Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-07-04


drawn, toward the alarmplatz, the
place always settled upon when Prus-
slams In time OF war 20 into quarters
and where they are TO assemble in case
OF any sudden emergency or surprise.
l 10 not think more than three or four
minutes elapsed after 1 heard the first
shots before we We're out of the cha
teau.
The alarmplatz was in our case a
little meadow half way between Mag
ny-le-Grand and Fieurus. The firing
had steadily increased until now the
roll Of musketry was continuous. AS
We approached Magny le-Grand lurid
glare and heavy volumes Of smoke
hanging above the place showed us
that the village was on fire I'm n dozen
places
What had happened was that the
major i'm command at Fleurus and our
people at Magny-le- Grand had neglect
cd To post sentries near the deep ravine
that connected the two places and ex-
tended beyond Fleurus toward the
French lines. \ column OF "chasseurs
pied had taken advantage of this To
creep through the ravine past Fleurus
and into MaCny -le- Grand. which they
reached unObServed at O'Clock in the
morning. The first intimatiOn our men
had OF the presence of the enemy was
10 find themselves surrounded The
surprise was SO complete that few OF
the huSSars I'm the village were able To
gct ont their horses. or those that did
the majority were shot down In the at
tempt To escape. among them Brelten-
IN.
charged the big ditch that bordered
the village on the side nearest the cha
teau. As Bresewitz and myself. with
our men, Siirtcd the village. although
the night was dark. IL was there as
bright as day. Lights were in every
window. and Through thc red smoke
we ~aW shadowy figures OF mounted
iacn flying along the ~iuelc street. while
from the houses AMI both sides OF the
ravine a Vitucring lire was kept uD on
the hu>SarS as they ran the gantlet.
Now horse. NOW "a rider sank be-
meath the NollcyS ami fell only To be
struck again ami aeain. Some of the
bodies we afterWard took up for burial
had rs many as a dozen bullet holes in
them. and ou pile OF dirty straw we
found tho loiy of the little prince
pierced with lG hayonet thrusts. OF
the patteriug bullets some fell into our
ranks. but there were only one or two
slight casualties as we dashed on To
the meadow where SocNendorfs "Zug'
was drawn up awaiting us. together
with few OF the hussars who had
escaped from Magny-le- Grand. The
roll was hastily called. OF the two
"Zuge" In Masny half the men were
missing.
We We're now 4 hundred sabers
strong. and. aS Seckendorf told us the
infantry from Fleurus was on the
march 10 join us, we formed in line
and advanced nj walk in the direc-
ton OF the ravine. Here we made
some men diSmount. who opened fire
from their carbines on the French. but
the latter We're in force. and their Gov
er was too good for us to do them
much injury. 1t was Tor us a losing
game. and we were glad TO leave it,
The infantry from FleuruS now came
up, as we'll as another body Of infantry
from villages TO our left. These de
plOyed in the fields on both stiles Of
Magny, and the attack began in ear
nest. while we waited until the French
should be driven 10 the open in order
10 try charge. y tremendous rum
bling on our right caused us TO glance
in that direction. and we saw rapidly
approaching across the fields section
OF horse artillery, the animals at 4 tear
ing gallop, the guns leaping and bound
Ing over the frozen mounds as If they
were alive. In an instant the section
halted, and the guns were unlimbered
at about 500 yards from Magny; in an
other red glare was followed by n
deafening report, and we heard the
whiz OF a shell that buried itself in
the wall of n house and, exploding.
scattered the debris in every direction
After half Il dozen shots the fire OF the
French slackened in the village and
became more active lower down the
ravine. They We're in full retreat. We
formed in column of "Zuge" and, cir
cling around the village, swooped down
on small detachment separated from
the rest, who made no resistance. Our
prisoners numbered 3 officers and 81
men. We had trouble TO keep the
hussars from sabering them in revenge
for the massacre of their comrades. We
hOrrid sight ii was, incumbered with
the dead bodies Of go or 40 men and
horses. We hung ON the rear of the
French till they reached their lines.
when cavalry and artillery came out 10
their support. and we had To give it up.
We did not return to the chateau. but
crossed the SOmme TO find quarters in
the villages beyond. That night we
were alarmed" and marched day and
night for the next two days. Then
came the battle Of st. Quentin. which
SO crippled Faidherbe that the cam
paign of the French in the north was
at an end. We returned TO the Somme,
and l crossed Ii TO have a look mt my
old quarters. OF the chateau and the
villages not trace. The Inhabitants
had disappeared as if the earth had
swallowed them up. Les camaradcs" "
the peasants told me. had been there.
and now all was ruin and desOlatiOn.
Soon there came the armistice, the
harbinger Of peace. l wrote several
letters to Lucienne. some TO Lille. some
TO an address I'm Paris she had ,yiVpn