Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-03-25

and darkness. We must rest as bes
we could during the darkest hours c
the night. By the earliest dawn W
I, would be on the march, and woul
catch these lazy Prussians in thei
beds. We detained the young MAJ
VINO who had given US the informa
ton, to act as our guide in case of need
lie was overcome with terror, ant
earnestly begged US to let him 60. Ill
would be shot by the Prussians, h
said, if he were caught in our compapy y
and bitterly bemOaned his hard fate
we made rather merry with this y0unl
man and his fears, twitted him witf
his want OF patriotism, and promised
to place him in the front rank when we
delivered our charge upon the Prus
SANS. never saw man more abject
~ miserable than he. His fear seemed
to give him kind of desperate auda.
city, and he tried to break away from
US; he fought with hands and feet; and
when we were finally obliged to tie
him up with cords, to prevent further
violence, he bit and gnawed at his
bonds like fox who is caught in q
I trap.
During the night the peasant man.
aged to make his escape. 1 know not
how it was; the man who had charge
of him, perhaps, took pity on him and
kept his eyes shut. l simulated ex-
treme anger; but in reality I was al
most glad the poor wretch had got
away. To have acted as guide to a
company OF Franc-tireurs would have
been sufficient to condemn him to
O speedy death if he had fallen into
the hands of our enemies. AS for a
guide, the spire of church was visible
from knoll little beyond our camp
ing-ground.
AT the very frs: appearance of day.
light in the sky, 1 aroused my men,
and we fell silently into column of
march, and made our way ut the dou-
Bile toward Routot. TO possess our
selves of the main street, overpower-
ing the guard, and shooting down the
Prussians in detail as they endeavored
to form: this was our plan of opera
tions, and, as far as we were concerned
it was carried out to the letter. We
carried the streets ef Routot with
rush; there were no defenders visible,
and then we called upon the rascally
Prussians to come out and surrender;
but none responded to the call. The
village was sleeping TRANQUILITY when
we arrived, but the tramp and hustle
of our footsteps and the rattle of our
arms must have awakened the sleep
ing Inhabitants. A few heads, here
and there, cautiously peering forth
from behind the curtains were the on
ly signs OF life, however. Every door
was kept carefully closed; not single
person came out to salute us.
AT once l established my headquar-
tiers at the little auberge, and called be-
fore me the trembling aubergiste. All,
she knew nothing of the Prussians, she
said; they had been here yesterday;
but when they went, or where, she
knew not. But if monsieur and his
gallant comrades would kindly take
themselves away, and not expose
poor widow to the vengeance of the
Prusse-
That was the tale everywhere. The
whole village seemed completely |
cowed and frightened, more intent on
saving their own skins and paltry
household goods than upon the honor
of France or the glory of her arms.
Struck with sadness at the sight, 1 yet
determined to respect their neutrality
as much as possible. LevyiDg a requi-
sitiOn of meat and bread and wine for
the service of the army, my men made
a campfire in the middle of the street,
and breakfasted meyrily enough, their
hearts cheered by the good meal and
wine, and the warmth of sun and fire.
But |, who had upon my mind the
safety of my command, strolled away
from the bivOuac and made for the
al, hn tnf ,Nfn nlf
to the top of the tower and reconnOi-
tering the country around.
The sacristan was already in the
preparing to ring the bell for
early mass, and he pointed out to me
the entrance to the winding staircase
that led to the summit of the tower.
The morning was fine and sunny, and
the prospect below me was charming.
The long reaches of the river sparkling
in the sunshine; the wooded hills be-
yond, tier upon tier; the green pastures,
dotted here and there with cattle; the
long rows of poplars and willows bor-
dering the river; the dark forest close
at hand; and the blue roofs and curling
of. the village just be-
low me. All these were exhibited tol (
my sight like vast panorama. All
was SO peaceful and tranquil, that you
would have thought it impossible that,
among these charming scenes, men
were now busily marching to and fro, {
to compass death and destruction for
their fellows. All, said to myself, I
why, for the sake OF emperors and po- I
:entates, should honest men like US,
and those Germans there-who, per- {
maps, are honest men, too, for that
cutting each others throats,
md knocking each other on the head, '
his beautiful sunny morning? And
hen 1 dismissed these thoughts as in 6
with my duty, and began ,
,arefully to scrutinize the country
around. "
i could see nothing to excite my mis- A,
,ivings; but little study of the posi- s
ion showed me why the Prussians had s
leemed it an object of importance to f
occupy the village, and had pushed for |
ward an advance 80 far. Five good
'oads converge upon RoutOt; which thus
somewhat a spider lurking q
n the middle of its web. My atten- /
ion was principally confined to the 4
to the south and east, for il G
Vas from those quarters that the Prus- +
ian forces were pushing forward. But
IS turned round and cast careless I
glance on the ground we had lately /
passed over, was struck with sudden r
llarm. Once, twice, 1 caught sight of n
| brilliant sparkle of light that danced e
ike will o. the wisp among the
litches and walls that hemmed about s
,ur track towards the encampment we /,
lad quilted at dawn. 1t was the spar v
lie of steel-I knew that we'll enough; d
md though not soul was visible,
elt that, surely as death, we were be-
rayed aid surrounded. And next
moment heard sound equally omi-
lous-the tramp and clatter of cavalry n
lpon two of the converging roads;
whilst almost simultaneously there ap- d