New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-24


imprisonment in consequence.
Several rriyate gentlemen came out to the army,
during short periods of excitement as pleasure ex-
cursionists such as Mr. Edwin Jantes was a short
time ago with Garibaid One of them WAS made
prisoner in affair, and being questioned as TO
his position, as he bore TO uniform declared him
self to be an anateurt The French general turned
up his eyes, and said that he had heard OF amateurs
in painting, amateurs in music, ETC., but he never
heard before OF an sfnateuf in war
E The British had greatly the advantage Of the
French in the position Of prisoners; so many OF
them found means to escape by connivance OF the
natives. The feeling Of the Spanish nation was so
absolute and universal against the French, and SO
chivalrously honorablc, that there was not en- in
stance during the whole war, Of British soldier,
officer or man, having been betrayed by them, or
not tanning every possible assistance from them;
that is, when in state Of absolute dependence on
their aid; for when the English army marched into
q town, in all their force and glory, none could
show a higher toae and bearing of independence
or a greater determination to resist oppression
insult than the Spanards. In their routes through
the country if the prisoner could by any contriv-
anee get from under the eye OF his escort and
among the inhabitants, he was Invariably concealed
and harbored till anopportunity offered of forward
ing him to the army, during which time all his
wants were serupnlonsly attended to-.
When Colonel Waters fine old soldier, and
noted for understanding how to make the best Of
any circumstances, was caught dnring recon-
NOTHING excursion, the Duke of Wellington was
asked whether they should send his things in for
Waters will soon find his way out;" andin he came,
sure enough, in a very few Gays. He was great
man for field sports, and being allowed by the
French to ride his own horse, which, though not
very showy, was a capital jumper, in passing
1 through somewhat close country he put spurs to
him, cleared in fox hunting STYLE stiff store wall
\ fence, and galloped across the country, bidding
4 adieu to his escort, who could only follow him
with their eyes, an oath, and flying pstolshot or
\ two.
At the siege of Burgos, the engineers were in
very small number; SO much So that the same in
dividuals were as much in the trenches as the me-
cessty for refreshment would possibly admit
1 One in particular, who had more general super
intendenee than the Others commenced early to
take q few liberties, by crossing the open from
one part of the trenches to another of very
charily at first, till by degrees the enemy became
accustomed to him, and would allow him to do
what they would not permit to others. OF course,
1 he received the compliment with respect and did
not attempt 10 take mpertnent or obtrusve ad-
| vantage of his privilege. Among his comrades,
the peculiarly in joke thought to arise from
4 very particular kind of coat, down to his ankle,
| which he wore. being new and outrageous fash
/ ion just arrived from England
At the first storming of San Sebastian, which
| was unsuccessful, an officer very young man,
4 was very forward on the breach. wounded and
taken prisoner. Among the first of the enemy
who came up to him was French grenadier, who,
in admiration of his galantry, which he had wit
messed, ran up and kissed him. A day or two after
that town was TAKEN the garrison having retired to
one of our officers pressed on to the buildings at
the foot of the steep hill, to ascertain and fix the
limits occupied by the French He walked into the
open doors of a church which was backed against
tie hill, and SO cautiously up the aisle, when he
heard voice from the arched ceiling calling out,
g Retirez Uous, retirez Uoast I" Looking up, he
4 could see nothing, but became at aware that
the enemy had access to the ceiling from the hill,
while they had abandoned the floor, and there were
i probably musket or two directed on to the floor
from some holes, from whence, of course, he might
have been shot but for this courteous conduct. He,
of course, took the hint, made bow, and retired.
| The Duke of Wellington rode out one day, at
tended by some officers and cavalry escort, from
the front of Bayonne, to reconnoitre the river
| Adour, when it was proposed to force a passage
| across it. He had to pass round portion Of the
/ fortress at mile or two from it, and in going
| through . village, number of French soldiers,
| struggling from the garrison, and unarmed rushed
out Of public houses into the street in confusion.
4 We could have swept them all away into our lines
! but scorned to take such useless advantage; so
after few polite cursory remarks and questions,
1 we parted very good friends.
Such are specimens of amenities which may pass
/ in war between the contending armies, and which,
| when kept within reasonable bounds, cannot be
4 too much admired. They will be practised in pro-
portion to the state Of civilization of the nations
/ engaged, and to the length of the periods during
4 which campaigns may last. We did not find the
same refined spirit in the Crimea among the Rus
i sans They had hard sense of irritation, and to
all appearance of individual personal rancour even
to the extent. it is confidently asserted of bayonet
| ing the wounded. This refers, however more
particularly to the soidiers the officers in general
were brave and courteous.
/ The French and English treat their opponents in
1 a more chivalrous and civilized manner than other
nations; and itSwas quite an exception to the usual
4 French practice when the first Napoleon suggested
/ bringing up dozen more field. pieces, sIyy, to
i open yolley on any assemblage of mounted Off
4 GERS, by which qtelqae petit gefts1'dl' might be
killed. In fact, il was in that way Moreau fell in
4 1912.
rr,nra. n. = ,-,.a,, :, . ~ Al 5aI,.; :
sion entertained, as to the feelings by which we
| should be actuated were the soil of England to be
polluted by the foot Of an enemy. ID is frequently
asserted that it should be then war to the knife,
and no quarter but why with regard to England
more than to the attack Of any other country, is
not easily to be understood Besides the barbarity
of the feeling must recolIeet the reciprocity il
produces, and that will be far more severe on
the inhabitants Of q country who venture on such
4 system, than on the army which nvades it. Men,
women and children sacrificed, the innocent as
well as the gulty-honses burned, and property
f plundered and devastated are all considered
legitimate retrbution for acts of aggression by an
unorganized population,
1t should be understood that the preceding re.
marks do not apply to an armed and organized
system, under certain regulations for the distinct
such as may probably be pursued by large bodies
of our volunteers and although desultory attacks
on individuals or parties, on small and uninauen
tial scale, are to be deprecated, vet if important
effects to the final result can be anticipated oil
course, such advantage would not be foregone
Nor individuals to be allowed to reconnoitre OF
to perform other useful services to the enemy
This, however, can generally be prevented in the
manner already pointed out, by warning off the
parties concerned, and giving them at least the
chance of retreat before proceeding to extremites
The distinction, however, may be considered as
clear between those cases and a state of constant
annoyance and suffering, inflicted to no really
good end. The slaughter of solitary individual
merely because he forms one of the many thou
sands of an enemyfs force, and by which no ulti
mate advantage @ be gained is useless piece
Of barbarity. Aggressive measures should moi
be taken without a view to secure advantages
which may hasten the final result; and If war is
a necessary evil, everything should be done to
mitigate that evil, far as lies in our power. Lei
us fight in our countryfs cause with all oul
strength; but let us not be carried away BY the
bad passions engendered by warfare, to confound
the murder or it is little iess) of helpless indivi
duals, with the one object we ought to bear il
yew-that Of using every effort to bring the wal
in which We may be engaged to glorious termi
nation. [Blackwood's Magazine.
GUINoN's HOLIDAY PREsENTs.-Some men are
gifted by nature with genius discerning
everything that they Like the practical jeweer they
ah disfino Anfr