Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-09-10
The American Ambulance Corps a
Paris.

oHe VI tne inOsL lHpOrthnb hOrtlcs
in which the American Ambulance
Corps of Paris took part, was at Cham
pigny. That was the occasion when
Ducrot was surely going to push
through the German lines. In his
proclamation he had announced that
he would re-enter Paris victorious or
dead. OF course lac did not keep his
promise. We were all TO rendezvous
at the Champs de Mars that morning
at four o'clock. About three of tho
same morning Mont Yalerien opened
fire, and then Issy, then Vanves, then
Mont Rouge, and SO the flash and roar
OF the cannon went round tho whole
city. That was our reveile. 1t was
cold, very cold, that morning, and we
waited at the rendezvous long time
in company with the French, Italian,
Swiss and other ambulance corps
The great Doctor Ricord was there,
and some of us heard then for the first
time that he is an American from Bal
timore. Chenu, Notation and several
other famous surgeons were also there,
shivering with us as we waited and
waited for the push through the lines,
which never came. Well, when at
last the fight did occur, il made plenty
of work for our wagons. For the
next two days they were constantly
going to and fro between the field and
our hospital. Everywhere we went
along the lines now we were recog.
nized and made way for. One night,
as one of our wagons was trying to
cross the field, it was halted with the
question, "What ambulance is that 2"
ais il necessary to ask 7" shouted
French soldier out Of the darkness
at is the Americans, of course they
are everywhere"
AT this sortie there rodo with us a
little French aboe, whom some of the
boys had picked up, weeks before,
roaming about the outposts among
the trenches. He had won their hearts
by his utter contempt of fire as he
prayed with and confessed everybody
he could lay hands on. AT the sortie
of Chatillon he had discovered one of
our corps bringing into the wagons at
.he risk of bis life huge pumpkin
The able imagined that Americans
must set great value upon pumpkins
il they were willing to secure them at
such hazard, and he described the
whole incident in II UniuerS, the ultra
Catholic papero Paris. In the course
of q few days the ambulance Amer.
cainc received two or three polite
notes from religious French maiden
ladies, saying that they had few
pumpkins which were at the service
of the gentlemen of the corps. We're
ceived the pumpkins, and skirmished
for tho ingredients of pumpkin pie,
which tho matron of our hospital
baked for us. This was an unknown
use for pumpkins IN France, and those
pics cost about their weight in silver.
Sugar we had-it was the eggs that
cost. Horsemeat and pumpkin-pie !
There was wild extravaganza in that
dinner, but then it was patriotio-at
least the dessert was.
Wo nearly frozo to death at Bour-
get, but have not time TO tell you of
it. must pass on to the last sortie
toward Montretout and Malmason.
That was dark, foggy, leaden morn
ing, with drizzling rain. We passed
through the whole French army on
our way outline, National Guards,
Mobiles, artillery, cavalry: we passed
through them all, everywhere meet
ing with grateful reception. Some
times they checred us and our wagons
(now increased TO eigbt) and our i'm
mcnso coflce.pot. This last was an
institution IL consisted OF three great
boilers mounted on wheels. Before
the meat gave out we used sometimes
TO put sonp in our cofiec.p pot and take
il to tho field Coffee by some means
we still had. Even on tho desolate
morning ! am now telling you of
many u poor-soldicr who had been
upon tho almost impassablc roads all
night, had been cheercd by sly tin
cupful of the precious liquid as We
trudged on toward the field. Well,
we wero finally ordered 10 halt nj the