The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-08-18

Hitherto have described the grandeur OF
var~battles glorious to France, noswlthstand.
mo onr mistakes and misfortunes. When we
were fghting al Europe aps ao tbsee When we
fi6aily sucoumbed, not through the courage OF
our foes, but borne down by treason ana tne
for sur defeat, and the victors have little rsa.
son to exult in it.. 1t is not numbers tha1
makes the glory of people or an armym,t is is
sIsae ana AND believe that right feeling
sensible men in every country will think the
| same. s.-...,, &c rotraae
and this is the hardest part of my task. 1t is
said that confidence gives strength, ana TINS Is
especially true Of the French .. while they an
nnited: the viii Of their chiefs was their only
law thew knew that they could succeed only
by strict observance OF discipline. buS wnG u,
bimseif and commands were forgotten. Then
these nien-once SO brave and 30 proud, VINO
marched gayly to the som 70
times in groups. Then those who, little
while before, trembled at their approach, grew
bold they came on, first timidiy' but mt, meeshang
Would swoop down and carry off three or four
3 laggards at q time, l have seen crows IN
winter swoop upon a fallen horse when tney
!, did not dare approach WHO ne oo"'" 'e' ~
main on his feet. ,>ox
gars, with nothing but old rags I hanging
| eround them, an old cap of tattered skfn over
/ their cara unshorn boards, covered with YER.
: min, mounted on old, WORKOUT horses, without
= saddles, and with only piece OF rope ~ S ,s
d arms, and o nail at the end of pole for
10 iance-I have seen those wretches, who resem
Q bled sallow and decrepit jews more than SOL Sol;
u diers stop ten, fifteen, twenty OF our men, ans
', lead them of like sheep. 70,
y And the tall, lank peasants, who rev
10 months before trembled II We only iooheu -.
: them--I have seen them arrogantly rePulse OLE
Al soldiers -euirassieFs, aFtilleEymen, dragoon
y, who had fought through the Spanish war, me- o.
40 who could have crushed them Win oioM J; =
of their 6st-I have seen these peasants lnsis
ne that they had no bread to SELL while tne s Ho0
re of the oven arose on all sides of ne; that the
had no WINE, no beer when w, we heard ARD go on
M dared punish them no one dared taKe VIE VA !
he he wanted from the wretches who laughed
be see in such straits for each one was lesdea
ri inc on his own account; w0 had no leader
at no discipline, and they could easily ou'nun
ne Der us. .a fav.
.le And to hunger, misery, WEAKNESS ana fe sSs,
as the horrors Of an approaching winter we we,
ne added. The rain never ceased falling ar -
et the gray sky, and the winds pierced us 70 7.
is- bones. How could poor beardiess cohsot .I
hit mere shadows, heshless and worn out, eu&u
by ali thisf They persisted by thousands Cue
.re bodies covered the roads. The terrible tyPn'
he pursued us. Some said 1t was q P ,aisS9d5 e,
l rendered by the dead not being buried oe'
on. enough others that it was the consequence
lily sufferings that required more than nun, ~,
th strength to bear. 1 know NOT ao Iorr nS
A.
md which we brought it, will long remember ths
nd suernss; of hundred attacked r ny w.
the more than ten or twelve, at the most, ~; :
ca At ieneth-since 1 must continue TINS 8
led atory-on the evening Of the nineteenth
aid bivouacked at Lutzen, where our regiments 3
the formed as best they might. Inc mex I -
for eaTIy, as we marched ON Weissenfeld, We =
aed to skirmish with the WessphaiisnSs VINO
~ The twenty-second we bivouacked on.fhe gla
W. At Erfurt, where we received new shoes :
ra- uniforms, Five or six disbanded oompGn
10 ioined our battalionAnearly all oonscriI
lin Orr new coats and shoes were much too Ia
ny, for as, but they were warm, and we Holt
n oDs We had to start again the twenty-seco
'sar and the following days passed near dot
'0~- Teitlebe Riseuach and SSlminster. Inc
ro,h aaoke reconnoiteEed us from distance. !
~ n hnssnrg would drive them OF, but they Tetu
Ned Cd the moment pursuit was relaxSd t ~. Ma9s
80 SSsanf as roll.call and the aentriOs recei
ne oTderS to sNoOt all who attempted TO 10
lion their bivouscS.