Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-09-04
AHERO|C DEFENSE
Story Of "The Last Cartridges
and the French Marines.
THE BATTLE At eAzEILLEs.
Comma ndant Lambert's Simpls Report
Of tho Desperate Conflict With the
Ravarians That Was lmmortalized In
De NeuvilIe's Famous Painting.

A famous French battle painting
called The Last Cartridges" the worl;
Of Alphonse de Melville. represents the
! desperate defense of an old house at
Bazeilles by a handful Of French ma.
rines against great odds. Doubt hav-
ing been cast upon the authenticity of
this episode. the French government
has published the official report made
! by Commandant Lambert. who com.
manded the detachment at Bazeilles.
The report is simply Il plain. unvar-
| nished recital OF the events of a thrill.
ing and heroic series Of engagements
! in which undaunted bravery and reck.
less courage were truly displayed and
| which would furnish abundant mate
rial for IL dramatist in need Of a text
! for a stirring play. This is the brief
story as it was recounted by the brave
| commandant: 'fghr il
Lambert had been wounded by Il ball
in the leg and was unable to walk more
than a few steps. With II few officers
and a detachment of his soldiers. cut
off from the main body Of the French
army. he took refuge in an isolated
house at the highest point in Bazeilles
and defended it against the Germans.
Firing from the windows and any
other openings that they could find.
the soldiers inflicted heavy loss upon
the enemy. who swarmed through the
streets of the town. They believed
that they would sOon be rescued by
their W troops.
They still heard the sound Of their
m~itrailleuses and the ~detOnations OF
the French chassepots. which they
could distinguish perfectly we'll from
the sounds of the guns OF the Bava-
rians about them.
They did not know that these sounds
came from a French force as hopeless
ly walled in as they themselves were
and that the main body of their coun-
trymen had deserted them. "
At one time. seeing a chance for
their escape. Lambert tried to send his
comrades away while be and a few
soldiers were to remain and fall into
the hands of the enemy. but they re-
fused to 60. Meantime projectiles Of
all sorts were rainings 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 1t several
men. Others were cut down by Vava-
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
fired the men. having heard the Bava-
rians' demand that no quarter be given
those Frenchmen because of the heavy
losses they had inflicted. proposed to
issue from the building with charged
sbayonets and sell their lives dearly in
a hand to hand conflict. ~
But their commander. the wounded
Lambert. waited until the last car
fridge was. fired: then he limped
through the door and confronted the
swarming Bavarians alone. He de-
clared that If they killed him it would
be time for his soldiers to die. and it
was possible that be, 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. Infur1ated by the
frfghtful loss which the defenders had
inflicted upon their W regiment. they
would have put the whole detachment
to death. #'%' Wiz ~
The Bavarian captain prevailed, and
the Frenchmen were made pfAq1etANa
of wal. The Bavarfan officer cohgfttS'
ulated the French commander warmly
upon the desperate and heroic stand
they had made.