The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-08-07
RUSSIA AND POLAND
ADVENTURES OF A POLISH VETERAN.

ADVENTURES OF A POLISH VETERAN.
We translate for tho Tribune from the
Leipsic Grensboten, the following thrilling
aud characteristic sketch OF military liic.-
Never have VIC seen the utter hatred a
Pole bears the Emperor SO powerfully illus
iruled.
Although the war with Denmark was
purely German affair, and hence allowed
no foreign officer in the army, rs general
rule, still a few Poles and IInngarians were
received as volunteers. There was one
Pole, whom knew as a non commissioned
infantry officer in the spring Of 1850. lie
was a singular phenomenon, to be sure, eA-
citing lively interest as soon as saw him.
His appearance was not n little remarkable,
His long, silver grey beard and naoustaches
hung down from his thin, sharp featured
face, from which flashed q pair Of fiery blue
eyes. The skin Of his face, MS bright and
brown as leather, was dried up and wrin
klcd, showing thai he had got his Looks
from exposure 10 the burning sun, aud
mnny bivouac in storm and rain 4
irighltnl scar extended from his forehead
with dark rcd stripe over his nose to the
corner Of his mouth, dividing his face inte
Two oblilae' parts. Ills forehead was high
and broad. Only few iron grey lock-
struggled out from beneath his helmet.
Ills figure seemed entirely mado Of muscles
and sinews vigorous and elastic. lie limp
cd little with the left foot ia consequence
Of wound, and The middle finger WAS also
wanting on the left hand. But his bearing
was always erect and truly military, and
however ho, nigh, be the July sun, he cnr
mafch, walking oil with this heavy load as
If he had been born with il Gu bis back
Ills dress, in spite Of dusty marches and
rainy bivouacs, was always clean and tidy
and his arms as bright as il thoy had jus,
came out of tho shop. The picture OF an
old veteran Of Nnpolcon's Imperial Guard
was completed by the cross Of the Legion Of
Honor, aud Spanish order As soldier
he possessed rare fidelity TO duty, thor
ough knowledge OF the ecryicc, and the
most quiet courage. You could not but
sec that he had fought on many bloody
field. Daring tho warm work AT i5s.odt he
highly distinguished himself lie was as
quiet in the midst of an onomy's fro as Il he
was not in the least disturbed by the whist
ling of the Danish bullets, or tho growi OF
tho cannon balls. The men of his com
mand asserted that they once heard blm
say, she would never shoot Danish sol
der, unless obliged to; but would only pick
ou, the officers Ii is said among them that
the General Of tho hostile army, Schlcppe-
grelI, was killed by his shot, and many eve
witnesses testifvthat on tho retreat at ID
sted, two other Danish officers were shot BY
him.
His general department was marked by
nn nstringent silence. Although he spoke
the German language tolerab'y well, but
with foreign accent, he would ncyor pro
nouncc word, unless necessary; nor had
any one ever seen tho slightest smllo on his
face Mt the jokes round tho biyouac ire
For hours long he would sit brooding over
tho blazo Of tho watchtirc, so that il il had
not been for tho flash Of his oye, which
looked out upon tho night, he might have
been taken for dead block Of stone. Nor
did ho talk any moro froolyiwilh his Turkish
comrades, when he happened to fall in with
them. He drank no brandy, ato but little
meat, and lived for the most part on beans,
strong coffee, wLchho prepared for himself,
and bread.
Tho soldiers and even the officers had n
kind Of dread oftho gloomy corporal, and
although they esteemed his admirable qunl
tiles as soldier ,hey did not cotton to him
very freely. For myself, | was strongly
drawn toward the dark man, whose iron
strength of character was expressed in bis
whole appearance, and ! had often tried,
without much success, 10 have talk with
him.
One day the company in which no wus
corporal had pretty sharp akirmish on the
outposts with tho Danes, in which they al
last began to fire some light field pieces
As tho enemy was retiring, u random shot
was fred from distance, aud tho ball took
oli both tho corpornl's legs below tho k:.ce
llo fell bleeding TO the ground with this ter
,iblo wound, and was taken of by his com
rades senselcss.
Tie noxt morning soldier come to me
with the request that would 60 to the
wounded man, who was lying in a noighbor-
ing farm house as hc wished to speak With
me. On tho day, the surgeon Of the batial
ion told mo that the corporal would die
within two hours Although il was barely
possible al fil5l that ho might DO saved b.
amputatlng both legs, lo decidedly retuscal
his consent, declaring, that II the smputa'