New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-08
IN ENGLISH PRISONER.
EXPERIENCES IN SPAIN IN 1900.

IN So,resnondence OF Charles Boothby Cap
tain Royal Enginsers During Hls Las Las RACK
london
This chronicle of an English officers expert
ences as a prisoner Of France in Spain is AMI
mated genial and picturesque. Boothoy AZ the
time was only twenty-three-his active mlhta''
life began before ne was twenty-out oelore Nv
was wounded at Talavera he had alreaoy see"
a good deal Of service under Sir Jonn stuart
Sir John Moore and Wellesley. he mao uiS
plaved distinguished abilities and was OF inc
Nnest type Of British soldier, brave as non anu
tender hearted as a woman Inc eNCeeui"e
courtesy with which his French captors rea'eo
him was not all due TO his personal quahlies' ioi
most of the English officers who shared MS I'M
,r,sonment we're as politely restricted of their
liberty; but there seems 10 have Deen sPe0i"
kindness bestowed upon Boothby. particularly
nv Marshal Mortier. which no DOUBT hau us
rise IN the lads own winning and manly charac-
Yer His story Is as interesting In It's I'M
conscious revelations Of his own sentiments anu
sympsthies as in its description of events
He was severely wounded in the leg during HIS
last battle and lay in agony IN MS loos'"e III
the town OF Talavera two nights and Gay oe
fore the harassed surgeons could ma uhe ~
amputate the injured limb. The eNcruc'at'"s
main OF his wound aggravated by MS Ciea'
understanding OF the possible results OF '"ie
neglect At last came the moment alKe Oh re-
lief and torture-torture, because In those Gays
,bere was no blessed anasthetc TO deaden sensa-
ton. AS do not choose, he says quah'l!'
40 crafty the curious (at the expense Of the
feeling reader shall not describe an operation
the details Of which are perhaps even more
shocp,ng 70 reflect upon than to experience
But as II ,s a common idea that the most pain
mi mart ~ an arnputation lies in sundering the
hone 7 may rectify an error by declaring that
The only part Of the process in which the pam
comes up TO the natural anticipation Is the
hrstincision round the limb. by which the SKIN
is divided-the sensation OF which Is as Il
nrodieious weight we're impeng the severing
edge The saving Of the bone gives no uneasy
sensation; or. II any 1t is overpowered by others
more violent is IL Off said |, as fe' "
SEPARATE. Yes said Fitzpatrick. your sure7
;ngs are over All no. You have yet TO take
~, the arteries 1T will give YOU no pain he
said kindly; and that true-at least after
phat had undergone the pain seemed moth
Taken from the operating table 10 his bed
AID comolinented by the surgeons upon his
Arnness. the boy straightway plucked up his
.n;rits dictated cheerful letter to his mother
and endured with gayety the SLOW and often
,,ncsrtoin rrogress Of recovery. He lodged with
a Snanish family Of the middle class, whose
Kindness to him most admirable and whose
oddities ne records with real affection II win
hunnor. Presently the enemy arrived In the
town and did everything that was generous IN
aIeviatng his situation. Immediate exchange
was impossible and when sufficiently strong
The Young man travelled to Madrid with otner
English prisoners. as preliminary stage on tiie
way TO Paris Their fortunes were Nsrieu' Out
,hev we're on the whole made reasonably COM
Portable and the stay Of the wounded IN 'he
Madrid hospital had many interesting accom-
paninents touching Renaissance Is 'hal Oh
the restoration Of hope and desire Of life IN a
British officer. a mere boy, whom boothpy
found there. dying partly Of shame ana despair
hecause he had run away from the battle OF
Talavera~
Nortier. Duke Of Treviso, became a devoted
friend Of Boothby and would have released MN
~ he had dared. He ventured the opinion 'ha'
II the Englishman could obtain an interVle"
with the Emperor. the latter would immediately
send him back TO England He would salo
aoother French officer VINO heard this, not oe-
cause he would feel for your situation bnt 'nA'
he might seem 10 feel for ii. It Is thus that ne
has often done beautiful acts which narrs'e
we'll hut he feels for no one" II is not
the comment which would have eX-
pected from a French soldier at that period
tourney TO Paris began--a journey pur-
sued on wheels with much suff%ns' some
fears and many adventures. The spanish
peasants lavished kindness and sympathy
on the English captives, but they had horror
OF the French. which is hardly TO be wondered
One English soldier who had been with Slr Johh
Moore could hardly contain his wrath In DWELL
ing on the behavior Of the French TO their span
tsh prisoners Lord" says he. when the poor
devils be tired or sick and can't come on. they Il
take 'em behind a house and put COUPE oi
halls through EN- in a minute And Boo'hoy
observations Of the uniformed corpses on the
road confirmed this statement. The french
soldiers" he SAYS. have attained that pltch Oh
human butchery. which enables them 10 muroer
without emotion. amidst the easy cheerful EEL
lowship OF peaceable Journey NUMBERS Vi
wrAtches whose only crime is to be sinking
under disease nakedness hunger ana 1aueue'
NAV safely affirm that in the present state Of
our army the officers would order such acts IN
vain. The reason of policy alleged for these
,ess.cres is that II those wretches we're left
siok IN the road they would only serve 70
e,rene1hen the brigands. But as for the Eng
r.b soldiers say the inhabitants. they feed en-
and treat 'em we'll "
The painful Journey over. and the exchange
finally effected the young Englishman returned
70 the arms Of pair OF very admring parents
There was no more military service possible 10
the youth so painfully crippled, but ne pre-
nared 10 fight the forces Of evil as he fought
che Kings enemies. He entered the Church IN
short. and led most useful life for many years
He doubtless set down these "reminiscences IN MS
later DAYS and the tone Of them bears excellent
testimony TO the undertaking nobility OF their
writer