The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-02-18

which is situated on the other side of
this tongue of land, and also near the
river, the sloping plain is dotted by
woods, which extend for considerable
distance back towards Vaucresson;
in these woods the Prussians
stood to meet the French onset. The
onset was made in curious but plucky
way down the slope: before the Skin
mishers came two field pieces and a
mitrailleuse these dashed at a gallop,
bump, bump, over every obstacle then
with a quickness that did theirs drill
great credit, the horses turned the
muzzle of the guns towards the enemy,
and the gunners pounded away into the
woods to their hearts content. 1t was
hard work, however, for the Prussians
stand like walls even when without
cover, and are particularly stubborn
when under protection of woods or
houses The rattle of musketry was
incessant it was like continuous
volley, the smoke of which seemed to
emerge from everything around. The
French troops posted on the hill, I'M
der the Valerien guns, never moved an
inch the whole day, but kept firing in
cessant volleys at the Prussians, posted
to the right of Bougival. The artillery
seemed also to be doing its work, for
ever and anon the rattle of the volleys
was drowned by the awful boom of the
heavy fort guns while throughout the
Internal music ran the newest battle
sound-I mean the horrible rat-tatat
tat-tat of the mitrailleuse. Simple as
the sound may look on paper, there is
something horrible about it; some
thing quite distinct from the noise
made by any other weapon.
A FEARFUL SCENE.
now came to little clearing in the
wood. Just as [ stepped into the open
gust of wind blew out my lantern. ]
had no matches. l crept cautiously
along, but it was pitch dark, and
could not see an inch before me. l had
not gone many yards when [ stumbled
over body; 1 spoke, there was no an
swer; l put my hand over the face, il
was cold; got up, and again l STUN
bled over a second body. [ felt fol
matches in dead mans pocket; to my
delight I found pipe, and of course
matches. I lighted my candle in the
lantern, and then holding it above my
head I surveyed the scene before me
To my dying day [ shall never forget
it; stretched out like fan, with thei1
| feet towards common centre, lay eight
men near the middle of the clearing
| between them and the side of the WOOD
| had just emerged from, were the two
corpses [ had stumbled over, and IL
| this little space five others lay dead
also. [ was Mortified; fifteen dead
men, and l the only living person
near them; oh how dreadful was that
silencel / shivered from head to foot
Just as / was lowering my lantern
after viewing this CHASTITY spectacle
one of the supposed dead in the center
moved; it brought my scattered sense:
| back again. [ went to the wounded
man he had received frightful scalI
wound, and looked, from his face being
covered with blood, almost unearthly
his eyes rolled in their sockets. [ felt
for fracture but could find none
spoke to him; he answered [ asked
him why he did not go away; he point
ed to his knee; [ ripped the trousel
open, his kneecap had been completely
blown away. l dressed his wounds,
took the great coat from the knapsacE
of dead man lying near, and wrapped
him in it, for he was shivering with the
cold. AS [ was leaving, he SAID, s'Ah.
that was fearful bad shell we are
only half of what it hurt, the rest have
crawled away" OF the seven others
six were stone dead. The Mont Vale
rien shell had indeed done it's work
l,o al all r
not harrow your feelings by answering
the question; his lips were blue; he
murmured, Wasser, wasser;"
handed him my flask.
knew nothing could be done fol-
him. At that moment [ saw CLEAN
of light coming towards me through
the trees. Two krankentragers, OF
sick-carriers, stopped in the wood tc
pick up a wounded man. I went tc
them, and told them of the men in the
clearing, and they promised to return
at once. [ now thought my work was
done, and making my way towards the
road leading to Garches, [ came tC
what seemed to be field; many lights
were fitting about, and wounded mer
| were being carried to the village.
saw a light stationary at spot not fan
distant, and could hear the thud. thud
of pickaxe. / knew what that meant,
and turned away; helmets and KNAPP
sacks were lying about in all directions
[ then passed some vineyards, where
there had been very heavy fighting.
From the amount of debris all the
wounded seemed to have been taken
away, but many dead lay about I had
now almost got into the road, when Out
of the darkness l heard low call fol
water; [ fastened to the spot, and in a
ditch [ found a man lying on his back,
breathing heavily. l gave him some
water, then set about finding out where
his wound was. His shirt was hot, wet
and red. | tore it open; in doing so
knocked my lantern over. AS
face; it was CHASTITY pale, and
death was there, but / knew it, and ut
tered a cry of horror 1t was the land
wehr officer [ had seen that morning in
all the vigor of manly health, and now,
only ten hours afterwards, was to find
him dying. I plugged the great hole
in his chest lightly with charple mois-
tened with water, took a Frenchman's
great coat and wrapped him in 1T, and
left him there to seek couple of kran-
kentragers. [ was away about twenty
or twenty-five minutes; TO my horror
when [ returned with the men, the
handsome lieutenant was dead, and his
coat and waistcoat were gone. / looked
round, then ran down the road for five
minutes towards Garches to catch the
robber who, if he had done nothing
worse, had robbed the dead, but /
coul1 500 no ono 7 ratu,nad. tho tuo