River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-08-22
THE ONLY ACToFpRUssIAN MERCY.
An Incident OF the Franco-German
War.

An Incident OF the Franco-German
War.
The last number Of the ReUne DIES
Deur MOndes gives very interesting
"reminiscences of the Franco German
war in a discussion of a somewhat
desultory phase of it-that of the
guerilla contest waged by armed peas
ants. The incident took place at
Longpre, large village about ten miles
on the road from Abbeville towards
Amiens, at period just after the fall
OF the latter city into the hands of
Gen. Manteuffel. The inhabitants of
Longpre, having suffered from certain
Prusslan acquisitions, took up arms
individually with the intention of
avenging themselves and preventing a
repetition of the demand. They re-
solved, to quote their own words. ms
reported by NJ. Louandre, s'ae,user
sur les Jhtans, and they succeeded by
occupying bits of ground near the roads
with armed parties, in driving off sew.
eral patrols of the dreaded cavalry.
One of them i'll particular, who had
sworn to avenge the loss of a horse
upon the Uhlans, and in his turn TO
cause as many of them as possible. in
his own phrase, to dismount, kept his
word 70 the full. Vengeance of this
sort OF thing was, of course, to come
sooner or later; but the commandment
at Abbevllle, willing to protect the bold
villagers as long as possible, sent a
detachment of five hundred Mobiles TO
garrison Longpre against any small
force detached to punish it. A pre-
llminary skirmish, IN which an advance
guard OF Prussians--very probably a
mere reconnaissance, as it seems to us
was repulsed by the Mobiles, was
followed next day by q real advance
made by Colonel Prestel, who was
sent from Amiens with three
companies OF infantry and strong
body OF cavalry to take the
place. After short fight, in which
some of the Mobiles behaved decidedly
Ill, he effected his object. But it was
late IN the day, and the bulk of the
Mobiles got of towards Abbevile,
leaving one hundred and twenty of their
number in the hands of the Prussians,
and abandoning to their fate the un
lucky villagers. Trusting to the dark
ness, some of these threw the fowling-
pieces which they had used in the fight
into bitches and hid themselves in their
cottages. Others more prudent fled
across the marshes of the Somme for
security. The Prussians plundered
the place, but forebore to destroy it.
from fear, says Nj. Louandre, of the
garrison of Abbeville; but, as we Judge
from what came later, much more
probably from motives of humanity.
Retreating that night as far as AIraines,
the next village towards Amiens, they
carried of their prisoners, OF course.
adding to them twenty-five hostages
picked out of the male adults found
IN the village, for the express purpose
OF being publicly shot at Amiens, as
punishment to the offending place.
The prisoners We're kept in the village
church az Airaines, where the cure
proved to be man of good address
and venerable air, who at once inter-
ested themselves warmly In favor of
the unfortunate hostages. In vain.
however, did he address himself that
night to Colonel Pestel The colonel
was polite, but inexorable. An ex
ample has to be made, and they must
go on to Amiens, and undergo their
fate" On repeated solicitation, how
ever, tie curate obtained the promise
of life of the Oldest of the captives, a
villager of sixty.five. Not daunted by
his poor success, the venerable man
renewed his suit in the morning, when
the troops were preparing to march off
/ The old man was given up to him. He
turned to the colonel, and begged
hard for the lives of all the rest.
"After all, they have but defended
their own homes. Would you STAY
them for that in cold blood The laws
of war cannot appeal to the God of
mercy as my Justify such a
deed" The Colonel listened for some
time in silence, then stretching out his
hand he said "You may have them
/ all; let them go to their families.
The French writer, with national ex-
aggeration, speaks of this as the sole
act of mercy shown by the Prussians
during the war. Colonel Pestel is the
same who So CALAMITY defended Saar.
bruck at the beginning of the war with
three companies against Frossard IS
whole corps advancing under the eve oil
the Emperor Ii is but new proof
that the highest courage and the
truest humanity are often to be found