Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-12-06
THE 18TH CHASSEURS.
The Last OF Their Number Fell
Fighting Hungry Wolves.

thlleu as bKlrmlSnerS 1ney nuu lOuBub
in Spain and Germany and had gained
high reputation for bravery. On tho
way to Moscow they made themselves
dreaded by tho Cossacks ana the sound
OF their battlo cry was enough to put
the "foxes of the plains" to flight AS
Is we'll known, the Russians offered no
serious resistance, but their heroic pol
icy Of solf-sacrifice in destroying all
crops and provisions that lay in tho
path of the invader made tho enemy's
progress very slow.
However Moscow was reached at last
and promised to prove haven of rest.
Then tho Russians crowned their previ-
GUS efforts of devotion to their country
by setting fire to their old, sacred town
and in the depths of winter the in
truders were forced to commence dis
estrouS retreat.
The bitterly cold and pitilcssy north
easter moaned and howled through tho
scanty and stunted trees standing here
and there on tho side plains of Western
Russia 1t whislked sharp snow parti-
u,es high into the air, whirled them
into shadowy shapes and drove them
furlously after q small troop of French
soldiers that were slowly and painfully
plowirg through the riffs.
No ono would have recognized the
gay sq6rcurs of the Sixteenth Imperial
Chasseurs in those wretched bundles of
rags that tottered feebly westward.
Three weeks before that regiment had
led tho way into Moscow, two thousand
strong, mounted on fine horses, and tho
sun had glistened brightly from their
uniforms of light blue and gold. When
Moscow went up in flames, they had
protected tho rear of the retreating
army; when the retreat became 4 rout,
they had still showed their teeth to the
enemy. But harrassed hourly by the
relentless Cossacks, tortured by hunger
and cold day by day the regiment had
lost scores % brave men-till hardly
one hundred remained. Weak and
worn, they still had CHEEKY word for
one another, and hoping against hope,
every man expected to see once moro
his beloved France-one thousand miles
away. OF their horses but three were
Ieft-tottering along under stacks of
straw and horselesh, they werc but
specters of chose fine steeds that once
needed the res straint of curb. Marching
westward wrapped in the cloaks of their
dead comrades, their legs and feet
bundled in horse hides, tied with the
brides and stirrup feathers of their
dead horses, staggering under the bur-
den of their carbines, the Sixteenth
Chasseurs retained not a particle of
their former splendor.
Twilight was fast fading into night
when the little band reached slight
but welcome shelter from the icy fury
Of the wind under tho bank OF small
stream. halt was made and fire
kindled. Their supper was of melted
snow and boiled horsefesh. Guards
were posted and tho weary men slept.
AS morning broke savage yells re-
sounded on all sides and bullets came
pinging through tho camp. A party of
about two hundred Cossacks had acci-
dentally come upon them, and the sup
er1ority of the enemy in weapons and
numbers gave them but little promise of
asuccessful resistance. Volley after vol
10y Of the Cossacks could only be answer
ed by a few well-directed shots, for their
ammunition was getting low and they
dare not waste bullet The Cossacks
grew bolder-circling nearer and nearer
round the camp, seeking weak spot for
one of their resistless charges. Sud
denly they clustered together, pointing
toward tho east and gesticulatiug vio-
lently--then squirting their horses they
all rode Off to the west AS the enemy
fed tho French raised a shout of victory
feeling sure help was near at hand.
Probably large detachment of tho re-
treating army was coming up and in
their Joy they rushed out of their shelter
and poured hail of lead after tho rap
idly disappearing Cossacks. Looking
eastward they discerned on the horizon
d long black line, but blinded by tho
glare of the snow they could not at first
make out what it was. But the horrors
If their situation burst upon them when
tho faint but terrible, ominous sound of
prolonged bowling reached their ears.
That long line meant wolves
Despair was in their hearts, but they
at once began preparations for stout
defense. Twenty had fallen beneath
the bullets of the Cossacbs--only eighty
men to face hundreds of wolves. They
gathered tho rifles of tho dead Cossacks
and of their dead comrades and hastily
threw up an ombankmcnt of snow.
Bounding with long strides over the
undulating stretch of frozen plain on
camo that ravenous host Of Gerce brutes.
Howling and yelping they came straight
ovec tho track of the Cossack troop that
was now but dim speck on the hori-
zon. They would halt to devour tho
bodies of those who had fallen beneath
the French fire, and an attack was in
evitable. Evcry face in that doomed
little body of soldiers was pale, but
thoircourage never faltered.
On came tho foremost wolves They
,eached the dead Cossacks. and tumb-