The Afro-American advance., 1900-05-12
BORN AMONG BULLETS.
Births That Have Occurred An,lds.
the Els sinE lIsstlrn of
Death.

IL is one of iife'S strange ironies TINT
while hattletields have the most tern-
bile of death-rolls they equally have
their records of births: aud the very
guns which have taken their toll of life
have given the first greeting 10 lives
newly born.
ihts Was markedly the case In the
Franeo-German war. SAYS London Tit.
hits, when hundreds of children We're
born IN hamlets and Villages which
practically formed part of the hattle-
nelds, and when the first sound that
newborn children in strasburg and
other #hesieged towns heard vas the
roar OF the cannon laundering outside
the walls.
1t Is little more than two Years since
the death at birmingham of one of our
aldest aud most trusted railway guards.
Who was actually born while the hui
lets We're living on the field of Water-
loo. Ills father. who was in a Highland
regiment. had gone ont with our army
To tight Napoleon. aud his laNal wife
followed him later. only renehing VA
terloo in time To give birth to her child
when the battle was raging al its tlere-
est.
Ten years earlier the wife ot French
soldier, called ChataSquon, gave birth
TO boy on the battlefield Of Austcrlitz.
while Napoleon's legions were moving
down Russians and Austrans hv thou
sands; aud 10y sad coincidence the
hoy father was killed 10y cannon hall
almost at the very moment of his chld's
birth.
un the battlefield of Getty shurg
where Lees army suffered such irrrpar-
able losses. the wife uf confederate
officer, who had hruselv followed her
husband through the campaign, gave
birth 10 II daughter, who unfortunate.
ly died in infancy; aud another child
of the battlefield" In the states lived to
marry an eminent lawyer and poll
tictan, and may conceiNably one day he
mistress of the white house.
1t is not many weeks since Mrs Miles.
one of the oldest inhabitants ~ Mel.
rose. died at the age of 90. Mrs, Miles
earliest memories were associated with
the horrors and discnmforts Of war.
Her father. who WAS gunner. fought
through the Peuinsulur war and his
wife accompanied him with her baby
daughter. who had been horn al Wool
Wich, Mrs. Miles TO the last rcmem-
bered the booming Of the guns az
Quatre Bras. and recalled the pruesnmr
picture OF "A Highlander whose legs had
been shot OF below the knees. It l.
scarcely surprising to learn that Il
grandson of this martial old lady IN
fighting our battles to.daS In South
Africa.
The wife Of one of the most eloquent
and successful of the younger French
advocates was introduced 10 war i'm ita
most horrible aspect at the immature
age of two years. At the close of the
terrible battle of Sedan, " hen the field
was drrnehed with the best blood of
France, tiny fair-haircd hlue-eyed
child was found toddlug from one
group of fallen men TO another.
She seemed to realize nothing of The
horror Of her surroundings. and when
questioned was only able 10 say that
her name was "Estelie" (which she pro-
nounced "Etellc"l i. and that SHE wanted
to go home. She WAS placed In the care
OF the wife Of q French soldier; aud
although every effort wac made later to
discover her parents they were never
found.
Estcl'e grew mp ia be girl of Fingu.
lar beauty nud sweetness NJ character.
aud her foster parents, who had pros
pcrcd IN business. were able 10 give her
an excellent education. II was no sur
prise, therefore. when. ten yenrs ago.
tho Maid of Sedan" was led 10 the altar
by the brilliant young lawyer to whom
even the exalted Office Of president IL.
according 10 his friends, possible am
bitiun.