The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-07-22
bATTLEF|ELD PAN|CS,
Odd Events That at Times De-
moraIize Veterans.
HORRORS INCIDENT TO WAR.

Two Terrifying Episodes Thai &c"
! cured During the Franeo-Prussian
T Observation-Disclosures May Seize Even
/ the Most Hardened Troops.
! It is peculiar circumstance that
hardened and trained troops will go
through a long fight surrounded by
NIL the horrors that are tnseparable
from war without hinching and with
the utmost apparent callousness and
&1ae same men will be struck terrified
BY single trifing incident.
Every war of any Importance, par
REGULARLY wars between civilized ma
Saons, Is prolific in incidents OF trivial
character in themselves. but SO I'M
usual and unnatural that they appeal
to the natural instructive horror of
men more suddenly and intensely than
perhaps the main terrors Of days or
carnage. Such an incident is the one,
for example, which occurred at the
battle of Worth, in the early days OF
she Franco-Prussian war.
In the heat Of the great battle
wing of the Prussian army was charg-
ed by the regiments Of French cuiras-
miers III the hope Of turning the wing
and facilitating the falling back of the
French infantry. But the culrassiers
iwere driven back by the unfiinching
Prussians. Again the cuirassiers
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 horrible, blood
freezing terror seized the Prussians.
and for the moment it looked as II
they would turn and fly or be cut
down without defending themselves.
But in a moment they bad 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 1t was regiment Of cui-
Tassiers led at a dashlng 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 Futzum de Lascarre Of
the Third regiment Of cuirassiers,
whose head had been carried COM
,pletely off his shoulders as the troop
BROKE into the third desperate charge
by cannon ball, which also took off
smother officers hand and cut the
Ibugler IN two.
! 1t is remarkable and singular that at
the battle of Forbach, which took
nSn Worth, a
similar incident occurred and did more
ito shake the nerves Of the Germans
than hours Of roaring cannon and
lighting had done.
While regiment Of Prussian infan-
try were standing in reserve watching
the fight as well as they could from
their position Of shelter a charger be-
iaonging to a French dragon regiment,
one which was practically destroyed in
the battle, galloped right into the midst
of the men, who rushed to arrest 1t
and Immediately fell back in alarm,
|xoT swinging to the bride was the
whole left arm Of the chargers rider,
the fingers of the hand firmly grasping
the reins. The arm appeared to have
been severed a 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 a
few minutes later In crossing before
some Prussian guns. Thrilling as the
Rncident 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 it was with the help Of just
such men that General Won Gober
routed the French that memorable day
In August, 1870
1t Is well known fact that the
Anest and braeest troops the world can
produce have no immunity from that
strange and mysterious madness known
20 military history as "war panic" A
heavy war, frequent sanguinary Ell
gagements, night marches and sur
prises sometimes play havoc with sol
diers' nervous systems and rende
them more like high spirited colts thar
men who have taken the field prepared
to suffer Unreasonable horrors ant
take death cheerfully.
During the peninsular war two Brit
fsh regiments. the very pick Of thu
army and seasoned veterans, wer,
marching along tn good order when
rumor ran down the lines that the enc
my was at hand. The next momen
the line Of orderly soldiers was change.
into an elongated mob of armed mel
throwing away arms, baggage aud al
they carried. running away in ever
direction, blind terror In their hearts
their faces blanched and their ear
deaf to the Numbered commands c
their officers.
For the moment they knew but on
sentiment, one emotion. a sudden. pas
sionate, blind terror, and they f1e
without thinking whether they wer
running into the arms Of the thin