The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-09-25
A HEROIC DEFENSE.
Story Of "The Last Cartridges"
and the French Marines.
THE BATTLE AT BAzEILLES.


Comma ndsnt Lambert's Simple Report
of the Desperate Conflict With the
Bavarians That Was lmmortalized In
De Neuville's Famous Painting.
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 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
manded the detachment at Bazeilles.
The report is simply a 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 dramatist in need of a text
for a stirring play. This is the brief
story as it was recounted by the brave
commandant:
Lambert had been wounded by ball
in the leg and was unable to walk more
than few steps. With few officers
and 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 own troops.
They still heard the sound of their
mitrailleuses and the detonations Of
the French chassepots. which they
could distinguish perfectly well 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.
their escape. Lambert tried to send his
comrades away while he and few
soldiers were to remain and fall into
the hands of the enemy. but they re-
fused to go. Meantime projectiles 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 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 |
bayonets and sell their lives dearly in |
a hand to hand conflict.
But their commander. the wounded |
Ld0lDeTI. WdlUeu uIlIll UUe ldSC 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 he. their commander.
could make some terms for them.
AS soon as he imped 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 which the defenders had
inflicted upon their own regiment. they
would have put the whole detachment
to death
The Bavarian captain prevailed. and
the Frenchmen were made prisoners
of war. The Bavarian officer congrat-
ulated the French commander warmly
upon the desperate and heroic stand
they had made.