Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-03-26
SHADES OF MILITARY LIFE.

Military Life" written by two French military
men, edited by Sir G. ]. Napier, the present BRIT
ish Commander-in-chief in India, has recently
reached second edition in London. The nrsl
portion of the book is from the pen OF the Count
de Vigny, an officer who has never seen much ser
vice. He entered the army just as that human s
comet Napoleon, who heralded war to Europe iof
so many years, was cast from the heaven OF pow
er and the French armies ceased to feast the NIL
itary spirit of the nation with glory. He had hi-
tie of the enthusiastic love for his profession WHICH
usually characterizes the soldier, but was disaP-
pointed, devoured by snnni, and finally driven Dy
his feelings from service which IN his QAnlon OF
fered few inducements to a man OF IN ~ fsi'1{ \
was associated with so much Of misery sy
inc as the tales of his order seapanions ri
unveiled. One or two of these we will condense, so
as to bring them within the limits our space neces-
sarily enforces upon us:
In his first march, with his ambition glowing as
BRIGHTLY as his maiden sword, and his hopes yet
fresh as his untarnished epaulettes, M. de Vigny
falls in with an old chpf de battalion. He was
man of about fifty, with mustaches tall and stout,
his back curved, after the manner OF old infantry
officers who have carried the knapsack HIS Tea
lures were hard but benevolent such as you often
meet with in the army, indicating, at the same
time, the natural goodness of the heart OF the man,
and the callousness induced by long use to scenes
of blood and carnage. This old soldier OF the en-
pire is marching along beside little cart, drawn
by sorry mule, in which sits a woman-a mani
ac-whose story he tells with soldiers trankness,
as part of his own history. The old man had
been sailor in his youth, and at the time OF the
Directory was captain of a merchantmen. From
that situation he was promoted, arstocracy being
at discount, to command the Marat, brig OF war,
and one of his first duties was to sail with two po-
litical prisoners, young Frenchman and his WIFE
He supposed that he was to land them at Cayenne,
to which place other exles had previously been
despatched in other vessels but he carried seal
ed orders from the Directory, which were not TO
be opened till the vessel reached the Equator
On the passage, the captain and his young pas
sengers became greatly attached to each other-
so much so that he wished to leave the service,
and with what fortune he had, share and alleviate
their fate. In their youth and innocence, ana
earnest love for each other the young untortunates
had twined themselves about the rough heart OF
the sailor, and he regarded them as his children,
But there was the ominous letter, bearing the red
seals of the Directory, which was to decide their
fate-and the time arrived for it to be opened
The seals were broken, and what was the captain
horror to find that it contained an order for HIM TO
have the Young husband shot and then to return
with the wife to France. After he had read the
paper, he rubbed his eyes, thinking that they
must have deceived him. He could not trust ms
senses His limbs trembled beneath HIM. lie
could not trust himself to go near the talr young
Laura, who looked so happy with tldings that
would blight her existence. What was ne to 90
He never seems to have thought ofleaving the or
der unaxecuted the iron of unreasoning fbedcnce
had scared his soul too deeply for that. The nor
rid task revolt at is as he might, was d"tP,SDe-
cause he had been ordered to do it. He commu-
ncated the order to his victim, who heard his
fate with stoicis1n worthy of an old Roman
His only thought was for his poor young wife, so
fair. and fond and gentle. He said with voice
as mild as uSual-"I ask no favor, captain.
should never forgive myself if were to cause you
to violate your duty. | should merely like to say
few words for Laura and beg you to protect
her. in case she should survive me- which 40
not think she will.
1t is arranged between the victim OF slavlsh obe-
dence. and the victim of cruelty OF the reign OF
terror that poor Laura shouldalinow nothing Oh
what was to be her husbands fate. She Is put
into boat at night and rowed from the ship, while
the tragedy is being acted out; but she sees the
flash of the nuskets her heart tells her too PLAIN
Ely what has happened and her reason fails under
1tbe shock. cat the moment OF firing, she clasp
ed her hand on her head as if a ball had stuck
her brow. and set down in the boat without Ialnt-
inc, without shreking, without speaking, and re-
turned to the brig with the crew when they pleas
ed and how they pleased" The OLD captain spoke
to her, but she did not understand him. Sne was
mute, rubbing her pale forehead, ana trembling as
though she were afraid Of everybody, and thus
remained an idiot for life. The captain returned
to France with his charge, got himself removed
into the land forces, for the sea-lnto which he
had cast innocent blood--was unbearable to him
and had continued to watch over the poor lmbeclle
as father over his child.
Nj. de Vigny saw the poor woman. He says
sI saw two blue eyes Of extraordinary size, adj
mirable in point of form, starting IRON long
pale, emaciated face, inundated by perfectly
straight fair hair. saw, In truth, nothing but
those two eyes, which were all that was lett OF thai
Door woman, for the rest OF her was dead Hel
! forehead was red her cheeks hollow and white
and blush on the cheek bones. She was crouchee
among the straw, so that one could just see he
two Knees rising above it. and on them she was
nlavino all alone at dominoes She looked at u
! for moment trembled long time, smiled at m'
little, and began to play again. 1t seemed tt
me that she was trying to make out how her ngh
hand beat her left" 1t was the wreck OF low
and beauty, torn by the blind slave obedience
the bidding of vengeance and hate M. de Vlgn.
was young and thoughtless soldier but younj
and and thoughfless as he was the phantom go.r.
must have beamed brightly indeed, to prevent mn
from seeing the gloomy darkness of such SHADE 1
of military life as this, and keep him from shann
the fetters of blind obedience from intellect an
mercy He never saw the old chef and his charg
again; but he heard Of them. In speaking TO
brother officer one day of the sad story ms com
panion in arms repled-"Ah, my dear fellow
knew that poor devil well. A brave man ne ne Wa Va
too he was taken off by cannon ball at Water
loo. He had in fact, left along with the baggas
sort of crazy girl, whom we took to the hosp
tai of Amens on our way to the army of the Lolr
and who died there raving at the end OF fhre
days"
We extract another "shade" of the horrors
war. Captain Remand, who had once been pagg
10 Napoleon, narrates bow he surprised detacf