Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-08-22
LAST CARTRIDGES
Famous French Battle Painting
Is True to Life.
BRAVE DEFENSE OF FEW MEN
Desperate Officer and His Handful Of
Comrades In Old House Held Off In.
definitely Invading German Soldiers,
Structure Shot to Pieces.

definitely invading German Soldiers,
Structure Shot to Pieces.
A famous French battle painting,
called THE Last Cartridges" the work
of Alphonse de Melville, represents
the desperate defense of an old house
at Bazeilles by handful of French
marines against odds. Doubt having
been cast upon the authenticity of the
episode, the French government has
published the official report made by
Commandant Lambert, who command
ed the detachment at Bazeilles, says
Harper's Weekly.
1t is plain and straightforward re-
port, without any dwelling upon thrill
ing details. Lambert had been wound
ed by a ball in the leg and was una
bic to walk more than a few steps.
With a few officers and a detachment
of his soldiers, cut off from the main
body of the French army, he took ref
uge in an isolated house at the high
est point in BazeilleS, and defended it
against the Germans. Firing from
the windows and any other opening
that they could find, the soldiers in
ficted heavy loss upon the enemy,
who swarmed through the streets of
the town. They believed that they
would soon be rescued by their own
troops. They still heard the sound Of
their mitrailleuScs and the detona-
lions of the French chassepots, which
they could distinguish perfectly well
from the sounds of the guns of the
Bavarians about them. They did not
know that these sounds came from q
French force as hopelessly walled in
as they themselves were, and that the
main body of their countrymen had
deserted them.
At one time, seeing a chance for
their escape, Lambert tried to send his
comrades away while he and few
soldiers We're to remain and fall into
the hands of the enemy, but they re-
fused to go. Meantime proiectileS OF
all sorts were raining into the old
house Bullets perforated the doors
and windows until but little remained
of them. The building was entirely
surrounded by the Fifteenth Bavarian
regiment.
A bombshell crashed through the
roof, bearing down with it several
men. Others were cut down by Bava-
rian bullets, but the fight went on
for a long time, and the Frenchmen
were able to keep their assailants at
bay.
At last, however, the ammunition
gave out AS the last cartridges were
being fired, the men, having heard the
Bavarians demand that no quarter
should be given those Frenchmen be-
cause of the heavy losses they had
inflicted, proposed to issue from the
building with charged bayonets, and
sell their lives dearly in a hand to
hand conflict.
But their commander, the wounded
Lambert, waited until the last cart
ridge was fired; then he limped through
the door and confronted the swarm
ing Bavarians alone. He declared that
if they killed him it would be time for
his soldiers to die and that it was pos
sible that he, their commander, could
make some terms for them.
AS soon as he limped out and stood
with folded arms a dozen bayonets
were at his breast. He would have
been killed in another instant if the
Bavarian captain had not, at the risk
of his own life, precipitated himself
upon the French officer and beaten
back his own men. Infatuated by the
frightful loss that the defenders had
inflicted upon their own regiment, they
would have put the whole detachment
to death.
The Bavarian captain prevailed, and
the Frenchmen We're made prisoners Of
war The Bavarian officer congratu-
lated the French commander warmly
upon the desperate and heroic stand
they had made.