Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-08-07
How it Feels to be Wounded.

How it Feels to be Wounded.
A THRILLING NARRATIVE OF AN ExPE-
RIENcE IN BATTLE BY AN ENGLISH Of
FICER.
The following is Colonel Ponsouby's
interesting account of his own sufrrings,
after rash and unlucky charge:
81 was stationed with my regiment
(about three hundred strong) at the ex-
treme left wing, and directed to act dis
cretionally; each of the armies was
drawn up on gentle declivity, a small
valley lying between them.
cat one o'clock, observing, as /
thought, unsteadness in a column of
French infantry which was advancing
with irregular fire, l resolved to charge
it. As we we're descending in a gallop,
we received from our own troops on the
right fire much more destructive than
the enemy's, they having begun long be-
fore it could take effect and slackening
as we drew nearer. When we we're with
in fifty PAGES of them the French turned, /,
and much execution was done among
them, as we were followed by some Bel
gians who had remarked our success.
But we had no sooner passed them than
we we're attacked in our t1rn, before we
could form, by about 800 Polish lancers,
who had come down to their relief; the
French artillery pouring in among US a
heavy fire of grape shot, which, however,
killed three of their own to one of our
men. In the melee l was disabled almost
instantly in both of my arms, and fol-
lowed by few of my men, who were
presently cut down Ono quarter being
asked or given), | was carried on my
horse till, receiving blow on my head
from sabre, was thrown senseless on
my face to the ground. Recovering, |
raised myself little to look around
when lancer passing by exclaimed,
'7u NEST pas mort, copuias, and struck
his lance through my back my head
dropped, the blood gushed into my mouth,
difficulty of breathing came on, and l
thought all was over.
"Not long afterward tirailleur came
up to plunder me, threatening to take
my life. / told him that he might search
me, directing him to small side pock-
ct, in which he found So, being all l
had; he unloosed my stock, tore open
my waistcoat, then leaving me in very
uneasy posture, and was no sooner gone
than another came for the same purpose !;
but assuring him that | had been plum
dered already, he left me, when an of
ficer, bringing up some troops (to which,
probably, the tirailleurs belonged) J, stoop-
ed down and addressed me, saying he
feared | was badly wounded | replied
that | was, and expressed wish to be
moved to the rear: he said itswas against
the order to move even their own men,
but if they gained the day, as they
probably would (for he understood the
Duke of Wellington was killed and that
six of our battalions had surrendered), !,
every attention in his power should be
shown me. complained of thirst, and
he held his brandy bottle to my lips,
directing one of the men to lay me
straight on my side and place KNAPP
sack under my head he then passed on
into action, and shall never know to
whose generosity l was indebted, as l
conceive, for my life. OF what rank he
was cannot say; he wore blue great
coat. By-and-by another tirailleur
came and knelt and fired over me, load
ing and firing many times, and convers-
ing with great gayety all the while.
While the battle continued in that
part several of the wounded men and
dead bodies near me were hit with the
balls, which came very thick in that
place. Toward evening, when the Prus-
slams came, the continued roar of the
cannon along their and the British line
growing louder and lou Ter as they drew
near, was the finest thing ever heard.
1t was dusk when two squadrons of
Prussian cavalry, both of them two
deep passed over me in full trot, lifting
me from the ground and tumbling me
about cruelty the noise of their ap-
proach aud the apprehensions it excited
may be easily conceived had gun
come that way it would have done for
me. The battle was then nearly over or
removed to distance the cries and
groans of the wounded all around me
became every instant more and more au-
dible, succeeding to shouts, imprecations
outcries of Viue PEmpereuri' the dis.
charge of musketry and cannon now
and then intervals of perfect silence
which were worse than the noise. ]
thought the night would never end.
Then about this time l found a soldier