The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1878-01-13
THE HORRORS OF THE W4R.
THE DEAD AND DYING ON THE FIELD AFTER THE
sASGUIaARY BATTLE OF PLEvNA.
Iondcn Daily News.


Pltvna, Dec. 1.-THE day and night of tbs
Dsttle passed, and the sufferers received no
iood or water, and their fostering wounds were
anaressed. the following morning the Rus.
SLAMS entered and took possession, and made
the day one of rejoicing with the visit of the
GEAR and the imperial staff; bat this celebra-
tion OF the event was long season of horrible
snfering for the wretched, helpless cAptives,
who stretched their skeleton hands in vain
| toward heaven, praying for q bit Of bread or
drop OF water. Neither friend nor foe was
tnere to alleviate their forings, to give The
| tride needed to save them from 3 painful death
and they died by hundreds.
| 1t was only On the morning of the third day
after these wretched, tortured creatures had
been left to their fate that the Russians found
opportunity and means to begin, first, the sepa-
ration of the living from the dead, and then
the care of the former. The mcsques, the
largest houses and many of the small we'll
ings had been filled with sick and wounded.
oyercrowded in every case, from the fret with
out proper attention, these temporary HOSPITALS
were, at the best. most filthy and pestiIeptisI
and the air was tainted with the stencil of mn. |
dressed wounds and the corpses which lay un- |
buried in the courJyards.
1he first room entered in one OF these
chernel houses contained ninety odd Turks
VI these thirty seven were dead. and many
others on the point of death. Other rooms
presented like CHE Sly spectacle. TSres
open PEASANTS carts were all that were
available for the removal of the dead and
Afty soldiers to carry the bodies from the
rooms to the carts, and bury them IN the
ditches. AS fast as possible bread and water
we're distributed, and the feeble wretches
fought each other with their last breath Ia
their greed for the nonrishmens
Some propped up against the wall slowly
ate until the unmistakable pallor came over
their faces. and their eyes were fixed 10
death Even the effort of eating the long
needed food was too great for their waning !
strength. The living clutch at the remaining J
norsel in the dead mans hand, struggle for Q
it with all their feeble power, and curee each !!
other and wraDgle over the spoil, perhaps to u
'an dead themselves before they can eat the .
breed.
The three open oxen carts began the re-
noval of the dead at once, and the work still p
'oes on. The hospitals daily supply more
reight of this kind than the slow moving
cams can carry away to the bitches outside. {,
over thousand have been already carted Il
way, and from the hospitals come about q 81
undred daily. O.
In the valley of the vid, in the redoubts Ia
'bich the Russians stormed, hundreds on co
undreds of still unburied bodies lie; the az
hole ridge Of the wooded mountain, the val IL
y beyond, and tho hill furtf er on, where or
and the two redoubts overlooking the town, in
ken with terrible loss by Gen. Ekobeief on in
opt. 80, arc streWn thickly with the corpses I'd
the Russians who fell on those days. Some III
these bodies have been partly covered with M
ur spadetnls Of earth but most Of them lie as M,
ey fell. co