Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-10-21
AFTER THE BATTLE.

If the scenes Of agony at the various
stations on the way to Saarbrucken
were dreary and heart breaking, the
ministrations of mercy along the same
road were touching and Impressive
Everywhere were erected tables COW
cred with viands, deIieacies, cooling
drinks, which were freely administer
ed to all who needed, without money or
price. Physicians, among whom / was
glad to notice several English sur
geons, were kneeling with anxious de-
votion by every couch on which a suf-
ferer lay. Nay, there were numbers
of German girls, fOrgetful of all but
the agony that called forrelief, bathing
wounds and nursing the poor soldiers
with the care of sisters.
It took US ten hours to get over the
fifty miles of railway, and it was only
with the greatest difficulty that L
could come at all. The train was so
crammed with the wounded that 1
should not have dared to ask place
on it as a traveller; but having some
provisions and flask of wine along,
begged to be allowed to go as nurse,
and give what I had to the wounded
on the way. But this was in the end
found impracticable, and I was told
finally that [ could not go. Whereup-
on I got behind the train as it was
starting, and climbed to the top of it,
s'The bridges are low and will knock
You OFF, shouted an official who caught
sight of me, but it was too late. I laid
myself fiat on my back on the top of the
car, and waited the result. I passed this
wav safely beneath all the bridges as
far as Forbach, but from there l had
to cling to the side of the train. The
worst result of my adventure was a
cold, for it was raining and is as cold
as winter, and at Saarbrucken only a
floor for a bed.
T,UxEMBoURG, August 22.-From
Saarbrucken to this point the journey
has been slow but less difficult. The
Prussians have destroyed the bridge at
the boundary between there and Lux
embourg, fearing that if the French
were hard pressed they might disre-
gard the neutrality of the duchy, and
make use of it; so now one must take
private. conveyance from Treves to
WasserbiIlig.
L realized the terrors and pangs OF
war more, almost, on the journey from
| Saarbrucken to Treves than on the bat
tIefield. It was a beautiful Sunday
morning, and every station along the
road was crowded with the inhabitants
chiefly, also, women and children
pressing to hear tidings from theiI
| husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, who
were in the war. We were creeping
! along the road, for we were bearing
wounded and dying men to distribute
/ them to their once happy homes. AS
we passed we dropped here and there
our heavy tidings, until it seemed
as if the wheels of our train
were crushing human hearts. Ere il
has fairly come to a stand at any vii
| lage, two or three women are clinging
/ to its side, darkening every window
with their wild, haggard faces, fiereely
/ demanding: "For the love of God, tel
me of my husbandi' 'tOh, where is
my son 2''
The returning wounded soldiers tc
whom these questions are put, are
! generally from along this road-gener-
ally, too, they are from the same com.
! panies with the men inquired after
! and they know but to well the fate oi
/ the poor fellows for whom these wo.
men are seeking. Often the sad news
is conveyed by silence, or by hesita'
ton, or by tears but the women car
read the fatal tidings by instinct, anC
shrek after shriek all along the trair
tells how many hearts have been pierc
ed, untilo becomes sick and faint, anC
feels as if the earth had yawned intC
one great grave, the blue Sabbath sky
changed to a black pail, and the mer
ry sun become funeral lamp.-M. d
Coniody, Ne1C York World.