New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-15
VAR BELOW ZERO.
SCENES IN STRIKING CONTRAST TO
THOSE IN TORRID CUBA NOW.

TREAT FROM nOscOw-sUFFERINGs OF
soLDIERs AMID SNOW AND ICE.
All our mental pictures Of at this time are
filed with the heated colors OF the tropics. We
brave soldiers and sailors contendlng on
the one hand with death-dealing missiles. on the
other with the fever-aden airs OF a region so not
that at times II is scarcely to be borne Accounts
OF battles In Cuba frequently mention casualties
to be attributed not to the Spaniards. but to the
pitiless sun. 1t is peculiarly interesting. therefore,
TO turn at this time TO the history OF conflict
waged under exactly opposite conditions. 10 the
pictures Of the famous retreat Of the Franch Army
from Moscow drawn by Sergeant Burgogne
veteran Of Nnpoleon's Old Guard. in his Me
moirs." which have recently been published In
Paris under the editorship OF NJ. Paul Collin Ser
Teant Burgognc's story, says THE London Specta-
tor" Is AL the effective for being utterly
destitute OF distinction OF style.
He merely tells with Defoe-like drectness ana
military bluntness all that befe him In that fate
ful year He had little or no grammar; anu M
French is often faulty but ne possessed te down E
and forgot nothing worth renemoerhe; oo,b
the supplies which the commissariat had brought
from Moscow were exhausted. and inc troOp 3d "'l
party OF Russian prisoners. under escort says bur
gogne TO whom no rations could De gwen; ate
each other. that Is 10 say. when one OF mem mem
died his body cut up and divHed among Ihe
survivors" And this was only the beginnii ing
worse to come Horses were continually fa,i-
ing in their tracks never TO rise again; the na So
disrs roasted and devoured them Ihere was hoInI
loaf or a potato. his Comrades would tear It from
him and then nshi among ibr crcam
rcglment halted near a wool and here. during
hos me BARRIERS wife IAN unfortunate position
for a woman. adds Burgogne. Bui IN mus cai
ment did all he could for her lending his cloak TO
the shelter toi branches ~ VIII" -,
age The sa me night our men killed white pear
which was instantly devoured. - ,,as :,
sb. NO "a
a sheepskin and the colonel lent Nine Dubois ms
horse: but before nightiall the poor hanr vi" W.
mother at least was doubtless ne h"sI uns s.'"
could have happened Al The end OF "a oa{ she
a.. 81" 10 n,ber /, vas impossible for the fam
the thermometer descended TO 80 degrees 90 crs,
often refusing 10 admit others even , NIL q,
the retreat, arising from this cause Is thus o.
As We approaches Cara. poor hamle' ,, waih
few houses ! perceived ono OF those buildings "a
iarg. harm and a small dwelling house attachcp
Sf wh Of bd hSCq P1Ee an Asacn OF the name Of
Muther, and proposed that we sho nr p end end
places so we lar'sd ranninf eni w scrro W. OIL
rived tho barn was 40 crowded WIN S"lr ~, cor Ia
GERS. soldiers and horses mat We oou" ' 40. ~ ~
despite all our efforts to do SO. as they prrlend'l
that there were eight hundred H"rsohs "an" a..
