The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1870-10-26
Tna VI 0ssflsalu OF Dead Bodies In she Qua-
ries ~ Jnumons, Near Mefxs

Ute uutfOtS. 94
Until now we have no details Of the en-
gagoment Of Jaumont. We extract the
following terrible narrative from q letter
addressed By a young soldicrto his brother.
Yes, my dear Louis, the Major said, !
have had terrible shock. May Heaven
preserve me from ever witnessing q spccta-
cle similar to THAT Of the 9narries Of Jau-
mont, for I am veiy certain that lwouldl
loose my senses. Even to this time my
nerves are still trembling, which alters my,
writing, and alasn close ms eyes 1 see
again this fearful torrent Of human beings
! falling over the precipice.
\ The battle Of Jaumont willsremain IN.
history as one Of the most terrific acts Of
war. and however terrible the imagination
may describe It, il viii never attain that de-
gree Of horror experienced BY those who.
were spectators. Would you believe that
after the blow was aver, we remained dumb,
breathing with fright and even weeping be-
fore this horrible mountain Of dead bodies
Knowest thou to what cause we attribute
in our corps. this unheard Of drama. They
say il Is the vengeance flour peasants. Tu-
inca and burned out BY the Prussiaas. In
order to aycngc themselves, these men,
kl,eaing well the country, made themselves
the guide Of the enemy, and had conducted
\ them to position that the Prussialis ina
\ ginci ilnpregmlble, not DOUBLING The Won
derful srsp into which they we're drawn.
Thou wilt judge Of Ky
The Stone qaarrics IT Jaumont. trcn
\ which at first stones were taken from the
| top. from an immense and deep excavations.
the walls Of which attain height from sew
en- to eight stories. It is at this summit Of
one Of those pointed walls that the Prns.
slams had themselves strongly established,
I very certain that they would not sarpris-
| ed from the rear
OF the four peasants who lead them into
| this Plies one made his escape u INFORM Us
Of the means used to annihsi=sc the entire
corps.
And this plan was infllible.
At first worked FROM the top. the quarry
has been slnwl, cxcayatcsl in Que Of iis sides
by lcug subserrmean galleries with many
stories. ono above the other. aud which were
lrainEained by supporting pillars: Onc SIDE.
/ repcat again, had bceu thus exeasated.
aud j, Is On ibis ground. sustained BY these
/ pillars, that our peasants had established
the prussians dnring The night. The OBJ
scurity IL first. and afterwards The high Gle.
yation. prevented them from having my
knowIcdgcsof these galleries, which were
hollow, % the top of which they had Gu
trcnched themselves.
At daybreak lsaziine attacked them from
tic front, aud thcy fought. full ef eanii-
deGss that they eouIanot hc taken from The
te1r. But at tho height 81 The combat,
hnrobert. who ha,i fiankcl the guarrics.
AntoI cannon on The otIiersidc Of the pre-
clbice IN or,lar 10 Gre IN the pillars which
supborted tho galleries. An hour after .
sndien All Immense crumhling. mono enoF.
moaa block. took place under the feet q u
Pra~Ans. and prccipi.atcd them into Oh
chasn. q. us doar L.lnis. should liv,
one hundred years yct. shall always heal
The horrible cry ilternd By The c1lire corT'
in telling the ground going away undei
them. Imagine % thysclf 20. ono cries con.
foun6ing themselves into single sound o
understandable despair coming up frvm tllcs'
men whcu conscious o. tho instant dealt
approaching.
Il vas like ono human voice. hnt power
fnl NJ possible. vibrating with that terrible
anguish II i last and dolcfil appeal 81 ~
and frightful.. adieu - lie. but u yery
sliort duration. Tor The human avlIaich,
Immediately commenced, and men, horses
cannon. 81, arc hurled Pcll nell into sh'
chasm IN ono enormous mass. which crash
cs itself under is own iorriblo weight
At the sane time that this crumbling
took place Bazaine drove the prnssiao corp
before him with such irresislabIo fury tlla
half regiment 81 French wha could nol rc
strain thair clan we're also prccipilatad i
The abyss.
The drama lasted ten minutes. Al III
moment Tho national character wps inma
diatcly elevated. Instead q exclamation
q ferocions isy. we rcmaiuad quiet. terri
fed b Ills last sud nournful cry whie
sill rnng in our ears and tear hose
from our ewes. which resnaincd hxed On tl.l
miss yet moving IN the spinns # terribl
agony.
This heap n hodies, from which pro.raa
tl arms. bnas and heads II men. leg
horses. cannons. broken eaisscns, repFeaap'
81 q " living monniaiu, thc height
which settled little by little By ~ ow
weight. ended BY filling two-thir1s ON
precipice which lad received Il
The noiso Of tbo combat Immediate
ceased.
All. with hoavy hearts. were silent. Y
sening 20 ihe twenty thousand means sI
ing from this niasa. and dying away as !
mass became more compact.
Oar victory gave Us fear.
70 remove these thousands Of hoApi
corpses for intarment was impossible 4
did time pefbiit TIE raising " those bfpis
bodies. We had II firpt thought d bumil
them bY inunisting II petroleum., but !
.,..go -. tltaf t.lna The prifi,aiana thua 81