Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-23
aflistellaneous.
Storming OF the Bastion.

Id one OF the concluding chapters OF CnaS.
Reade's great story, "White Lies" occurs
the following description ofan attack by the
French upon the Bastion St. Andre, during
the wars Of Napoleon. The picture Of the
event has no superior in the language for
graphic description and fearful interest:
This won't do, coinrade I must GO
| shall attack from this position. So | shall
60 down the. line and bring men up
Meantime pick up my detachment. Give
lie good spice Of veterans. l shall get
one word with you before we 60 out. God
bless you!'
God bless you, Raynalw ~.
The moment Raynal was gone, Camille
beckoncd lieutenant to him and ordered
halt the brigade to form strong column on
both sides Of Deaths Alley.
His eye fell upon private Dard.
Come here" said he
Dard came and saluted
"Have you any one at Beaurepaire who
would be sorry if you were killed p
Eyes, Colonel, Jacintha that used to
make your broth, Colonel" {,
''Take this line to Col. Raynal You
will find him with the 18th brigade
He wrote few lines in pencil, folded
them and Dard went off with them, little
dreaming that the Colonel Of his brigade
was taking the trouble to save his life be-
cause he came from Beaurepaire.
Colonel Dujardin then went to his tent
and closed the aperture, and took the good
book the priest had given him, and prayed
humbly, and forgave all the world.
Then he sat down, his head in his hands,
and thought Of his child, and how hard it
was to die and never seehim. One cad sob
at this-one only.
Then he lighted candle, sealed up his
orders Of valor, aud wrote line begging
that they might be sent to his sister. He
also sealed up his purse, and left a memo
randum that the contents might be given t.
disabled soldiers of his brigade on their be-
ing invaladed.
Then he took out Josephine's letter.
e'Poor Coward" said he, "let me not be
unkind. See, [ burn your letter, lest it
should be found, and disturb the peace you
prize 50 highly. ], too, shall soon be at
peace, thank God !" He lighted it, and
dropped it on the ground it burned slowly
away. "1Ay, you perish, last record Of an
unhappy love; and as you pass away, SO [
am going-my soul to my Creator, my body
to dust-aye, poor letter, even so passes
away my life, wasted by generals not fit to
command a Corporal's guard my hopes of
glory and my dreams of love-it all ends
to-day, at nine nnd-twenty."
He put his white handkerchief to his eyes
Josephine had given it to him. Hecried
a little, rot at dying, but at seeing his life
thrown away.
When he had done crying, he put his
white handkerchief in his BOSOM and the
whole man was transformed beyond the
power Of language to express. Powder
does not change more when it catches fire.
He rose that moment, and went like flash
of lightning out Of the tent. The next he
came down like a falcon between the lines
of the strong column to Deaths Alley.
Attention Y cried the Sergeants, ''the
Colonel"
There was dead silence, for the bare
sight Of that erect and inspired figure made
the mems bosoms thrill Will, the certainty
Of great deeds to come |; the light Of battle
was iE his eye No longer the moody Col
onel, but thurderbolt Of war, red hot and
waiting to be launched.
Officers, eSergeants. and soldiers word
with you"
La Croi1 Attention.
''Do you know what passed here five mi
nutes ago? q
"The attack of the bastion was settled"
cried a captain.
1T was; and who was to lead the assault
do you know p
mop
"a Colonel from Egypt"
A groan from the men.
with detachments FROM other brigades.'
All! an angry roar.
Colonel Dujardin walked quickly down
between the two lines, looking with lis
fiery eye into tie mems eyes on the right.
Then he came back on the other side, and
as he went he lighted those mems eyes with
his own. It was torch passing along a
line of ready gas lights. "The work to
u.s. he cried In voice like. clarion, Git
fred the Hearts as his eye had fred the
eyes, the triumph to strangers! Our ia
tigues and our losses have not gained the
brigade the honor Of roin 8 cut to those fcI-