The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-01-25
A RUSSIAN R1MlSlSCGN0H.

len Rar1s ~ We Ofteans runway. Inc wealth
was extremely severe, thefroxen snaw ley thich Ia
he streets. the ASPHALT Of the bouievsfds wss siip
perry ~ e,ass, slcdges secured The Champs Eysse e.
aud Bots de Bouiogne Az Icy Wind whistlrd
around the train a. We quilted he shelter Of the
ssst,oa, and regretted ~ Ibusaane snyself to the
chin, and sank Into the corner, that the carriage
wss not full, instead Of having bat one occupant
besides myself -
Opposite TO me sal hale man OF abou, sixty.
ave. with quick bright eye, an intelligent rood
humored ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS westhsr beaten
and the red roastte Of the Leaion Of Honour 10
his button hole During the first halt hour he
pored over letter. whose contests judeing from
the animated expression Of his physiogoiny. inter
ested him strongly: He seemed scarcely aware Of
my presence. Al last heput up the letter. and then
for the irst time he looked me Ia the face. had
been but "a few days out Of ack bed, and was sen.
sitive 70 the cold. and doubtless my appearance
Wa chilly and woebegone enough, for detected
sh&hf approach 10 smte at the corners of the
straogerS mouth. To one or two commonplace
remarks he replied courteously but iaconically,
Ike man who 10 neither unsociabie averse to
conversation, but who prefers his own thoughts to
thss bald talk with which travellers sometimes
weary each other rather than sit SILENT So our
dialogue soon dropped. The cold Increased. my
feet were benumbed, and stamped them on the
floor OF the carriage TO revive the circulation Ny
companion observed my proceedings with conf
cal look, ~ If he thought ne very tender ira.
weller.
"This carriage must be badly closed, remark
cd. sit 10 bitter cold to the feet"
''For that discomfort have little pity" replied
the Freedman. "A ride on the railway il soon
over, and good fire or brisk walk is quick and
easy remedy. Mine is . different case For forty
years have never known warm feet
For forty yearsr" repeated, thinking had
Eyes, cir. forty year,; since the winter of 1872
the winter of the Russian campaign"
"You were In thatterrible campaign inquired
In tone OF interest and curiosity. Ny companion,
live.
"An through 1t, cir" he replied; 'sfrom the
Niemen to the Krenlin, and back again. 1t was
my frat campaign, and was near being my last.
was In others afterwards; 10 Germany in 1873,
when the combined Germans and Russians drove
" before them, for want OF the brave fellows we
had left In Muscogys SHOWS; In Fl ance In 1914
when the Emperor made his gallant stru, gle
against overwhelming forces and at the closing
scene 10 Flanders: but not al! those three cam
psigns put together nor as believe, all that this
century has witnessed, can match tie horrors of
that dreadful winter in Russia
He paused and, leaning back Ia his corner,
seemed TO revolye 10 his mind events of powerful
interest long gone by. | waited 9 while, in hopes
he would resume the sub. ect As he did not do SO,
asked him to what arm he belonged when in RUS
sia.
II was assistant surgeon Ia a regiment of hus-
sars," he answered; land ia my medicul capacity
had opportunity to make acquaintance with the
horrors of war. On the 7th OF September, for
instance at Moskwa-Heavensl what a shanbles
that was All, 1t was fine to see such yalor on
both sides-for the Russians fought well-gallantly
sir or where would have been the glory Of beating
thema ButNey Ney! Oh he was splendid that
day! His whole counienanee cleaned, as he
again and again led the bloody charge, exposing
himself ~ freely as any corporal in the ranks
And Eugene, tho Viceroy, with what yigour he
hurled his masses against that terrible redoubt -
When at last II was his, what sight there -
The ground was not strewn with dead it was
heaped piled with them They had been shot
down BY whole ranks and there they lay, PROSTATE
In line az they had stood
The surgeon paused. thought of Byron's beau
tiful lines, beginning, Even they fell in files they
lay )" but said nothing, for | saw that my COM
psnion was now fairly started, and needed no
squirting.
