The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-13


tie adventures of mine, may have gone
away with the impression that i was
conceited. There could not be great
Ter mistake than this, for / have always
observed that really fine soldiers are
free from this failing. 1t is true that
have had to depict myself sometimes
las brave, sometimes as full OF resource,
always as interesting, but then il really
was so, and / had TO take the facts as
IL found them. II would be an un-
worthy afiectation If / were 10 pretend
that my career has been anything than
a fine one. The incident which l will
tell you tonight, however, is one which
YOU will understand that only modest
man would describe. After all. when
one has attained such position as
mime, one can afford TO speak of that
which an ordinary man would be
tempted 10 conceal.
You must know, then, that after the
Russian campaign the remains of our
poor army were quartered along the
western bank of the Ell., where they
might thaw their frozen blood and try,
with the help of the good Gefman beer,
to put n little between their skin and
their bones. There were some things
which we could not hope 20 regain, for
j dare say that these large comlnisariat
lfourgons would not have sutficed 10
carry the fingers and the toes which
the army had shed during that hor-
Irible retreat. Still, lean and crippled
as we were, we had much to be thank
full for when we thought of our poor
comrades whom we had left behind,
and of the snow fields-the horrible,
friends. / do not care to see red and
white together. Even my red cap
thrown down upon my white counter
pane has given me dreams in which /
have seen those monstrous plains, the
really tortured army, and the crimson
smears which glared upon the snow be-
hind them You will coax no story out
of me about that business, for the
thought of it is enough to turn my wine
70 vinegar and my tobacco to straw.
| or the 500, who crossed the Elbe
I'm TIM autumn of the year 12 about
Ao, 600 infantry were left in the spring
of IS. But they were terrible men.
these 4O.OO0-men of iron, caters of
horses, and sleepers in the snow; filed,
TOO, with rage and bitterness against
the Russians. They would hold the
Elbe until the great army OF conscripts
which the emperor was raising in
Trance should be ready TO help them TO
cross IL once more.
But the cavalry was in a deplorable
condition. Ny own Hussars were at
lorna, and when i paraded them first
4 burst into tears at the sight of them.
My fine men and my beautiful horses
1t broke my heart to see the state to
which they were reducedi But, cour-
age" thought; ''they have lost much,
but their colonel is still left TO theml"
4 set to work, therefore, TO repair their
disasters, and had already constructed
two good squadrons when an order
came that all oolonels of cavalry should
repair instantly to the depots OF the
regiments in France to organize re-
cruits and the remounts for the coming
campaign.
You wilffhinlx, doubtless, that was
Dverjoyed at this chance OF visiting
home once more. will not deny that |
II was pleasure TO me TO think that |
should see my mother again, and there
were few girls who would be very glad |
at the news: but there were others in
the army who had q stronger claim. l |
would have given my place to any who |
had wives and children whom they |
insight not see again. However, there |
N no arguing when the blue paper
with the little red seal arrives, so with
In an hour was off upon my great ride |
from the Elbe to the Vosges. At last
was 10 have a period of nriet wv
puy pennu my mares tail and peace IL
front OF her nostrils. So thought a.
the sound Of the bugles died in the dis.
tance, and the long white road curicd t |
away in front of me through plain and |
forest and mountain, with France some,
where beyond the blue haze which lay |
upon the horizon.
II is interesting, but it is also fati |
guipg 20 ride in the rear of an army. In |
tho harvest time our soldiers could do |
without supplies, for they had beer
u oAhSo W plum RruIn III lHc Helus
as they passed, and grind il for them.
selves in their bivouacs. IT was at this
time of year, therefore, that those swif,
were performed which were
fhe wonder and despair of Europe. But
now the starving men had to be made
robust once more, and was forced to
draw into the ditch continually as the
Coburg sheep and the Buvariau bull
locks came streaming past with wagon.
loads of Berlin beer and good French
cognac. Sometimes. too, L would hear
the dry rattle of the drums and the
shrill whistle of the flies, and long coll
umps OF our good little infantrymen
would swing past me with the white
dust lying thick upon their blue tunics.
These were old soldiers drawn from the
garrisons OF our German fortresses. for
it was not until May that the new con.
scripts began TO arrive from France.
Well, was rather tired Of this eter.
nal stopping and lodging, so that was