The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-05-23

mind never TO surrender, but what he'll
was there when we do not always d
what we promise ourselves. | will tel
you just how it happened"
| "on the thirtieth every thing was 20
ing well with US. We had crossed tn
Marne, captured PetetBry, not withou
loss, however, and in the evening whsI
we stopped, I was placed on picket dut,
with my company Immediately in from
Of the park Of Villiers, you know i
well, that great white wall which eros
ses the plateau and where our ZOu
aves stopped. During the whole nigh
our artillery thundered around Villiers
As soon as daylight appeared, ! fully
thought we were to move forward. Will
my men, | bad already moved onward
l suddenly came upon the PrussiAns, on
ly ten PAGES from me and lying in theil
rife pits. We could see the very white'
Of their eyes, but they did not FIRE, anC
l did not know what to make of it.
sent to the rear for instructions, and
received for an answer that | was not Il
FIRE upon them, as an armistice had just
been concluded. The order was all &C.
cording to military regulations.
1--WE set about taking up the dead
and wounded, Of whom there were ma
ny on both sides, but the German los
was greater. met one Of their Major'
who said to me; All, yes, you fellow
have given us much work to dol Their
with his field glass, he looked over the
plain covered with snow, trying to re
cogniEe his own men. Near a deep ditch
was the body Of Saxon General lying
by the side Of his dead horse, surroun
ded by heap Of fifteen wounded French
and Germans. Here they had lain in
the cold all night, and several had fro
zen to death. When / came up, Prus
sian was in the act Of giving drink to a
Mobile, who, with his leg shattered by q
shell, was dying in great pain. A little
farther on, along the hedges, in the
midst of the vines, great dark files Of
artillerists were lying dead. Their CON-
rades were engaged in burrying them.
The trenches dug for the dead bodies
were scarcely foot deep, as the ground
was frozen hard, but under the head Of
each dead body was placed a loaded she'll.
This seemed to be a custom with that
corps, so that when hereafter their bones
might be found, they could be recog-
nised as srtillerists. Litter bearers, with
the red cross ON their arms, were passing
to and fro. Ambulances were continu-
ally coming up empty and returning
full.
at is all very well and very humane
TO take care of the wounded, but while
all this was being done the Prussians
were reinforcing. We saw long dark
lines Of men continually passing through
the woods and msssing themselves on
our front. As for me, was furious. /
knew these we're their reserves Just ar
rivedand tomorrow we would be beaten.
| was not mistaken.
The next morning. about Eve o'clock,
just as l was proceeding to take my cup
Of coffee, for l desired to be ready for
any event, a cry of to arms was heard
on the left. The advanced guard had
been surprised. My regiment, fortu-
nately, was safe in Petit-Bry, but we
were hanked. For moment we fought
with only our side arms, and in this
brush l received bayonst thrust in the
left arm from Saxon chasseur. Mean
while panic had seized upon our men.
Ny Captain and the most Of them dashed
TO the right and made bold attempt to
join the main force. Very few Of US
succeeded in fighting through and reach
ing the line. l occupied myself in raj
lying the remainder. One of them, over
come by terror, was lying upon the
ground in furrow and holding his head
in his hands so as neither to see or hear
anything. He was the tailor Of the com
pany. Come, get up. said l to him,
take this gun and follow me- Ihanded
him the gun Of man killed near us. Az
he did not stir. | struck him across the
head with the butt Of my musket and
with such force that the blood flowed
freely. He rose Immediately, took the
gun and followed me. l met him after-
wards in Germany and could not resist
laughing at him little.
81 succeeded in collecting handful
of men and bydisposing of them as skir-
mishers and debouching towards the
right. we attempted to get out Of the
trap, but as We neared the park of Petit
Bry, we found il occupied by the enemy
and that il was impossible to go any far
ther, Before Us, behind US, on each side
Of Us, wherever we looked nothing was
10 be seen but Prussians You well know
the ridge extending from the village Of
Bry 10 theplstsau Of Villiers. Half way
up the ridge, the side is covered with
vineyards and orchards interpreted with