The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-06-22
ATTLEFELD PAHICS,
Odd Events That alt Times De-
moraIize Veterans.


\ Tho Most Hardened Troops,
! 1t Ii a peculiar circumstance that
hardened and trained troops VIII go
through long fight surrounded by
all the horrors that are inseparable
from war without tilnching and with
the utmost apparent calIcusnesS and
the same men viii be struck terrified
BY single tri6ing incident
Every war OF any Importance, par
ticularly wars between civilized ma
lions. ii prolific III incidents of trivial
character Ia themselves. but 50 IN
usual aud unnatural that they appeal
To the natural instructive horror OF
men more suddenly and intensely than
perhaps the main terrors OF days Of
carnage. such ali Incident ~ the one,
cor example, which occurred at the
battle of Worth. In the early days Of
the Franco Prussian war.
In tile heat Of the great battle q
wing Of the Prusslan army was charg-
ia hy the regiments Of French cuiras-
siers Id the hope Of turning the wing
ana facilitating the falling back Of the
French infantry. But the cuirassiers
were driven back By tho nndinching
Prussiaus. Again the cuirassiers
charged. and again they were driven
back BIZ tile whitening Gre.
For third time they came down
again. and as the enemy waited for
them to draw nearer horrible. blood
freezing terror seized the Prussiang.
and for the moment II looked ais If
they would turn ana hy cr be cut
down without defending themselves.
But in a moment they had pulled
themselves together and beaten back
for the third and last time the gallant
cuirassiers.
The sight that terrified the PrusaIans
appears nothing very much In black
and white. 1t was regiment Of cui-
rassiers led at dashing rate toward
them By a headless officer sitting up
right In his saddle and apparently en-
couraging his men. 1t was no less
person than Eutzum dc Lascarre Of
the Third regiment Of cuirassiers,
whose head had been carried COM
pletely on bis shoulders as the troop
broke into the third desperate charge
BY cannon bali. which also took oil
another officers hind and cut the
bugIer ID two.
1t Is remarkab bic and singular that at
the battle Of Forbach, which took
place the same day as Worth, very
similar incident occurred and did more
ID shake the nerves III the Germans
than hours Ok roaring cannon and
fighting had done.
While regiment Of pgussian infan-
try were standing Ia reserve watching
the lght as well as they could from
their position Oh shelter d charger be-
longing to French dragon regiment.
one which was practically destroyed III
the battle. galIoped right into the midst
of the men. who rushed to arrest Il
and Immediately fell back iii alarm.
for swinging I'D the bride waa the
whole left arm Of the chargers rider.
the fingers Of the hand firmly grasping
the reing. The arm appeared to have
been severed a few inches below the
shoulder ana was certainly that cit an
officer. but who Tile osHlcer was has
never been satisfactorily established.
50 moved were the hardened men 81
battle at the horrible sight that no one
would touch the horse. and the animal
was allowed to galIop Off 70 be killed !
few minutes later lii crossing before
some Prusslan gums Thrilling as the
was, many u the brave fell
lows who witnessed It declared that
their first. almost Irresistible. Impulse
was TO throw down their arms and
bolt Yet II was with the help or 5ust
such men that General vnn Cohen
routed the French that memorable fay
ID august. 1870.
It Is q well known faet that the
inest and bravest troops the world Gun
produce have no immunity from that
TRANCE and mysterious madness known
y military history u war panic.W a
Heavy war, frequent sanguinAry en-
'agements, night marches ana sur
rises sometimes play havoc with sol
iiers' nervous systems and render
hem more like high spirited colts than
men who bare taken the Held prepared
Q suffer Unreasonable horrors and
AXE death cheerfully.
During the peninsnlaf war two Brit
"a regiments, the very pick of tins
rny and seasoned veterans. were
marching along IN good order when
nnaOr ran down the lines Chat the enc
ny was at band. TIE next moment
be line Of orderly soldiers was changed
ato an elongated mob Of armed men
hrowing away arms. baggage and ali
ney carried, running away iii every
ERECTION, blind terror III thnir hearts.
heir faces blanched and their ears
eaf to the Numbered commands OF
heir officers.
For the moment they knew but one
eminent, one emotion, sudden. pas.
Tomato, blind terror. ard they fIed
Fitnouf thinking whether they were
INNING into the arms 81 tie thing
hey dreaded or not t was terror
bat was madness. ana only IT, mad.
ess redeems II from dlahonor. ii
uything were necessary to demon
rate the nnnaturalness q TIE panie
would be done BY the grand fact that
le moment It became known that the
nemy vas really at hand The men In
.antly fell n and showed The utmost
lgerness to attack.
Such war panics are mysteries
ven the most experienced military of