The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1842-11-17
From Baekwood ior September.
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and not unnatural, dislike to see either
military or civil employmeuts in their
country filed BY Foreigners, and it is
rare to find foreign officer 10 any Of
. their regiments. Sometimes, however,
one meets with tbem-generally Poles.
On one occasion, during my rambles,
1 fell IA with battalion, quartered IN
an insignificant Astunan village, in
which were two foreigners, French
man and a Pole. The former. whose
.bsplismal name was Victor, was a fine,
handsome young fellow, well educated,
and even accomplished, whom love
OF adventure had induced to enter The
Spanish service. His greatest fault
was one not uncommon among your
French military men-a beadlong, ran
dom way Of talking, especially when a
slightly excited by wine, or otherwise
which frequently caused him to wound
the feelings, or give Unintentional, but
not the less real, offence TO his friends
and comrades. ii demonstrated with
on the subject when in cool blood, he
admitted the failing, which he would
again, however, fall into,the very same
day, perhaps, when heated by CONVEX
sation or irritated by the least contra
diction. Cyrzinski, the Pole, was OF
a widely different character. He was
the bcau-ideaI Of a veteran soldier, to
which name, although little more than
forty years Of age, five and twenty
years service gave him fair title. Tall
and powerful in frame, Injured to fa-
tigues, and skilled in al military exer-
cises, he was not less terrible IN the
field than gentle aud amiable in quar-
tiers. He was the best hearted crea
ture / ever saw, and although with
nothing beside his pay to live upon,
was ever ready to share his last dollar
with cOmrade. By disposition some
what taciturn, he would sit for hours,
his chin resting on his hand and large
German pipe in bis mouth, listening
TO the conversation, but rarely taking
part in il. He was still in the prime
Of his vigor, and although the shake
had worn away the hair from his tenn
pies and forehead, it still curled thick
aud short on the top and back Of his
head, while q strong and very light-col'
ored muslache conlrasted with the dark
hue 10 which his fine Ace had been
tanned by the suns aud rains Of twenty
campaigns. The strangest thing about
him was his dialect. Ii was a mixture
Of some half-dozen languages, picked
up in the various services through
which, except his own, could he speak
with any degree ofsccurscy. Some
how, however, he made himself I'M
derslOod and, as nothing ever often
ded him, It was often q source Of great
amusement to bis comrades to laugh al
old Cyrzinski's pOlyglot idioms.
| was acquainted With one or two
officers Of the battalion, aud | deter
mined 70 remain a couple Of days al
the village, 10 repose from the iaiigues
ul a weeks travelling OF Spanish
saddle and over detesiable roads.
soon got acquainted with Cyrzinski
we discovered that we had some mu'
tual friends in another country, and az
intimacy rapidly ensued. Although
the village in which the battalion wa
quartered was a mere collection OF cot
tages, and bad nothing TO reccomnienC
il save the beauty Of the surrounding
scenery, i found my time pass soagree
ably, tina, | allowed several days Il
elapse without thinking Of departure
The mornings were spent in riding
walking and lounging, with an occa
siOnal bout al the loils, or touch a
pistOl-shooting aud in the evening
Cyrzinski, Victor, the Frenchman,tw
or three Spanish officers, and myself
used generally to meet at the quarter
Of one OF other Of the party, for III
sake Of conversation, aud the discus
siOu OF bowl OF mulled wine.
1t was on the eighth evening ate
my arrival al the village, and we wei
assembled in the room Of Don Julia
NJ, an officer whom l had forme
" known at NJ. For three {
four days past, troops had been dai
arriving from different quarters in Of
rear, and occupying a strong positio
pfwhich the village was the central al
mos; advanced point Several tho
sand men were assembled IN {
neighboring hemlets, or bivOcacking
the fields ; while 10 our front sire
Carlist force had established their pic
cts within little more than musket-sh
OF ours. Nothing was expected
the following day, as both sides w
waiting farther reinforcements, but
action was decidedly looked for
day af,sr the morrow.
We were seated, six in numb
round a ponderaus old table OF bla'
worn-eaten oak on which were Pla'
aIarre bowl Of coarse, Yellowish ear
eaware, emitting a most fragrant val
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