound and lose
sight of his suffering, in the vague and in
definite idea of suffering in the mass; and
while we are too often unmoved, in consc
quence Of our inability to combine par
ticuIar and general view, by the gene ra,
statement of thousands having suffered
we at once exclaim, when our eve is fix.
l ed on single case like the one before US
what a shocking death is this VIVA
bal b1ri:y there is in war What insanity
in men, that they should butcher and teal
to pieces one another!
For five hours, CONTINUES the narrative
Of this otticer,) the enemy piled US with
grape and round shot; some ofthe wound
ed, living in the mud or on the wet grass
managed to crawl away, but every now
. and then some unfortunate man was LIFTED
. off the ground by round sAot, and lay kill
ed or mangle1 During the tedious hour
? we remained in front, it was necessary t.
l lie on the ground to cover ourselves from
| the projacti!es An officer of our regi
ment was in a reclining posture, whel
t grape-shot passed through both his knees
: at frs: he sunk back family; but at length
. opening his eyes & looking at his wounds
he said, carry me away, [ am chilled
deGth;' and as he was hoiste1 on men
t shoulders, more round and grape she
: passed his head. Taking off his cap, h
S waved it; and after IN lnv narrow escapes
got out of range, suffered amputation {
: both legs, but died Of his wounds on boar
j. ship, after enduring all the pain Of tn
e surgical operation, and passing down tn
l. lake in an open boat
e There was an individual present at tn
l. naval battle of Trafal gar, who relate
g some things that came under his person:
1t notice From the account abridged an
l. prepared for the second volume of the Ha
o binger of Peace, we make the followin
extract - Now that the conflict was owe
n our kindred feelings resumed their sway
s, Eager inquiries were expressed and carr
:e est cong; atulations exchanged at this M
q. ment. The officers came to make the
IN report to the captain, and the fatal resu
e cast gloom over the scene of triumph
i'll | have alluded to the impressions of OF
v, first lieutenant that he should not survlN