The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-19

same night our men Killed white bear,
which was instantly devoured."
The next morning the newborn" was
folded in a sheepskin, and the colonel lent
Nine. Dubois his horse; but before night
fall the poor babe was dead, frozen as
hard as a board" which, for the mother
at least, was doubtless the best thing that
could have happened. Al the end of a
days march there was always great Gag
erness to obtain shelter, or, failing shelter,
fuel since without either one or the other
it was impossible for the famished fugi-
tives to live through nights in which the
Thermometer descended TO so degrees to 40
degrees below zero. II was always first
come first served; those who got posses
sion of a building often refusing to admit
others even when there was room. One
of the most thrilling incidents of the re-
treat, arising from this cause, is thus de-
scribed by Burgogne:
LAS we approached Cara, a poor hamlet
with a few houses, l perceived one of
those buildings Ga large barn and small
dwelling house attached Of which have
spoken. l pointed it out to sergeant OF
the company, an Alsacian of the name
of Muther, and proposed that we should
pass the night there if we could reach 1t
first and find places So we started run
ming, but when we arrived the barn was
so crowded with superior officers, soldiers
and horses that we could not get IN, de-
spite all our efforts to do So as they pre-
tended that there were 800 persons within
already. = On this we resolved to
pass the night under the horses, which
were fastened to the doors. Several times
those who were bivouacked around tried
to demolish the barn so that they might
use the wood of which it was built for
making fires and shelters, and get the
straw which was stored in an adjoining
.1ea rtara vaf g,f
pine wood, dry and resinous. Those In
side were lying on the straw, and though
they were so crowded they made little
fires to warm themselves and roast their
horse flesh. So far from letting their
habitation be demolished they threatened
to shoot those who made the attempt.
Ii was about II o'clock. Part Of
these unfortunates were asleep, others
warming their limbs at the fires. A con-
fused noise was heard; a fire had broken
out in two places-in the middle of the
barn and at one end, close TO the door
near which we We're lying. When they
tried to open it the horses, frightened by
the flames and smothered with the smoke
plunged in such sort that the men, not
withstanding their efforts, were unable to
get through, and when they would have
made for the other door were driven back
by the flames Nothing was to be
heard but hoarse howlings. The unfortu-
mates whom the fire was devouring
screamed dreadfully. They mounted
on each others shoulders and made a hole
through the roof. but that let in air, the
fire blazed higher, and the few men who
got up 70 the hole their heads without
hair, their clothes burning. fell back into
the abyss. - 1t was a veritable ia
bleau of hell"
Isolated groups Of soldiers, shivering
round expiring bivouac fires, hurried to
the burning barn, not to save the inmates
these were past praying for-but 20 warm
themselves and roast BITS of horsehesh at
the ends Of their swords and bayonet. Il
was the general opinion that the confa-
grafton was a Divine Judgment those
who were destroyed having broughtfrom
Moscow vast quantity Of gold, silver and
diamonds, and many Of the men, knowing
this. risked being roasted In turn IN a
mad search for the stolen treasure
1t was rumored that some Croats who
belonged to the army cut up and devour-
ed one Of the half-burned bodies. II be-
leve that this happened several times in
the course of that fatal campaign, though
/ never actually saw anything Of the sort %
adds Burgogone, who IS always careful to
distinguish between what he heard and
what ne saw.
The note Of the retreat was supreme sell
hshness. The instinct of self-preservation
dominated every other. When men are
maddened with hunger they lose all sense
Of humanity, right and wrong. They be-