The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-08-11

,oring wisdcws,wes Kept tsP a.dsedA CTS wsj'f
sad not i0fss .tsn tok: , 49, s. a
~ s slasg ht Ssedy SnS nox Nas e saeenssbts
- any old soldisf ayd thssdeath or one -
u Of . hundred would not cost me Q thougne
were We to get ont of the houses Unless we :
climbed on the roof, retreat was no longer Pcs
sible. This again was ono Of those terrlDle
idsa struck . me thss s We Should 30 caught like
foSes v hich they smoke in theirt holes. The
enemy held every avenue. u went 20 WI
: yatd, and that the yard bad NO gate except
in front. thought it not unlikeiy sG Pa tre
Austrians in revenge for the loss We MAD IN
eted upon %gSs Us BEEN natural
where . dozen Of them yet remained. ana mo
there saw sertfeant Pinto leaning against Inc h;
face as white as paper. He had just received
bullet in the breast, but the old mans warrior
soul was still strong within him, as ne el,er'
selves!, Show tho Kaiserliks that trenSh
soldier is yet worth four of them! An the
| villainsw
below laundering like cannon-shot. We IT'LL
kept up our fire, but hopelessiy, when we neara
the clatter of boots without. The firing ceased.
and We saw through the smoke four sqnad.onss
of lancers dashing like q troop of lions through
the midst of the Austrians. All yielded before
them. The Kaiserliks fed, but the long blue
|
than they, and many white coat was pierced
from beh, md. The lancers were Poies-the
most terrible warriors bad ever seen, and, to
speak truth, our friends and our erothers
They never turned from us in cur hour of need;
they gave us tho last drop of their blood Apd
what have we done for their unhappy country
When I think of our iugratitnde' my heas'
| bleeds.
l. The Poles rescued u.s. Seeing them SO proud
and brave, we rushed ont, attacking the Aus
hs With the for thy
the enemy were already filling Leipzig the
gates Of Halle aud Gsitnma were t9feea ;a a1s
: the Badeuers aud our other friends the sa1ons.
from the windows on our Fetiing troops. -
f road along the Pleisse; the lanoers awaited as
8 there. We defited behind them, and as the
. Austrians again pressed around us, Iney
9 charged once more to drive them back. Wha
r brave fellows and magnificent horsemen were
s those Poles! How those who saw then
charge, 10 such a moment, must admire them
It The division, reduced from fifteen to eigh
!, thousand men, retired step by step before htt!
II thousand foes and not without often turning
and replying to the Austrian fire. ,E
. We reared the bridge-with what JOY neet
~ for Infantry and horse crowded the Who'll
n width of the avenue, and Continued to com
a from all the nei ghboring roads. until the crow
m formed an impenetrable mass, which advance
h slowly, with groans and smothered cries, whie
"a might be heard at the distance of half a milk
l. despite the rafting of mnsketry. Woe
ere forced into the water, and no one stretcf
ii ed hand to save them In the middle, me
and even horses were carried along with th
to- crowd--shey had NO need OF naE.ng any Q,
mr. theref The enemy were advancing neare
"a and nearer every moment. 1t Is true we ha
ne stationed o few cannon 90 as to sweep tt
,d principal approaches, and some troops y
a rem aimed in line to repulse their attacks; BIT
v. they lad guns to sweep the bridge, and tho!
az who remafoed behind must receive thei: who
IN fire. This accounted fer the press on Il
,ss bridge. :,
vc bridge, the idea Of rushing forward and throw
aS ing myself into the midst of the crowd, ente
al ed my mind, but Captain Vidal Lieuteno
of Bretonville, aud other old officers said, sho
M, down the first man that leaves the ranksP
ci- unable to escape,
"a, This was between eleven and twelve o'cloc
ed The fusilade grew nearer on the right and le
air and few bullets began to whistle over o
heads From the side of Halle we saw q
ed Prussians rush pell-mell out with our own 81
ey diers. Terrible cries now arose from the brid(
,sr the infantry, who replied with the bayonet.
sd was a general sauue q"i pe"t. At every NOV
iei ment of the crowd, some one fell from t
ew bridge, and trying to regain his place, bragg
on five or six with him into the the water.
90 In the midst of this horrible confusion, tt
Sid pandemonium of shouts, cries. groans, musk
mo- | SnOGS anu SaDTe-SUTOkcS,A CEdSu ING d poal
;Se thunder was heard, and the first arch Of t
riy bridge rose upward into the air with all mp
in | it, Hundreds of wretches were torn to pec
The | and hundreds of others were crushed benea
10 the falling ruins.
A sapper had Blown up the arch!
rem At this sight the cry of treason rang fri
ro- mouth to mouth. We are lost-betrayet
be- was now the cry on all sides. The tumult v
ar- fearful. Some, in the rage of despair, turn
ike upon the enemy like wIld beasts at bay, thiI
no. ing only of vengeancej others broke tn
ers arms, cutsing beavon and earth for their m
ind fortunes. Mounted officers aud generals dat
,ng ed into the river TO cross it by swimming, q
all, many soldiers followed them without TAXI
He time to throw off their knapsaeks.
Ter, Thought that the last hope of safety was go
red end nothing now remained but to be mae
Gle, cred, made men mad. 1 had seen the Part
choEed with dead bodies the day before, I
aye this scene was . Thousand timcs moro horrih
he drowning wretohes dragging down those "
) to happened to be near them: shrieks and ye
of rage or-for help; broad river conceal
hor by mass o. heads and struggling arms.
To Captain Vidal who by HE GOODNESS q
n i az Ava Mad hithart0 kent tn onP dn