The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-24
THE DIsP ATCH BEARER.
A Story of the Campaign in Bosnia
During the Russo turkish War.
From 6Se New York Tribune

a story OF Inc Campaign IN Bosnia
During the Russo turkish War.
From he Eew York Tribune.
It was during the campaign of Bosnia
and Herzegovina. in 1s77-'7S. 1 was very
young then, and, consequently, full of
enthusiasm and exaggerated ideas of the
duty of woman" When the regiment of
which my husband was colonel received its
marching orders the wife of the lieutenant
colonel. Count X, and myself obtained,
not without good deal of trouble. permits
sion to follow the regiment to the field
Of war. We argued that, protected by
the Red Cross badge of the Convention de
Geneva" we would really run no danger
and that as far as privations were con-
cerned, we did not mind that one bit This
extraordinary declaration, coming from
two spoiled children like ourselves, who had
been brought up in the very lap of luxury
and who had not the faintest Idea Of what
privatiops really meant, caused our friends
to smile at our simplicity. But as, after all,
we were in perfecs health and firmly re-
solved to gain our point, we finally succeeded.
"Ce que femme Ueut, Dteu Le Ueut," is
French proverb which has more than once
proved only too true, and Austrians are far
| too gallant ever to give it the lie.
Our first week of campaigning was de-
voted TO nursing the sick and tending the
wounded. In spite of all that may be said
to the contrary by idealists, it is not pleas
ant task, aud many a time have cried very
bitter tears at the sight OF some strong
young soldier crippled for life by the bullets
of the enemy. Habit, however, is a great
master and with time became SO well used
TO life in camp ambulances that really con-
| sidered myself as cool and collected in the
accom- plishment of my self-imposed duties
as any hardened army surgeon among u.s.
| No country on the face Of our unfortunate
| planet has been oftener ravaged, no land
oftener soaked with tie blood of it's in
habitauts than the portion Of Balkan Pc
| ninsula which our troops were occupying.
Everything around US had been desolaJed
| by fire and bloodshed as severely as during
the first invasions OF the barbarIans,
hundreds of years before. Very grand, but
| very dreary and sad, was the landscape
with its wonderful defiles, its high mount
aims inclosing rushing streams. The sand
stone rocks, worn by erosion into fantastic
forms worthy of Gustave Dore, took in the
twilight the shapes of huge dragons, lions.
or other equally terrihc-looking objects.
| Then came great deserted plains with here
and there cottages built of clay on foun-
dalton of dry stones and covered with pieces
of wood, from which the inhabitants had
fed in terror 1t was difficult 10 procure
food for the army. The culture Is always
poor in this wild land and now everything
had heen pillaged.
For the first time in my life l knew what
hunger meant In after years an experience
of that kind makes one feel very charitably
inclined toward the unfortunates who
claim ones mercy on the plea Of starvation
Strange as It may appear, l had never felt
better in my life than during these months
of privntion and fatigue. Many c time
after being a whole day in the saddle slept
on the bare ground with nothing 20 protect
me from the sharp night air but rough
military cloak or horse blanket ana slept
far better than under the velvet and lace
canopy OF my soft bed at home.
Just In the same manner did relish a
crust Of soldiers hard bread and a mess Of
more than questionable soup eaten beside
| the bivouac fire with ravenous hunger as
an appetizer Everybody was so courteous
and considerable. Those uneducated men of
our regiment, hardened by the edventorous
| life OF soldiers in active service, were al
ways ready to give up their own scant COM
| forts in order to add to mine had been dis
posed to allow them to do 80. As 1t was,
| had many a hard fight with my patients in
| the ambulance, so anxious we're they TO
share with me the thin beef tea or sip of
wine which H. was so difficult to procure for
them. But enough of this, or my reninis-
cences will carry me so far that shall
never come to the adventure which am
about to relate.
1t happened shortly after the defeat Of
the Bosnians by our forces, between Zepce
aud Maglai. Our brigade was camping at
the foot Of some high and precipitous cliffs
some miles from Zepoe, our regiment being
separated from the army corps by superb
de6le of steep rocks. It was the most ro-
mantle site imaginable. pentifully wooded
with oaks, beeches and elms; but the very
narrow road winding between the cliffs was
grewsome In the extreme In its Loneliness
and awe-inspiring grandeur.
One afternoon had ridden over from our
camp, a distance OF ten miles or so, to the
other side of the defle, where Countess y.
was visiting her uncle, the general in com
mand OF the brigade. 1t was getting to-
ward dusk when l ordered my horse with
view to riding back to our camp hefoTe