The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-07-10
BATTLEFIELD PAN|CS,
Odd Events That at Times De-
m0ralize Veterans.
HORRORS INCIDENT TO WAR.
Two Terrifying Episodes That oe-
Cured During the Frsneo-Prussisn
Campaisn-Madness May Seize Even
tho Most Hardened Troops.


hardened and trained troops will go
through long fight surrounded by
all the horrors that are inseparable
from war without finching and with
the utmost apparent callousness and
the same men Will be struck terrified
by single triHing incident.
Every war OF any Importance. par
ticularly wars between civilized ma
tions, Is prolific In Incidents Of trivial
character I'm themselves, but so un-
usual and 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 an incident Is the one,
for example, which occurred at the
battle Of Worth. I'm the early days Of
the FrancoPrussian war.
In the heat OF the great battle a
wing OF the Prussian army was charg-
ed by the regiments Of French culras-
siers I'm the hope Of turning the wing
and facilitating the falling back Of the
French infantry. But the cuirasslers
were driven back by the unninching
Prussans. 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 n horrible. blood
freezing terror seized the Prusslans,
and for the moment Il looked as II
they would turn and fly or be cut
|
But in 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. 1t was n regiment of cui-
rasslers led at n dashng rate toward
them by a headless officer sitting up
right In his saddle and apparently en-
couraging his men. 1t was no less
a 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 n cannon ball, which also took OF
another officers hand and cut the
bugler In two.
1t is remarkable and singular that at
the battle of Forbach, whicm took
place the same day as Worth, very
similar incident occurred and did more
10 shake the nerves OF the Germans
than hours OF roaring cannon and
fighting 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
longing to n French dragoon regiment.
one which was practically destroyed in
the battle. galloped right into the midst
of the men who rushed TO arrest il
and immediately fell back I'm alarm.
for 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 n 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 Off to be killed
few minutes later In crossing before
some Prussian guns. Thrilling as the
incident was, many OF the brave fell
lows who witnessed 1t declared that
their first, almost irresistible. impulse
was 60 throw down their arms and
bolt Yet II was with the help OF just
such men that General Won Cohen
routed the French that memorable day
I'm August, 1870.
II Is well known fact that the
finest and bravest troops the world can
produce have no immunity from that
strange and mysterious madness known
20 military history rs "war panic" A
heavy war, frequent sangulnary en-
gagements night marches and sur
prIses sometimes play havoc with sol
diers' nervous systems Nand render
them more like high spirited colts than
men who have taken the field prepared
to suffer immcasurable 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 I'm their hearts.
their faces blanched and their ears
deaf 10 the thundered commands of
their officers.
For the moment they knew but one
sentiment. one emotion "A sudden. pas
sionate, blind terror. and they fed
without thinking whether they were
running into the arms OF the thing
they dreaded or not IL was terror
that was madness. and only its mad
ness redeems Il from dlshonor. lf
snything were necessary 20 demon