The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1856-05-10
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WAR and u, jourtesies.

5 History is not , wanting in exd )lcs, Of
bprly Of havoc, where all gentlend would
seem swamped in fierce passions. Washington
Irving remarks on the pleasing incident of q
French cavalry officer about to cut down q
foe at the battle Of Waterloo, but discoving
suddenly that his sadversary's sword arp was
wounded, the Gaulish hero bowed low asked
pardon, and rode on to meet a horseman
worthy Of his mrettle. So a British General,
b. e.nounded during the same fight mentions
q French ~tiralleur who lent him the mos
delicate assistance, lis eau.de.yie flask included,
and saluted, him graciously. as he was obliged
to- pr in, perhaps to his own death. AT
the Of Fontenay, the British officers
le French 4Fire first . /" Apres.
~essieure responded the polished
enemy,s owed tobacco and rum Of
one anoth the lines when encampcd,
waiting o. for an engagement" said
On old p soldier, speaking Of the
enemy Q of the same humane feel
ing WI mot stife, take the following
extract letter from q British seaman
to his vile, now serving under Napier, and
describing q skirmish :, ,o 'a;s,Q -5.g 4I
EVERY man on board volunteered, so the
captain picked o crew, and | was sent ashore
with the marines. There were regular troops
| on the bank who fired on us as We pulled to
land, but the broadsides Of the -, what with
the shell and what with the smoke, covered
onr landing. We dispersed at o few hundred
yards distance from the beach to keep the
coast clear while the boats crew made prize Of
of the guns. 5D . .
"A" The enemy had the advantage of the wood,
and also knowing the country well, a troop OF
them showed in advance. We were ordered to
fire. 1 took steady aim, and fired on my man
at about sixty yards. He fell like a stone.
At the same time o broadside from the --
went in among the trees, and the enemy disap-
peared, we could scarcely tell how. l felt as
though / must go up to him, to see whether
he was dead or alive. He lay quite still, and
was more afraid Of him lying SO than when
he stood facing me a few minutes before. ..l
It's o strange feeling to come over you al
at once that you have killed q man. He had
unbnttoned his jacket and was pressing his
hand over the front of his chest where tho
wound was. He breathed hard, and the blood
poured from the wound and also from his
mouth every breath he took. His face wa.
white as death and his eyes looked so big ane
bright as he turned them and stared at me-
I shall never forget it. He was a fine young
fellow, not more than five and twenty. l wen
down on my knees beside him, and my breas'
was so full, as though my heart would burst
He had a real English face, and did not lool
like an enemy. .aN
"What l felt I never can tell, but if my lif
would have saved his, I believe l should hav'
given it. I laid his head on my knee; and h'
grasped hold of my hand and tried to speak
but his voice was gone. l could not tell +:
word he said, every time he tried to speak TIL
blood poured out so, | knew it would soon b.
over. / am not ashamed to say that I wa
worse than he, for he never shed a tear, and
couldn't help it. o..
His eyes were closing, when the gun wa
fired from the-to order us aboard, and i
reused him. He pointed to the beach, wher
the boat was just pushing off with the gun
which we had taken, and where our marine
were waiting to man the second boat, ant
then he pointed to the wood where the enem,
were concealcd-poor fellow, he little though
how I had shot him to die and no one nea
him, when he had something like a convulsiol
for a moment, and then his face rolled over
and without a sigh he was gone. l trust tn
Almighty has received his soul. ! laid hi
head gently down On the grass and left him
1t seemed so strange when l looked at him 70
the last time, 1 somehow thought of ever,
thing I had heard about the Turks and tn
Russians, and the rest of them /; but all tina
seemed so far of, and the dead man so near"