The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-03-10
l. was very cold, dry cold. notWithssand'

interior of the city, number OF men went up
the street if they had kept step the enemy
would have heard them from the distance
upon the glacis but they came peli'mell ahr
turned near Us into the pontern stairway. IL
can imagine whether l watched them, and yet |
could not recognize our sergeant in the dark
ness :. It,
trenches after their defiling and all was stiil.
My feet were perfectly numb, IL wasso colo
but curiosity kept me there.
At last, after about half an hour, b paie hhe
ed behind the bottom.land Of Fiqnet,
around the woods Of La Bonne Fontaire:
Captain Rolfo the other citiz zops, and mysef,
leaned against the rampant, and iooke9 a1 .ne
patrols were wandering in the fog and nearer
to us, at the foot of the glaois, the Wnrtenl-
burg sentinel stood motionless IN the poplar
alley which leads to the large shed OF the tile
kiln. ,...
Everything was etill gray and ipdistinot
though the winter sun, as white as snow, Iose
above the dark line of frs. Our soldiers $1,000
motionless with grounded aims. in the covered
ways The "Verdds !" ard "Soaidde !" went
their rounds. 1t grew lighter every moment.
No one would have belIeved that fight was
preparing, wtsn six o'clock sounded from the
mayoraty, and suddenly our two companies,
without command, started, shouiderlh2 theif
arms, from the covered ways, anu silently oo-
sceuded the glacis. ,
In less than minute, they reached tie
road which stretches along the gardens, and
defiled to the left, following the hedges
You cannot imagine my iSht when found
that the fight was shout 10 begin. IL was NOT
J yet clear daylight, bnt still the enemy,s sen
tinei saw the line Of bsyonets sling behind the
hedges, and called out in terrible way ::
"Who goes thereT
Forward w replied Captain Vigneron, in
voice like thunder, aud the heavy soles OF onr
soldiers sounded on the hard ground like an
The sentinel fred, and then ran mp the alley,
shoutingI know not what. Fifteen of the
landwehr who formed the outpost under the
old SIZED used for drying bricks, started at
once they did not have time for repentance,
but we're all massacred without mercy.
We could not see very well at that distance,
through the hedges and poplars, but after the
post was carried, the firing of the musketry
| and the horrible cries were heard even IN the
city; Tho nnfortnn.ts ,.ndvsbr who were
quartered in the Pernette rm-house-s large
| number of whom were undressed, like respect
able men at home, 80 as to sleep more comfort
| ably-jumped from the windows in their pan
| falcons, in their drawers, in their shirte, with
their cartridgeboxes on their backs, and
ranged themselv=s g shind the tile-kilr, in the
them on, and gave their orders in the midst OF
| the tumult.
There must have been six seven hundred
| of them there almost naked in the snow, and
Notwithstanding their being thus surprised,
they opened q running fire which was well
sustained, whom our two pieces on the bastion
began to take part in the contest
! Ohl what carnage!
| Looking down upon them, You should have
seen the bullets hit, and the shilts fly in the
nj! ! And, what was worst for these poor
| wretches, they had to close ranks, because
after destroying everything il the tile kl q
our solders went out to make an attack with
their bAyonets .
What q situation !-j2st imagine it, Fritz
for respectable citizens, merchants bankers
brewers, n-keeperi-peaceab!e men who
wanted nothing bat peace and qn'etness.
: Onr balls struck down these poor father
and husbands by the dozen To add to al
/ these denominations, two other companies, sen
. out with tho greatest secrecy by the council o
defence from the posterns of the guard and o.
the German gate, and WHICH came up, one b!
r the Saverne road, and the other by the oad o
Petit-Saint jean, now began to outAlnk them
! and forming behind them, fred upon them II
the rear. -
, 1t must be confessed that these old soldier
of the Emlire bad dlakoliGel talent 10
} stratagenl Who would ever nave lmaglne'
On seeing this, tie remnant Of the land weh
bisbanded CO the great white PLAIN like
whirlwnd Of sparrows. Those WHO had no
| had time to put on their shoes did not min
| the stones or breIs CT thorus of the FiQue
q bottom they ran like stays, the stoutest
fast the rest.
:. Our soldiers followed them as skirmisher
a stopping not second except to make read!
a | and fire. All the ground in front, up TO th
v old beech in the middle of the meadow {
). Q1atre Vents, was covered With their bodice
b. Their colonel, burgomaster doubtless, ga
" loped before them on horseback, his shirt II!
l. ing ont behind him.
ID If the Baden soldiers, qnartered 10 inc VI
I. lage had not come to their assistance, the
% would all have been exterminated. But tv
r battslions of Baden men being deployed
i'd the ri ght of @ latre-V Vents, our trumpets soun
IA ed the recall, and the four companies foEm'
in the alley 6es DANES to await them.
O, The Baden soldiers then halted, and the la
IL of the WurtemburgeIs passed behind thel
~ glad to escape from such a terrible destructio
They could well say 81 know what war
It. i have seen it at the worst !"
an 1t was now seven oclock-the whole CT
was on the ramparts. Soon thick smo
ed rose above the tiie-kiln ard the surroundi:
IL buildings; some sappeTs had gone ont wi
ma faggots and set it ou fire. 1t oil burn
ep to cinders; nothing remained but gre
black space, and some rubbish behind [
ed poPars
ed Our four companies, seeing that the Bad
ed soldiers did mol ueAn TO attack them' return
ite quietly, the trumpeter leading.
Long before this, had gone down to
md | square, near the German gate. TO meet c
we troops as they came back. 1t was of t
bed sights which shall never forget ; the pr
ant under arms, the veterans hanging by t