The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-06-29

military "Reminiscences Of gssHs Of sAs E~~sr.
ny Old G.ardss~a~.
Translated Union from the French Foreign Rsvsw
After the passage of the Ester the army was precs
ded. as retreatng armies usually are by disorganzed
host OF fugtves, who psged the country through which
they passed Tor the means OF Subsistence. THROWN
away their they rushed in disorderly thonx to.
wards the Rhine, armed with splits and frying pans and
carrying their camp kettles upon their backs in place OF
knapsacks This style OF equipment gained for them the
nickname OF Fieotsurs There perhaps twelve or
fifteen thousand of these wretches. including the
wounded, and most OF them were conscripts Horse
and foot mixed up together and completely were
their uniforms dsfgured by blood and dust and diapi.
dated by hard usage, that it was impossible recognise
them, or TO ascertain to what OF the service ndvd
uas belonged On they went, like flock of sheep
chased by wolves. sometimes pouring through the roads
and highways, until they choked up the route upon
which the army moving, and then upon some sud.
den alarm clearing hedges. fences. and bitches. and
spreading over the plans which they devastated in their
passage They annoyed us terribly in more ways than
One for, not content with causing scarcity which re-
duced those who remained true 10 their colors to the
direst extremity, they embraced every opportunity to
plumber when they could, the very scany supplies
commissares attempted to provide and transport with u.s.
And yet these the men who the glorious bat
ties Of Luzen and Bantzen, and had covered themselves
with glory upon the ramparts Of Dresden. Then, how.
ever, they were the advance Retreat, as Naposon
said, had demoralized them, and all attempts 10 check
their mad career were futile ecollec fine morning
Marshal Oudino undertook make an example OF some
of them, in the hope that might have an effect upon
their companions He ordered dozen of them to b.
seized and brought before him for examination The
process was brief enough. "Who and what are you p
the first question IA Frcoteur," was the answer
mo insolence! To what regiment do you belong !" Il
don't know" "On your knees, sir" Fire! and vol
ley from platoon Of fusers finished the career OF the
If I'D
One of the prisoners when his turn had come threw
somerset over the heads Of the guards, and, rushing
among the crowd, escaped. The sergeant seized the
bystander. and shot him in the place OF the fugi
tive The Fricoteurs whsted, took to their heels and
pursued their way as before.
Sometimes these attempts to stop them were attended
with risk, when the force which undertook it was made.
Quae, Chef de Escadron Rossgnol found to his
cost Accompanied by few officers, he threw himself
across the path of these marauders and attempted bring
them TO halt sword in hand. "Rascals!" be ex.
claimed, "the honor, the glory Of the grand army'-
they did give him time to finish "To the devil with
your glory and honor" shouted the Fricoteurs Down
with the officers And with roTs of mingled execratens
and laughter, they seized the horses by their brides.
dismounted Rossgnol and his companions, and the v-
ing torrent literally flowed them the water does
over m-race They did not treat each other any bet
for of their number fell, overcome by famine
fatigue, he stripped to the skin in moment by
uls COuipauou5s ANU uo1pcu utdlu, VI W
ditch.
Such not Rossignols fate however, he survived his
bruises and horseback again but from that
time forward melancholy, which had previously op.
pressed him only at times, seemed 10 settle down upon
him. and resisted his every effort TO Danish tit was
visible even in his smiles He still rode on at the head
of the remains of regiment; but his eyes were ever
wandering with anxious and unque expression over
the crowd of ragged and half starved specres which
companed our march, like flock Of birds of i'll omen.
:" can't see him among the skeletons" said he to me
| one day as rode beside him.
See whom, commandant'" replied
"Whom' Parblsau Our internal curate, to be sure,
Dumanetn
Dumanet, the eyate as our commander called him.
originally Norman divinity student who, in pun
hment for some foolish compliment in the Pope.
which he had written and published, had been by
NJ de Due de Rovigo to serve private in Tsgi.
ment of lancers and in despite of his many good qual-
ties, be the butt of his comrades down the last
received conscrip while in the Commandan, Rossignol
he had ever found most implacable prosecutor This
old Pandour Of the republic, who captain at the
battle of Jemmasses had those OF his then rank
rise to be generals, marshas and kings while he,
inferior in valor to had only arrived 10 be second in
the command of regiment. Ribands and crosses had
fallen to his lot, while the grades and titles awarded
to others This had. in soured his temper and
although devoted TO his Emperor he still cherished some
"reminiscences of the republic among which were his ear.
rings Ia Dumonres, and an mplacable hatred OF priests
Heaven knows that The shoulders Of poor Dumanet bore
ample testimony TO the strength OF the a,iers antipathy
which the commandant accustomed to indulge upon
every practicable OCCASION by the application of the Aat
Of his sabre to the back OF the curate "Ah! rascsI
he would excaim they don't hang such cattle a YOU
any longer, they did under the republic, but IN pay
you of" Dumanet bore all this with the most exemplary
patience; he performed his own duty faithfully and WE'LL
and often that OF others On the disastrous day OF Lsp.
sic he behaved with distinguished gallantry but when
the remnant OF the regiment mustered for the retreat
he among the missing, and had nothing of
him since
"Oh, we shall see him we shall see him again." con.
tnued Rossignol, as we rode along He'll come back
the black crow I'm not rid of him yet"
:" The dead never come back" replied and he 10
dead, most undoubtedly"
!" I'm not 80 Of that" rejoined the commandant
and If he was dead, he would back TO bring me
i'll luck"
Soon after this, the 29h Of October, while we were
bivouacked around good fire, the Commandan Rossir.
mol was sitting with his clothes opened to admit the
warmth apparently lost in reec,ion-his chest bare and
exhibiting series of a,,oed pictures, which might have
answered for regmental museum. Here was a eoa-
dier presenting rose to his ms,ress-there trophy Of
arms in place pair OF small swords croseed-is
another the red capof liberty and high above all the
eagle OF the empire. About his neck was a chain OF
gold, to which attached the miniature OF woman.
the charm ofw hoae hold Int ham nj