Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-11-08
An Obstinate Captain.

NoNtmubIf lolls u snort time MttE INC
battle of Wiazma. We, the French,
beat retreat, not before the Russians,
for they were at respectful distance
from our camp, but before the sharp
and bitter cold of their country.
During the preceding days our
officers had told us that we were ap-
preaching Smolensko, where we should
get food, fire, brandy and shoes but
in the mean time we we're perishing in
the glaciers, and continually harassed
by the Cossacks. We bad marched for
six hours without stopping to take
breath, for we knew that repose was
certain death. An icy wind blew the
drifting snow in our faces, and from
time to time we tumbled over the frozen
corpse of q comrade. We neither
spoke or sang, even complaints were
no longer heard, and that was bad
sign. marched by the side of my
captain short, strongly built, rough
and severe, but brave and true as the
blade of his sword ; we called him
Captain Obstinate, for when he once
said thing, it was fixed he never
changed his opinions. He had been
wounded at Wanna, and his usually
crimson face was then CHASTITY pale,
while ragged white handkerchief, all
stained with blood, was bound round
his head, and added to the pallor of
his countenance. All at once / saw him
stagger on his legs like drunken man,
then fall like block to the ground.
" Morbleu ! captain, said I, bend
ing over him, you cannot remain
here
q" You see that I can, since do it, ;
replied he showing his legs.
GO Captain said ], you must not
give way lifting him in my arms,
tried to put him on his feet. He leaned
on me and attempted to walk, but in
vain he fell again, dragging me with
him.
&c JOHN, said he, all is over.
Leave me here, and rejoin your army
as quickly as possible. One word be.
fore you go : at Vereppe, near Greno-
BILE, lives a good woman, eighty-two
years of age, my-my mother. Go and
see her, embrace her for me, and tell
her that-that-tell her what you will,
bot give her this purse and my cross.
1t is all I have ! Now 60.
"' Is that all, captain p
"' That is all ! God bless you
Make haste. Adieu!' My friends, 1
do not know how it was, but felt two
tears roll down my cheeks.
"' No, captain, L cried, I will not
leave you ; either you come with me,
or 1 will remain with you"
&c forbid you to remain
" You may put me under arrest,
then, if you like, but at present you
must let me do as 1 please
"'You are an insolent fellow
Go Very good, captain, but you must
come with me- He bit his lip with
rage, but said no more. 1 lifted him,
and carried him on my shoulders like
sack. You can easily imagine that
with such burden, l could not keep
pace with my comrades. In fact, soon
lost sight of their columns, and could
discern nothing around me but the
white and silent plain. I still walked
on, when presently appeared troop of
Cossacks galloping toward me, with fu-
rious gesticulations and wild cries.
" The captain was by this time COM
pletely insensible, and 1 resolved, what
ever it might cost me, not to abandon
him. laid him down on the ground,
and covered him with snow then
crept beneath heap of dead bodies,
leaving, however, my eyes at liberty.
Presently the Cossacks came up, and
began to strike with their lances right
and left, while their horses trampled us
under their feet. One of these heavy
beasts set his foot upon my right arm
and crushed it. My friends, I did not
speak I did not stir I put my right
hand into my mouth to stife the cry of
torture which nearly escaped from me,
and in few minutes the Cossacks had
dispersed.
!" When the last of them had disap-
peared, L quilted my refuge and pro-
ceeded to disinter the captain. To my
JOY he gave some signs of life ; I con-
trived to carry him with my one arm
toward o rock which offered a sort of
shelter, and then laid myself by his
side, wrapping my cloak round us both.
The night had closed in and the
snow continued to fall
" The rear guard had long since dis
appeared, and the only sound that
broke the stiffness of the night was the
whistle of bullet, or the bowling of
the wolves feasting on the corpses that
lay stretched around. God knows what
thoughts passed through my soul du-
ring that dreadful night, which, I felt
sure, would be my last upon earth. But
remembered the prayer which my
mother had taught me long before
when was a child at her knee, and
bending low, repeated it with fervor.
My children, that did me good, and
remember always that sincere and
fervent prayer is sure to comfort you.
felt astonishingly Gained when I re-
turned to my place by the captain. But
the time passed, and had fallen into
state of half stupor, when saw O
group OF French officers approach. Be-
fore had time to speak to them, their
chief, little man, dressed in furred
pelisse, stepped forward toward me and
said:
What are you doing here ? Why
are you away from your regiment?'
"For two good reasons said I,
pointing first to the captain, and then
to my bleeding arm.
1.-The man says true, sire, said one
OF those who followed him Il saw him
marching in the rear of his regiment,
and carrying this officer on his back
"The emperor-for, my friends, it
was he gave me one of those chances
that only he, or the eagle of the Alps,
could give, and said:
9" 1t is we'll. You have done very
we'll