Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-02
ACTS OF COURAGE.
Incidents OF Bravery in the French
Ranks nj the Siege of SebastopOl.


A small flag had,be seen at the side
of n rock standing near the flank OF one
of the French trenches before Sebasto-
pol. No one knew how the flag came
there. II was remarked that cannon
balls and shells had fallen into the
trench with fatal effect, as if tn ere had
been an entilading fire. a sudden light
broke upon the officer in command.
The flag was point to aim at from the
rampant, and the rock sent the shot Dy
ricochet into the trench. He called, Tor
q volunteer to take away the flag.
There was no reply. In the FRENCH
army it is not enough to give woman
command, which has to be eXplslned
before it is oHeyed. The officer went
to a private soldier by the name OF VIC
tor Picault, and asked him to 60. The
man answered that he would, II he
knew why. The case was then made
clear to him, He sprang out OF the
trench, and ran to the flag under
shower Ofrife bullets. Hepulled it down.
At the moment when il fell whole bat
terry discharged grape-shot at him. he
threw himself on the ground. Both
the French and the Russians thought he
vas killed. He suddenly jumped up
unhurt, and ran to the trench with the
flag in his hand. He received non
commissioned rank and the cross of
the Legion Of Honor. An incident
displaying the coolest courage was
next related. / am sorry not to have
noted down the name Of the young
lieutenant alluded to. A small de-
tachment of infantry under his COM
mand had been sent out of the French
trenches to attack q Russian ritle-plt
with the bayonet as soon as the fire,
directed upon it from the trench, should
have ceased. Shot and shell were
meanwhile discharged at the detach-
ment from the ramparts. Some of the
men remarked to their young officer
that 10y staying there they would soon
all be hit, while they might reach the
cover of the trench in time to return at
the cessation of firing from it. The
officer answered that they had been or
dcred 10 stay, and being under fire was
no reason for their running away. At
that momOnt a shell fell at his feet, and
he thanked the Russians, touching his
cap to them, for sending him a light
for his cigar, which he pulled from his
pocket. He bit of the end of it, lighted
It at the fuse of the shell, and held out
his cigar case to the soldiers, asking If
any of them would like to smoke. The
shell burst, and, strange to say, neither
the brave youth nor any OF the de-
tachment was hurt by it. The soldiers
were thus shamed into standing 10y so
self-pOsSessed and gallant an officer.
A gunner was then praised for his cour-
age and strength. During IN attack on
one Of the French batteries he had re-
manned alone to defend it, all his COM
rades having been kil!el or wounded.
He bramshed one of the levers Of his
cannon like quarter-stal, striking
Il ,wn five Russians with it. He recelv-
ed two bayOnet-thrustS in his shoulder,
hut still Lad vigOr enough to wrest a
rifle from one of those VINO had wound
ed him. He shot the one with it, and
knOckt d the other over with blow on
| the hC ad with its stock. Some ZOuaves
came 10 his assistance, and saved him
| by charging the Russian line OF attack.
! They carried him in triumph to the
! cOmmander-in-c chief, who was at break
! fast. On hearing the report given OF
the affair the great general made the
! gunner sit down To share his meal.
/ When he was withdrawing a cross Of
| the Legion of Honor was pinned on
his humble thanks, and asked If he
might now go to have his wounds seen
! to. Intense was the establishment oil
the officers present. Among them was
a staff surgeon, who was ordered to en-
anime the man at once. The two
wounds were pronounced by him to be
very serious, but not mortal, and the
happy gunner was sent to the ambu-
| lanre-Temple Bar