The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-04-19
A str NGE SUGGESTION.
Did Irish Soldiers Fire the Las,
Shot in the Franco-German War

5IOb III kdC w al
During the Franco. German war, says
Captain NJ. w. Kirwan in Once q Week,
| had the honor of commanding a com
pany of lrishmen, who were attached to
the regiment stranger, French army.
We had served under Chanzy in the
army of the Loire, and under Bourhaki
in the army of the east. Our regiment
was the last to leave the field at Mont
beliard when the army began its disas-
trous retreat toward the Swiss frontier,
and for five days the German soldiers
hung upon ouI rear as we hurried through
Arcey, Reuters, Baume, les DANES, and
ut last halted at the little village of
Busy, a few miles from BesaEcon. and
in the heart Of the pine clad Tura
mountains. The greater part of our
army corps-the l5th-had crossed
the frontier into Switzerland,
but our division (the Second), ragged,
foot sore, hungry ard weary, was once
more obliged to pass the perilous edge Of
battle, and to give what was perhaps the
last shot OF the war. According to Of
fetal reports the armistice began in Paris
on January %, 1871, for General Man
teuful, who commanded the South
army" that has driven us from Mont
beliard, and a portion of which now
faced US at Busy, received the following
telegram:
VERSAILLES, jan. IS, Has p. m.-Ne-
gotiations for capitnlation and armistice just
concluded with Paris. ArmiStiee begins
here Immediately; everywhere else at mid
night on the 3lst of the mouth. The gov
ornment OF Cote der, Doubs, and Sura for
The present excluded from 1T until your oper-
attons, which are to be confined, are decided.
Setge OF Bclfort to be proceeded with.
count MoLTKE.'
On receipt of this General Manleufel
issued the following order:
Soldiers OF the South Army: Paris has
capt. Hated. An almistice has been CON
ciuded for the First and Eleventh armies.
lhe South army alone will continue opera
lions. Forward.n
This order establishes the fact that the
South army alone" was fighting after
January 90, and as the French troops
around Besancon, Dijou, Belforte, and
their neighborhoods were the only French
soldiers i'll face of the enemy, and who
were exempted from the armistice, some
of the men in these commands must have
fired the last shot of the war. The ques-
. "hISA vi q L w III
from official documents that there was
some fighting at Portarlicx on February
/ and at La Chune on the evening of that
day. We know, too, that Garibaidi was
engaged at DIXON on January 81, and that
there was some diminishing on the road
to Lyons between 10 q. IN. and II u. m.
on February 2. There is even an au-
thenticated record in Colonel Won
Wright's official dispatches of the. Opera
ton of the south army" of an affair
with Franc Ti,eurs on February 4 at 8 a.
IN but there is no official record Of the
fact that can find mat at noon of the
same day the mountain pieces attached
TO the Regiment stranger sent lis shells
among n battalion of Bavarians, who
filed through the village of Busy while
we looked down from the crest on which
we were posted at their spiked helmets
glittering in the midday sun.
AT that time the Irish soldiers were on
tirailleur, 200 yards in front of the regi-
ment, and as the smoking field pieces be-
hind them gave out la musique de la
gucrre, the Bavarians opened fire from
the shelter of the wooded slopes and the
gabled ends of the houses, while we kept
up an independent file firing all along
our little skirmish line. Uhlan eclairceurs
rode with gallant impudence on the left
flank of the enemy, while a half battery
of field pieces was wheeled under the
shelter of a slope and swung into action,
and then, cresting the incline, let fly with
all its guns. A few ridcrless horses gal
loped toward our skirmish line, and,
neighing, turned and galloped back to
their commands again. Shells screamed
around us and plowed the earth from the
hill on top of which our smoking rifles
lay. Onour right the enemy had planted
a field piece on a hill crest that looked
like the glacis Of a fortress and which
ALMOST entiladed our line, while from our
rear the sound Of rushing feet as
sured us that supports were coming to
our aid. Puffs Of smoke on our left
showed where the Germans had claimed
our wooded slopes on their right, while
attachments from our rear hurried off on
both TANKS to meet expected dangers. 1t
was a moment of serious possibilities.
Shells shrieked, bullets whistled, wounded
men groaned, and puffs of smoke curled
upward amid the noise Of battle, when
the bugles of the regiment suddenly and
shrilly called, "Cessez ie feu! Cesse lie
feul' which the officers in command re-
peated again and again; and then,
'Drapeau blancl drapeau blancl' was
shouted from many throats, as a white
flag, with all its peaceful Significance
was waved in front of the enemy's lines.
Then there was a paIliamentaire between
the officers in command and we were soon
after told that the armistice had been ex-
tended to our corps and that the war was
probably over. And that affair at Busy
on February a was, | believe, the last
fight that took place during the war and
there is every reason 10 suppose that it
was the men of the Irish company of the
Regiment stranger, who fred the laat
shot.
The fees for ascending the Eitfel tower
are 5 francs to the top, 8 francs to the SECOND
nj at fG.In md D frnuns IN Ala A..& H.. 49,