The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-03
WOMAN'S PART IN WAR.
SOME ANGELS OF MERCY AND
SOME SIMPLY FIENDS.

] IerrOr-ioW carmen sylvia queen
of Roumania, suceOred the
wounded on the Field of Battle.
/ An Artists Tribute 90 wOman's
Devotion and HerOism.
From the Queen.
The amount OF material which preceded
[ ages have supplied with reference TO
Women on the War Path from Helen
Of Troy and Edith. who searched for the
/ glimpses OF an October moon for the dead
body Of Harold even 20 the martyred
Joan Of Arch. and innumerable heroines
I Of more recent date-might well occupy
far more space than is at my command.
I hence il is have elected to devote this
pen and peucil sketch to such women on
the war path as 1 have personally met
when representing the Illustrated Lon
don News and other papers at the front.
The very proud Petroleuse sends thrill
Of horror through those who can recall
the atrocities she committed in the second
/ seige Of Paris. as described by eye wit
nesses, among whom l. at that time.
! found myself Fortified with absinthe to
a condition Of reckless daring and we'll
D EAERAAeA in EtNA sue HuAAAtl ADA III
/ from her squalid attic or caberet, at
Benevile, Chehy. or some other equally
I disreputable suburb. as night closed in.
leaving in her trail death and destruc-
/ ton on every side in that city Of ruined
/ palaces, which the Germans In their at
tack and occupation had so considerably
/ spared 1t was, indeed. grim sight to
1 Hav- he Iah
/ ing and peering into such houses as were
/ still standing, for the most convenient
means by which to fire, and thus add
| 70 the rack and ruin round about a feel
ing equalled alone by the satisfaction of
/ seeing, as l did, some 100 Of these aban-
/ doned wretches, after the troops had re-
/ taken the city, securely Gagged, awaiting
Cayenne or execution, in the Orangerie
/ at Versailles; surely, the fair sex, even
/ in the reign Of terror, could not have APP
/ peared to more hideOus disadvantage than
/ these women of Paris in the second seige;
/ though 1t must never be forgotten that
/ the highest as well as the lowest motives
| actuated French women of all grades at
that time, and that sisters of charity,
vivandieres, and others VINO then came
to the fore, justified ones adding to the
old proverb lie monde est lie hvre des
| femme specially France 1t is. in fact,
quite relief to refer to
| the heroines 1, over and over
again, came across during that, my first
campaign, amongst whom l may mention
| the daughter of a man Of Independent
means, who not only handed over his
| entire wealth toward war expenses, but
also took up arms with his three sons,
| all Of whom died in the service of their
country, (while yet in her teens) the dead
patroits one remaining child took a sit
uation at a cafe chantant at Havre, where
| with the tri- color wrapped about her,
she furthered the cause by nightly sing
ing-sad at heart as she was-patriouc
songs to the enthusiastic soldAery:
amongst whom, by the way, was a young
French-treur. whose youthful, werl-de-
fined features and slim contour were re-
marked by everyone, till 1t was attSrward
discovered, when laid low by bullet,
that this graceful warrior was also a
woman; nor was this by any means an
isolated case during the Franco-Prussian
campaign in which many women were
to thus be found on the war path.
Taking events in the order in which
they happened, 1 recall romantic Incl
dent which l witnessed during the battle
of Behobea in the Spanish (CarllsO wal
of 1874.
One woman alone had remained in that
hotly shelled village of Behobea, the
others having escaped across the from
tier river, the Biddasoa, into France
Maraqueta-for such was her name
loved, not wisely but too well, a young
Carlist soldier, whom she had almost I'M
manned by determining thus to remain
with him. She was at last persuaded to
take up a Comparatively safe position
on the balcony of a house situated near
the barricade, which, with others, heI
lover stoutly defended as our republican
troops swept the streets from end to enc
/ with bayOnets and hrebrand. Rally upon
rally ensued around the barricade, till
before her very eyes, he was shot dead
Maraqueta herself, almost at the same
moment receiving two wounds, bal
! penetrating both the wrists of her claspeo
hands. Great as the general excitement
was she was seen to fall by young
officer of our side; but alasl the house
was already in flames, and the broad
staircase, as he anXiously looked through
, the open door, was seemingly envelopec
? in a sheet of fire. A woman's life, how
ever, was in the balance, and TO be lacon
, ic. only few moments had elapsed be
fore, scorched but undaunted this bril-
liant soldier, returning, rushed past mt
with his bleeding, but still breathing
, burden, who was soon being tenderlS
, cared for by the Red Cross doctors; hei
, mind, however, had given way. and
heard when last in Spain that the once
beautiful and much beloved Maraquets
, had become a raving lunatic.
I have seen, too, in this same campaign
women actually supplying skirmishers
; whilst fighting with rancia "a cheap ma
tive wine), apparently lodging the bullets
as they rushed from man to man. Time:
, out of number, too, have also seen then
/ tending the wounded out in the open
quite regardless of self, in the hail of leaC
, with which brutalized troops greeted
! them, and by which in many cases they
were sent to their last account, while
, engaged in this final act of heroism.
Prior TO the Servian war l met with ar
amusing experience in connection with
: two tribes of gypsies, with one of which
was then encamped (taking sketches OF
, gypsy life) near Semlin, in Hungary.
: Now, 1t came about that a feud which
had long smoldered amongst them sudden,
ly took the form of free fight with knives
and bludgeons while was in their midst
necessitating the calling out Of the garri
son at Semlin. After short but sharp en-
counter and much bloodshed they sue
ceeded in bringing it to a close. at the
same time taking back to the town many
prisoners. amongst whom were myself
{ and young gypsy amazon, who had beer
> at the forefront with the bravest in the
] Ia nd