"Monsiear,n he presently resumed, "all those
things have been brought strongly to my mind by
the letter you saw me just now reading 1t 10 from
an old friend, captain in 1912, general now who
went through the campaign, and whom | was 80
fortunate "a to save from grave In those Internal
plains, where most of our poor comrades persisted
win tell you how it happened. We were talking
It Il said, were killed and wounded In that murder
Gus tight. We surgeons, asy you may well think had
our hands full and still could not suffice for 1.-THE
ofthe sufferers. 1t was rough breaking In for
young hand, as Then was. Such frightful wounds
- were there, Of every kind and description
shot, shell, and bullet pike aud sabre Well. sir.
all the misery and suffering then saw all that vast
amount OF human agony and bloodshed, whose
steam ascending to Heaven might well have brought
down Gods malediction on His creatures who
could thus destroy and deface each other, was
nothing compared with the horrible misery we wit
messed on our retreat have read everything that
has appearedin France concerning that Campaign
-Segur, Labaume, and other writer's Their mar
ratives are shocking enough, but nothing to the re-
ality. They would have sickened their readers
nad Iney tolo an tney saw II anybody, who went
through the CamDAipn. cOuid
down all he witnessed, he would make the most
heart rendfng book that ever was printed and
would be accused OF gross exaggeration Exagge-
ration, indeed there was need to heigbten the
horrors OF the winter of 1912. All that frost and
famine, lead and Steel could infiict, was then en-.
dured all the crimes that reckless despair and
rutniess cruelty could prompt we're perpetrated."
"And how asked, "did you escape, when 30
many. doubtless as strong and courageous and
more Injured to hardship, miserably persisted p
'under Providence, owed my preser vation tn
the trustiest and most faithful servant ever
had. Paul had been several years in the hussars !.
was an old soldier, in fact, although still voun
man; and at time when all discipline and suhnr,
dinsfion were at an end, when soldiers Needed NOT
taer oncers, ofhcers avoided their generals, and
servants ana masters were all alike and upon a
level Paul proved true steel AS III cold and Cos
SACKS were not enough, hunger was added to our
sunerngs: there was no longera commsasriat nv
dlstrloutions OF rations -rations forsooth dead
horse was luxury have seen men fight FIR I'm
death, lean meat though was for the Door brnte.
were - starved as their riders What little thars
was to eat 10 the village passed through fell ,o
the share of the first Corners Empty lsrders- ot,su
smoking ruins were all that remained for thosa
who came behind. Well, sir, when tbinps pers ~
the worst, and provender at the scarcest Pan, o.
ways had something for me In his haversaek One
day II would be bit of bread, on the marco
handful OF grain or some edible roots ana NOV, anS
then slice OF horse>beef-and how deliciops tbs,
seemed, grilled over our smoky scany firesI Tbere
was never enough to satisfy my hunger. but there
was always something -enough to keen bodv md
Soai toaether Paul, as / afterwards discovered
nusoanded his stores, for be well knew that II hs
gave me all At once. should have nothing and ,bsn
must nave tasted for days, and perhaps nave fal,-
On from my horse for weakness But ibink ot H..
coarego ana affection Of the poor fellow hmsaIf
ssssea, 60 carry food abou, bin day after dsy
snd refrain irom devouring the share secrs,, ~.
aside for mel There were not NAM 80 GUY icy
army. even OF generals rank capable of LII ine
votion 70 the dearest friend they had fo sa.n ue.
misery had induced q ferocious sel6shn.. ~ae:ne
nsds u more like hyenas than Christisns WINCH
81 should think the cold must have ho..
worse 70 endure than hunger" said l. screi, ven
my chilly extremiiies. which the interest," -, up
doctors conversation bad almost made me tor,as
II wa sir, harder and more fatal At least :.
greater number died of it; although. no ssv the
TRUTH frost and famine there worked hand In hand
and with such unity of action III nj n Ma of,on -.