Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-12-17
DeluSi0ns as TO BayOnet
wounds.

The popular idea of soldiers in bayonet
charge, struggling hand toshand and face
to face, with fixed bayonets, is likely to be
exploded, like many other delusiuns. We
find by referring to Guthrie's Cummenta-
ries on Army Surgery, that these struggles
never occur. We quote from that eminent
authority:
"a great delusiou is cherished in Great
Britain on the subject of the bay 3net-a
sort IF monomania very gratifying to the
national vanity, but not quite in accord~
ance with matter of fact. Opp sing regi.
ments, when formed in line, and charging
with fixed bayODets, never meet and strug-
gle hand to hand and foot to foot and this
FOR the very possible reason, that ore side
turns round and runs away as soon as the
others come close enough to do mischief,
doubtless considering that discretion is the
better part of valUr.
''Small parties of men may have person.
al conflicts after an affair has been decided
or in the subsequent skuffle, il they cannot
get out of the way fast enough. The bat
tie of Mazda is usually referred To as res
markable instance Of a bayonet fight. new
ertheless, the sufferers whether killed OF
W Lnded, French or English suffered from
bullets not bayonets. The late Sir James
kempt commanded the brigade supposed to
have done the feat, but he has assured US
that no charge with the bayonets took
place, the French being killed in line by
the musketry, a fact which of late received
a remarkable confirmation in the published
correspondence of King Joseph Bonapart.
in which Gen. Begnier, writing to him on
| the subject says:
! The first and forty-second regiments
charged with the bayonets until they came
within fifteen PAGES OF the enemy, when
they turned, et prieHt la .tiugiie. The sec
oud line composed of polished troops, had
already done the same"
| WcuIds from the bayonets were not less
rare in the Peninsular war. 1t may be that
| all those who were bayoneted were XII led,
! yet their bodies were seldom found. A
| certain fighting regiment had the misfor-
tune one very misty morning to have q
! large number of men carried off by a
charge of Polish laucers, many being also
! killed.
| The commanding officer concluded they
must all be killed, for his men possessed
/ exactly the same spirit as n part Of the
| French Imperial Guard at Waterloo
They might be killed but they could not
| by any possibility be taken prisoners" He
| returned them all dead accordingly. A
/ few days afterwards they appeared, TO the
aston -hment of everybody, having bPen
swept off by the cavalry. aud made their
| escape in the rstreat of The French army
through the wood. The regiment from
that day obtained the ludicrous name of
| Resurrection men,"
| The seige of Sebas!apool has furnished
many opportunities for partial hauc to
/ hand bavOnet contests, in which many have
been killed and wounded on all sides, but l
do not learn that in any engagements which
have taken place, regiments advanced
! against each other in line, and really cross
ee bayonets body, although the indi-
yidusl bravery of smaller PARTIES was fire.
quently manifested there. as well as lie the
war in the PeninsuIar.