Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-03-20

iljgence OF the event joined oHcrs "
service, and invitations to reside with
them during this momentous contest
should ! prefer such protection to re-
naming alone at such crisis. what
day of confusion and alarm did we
all spend on the l7th;in nay heart the
whole time was Treres! Treves
Treycs! That day, and June 18th,
passed in hearing the cannon! Good
Heavens! what Undesirable horror to
be so near the field Of slaughter! such
call i., for the preparation to the ear
by the tremendous sound was, soon fol-
lowed by its fullest effect, in the view
of the wounded, the bleeding martyrs
to the informidable contention that
was soon to terminate the history Of
the war. And hardly more affecting
was this disabled return from the bat
tie than the sight of tie continually
pouring forth ready-armed and vigor-
Gus victims that marched past my win.
dows to meet similar destruction. Ac-
counts from the field of battle arrived
hourly; sometimes directly from the
Duke of Wellington to Lady Charlotte
GreYille, and to some other ladies who
had near relations in the combat, and
which, by their means, were circula-
ted in Brussels; and at other times
from such as conveytd those amongst
the wounded Belgians, whose misfor-
tunes were inflicted near enough to The
skirts of the spets of action to allow oil
their being dragged away by their how
ering countrymen to the city: the
spots, say. of action, for the lar-fam-
ed battle OF Waterloo was preceded by
the three days Of partial engagements.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
1t is not near the scene of battle that
war, even with victory, wears an as
pect Of felicity--no, not even in the
midst of IFS highest respondents OF
glory. A more terrific or aflis ting
sojourn than that of Brussels at this
period can hardly be Imagined. The
universal voice declared that so san
culinary a battle as that which was
fought almost in its neighborhood, and
quite within its hearing, never yet had
spread the plains with slaughter; and
though exultation cannot ever have
been prouder, nor satisfaction more
complete, in the brilliancy Of success,
all my senses were shocked in viewing
the effects of its attainment. For
more than week from this time |
never approached my window but to
witness sights of wretchedness. Maim-
ed, wounded, bleeding, mutilated, tor
tured victims of this discriminating
contest passed by every minute, the
fanting, the sick, the dying, and the
dead, on brancards, in carts. in wag-
ons. succeeded one another without in
PERMISSION. There seemed to be 3 large
and whole army of disabled or lifeless
soldiers; all that was inierminglcd with
them bore an aspect of still more poig-
nant horror; for the Bonapartian pris-
oners, who were now poured into the
city by hundreds. had mein Of such
ferocious desperation, where they were
marched on, uniniared from having
been taken by surprise or overpower-
cd by numbers; or faces Of such an
guish where they were drawn on in
open vehicles, the helpless victims Of
gushing wounds or horrible dissolution
for their sufierings, or admiration for
the heroic. however misled enthusi-
asm, to which they were martyrs, must
have demanded an apathy dead to all
feeling but what is personal, or a ran
cor too ungenerous TO yield even 10 the
view of defeat. Both the one set and
the other Of these unhappy warriors
endued their calamities with naughty
forbearance of complaint. The maim-
ed and !acerated, while their CHASTITY
visages spoke torture and death, bit
their own clothcs-perhaps their flesh!
to save the loud utterancc Of their
groans: while those Of their comrades
who had escaped these corporeal in
aictions seemed 10 be smitten with
something between remorse and mad
ness that they had not forced them
selves on to destruction ere thus they
were exhibited in dreadful parade
through the streets of that city which
they had been sent forth 10 conquer.
Others ofthese wretched prisoners had,
10 me. rs / first saw them, the air Of
the lowest and most disgusting Jacob
ms, in dirty tattered vestments of all
sorts and colors, or soiIed carriers
frocks; but disgust was soon turned TO
pity, when | afterwards learnt that
these shabby Announcements had been
cast over them by their conquerors af-