Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-25
BATTLEFIELD HORRORS.
The Dead and Harrow
ing Scenes and Incidents.

The Dead and Wounded-HfarrOw.
ing scenes and Incidents.
A correspondent with the German ar
my, writing from before Metz, Aug.
One poor boy struck me; he was about
seventeen, andswhat is called a s'Fahn,
rich" or ensign. It is in this army necess
cary for all officers to servesa year as
fahnrich before they get their commits
sioEnas lieutenant, which is the first grade
in the military profession. He was lys
ing with his, sword in his right hand,
pointing towards the enemy, having
fallen on his right side, and must have
died instantly, as the left hand grasping
his left side told too plainly where the
fatal bullet had struck him. He bad his
gloves on, which first attracted my at
| tention, and his face, which was turned
upwards, betrayed none of the emotions
that it must have exhibited as the bullet
struck him, for he looked wrapt in the
sOftest slumberg 5l ~4
was, during one part of the action,
standing near some hussars who were in
reserve. The sun was pouring its rays
upon us, and around US on every side lay
the wounded. One poor fellow cried to
them for water, ''Comrade, for Gods
sake, give me waterl one little drop.
am on fire, l am on fire! for Gods sake
give me but one drop; only wet my lipsn
and another near him could only hold his
hands up in prayer and point to his lips
"A good-natured hussar, touched by the
appeal, got off his horse and ran to them
with his water-bottle; he was in the act
of raising the mans head, when shell
fell within yard of them, and, bursting,
blew the whole three to atoms.
The havoc that was made in the caval-
~ throughout the whole of the 18th was
fearful; and saw Cuirassier regiment,
who, in their breastplates, white tunics,
and high boots, looked the very beauideal
of heavy cavalry, come out of the action |
numerically about two squadrons strong.
Their colonel marched slowly at their |
head, utterly overcome at the loss of his |
gallant men. He had five officers with |
him out of twenty-five that had ridden |
out that morning. On the 18th one of |
the most brilliant actions of the day was
admitted on all sides to be the storming |
of st. Privat, which was taken after the |
most terrific canuonade, by which it was
simply riddled to pieces. Nothing
throughout could be Drawer than the
French troops, and they are by all |
allowed to fight remarkably well, the |
fault lying in bad generalship and inferior |
artillery, as compared with the opposing |
force. Around this particular place the
dead lay SO thick that one could scarcely |
walk ones horse through them, most of |
them killed by shells, which infiict, as
may be supposed, the most CHASTITY |
wounds. There was French officer still |
lying in ditch by the roadside the morn
ing after the battle, when went to look |
over the place again. He had been shot |
through the chest, and in his left hand |
held letter that he had evidently long |
carried with him. 1 dismounted and dis |
engaged it from his hand, and am happy |
in being able to return it TO the sender, |
who cannot but rejoice to think that his |
last thought in this world was Of her.