The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-01-28
THE FIGHTING OUTSIDE PARIS.

THE FIGHTING OUTSIDE PARIS. |
Horrible Appearance Of the Battle.
field.
The dreadful aspect Of the bat
tleheld outside Paris, after the
great sortie, is thus described by
. correspondent Of the London
Times:
There is park just at the ex-
treme end Of the village Villiers,
on the Paris side. Before and all
around it ragged the battle on both
days the 30th OF November and
I'd Of December. The chateau Is
officers quarters. How it suffered!
There is scarcely . window sash
left in one side Of it, and to sp-
proach it there is NO necessity to
to make use OF the entrance gate.
The walls smashed from top to bot
tom in . dozen place. I entered
near the gate, and the first sight I
saw was ten dead Saxons in row.
Their faces were covered, and
three of their comrades watched
over them. Passing through the
works in the direction Of Paris, l
walked out through an embrasure
in the wall and came upon rising
ground. It was ono of the hottest
parts Of the battle field. and al
most the center Of the field Of
fighting. Heavens, what a sight!
To sec men advancing under FIRE Of
forts and falling every stey; to see
the French aud the Saxons amid
that horrid din of artillery shooting
one anther down with hassepot
and needle gun; to hesr the "hur-
rahs.' followed by volley, and as
the smoke cleared away to find the
lines thinned and living men ad-
vancing over the PROSTATE bodies
Of dead and dying WAS horrible.
but nothing like 80 horrible a. the
sight Of this battlefield, with hun
dreds of dead lying there ii, the
cold air, the sun shining on their
ghastly features aad stiff forms
while the cannen on Avron and
Nogant were laundering with .
sound which shook the earth for
miles around.
One Of the first groups I came
upon was composed of sixty
French soldiers. A few Saxons
and Wurtembergers lay around
them; but the Germans had already y
removed and laid in their last
sleeping places most Of their dead
The center ofthe group Was formed
of close line Of forty-six. You
could not have placed body bet.
ween any two. They tell shoulder
to shoulder, just ~ they stood
fire. By far the greater number
we're on their backs, with their fee'
to Paris and their heads to Villiers
Alas! it was painful evident tha
many Of them, and Of others whom
l saw subsequently, had not died
in simultaneously, but had lived
probably many hours, without ,
hand to lend them succor, and in
piercing snow and frost. Ont
poor fellow lay on his face. He
had two rifle wounds in his back
He had partly stripped himself, ant
, he died with hand on each bulle
hole.
Several had taken of their knap
sacks and placed them under theil
heads, and SO pillowed had breath
ed their last breath. Others clinch
ed their water bottles in one hand
but had been unable to remove tn
cork, and died without being abl
to wet their lips in their last agony
!, Some, in their sufferings, ha'
, burrowed their faces in the thicl
clay on which they lay, and turne'
their bloody and earth stain ed face
upward before they expired.
Two I saw who had their arm
, fixed and their fists clenched. 40 II
,. , while dying. they were engaged il
!, a pugilistic encounter. Only YER,
few were on their sides. Thes
I had their knapsacks under thei
4 heads. There were men on who's
faces beamed the smile of an infan
, and whose countenances were lik
!, handsome wax work. The ez
. preston Of others Was that of terr
I BILE agony. Every feature va
: contorted; their legs had been cor
vulsively jerked up until thei
i. knees stnck into their stomacha
4 and their fingers and thumb nail
8 had been squeezed until they bs
. came rivied into the palms Of thei
e hands. Behind, before, and at th
8 corners Of . line Of forty-six dea
u men were others, Saxon an