New Orleans daily crescent., 1854-12-25
5tpruting IT a Gitg.

When city is taken by storm, in military
phrase, and in accordance with the usages Of
war, it is "given up to the soldiery' What
this means will be apparent from the frightful
picture Of Badajos, as it appeared on the night
after it had been carried by the Allies. under
Wellington, April 6, 1872. Says an English
officer, who participated in the assault:
It was nearly dusk, and the few hours whileI
slept had made fearful change in the condi-
ton and temper of the soldiery. In the morn
ing they were obedient to their officers, and
preserved the semblanee Of subordination now
they were in state Of furious intoxication;
discipline was forgotten, and the splendid
troops of yesterday had become fierce and
sanguinary rabble, dead to every touch Of
human feeling, and filed with every demoniac
passion that can brntalize the man, The city
was in terrible confusion, and on every side hor.
rible tokens Of military license met the eye q
One street, as approached the CASTLE was
almost choked up with broken furniture for
the houses had been gutted from the cellar to
the garnet, the partitions torn down, and even
the beds ripped up and scattered to the winds
| IN the hope that gold might be found concealed.
convent at the end Of the strada of st. John
was in flames, and saw more than one wretch.
ed nun in the arms of q drunken soldier.
Farther on the confusion seemed greater.
Brandy and wine casks were rolled out before
the stores; some were full, some half drunk
out, but more STAYED in, in mere Eantonness,
and the liquors running through the kennel.
Many narrowing scream saluted the ear Of
the passer-by; many female supplication was
heard asking in vain for mercy. How could it
be otherwise, when it is remembered that TWEEN.
ty thousand furious and lieentious madmen
were loosed upon an immense population, among
which many Of the loyeliest women upon earth
might be found All within that devoted city
was at the disposal of an infuriated army, over
whom, for the time, control was lost aided by
| an infamous collection of camp-followers, who
were, # possible, more sanguinary and pitiless
even than those who had survived the storm!
II is useless to dwell upon scene from which
| the heart revolts. Few females in this beauti.
lml n town were saved that night from insult
Ihe noblest and the beggar the nun, and the
wife and daughter of the artisan; youth and
age, all were involved in general ruin. None
We were respected, and consequently few escaped.
The madness of those desperate brigands Wss
varlously exhibited some fired through doors
ana windows; others at church bells; many M
the Wretched inhabitants as they He'd into the
streets to escape the bayonets Of the savages,
VINO were demolishing their property within
doors; while some wretches, as if blood had moi
flowed in sufficient torrents already, shot from
the windows their own companions as they
staggered on below What chances had tns
miserable inhabitants of escaping death, whea
more than one officer perished by the bnllee
and bayonets Of the very men whom few hour
before he had led to the assault?
This city contained about sixteen thousahne
inhabitants, and had twice before within tns
space of thirteen months been subjected y
the horrors Of a siege, by the "Lihsrategs
she Peninsula