Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-09-03
BATTLEFIELD PAN|CS'
Odd Events That at Times De-
 moraIize Veterans.
HORRORS INCIDENT TO WAR

Two Terrifying Episodes That co.
 cured During the Franco Prussian
 campaisn-Madness May ssixs Even
 the Most Hardened Troops.
 It is peculiar circumstance that hardened and trained troops will go through long fight surrounded by all the horrors that are inseparable from war without flinching and with the utmost apparent callousness and the same men will be struck terrified by single trifing incident.
 Every war of any importance, par. ticularly wars between civilized na- tions, is prolific in incidents of trivial character in themselves, but so un. usual and unnatural that they appeal to the natural instinctive horror of men more suddenly and intensely than perhaps the main terrors of days of carnage Such an incident is the one, for example, which occurred at the battle of Worth, in the early days of the Franc0-PruSSian war.
 Tn the heat of the great battle q wing of the Prussian army was charg. ed by the regiments of French cuiras- siers in the hope of turning the wing and facilitating the falling back of the French infantry. But the cuirassiers were driven back by the unflinching Prussians. Again the cuirassierD charged, and again they were driven back by the whitening fire.
 : For a third time they came down again, and as the enemy waited for ! them to draw nearer a horrible, blood freezing terror seized the Prussians, and for the moment it looked as if they would turn and fly or 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 Prussians appears nothing very much in black and white. It 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. It was no less person than Futzum de Lascarre of the Third regiment of cuirassiers, whose head had been carried com pletely of his shoulders as the troop broke into the third desperate charge by a cannon ball, which also took of another officers hand and cut the bugler in two.
 It is remarkable and singular that at the battle of Forbach, which took place the same day as Worth. very similar incident occurred and did moro to shake the nerves of the Germans than hours of roaring cannon and fighting had done.
 While a regiment of Prussian infan- try were standing in reserve watching the fight as we'll as they could from their position of shelter charger be- longing to French dragoon regiment, one which was practically destroyed in the battle. galloped right into the midst of the men, who rushed to arrest it and immediately fell back in alarm, for swinging to the bridle was the whole left arm of the chargers rider, the fingers of the hand firmly grasping the reins. The arm appeared to havo been severed few inches below the shoulder and was certainly that of an officer, but who the officer was has never been satisfactorily established.
 So moved were the hardened men of battle at the horrible sight that no one would touch the horse, and the animal was allowed to gallop of to be killed | few minutes later in crossing before some Prussian guns. Thrilling as the incident was, many of the brave fel- lows who witnessed it declared that their first, almost irresistible, impulse was to throw down their arms and bolt. Yet 1t was with the help of just such men that General von Goben routed the French that memorable day fin August, 1870.
 It is well known fact that tho finest and brayest troops the world can produce have no immunity from that strange and mysterious madness known to military history as ''war panic" A heavy war, frequent sanguinary en- agreements, night marches and sur prises sometimes play havoc with sol. diers' nervous systems and render them more like high spirited colts than men who have taken the field prepared to suffer immeasurable horrors and take death cheerfully.
 During the peninsular war two Brit. ish regiments, the very pick of the army and seasoned veterans, were marching along in good order when . rumor ran down the lines that the enc my was at hand. The next moment the line of orderly soldiers was changed into an elongated mob of armed men throwing away arms. baggage and all they carried, running away in every direction, blind terror in their hearts, their faces blanched and their ears deaf to the thundered commands of their officers.
 For the moment they knew but one sentiment, one emotion, sudden, pas sionate, blind terror. and they fled without thinking whether they were running into the arms of the thing they dreaded or not. It was q terror that was madness, and only it's mad ness redeems 1t from dishonor. If anvthiup werp necessary fo dpfuO1-