The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-17
Seeking Food on the Battlefield The
Need of Fuel.

Need Of Fuel.
The London Times correspondent at
Versailles, in letter of the 7th nit. says
"a calm after the storm. The snow
falling softly. Not sound in the broad
avenues Of the city of Versailles. The
wagons and carts ofmany conveys passing
along the paved streets make no noise on
the stones. The forts are silent Like
some wild beast ENGAGED, poor Paris has
her fits Of fury and Of detected, moody
silence-perchance repose which cannot
bring her comfort or strength the sleep
Of wounded man who is tortured in his
dreams. There were last night some out
bursts from the forts, but in my morning
walk toward Vile d'Avray heard only
the popping of the outposts across the
Seine, which put me in mind very much
Of what must be going on now by many
a coveitside these frosty mornings across
the Channel. And this cold will bring
misery unutterable on the Parisians, a
mong whom there was no great store of
wood, as they had not laid in their winter
provision Of fuel. IF complaints were
heard month ago, what will they be
now? The plaques which desolate armies
and are nursed by famine have every
scope in beleaguered cities. Smallpox,
typhus. hunger--a fearful sisterhood to be
dwellers within your walls-and an ene-
my relentless at your gates. For mel
confess, the sight of Paris now, is heart
breaking. Will no one force her will and
make her pale lips breathe forth the word
which can save her, Peace" A little
incident which | heard yesterday much
affected me. When the French field
batteries advanced in front Of Oreteil--
and l see an erroneous opinion has been
expressed in England that the columns
did not advance beyond the cover Of the
guns Of the forts, whereas some Of the
places named as positions occupied by
posed to CALLING returns from guns inside
the Prussian field works, under which
the battery horses dropped on all sides.
The French held their own gallantly, and
from time to time, when horse went
down, group ofmen would gather round
him, regardless Of shell and bullet, and
then disperse or return to their pieces.
No one could make out what they did,
but the officers and men inside the Prus-
sian villages saw this happen over and
over again. When they pushed out
their skirmishers to feel the way toward
The enemy on the retreat of the French
inside the walls, the mystery was cleared
up. The skeletons only of the horses
we're left the heads even in some cases
we're gone. The carcasses were disem-
boweed, and all the flesh carried away.
They could not afford to lose an ounce Of
hat precious food, and some, no doubt,
we're killed in obtaining it. This cold
weather completes the work of ruin. If
my "happy home had door left or a
able or chair in the wrecked villages,
It has gone now in the flames Of many
watch fires and camp kitchens. An
amateur told me that nothing burned so
we'll as piano wood and that he had no
dea of its value, having never had an
opportunity of testing the property before.
hear the army before Orleans suffered
greatly from cold in spite of the warmth
lfforded by burning villages and farm
louses, and what must it have been for
he wounded out in the fields? Death
'fter torture The condition Of France
n the next year promises to be, ifpossible
worse than her present state. Here we
ire eating all the cows, so there will be
10 calves in 1871, and every body is SO
'usy killing and eating and eating and
;illing that there is no thought for the
morrow. Sucking-pigs, lambs, sheep,
alves, chickens, ducklings, goslings, all
lie almost as soon as they show signs of
lie