Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-11-18
THE CARNAGE Of WAR
Story Of a Survivor of ine Bal
tie OF Gravelotte.
INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH.

-" |oNonco Onoer FIRE From Behind
Barbados That Literally Moved
Down the Charging Teoeps-A Hand
to Hand Conflict In the Streets.
William Guldncr. n survivor of the
battle Of GrSvelotte. the most hard
fought victory OF the Franco Prussian
war. tells in Harper's Magazine how
he saw the victory as color bearer Of
his regiment:
1t must have been. I think. about 4
o'clock when Colonel Won Boehu rode
to the head OF the regiment and we AL
Strengthened quick. as on parade. And
he said sharp few words. something
like. Men. the regiment has n good
name. and YOU win give Il stfll bet.
ter one l was In front aud could hear
part OF what he said.
The colonel led us TO the left. and
we crossed railroad track and went
through another little white village
and then we faced a slope-a long stone
with village on 1t. which the
French had made into a fort. aud we.
our regiment and others. were TO can
men and cannon there.
The colonel rode on horse. he and
the majors aud the adjutants. Our
captains usually rode. too. but this
day the captains sent their horses back
and went on foot
And soon our first men began to
fan. for we came under the fire of the
chasSepot. 1t was hard. fer we could
not see the enemy. These first ones
were many sharpshooters In a ditch.
and the noise OF their firing was like
that OF n coffee f1ill-kr-r-r-r-r-r, They
drew of as NC went forward II was
only ut walk that we went-a steady
walk. just 6 if there were no bullets
there.
And now we would run forward
fifty yards and throw ourselves fat.
then another fifty yards and the halt
and the falling nat. ard each time we
could see the village that was for.
treSs nearer.
and once when we were lying down
and l saw that the officers were stand
Ing. just cool and quiet. IL came to ne
that a man has to pay in such ways to
be an officer
Il saw the colonel fan. He was shot
from his horse and carried back
The first major, ne took command,
and he galloped TO the skirmish line.
and he was shot Then the second
major. too. was shot. and he tried to
get up. but he could not stand. and he
sat on big stone and shouted: Go
on Go on" And he took n gun from
a dead man and fred II.
1--WE were ordered 20 fix bayonets.
and that made us glad, but even yet
the men carried their rifles on their
shoulders as they ran. We were rot
near enough TO charge with bayoreis.
Il wish ! could tell you what II was
Ike as we got near that village OF 81.
Privat - the noise. the smoke. the
flashes. the falling men and only one
desire In our hearts.
There were three sergcants IN tho
color section. one ut each side OF me
And first the one Mt my right was
killed. Then the one az my left was
shot-eight big bullets In his body
from mitrailleuse-eight, Yet lie aft
erward got well. while many man
died from only one little bullet.
And at last we went ut n bayonet
charge. and for the first time there
was cheer, n Wild and savage cheer.
and we ran on, eager to plunge the
bayonets, and we could see rs we came
near the village that the French were
firing from behind barricadcs and gar
den walls and from windows.
And we looked into the wild faces
Of the French. and they met US hand
10 hand. All, we climbed over walls
and barricades, and we fred and bay
oneted, and we fought them In the
streets!
"On and on we went. 1t was n wild
time OF shooting. bayoneting. wres-
ding, clubbing, shouting. on and on,
but ii was slow work and terrible. for
the French fought for every step.
II was at the front, Tor ] had the
coiors. There were few officers stin
left and they were shouting and way
ing their swords, and other regiments
stormed into the village with us, and
after awhile can't say how long
the place was ours.
"As tell it TO you II seems perhaps
simple thing. But when the regi-
ment was paraded before the battle
began we were more ,han $500 men
and more than fifty officers. and we
lost in the fight forty ofscers and
more than 4 thousand men. Yes. that
was the loss OF just my regiment alone.
1t was morderisch. but it vas neces-
Eary.
We'll, It vas over. The village was
blazing, and many a dead man lay in
the ruins. Some sat upright, dead,
With their backs against walls"
midas Fame.
They were holding an exam" In an