Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-08-21


hollows where we lay. One of these in
its explosion knocked off my shake and
killed man beside me.
81 congratulate you," said the cap
tain as ! picked up my shake. ."You are
safe now for the day"
I knew the military superstition
which believes that the axiom mon bis
in idem" is as applicable to the battle
field as to the courts Of justice. re-
placed my shake with swagger.
''That's rude way to make one raise
ones hat, I said as lightly as could.
And this wretched piece of wit was in
the circumstances, received as excellent.
II compliment you," said the cap
tain. "You will command company
tonight, for 1 shall not survive the day.
Every time l have been wounded the
officer below me has been touched by
some spent ball, and" he added in a
lower tone, ''all the names began with
p"
1 laughed skeptically. Most people
would have done the same, but most
would also have been struck, as was,
by these prophetic words. But, con-
script though I was, I felt that could
trust my thoughts to no one, and that it
was my duty to seem always calm and
bold.
At the end of half an hour the Rus
sian fire had sensibly diminished. We
left our cover to advance on the re-
doubt.
Our regiment was composed of three
battalions. The second had to take the
enemy in flank. The two others formed
the storning party. Twas in the third.
On issuing from behind the cover we
were received by several volleys. which
did but little harm. The whistling of
the balls amazed me. ''But after all, ;"
thought, "a battle is less terrible than
expected.
We advanced at a smart run, our
musketeers in front
All at once the Russians uttered three
hurrahs, three distinct hurrahs, and then
stood silent without firing
IT don't like that silence" said the
began to think our people We're too
eager. could not help comparing,
mentally, their shouts and clamor with
the striking silence of the enemy.
We quickly reached the foot Of tho
redoubt. The palisades were broken
and the earthwords shattered by our
balls With roar Of "Vive lempe-
reur!" our soldiers rushed across the
ruins.
I raised my eyes. Never shall forget
the sight which met my view. The
smoke had mostly lifted and remained
suspended like canopy at 20 feet above
the redoubt Through blush mist
could be perceived behind the shattered
parapet the Russian grenadiers with
rifles lifted, as motionless as statues.
can see them still-the left eye Of ev-
cry soldier glaring at us, the right hid
den by his lifted gun. In an embrasure
at few feet distant a man with fuse
stood by cannon.
I shuddered. I believed that my last
hour had come.
"Now for the dance to open," cried
the captain. These were the last words
heard him speak
There came from the redoubts roll
of drums. I saw the muzzles lowered.
shut my eyes. Iheard a most appalling
crash Of sound, to which succeeded
groans and cries. Then I looked up,
amazed to find myself still living. The
redoubt was once more wrapped in
smoke. was surrounded by the dead
and wounded. The captain was extend
ed at my feet A ball had carried off
his head, and was covered with is
blood. OF all the company only six men
except myself remained erect.
This carnage was succeeded by kind
of stupor. The next instant the colonel,
with his hat on his sword 8 point, had
scaled the parapet with cry of "Vive
l'empereur!" The survivors followed
him. All that succeeded is to me kind
Of dream. We rushed into the redoubt,
know not how; we fought hand to
hand in the midst of smoke SO thick
that no man could perceive his enemy.
found my saber dripping blood, I
heard shout Of "Victory!' and in the
clearing smoke I saw the earthworks
piled with dead and dying. The can.
mons were covered with a heap Of
corpses. About 200 men in the French
uniform were standing without order
loading their muskets or wiping their
bayonets Eleven Russian prisoners
were with them.
The colonel was lying, bathed in
blood, upon a broken cannon. A group
Of soldiers crowded round him. ap-
preached them.
"Who is the Oldest captain?" he was
asking of sergeant.
The sergeant shrugged his shoulders
most expressively.
"Who is the Oldest lieutenant?''
"This gentleman, who came last
night" replied the sergeant calmly.
The colonel smiled bitterly.
'Come, sir, /" he said to me, "you are
now in chief command. Fortify the
gorge Of the redoubt at once with wag-
ons, for the enemy is out in force. But
General c. is coming to support
you"
Colonel" asked him, ''are you
badly wounded?"
"Pish, my dear fellow. The redoubt
is taken. Prosper Merimee.