Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-11
The Wrecks Of BourbaIsi,s ARMY.

On Wednesday morning, Feb. I, the Swiss
heard that 10000 French had crossed the border
during the night. The possibility of such an
event had been foreseen, but it had been thought
more probable that the retreating force would
have been driven into BeSancon to help in the
reduction of that place, as Bazaine's army had
been in the case of impregnable Metz. But
now much anxiety was felt as TO whether the
French would yield their arms, whether the
Swiss would fire upon them if they refused,
whether the Prussians would pursue, or Wheth-
err in many ways Switzerland might not find
herself very awkwardly situated.
The arrival of troop of French cavalry on
the following afternoon put an end TO all sur
Musings, aud explained much that we had be-
fore thought very wonderful. The horses
seemed scarcely able to stand. They were up-
der-sized and half famished. Their legs were
knotted and swollen their tails and names often
rotted away; the long shaggy hair of their I'M
groOmed coats matted with dirt. The riders
were warmly clothed in large overcoats, and
what seems to be nearly universal among officers
and men of all arms, the broad-peaked cap. 1t
was the general opinion among the lockers on
that ten wellmounted heavy cavalry men would
have ridden over the whole two hundred On
inquiry found these were really old soldiers
and next day recognized the uniform, often
seen in Paris, of the gendarmerie, only without
| the traditional three-cornered hat. During Fri
| day and Saturday infantry poured into the
| town, the intervals between the arrival of the
|
| stage OF exhaustion. They came slowly in
shutting along, with hanging heads, sunken
cheeks and starting eyes. Such multitude Of
| tamlshed, weary, tootsore, ragged and sickly
human beings was surely never gathered to-
| gether. Those unable to march came in by
| train.
Shall be accused of exaggeration if ATTEMPT
to describe their condition? have seen poor in
London and beggars in Egypt, but never such
| wholesale misery as was here Hundreds of
fnllnuC rraif fpV, 30, 4
| past. The feet and hands of nearly all were
irost-bitten, causing the greatest pain. On many
a face, incpent fever had begun its ravages !:
many would never march again. In all, the
shrunk features and crouching gait told of
| gnawing hunger, while the deep cough and
hoarse voice bore witness to long nights spent
| on snow and frozen ground. Some had tied bits
of wood under their bare feet to protect them
from the stones; Others wore wooden sabots !;
hundreds had no socks, and when they had they
were merely of thin cotton; others, who appear
ed well shod, would show a sOleless or heelless
boot the exposed part of the foot, once Frozen
being now a wound crusted with dirt. For weeks
none had washed, or, changed their clothes, or
removed their boots. Nothing but hurried march
and counter-narch. Their hands were backer
IMAM any Africans. Some had lost their toes,
tine limbs of others were SO frozen that every
| movement was agony. The men stated that for
three days they had had neither food nor fodder
serfeu OUT 10 them, and that before that they Of
| ten got only one loaf between eight men
but let me turn from this hnmiliabnp view
OF the civilization of the nineteenth centnrv IN
| what we may well be proud of in our times
the long columns toll YEARLY through The VII
lagos, defling from the Jura passes-choked
deep with snow-upon the Lake Geneva tho
inhabitants everywhere turned out literallv
their all to supply their wants AS rrgi
ment alter regiment of tottering, starving men
passed into this town, il was a sight to make
strong man weep TO see rich and poor, Young
and old, distributing TO their necessities; while
rugged, hard, ill-favored faces broke out in snn
ny smiles, as though ministering angels had
met them amid scenes of death and murder
Here were markct-women, who on other DAYS
are wont to haggle over centime, eagerly emp
tying their stalls; there were people rushing
into shops and returning laden with ioaves, rolls
biscuits, chocolate or cigars. The particularly
ragged might be seen carrying some article Of
clothing just received, or a glimpse might be