Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-24
Acts of Coura ge.

IT,
 A small flag had been seen at the side of rock standing near the flank of one of the French trenches before Sebastopol. No one knew how the flag had come there. It was remarked that cannon balls and shells had fallen into the trench with fatal effect, as if there had been an enfilading fire. A sudden light broke upon the officer in command. The flag was point to aim at from the ram part, and the rock sent the shot by 1icochet into the trench. He called for volunteer to take away the flag There was no reply. In the French army 1t is not enough to give word of command, which has to be expained before it is obeyed. The officer went to 8 private soldier of the name of Victor Picault, and asked him to go. The man answered that he would, if he knew why. The case was then made clear to him. He sprang out of the trench, and ran to the flag under shower of rife bullets. He pulled it down. At the moment when it fell a whole battery dis charged grape shot at him. He threw him self on the ground. Both the French and the Russians thought he was killed. He sudden ly jumped up, unhurt, and ran to the trench with the flag in his hand. He received non- commissioned rank and the Cross of the Le- zion 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 detach ment of infantry under his command had been sent out of one of the French trenches to attack Russian rife pit 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 by stay ing 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 ordered to stay, and that being under fire was no reason for their running away. At that moment shell fell at his feet, and he thanked the Russians, touching his cap to them, for sending him light for his cigar, which he pulled from his pocket. He bit off the end of it, lighted 1t 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 tne brave youth nor any one of the detachment was hurt by it. The soldiers were thus shamed into standing by so self possessed and oalIant an officer A gunner was then pralsed for his courage and strength. During an at tack on one of the French batteries he had ramained alone to defend it, all his comrades having been either killed or wounded. He brandished one of the levers of his cannon like uuarter-staff, striking down five Rus slams with it. He received two bayonet- thrusts in his shoulders, but still had vigor enough to wrest @ rife from one of those who had wounded him. Re shot the one with it, and knocked the other over with blow on the head from its stock. Some Zouaves came to his assistance, and saved him by charging the Russian line of attack. They carried him in triumph to the commander chief, who was at breakfast. On hearing the report given of the affair the great general made the gunner sit down and share his meal. When he was withdrawing a Cross of the Legion of Honor was pinned on his breast by the gen. eraI himself The gunner offered his humble thanks and asked if he might now go to have his wounds seen to Intense was the aston ishment of the officers present Among the em was staff surgeon, who was ordered to ex- 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 ambulance.