The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-11-12
THE WAR IN EUROPE.
NAH WA No @1s M y 1T
The NEOumeaiM of Dead Bodies ian
the. Quarries of saumOnt, Near
Metz.
[From the GauloiS, (Paris) Paper.

the enlightenment of Jaumont. We ex--
tract the following terrible narrative from
a letter addressed by a young soldier to
his brother: -.
Yes, my dear Louis, the Major said
I have had terrible shock. May
heaven preserve me from ever witness
ing spectacle similar to that of the
quarries of Jaumont for l am very GER
tain that / would lose my senses: Ev'
en- to>this time my nerves are still trem-
bling, which alters my writing, and when
| close my eyes | see again this fearful
torrent of human beings falling over'the
precipice.
The battle of Janmont will remain in
history as one of the most terrific acts
of the war and, however terrible the
imagination may describe it, it will
never attain that degree Of horror ex-
perienced by those who were spectators.
Would you believe that after the blow
was over, We remained dumb, breathing
with fright, and even weeping before
this horrible mountain Of dead bodies !!
Knowest thou to what cause We at
tribute in our corps this unheard of
drama2 They say that it is the ven
geauce of our peasants, ruined and
burned out by the prussians. In order
to avenjge themselves, these men, know
ing we'll the country, made themselves
the guide Of the enemy. and had con,
Quoted them to a position that the Prus-
slams imagined .impregnable. not doubt.
ing the wonderful trap into which they
were drawn. .
Thou wilt judge of it,.
The stone quarries of Jaumont, from
which at. first stones were taken
from the top, from an immense and
deep excavation. the walls attained "a
height of from seven to eight stories.
It is at the summit of zone of these point
ed walls that the Prussians had them
selves strongly established, very certain
that they would not be surprised from
the rear. .sa g 5@Ss@ 7s-@=s '-S 5' .'
Of the four peasants who led them
into this place, one made his, escape in
order TO inform us of the terrible means
used to anuihilate the entire corps.
And this plan was infallible. -
At first worked from the top. the
quarry has been slowly excavated in
one Of its sides by long subterranean
galleries with many stories, one above
the other, and which were. maintained
by supporting pillars. One side, I re.
peat again, had been thus excavated
and it is on this ground, sustained by
these pillars that our peasants had es
tablished the Prussians during the night
The obscarity at first, and afterwards
| the high elevation, prevented them from
having any knowledge Of these galleries
which were hollow, on the top of which
they had entrenched themselves.
| At day yhreak Bazaine attacked then
from the front, they foug ght, full of con
foence that they could not be take1
from the rear. But at the height of tn
combat, Canrobert who lad fanked th'
quarries, planted cannon on the other sid
Of the precipice ii, order TO fire on th
pillars which supported the galleries
An hour after sudden and immens
crumbling, in one enormous block, tool
place under the feet of the Prussian
and precipitated them into chasm
@, nv dear Louis, should live on
hundred years yet, ! shall always hea
the horrible cry uttered by the entir
corps in feeling the ground giving wa:
under them. Imagine to thysef 20
900 cries confeunding themselves int
one sound of indescribable despair
coming up from these men, when cor
cious Of the instant death approaching
/ 1t was like one human voice, bt
powerful as possible. vibrating with tha
terrible language of a. last and dolef,
appeal for aid and frightful aaieu
life, but of very short duration, ft
the human avalanche Immediately con
mencad, and men. horses, cannon, all
hurled pell-mell imto the >chasm of or
enormous mass which crushes itse
under its own terrible. weight.
+ AT the same time that this crumblIn
took place, Bazaine drove the Prussia
corps before him with such irresistib
fury that a half regiment OF Frenc
who could not restrain their elan, wei
also precipi,ated in The abyss.
The drama lasted ten minutes. 1
!, this hour the national character was in
mediately elevated. Instead of excl
: nations of ferocious joy, which Il
!, Prussians would not have failed to ha
: given were they III our place, at -sir
= liar success, We remained quiet, terrifi
by this last and mournful cry whl'
still rang in our ears and tea
!, flowed from our eyes, which remain
:. fixed -on't 'tllis mass yet moving in =
: spasms OF terrible agony.
= This heap of bodies, from which pl
& truded arms busts and heads of me
4 legs of horses, cannons, broken caisso1
, represented to us living mountain, t
height of which settled little by lit
Il by its own weight, ended by filling tv
:, thirds # the precipice which had
o ceWed it.
: The noise of the combat jmmmcdia
5, ly ceased.
All, with heavy hearts, were sile
1istning to the twenty thousand moa
a. issuing from this mass, and dying aw
ts as the mass became mere compact.
t. Our victory gave US fear.
se am ignorant OF what passed aft
wi ward, for tainted, and am now ava
K in the ambulance after long attack
Is delirium which had seized me.
To remove these thousands of heal
dead corpses for interment was inpo
re Bile, nor did time permit the raising
l. these bruised bodice. We had at
u thought of burning them by inundat