night under the horses. which were fastened 70
the doors Several limos thos" WHO were hI'o"a, -,
ing around tried 10 domohsh inc ph!h 50 ~, ~,
they mig, use tho wood 81 which Il was hnHt
FOR making fires and shelters and g-t Inc SIf"M
which stored in a. adjonlIE gtiiaIIS -,
was also 2 quantity Of pine WOOD. dry ana i'sin"r
they were 20 crowded th"y mhIe ,l..c.h ca
warm themselves and roast ih"ir norsrleSi,,,. -
thev threatened 10 shoot those who made ne AT
teupt II was about II o'clock. Part 81
these unforfunates were asleep. others warming
,heir limbs M the fires \ confused noise was
heard a nr. had broken out In t~o places IN ine
MD mdae eeo OF W M" Paw r TN1 When hey
open the horses frishtened 10y no T., na ms
sort that N" men. notwii hstandng their enortsi
the name, Nothing was TO be heard put
hoarse now ings The unforunaies whom ne or
on each others shoulders ani MAJ" hole 'htousn
tn. root but that e' IN air. N" nr" oszet higher
heads without hair their clothes burning re-. pscH
into tho abyss II wa' 'e'''"''' '''''''
Isoia,.d groups n soldiers. rhiyering round az
no, 70 ave the inmates these were past praying
for-but warm themselves and roa-i hi,s OF
nets II was the general opinion that tho conna-
grafton was Divine juigmrni. ,hose VINO we.e
Gusntiiv Of gold silver ana dinmonds and many
o. The men knowing ~. sk'd nc'1E ,e55e'' J."
II was rumored that some Croats who belonged
t 10 -ne bdae. hoeye ha ihls happcned several
times IN the course - thai fatal camI align though
! actually saw any ihlht OF 'N' ','i
be ween wna' hc heard and what he cav
Tho ins;;nct or solf proscrvation dominated every
other when men arc madd"ned with hunger th"y
oss al s Sen r. Of , hns VIA bsaSs Ths troops
marched with bent heads looking neither 70 nc
T wnk nor ,o rise were e, to perish and perhaps
theirs was the hotter par bu' 'here %ere nohi
officer, on their backs once BurgoEn". having
.l. rtgI mar y 70
The man was Sergeant Dauh"nton. of the reg-
mcnt AZ yon going TO- e@' 10, 1sfed Eur
would rather eat Cossack' answered Dauhenion.
rtg3mente His paw are frostbit'cn so that he
cannot walk And then he explains thai on 600
Ing that the dog could not keep ny h. won have
ier him but the poor beast howled 80 pifully
that Daubcnton r"ep,ed and STAMPED him 70 his
knapssck Shortly ai'"rward m TWO sorge9niS
were beset by Cossacks one Of whom gave Mou.
in order to save his own life Dauhenton mad to
put The dog down. and they mover saw him again
gogne concerns the young Prince Emil" OF lIcsse
EASEL, who had brought conilnseni 10 ihe
and. by reason ~ terrible snowsiorm. no ni"s
from the lev blart a hundred and nifty Dragons;
whose horses were either dead or eaten STOOD
the morning threo fourths Of these brave follows
and ten thousand belonging 10 other corps were no
Hunger and cold were not the only OWLS with which
the survivors Of the army had 10 con,.h1 ,n,,d
on their backs they had no chance Of washing
themselves ;hcy were devourcd with v"rmin ana
suffered horribly from chhlains their boots were
in holes and their frostbitt"n toes ana myers i'I
of like rotten 'wigs from "A tree. Furgofne t'llS
hat shortly before tho few survivors Or m" gu1rd
reached the frontier they had 10 cros9 a frozen
river covered with hummocks OF tee. IN" banks
being high tho passage was difficult. and RurgoGn",
who had a core foot and a fros'biitcn hand fouhI
II impossible 20 climb the opposite hank. lie no
sought several soldiers to help him. hut non" gave
heed 10 his cntrcnties. Al length. seeing an old
Horse Crenad'er Of tho Guard. he appealed 10 him.
saving "Comrade. since You. Ike mo. are or IN"
Imperial Guard. | bes"ech YOU 10 help me. ny CIV
ing me hand YOU viii save my NE u nav"
not ha nd to give YOU was the startling answer
but II YOU viii lay hold Of my cloak VIII try 10
null YOU up" on this RurgOgne seized the Grcn-
adier's cloak with one hand and his teeth ana 90
was saved 81 told you ! had no hands. OBJ
served the Grenadier as they resumed their march.
81 should have said fingers; they have all dropped
of" and then tho poor follow asked Burgogn" 10
do him a service. which he gladly rendered.
these hnrnes Sill helIeNcd In EOnnpnrte