New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-25


Who's coming. idiot?" I asked
osen."
We'll let them come" said / a little angrilv
donkey"
By this time The whole chateau was in an M
rear; lights flew from room to room. and there
vas a great rushing Of feet on the stairways.
through the open door I caught y glimpse OF old
BrelseWltz plunsiug down the stairs four at q
time while making frantic efforts to buckle his
sword belt. rushed after him, followed by Max
with lantern We made straight for the
Stabies' ana lost no Tune IN getting out my
horses The courtyard was full Of our men
some Of the troopers had saddled in such mad
haste that they mounted without waiting 20
fasten the girths. Two troopers stood bv the
great gates ready to swing them back when
Breisewitz should give the signal The old
EIttmelSteT the saddle and.
drawing MS sword soon as all was ready.
gave the word. The gates swung back
their hinges and We streamed out to gaUop at
heaCi"ns speed, with sabres drawn, toward the
AlaTmpatZ,' me place always settled upon
When Prusslans IN time Of war 20 into quarters.
ana where they ere 10 assemble in case of any
sudden emergency or surprise. do not think
more than three OF four minutes elapsed after
l heard The first shots before We we're out Of
the chateau.
The "Alarmplatz" was in our case little
meadow naIfWay between Magny -le-trand and
now the roll Of uusketry was continuous. As
W. approached Magny-la-Grand a lurid glare
ana heavy volumes Of smoke hanging above the
place showed US that the village was fire in
a dozen places
What had happened was that the major in
command at Fleurus and our people al Naenv-
le-Grand had neglected to post sentries near the
deep raVlne that connected the Two places and
extended beyond FIeurus toward the French
lines column Of ChasseUrs pied had taken
advantage of this to creep through the ravine
past FIeurus and into Magny-le-Grand which
they reached unohserved at > O'Clock in the
morning The Tlrst intimation our men had of
the presence Of the enemy was to find them
selves surrounded The surprise so com
plete that Few Of the hussars in the village We're
able to get out their horses. Of those that did
the majority were shot down in the attempt TO
escape, among them Breitenstein struck down
by a bullet as he charged the big ditch that
bordered the village on the side nearest the
chateau As Breiscyvitz and myself Win SIr
dark, II was there as bright as day. Lights in
every WINDOW, and through me red smoke we
saw shadOWy figures Of mounted men flying
along the single street, while from the houses
and both sides Of the ravine a whitening fire was
kept up on the hussars as they ran the CANT
let Now a horse, now rider sank beneath
the Volleys, and tell only 70 De struck again
and again. Some Of the bodies afterward
took up for burial had many as a dozen bull
letholes in them, and d pile of dirty straw
We found the body Of the little Prince pierced
with sixteen bayonat thrusts. OF the patter-
ing bullets some fell into our ranks. but there
were only one or two slight casualties as We
dashed on TO -he meadow where Seckendorf's
"Hug was drawn up awaiting Us. together with
d Few OF the husSars who had escaped from
Magny-le-Grand. The roll hastily called
OF the two "Zuge' in Magny half the men were
missing.
We We're now a hundred sabres strong. and
as SeckendOrf told the infantry from
tIeurus was on the march to join US, we
formed IN line and advanced at a walk
IN the direction Of the ravine. Here We
made some men dIsmount. who opened fire from
their car5incs on the French. but the latter were
IL LoFee' ana lhelr cover was too good for US TO
do them much injury. It for a losing
game. and We We're glad to leave il. The infan-
try from tleurus now came up we'll as an
other body Of infantry from villages 10 our left.
These d@plOyed in the fields on both sides Of
Magny. and the attack began in earnest while
2 Ea CHI he
the open in order To try a charge. A tremendous
rumBllnS on our right caused 10 glance in
that direction. and we saw rapidly approaching
across the fields section Of horse artillery. the
animals at a tearing gal0p the guns Ieaping
and bounding over the frozen mounds as i rhcv
the guns were unlmbered at about eight hundred
yards from Magny. in another 4 red glare was
followed by q deafenlnS report and We heard
the WhiZ Of a shell that buried itself in the wall
Of a house, and, exploding. scattered the debris
il every direction. After half q dozen shots the
fire Of the french slackened in the village and
became more active lower down the ravine.
They were n full retreat. We formed in column
OF 'ZUge' and, CIrclIng around the village
sW0Oped down a small detachment separated
from the rest, who made no resistance our
prisoners numbered three officers and fifty-seVen
men. We had trouble 70 keep the hUssars from
bring them in revenge for the massacre OF
their comrades. We rode through the street at
Magny and a hoTrld sight it was. encountered
with the dead bodies Of sixty seventy men
and horses. We hung on the rear Of the French
till they reached their lines, when cavalry and
artillery came out to their support and We had
u give IL up.
We did not return TO the chateau. but crossed
the Somme TO find quarters IN the villages be-
yond That night alarmed" and