Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-22
THE CHARGE.

Following is translation of paper con-
tributed to the new French magazine Les
Lettres ct les Art, by Horny 1loua lyc. The
Jingle that forms t5 text is n verse iid1d by
the French sodiory to the huglo notes of the
charge, and There lisa drop to drink down
there" may be compared to the doggerel
lines sung to sundry of the calls i'll the United
States army; thus the reveillc:
can't get him up, cant get him up,
lcan't get him up, this morning.
can't get him up can't get him up,
cant get him up, at all.
While the summons of the drum to the doc
tors tent used to he thus construed, by such
as were not candidates for medical treat
ment;
Come and get your qunine,
Come and get your qunine,
Come and get your qunine
And blue pills
The song of tho old grenadiers, that is
wrought into NJ Houssayes spirited account,
Is a suggestion of the drum beat rhymed with
promise to pierce the flank of the enemy
and laugh over his defeat. c. NJ. 81
II V a la goutte boire
La baS.
Il Y Ia eoutte boire.
That is the hymn of modern combat, the
French pTan; it is the charge conQuci'ng
chant of the infantry. queen of hat1le That
trivial and ironical refrain has made the tour
of the world before the bayonctS II has
been heard in Algeria, the Crmca in Italy,
China, Mexico, Tonquin, in France also, alas
and at all times wherever heard, has cX-
pressed the resolve to win victory or die
When rapid and furious, it rings forth at the
height OF battle, it nerves the valiant and
embollpus the timid 1t makes a hero of the
last conscript and a CinHgirus of that Skin
1nishcr of the Alma who, with his right arm
shattered bv a bullet, scizCs his trumpet in
his left hand and coutnus to sound the call.
During the charge it seems as if through the
midst of powder clouds, passed dishevcled
and terrible. with eyes blazing and with lips
parted in hu2zas the goddess of war, Bel
Iona.
The Spartans attacked to the sound Of flutes
and to the singing of Tyrtpan verses. The
Athenians charged the enemy with peal of
trumpcts. shouts of Eleeu and Alale. and
with the hymn to Mars, The Roman egons,
as they pushed forward cried, Rome! For
country" then, n thousand times repeated,
"Ncarer!' to the fanfare of horns and trum-
pets. The grenadiers of the old guard
marched to the music of drums and flies and
met the Russians and Prussians with the air.
on VA lcur percer lie flame
Ran, ran. ran, tan, plan, tire, lire
ON va lcur percer le flame,
Que nous allons rire
soldiers of the line, the marines, the zouaves
assault with cries of "Advancel" and in the
notes of the charge, vibrating from the
bugles and throbbing from the drums, the
soldiers hear the refrain;
Iya Ia goutte a boire,
La has,
Il la goutc a boire.
At evening the army of operation has con-
centrated. The position of the enemy has
been reconnoitered by the cavalry the gem
erals having completed the plan of ATTACK,
have assigned the chiefs of corps to their po-
sitions in the coming engagement During
the night many brigades bivouac under
protection of the grand guard. a short cannon
shot from the enemy. The other troops are
encampcd a mile or two back in closer prox-
unity to inhabited places, At the advance
posts some shots are drawn by the efforts of
sentinels to discover the position of the enc
my's outposts,
At dawn the troops of the first line are
moved Forward The reserve, are simuitanc-
ouslr SIT afoot, hut they halt and establish
th.ir line ont of bullet range. and ring or
their accoutrcmcnt, within si"lt of til util-
lery. one regiment hall,, forms ulong the
slope of plateau, while Il hr-ad" Of two
regiments ploys in double coluAm and orcu-
pie, the bottom Of the VALLEY. Ihr batteries
take .o.tioa. one behind the crest. He Other
little lower down the slope. protected by
ridges of earth Not Il sound i, heard, not n
cry; only the rolling of caiSSons and the ca
dcnccd step of columns of infantry
Day breaks; the sun begins 10 mount the
sky, nmgiu1 its light, as yet devoid of heat,
on plaiu hillside and forest. Isolated reports