The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-22

cry Was Recognized by Their Conquer
ors.
Who has not seen print of the IA
nous picture, 1.-THE Last Cartridges, -
by Alphonse de Neuville? The original
is in the gallery Of one of New York
citizens. Well, in that picture the
wounded major leaning against the old
chest and watching through the win
dow the effect of the Turco's last shot
Is Lambert, the hero of Bazeilles.
The story of that picture is brief
enough, and yet it has never been printed
In full IN any American paper. 1t is as
follows:
On Sept. 1, 1870, the German artil-
lery was laundering around Sedan. The
French army was shattered. It's cavalry
had made that last and desperate charge
which brought from the lips of old King
William the exclamation SO often quoted
in French papers, ooh, les braves
gens" At Bazeilles, where the French
infantry in scattered groups continued
to fight furiously and hopelessly, dis
putting every inch of ground with the
enemy, the German losses were severe.
On the northern outskirts of the town a
small number of French marines, barri-
caded IN house known as La Maison
Bourgerie, kept up prolonged resist
ance, actually holding in check almost
an army corps. This handful of heroes
was composed of Lam bert and his men.
The Fifteenth Bavarian regiment in
vested the house, firing at the windows,
without attempting to take the place by
4
Ortus and Aubert directed the fire.
They transformed all the openings of
the house into lCopho1ss, from which
they poured deadly fire into the ranks
of the Bavarians, who We're obliged to
fall back repeatedly. Re-enfOrcements
after e-enforcements arrived, but re-
pulse followed repulse. The marines
kept up a perfect hail of bullets, against
which it seemed impossible to advance.
The Bavarians were moved down
mercilessly. But the besieged, too, had
hard time of it. The bullets tore into
shreds the mattresses with which they
had barricaded the windows, and the
woodwork was shattered into splinters.
But from the two rooms of the first story
of the building the Frenchmen handled
their ChassepOts with deadly effect
Lambert, with pale cheeks and flashing
eyes, constantly shouted in a hoarse
voice: "Stick to it. boysl Stick to itI'
Captains Ortus and Aubert, each with
a chassepot in his hand, blazed away
with the rest. The odor of powder was
almost sitting, but the Frenchmef
coolly continued to use up their last
cartridges The little troop was gradu-
ally becoming smaller and smaller. The
wounded and the dead lay in heaps upon
the floors. The Bavarian general, out
of patience with the extraordinary re-
sistance of that handful of Frenchmen,
ordered an attack by the artillery. A
she'll fell upon the roof, tearing big
hole in it, and also in the ceiling just |
above the heads of Lambert and his |
men. But, fortunately for them, it
burst above, and, strange enough, did |
little damage. A few
men were wounded by the flying pieces
of timber. But the smoke with which |
it filled the place was suffocating and
almost binding. "Stick to it, boysr' |
shouted Lambert. And they stuck to it.
At last the ammunition was becoming |
exhausted. The cartridge boxes of the |
dead and wounded were picked up and |
their supply eagerly grabbed. But it
did not last long. Each one was fired,
the last by Captain Aubert.
Then Lambert opened the door and |
with q white handkerchief in his hand
limped out i'll front of the enemy. The
Bavarian soldiers were furious at their
losses. A crowd of them at the sight of
the Frenchman made a dash at him
with their bayOnets, but just then brave
Captain Lessignold of the Fifteenth
Bavarian infantry dashed forward, Gov
cred the Frenchman with his body and
sword in hand drove back the men who
were about to butcher him.
So Lambert and all that remained of
MS men became prisoners of war. They
numbered about 40, all more or less
wounded That evening Major Lambert
and Captains Ortus and Aubert were
brought before the crown prince of
Prussia, afterward Emperor Frederick
Ill They offered him their swords.
keep your swords, gentlemen said
the crown prince. eve don't disarm
brave soldiers like you. -
On the 1st Of September, 1895, Gen
sral Lambert made a pilgrimage to the
,rypt where lie the remains of his COM
oanions of that memorable day. Then
10 went to see the Maison Bourgerie.
That establishment is transformed into
national museum-that is to say, it
s covered and sheltered by another
and the original house stands
inside, Just as it was when Lambert left
t
But there is one unfortunate mistake
n De Neuville's picture. There was no
Il ~ /
Who fired the last cartridge was Cap
ain ALBERT The captain must have
miled when he saw the strange portrait
which the famous artist made of him.
General Lambert is now IN the re-
erve forces, having passed the legal ,
INIT for general in the regular army.
Some years ago the badauds of Paris
lsed TO ask each other the sOlemnly stu ,