Milford chronicle., 1913-07-25
A HEROIC DEFENSE
Story Of 1.-The Last Cartridges"
and the French Marines.
TIE BATTLE AT BAzElLLES.
commandant Lambert's Simple Report
st 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
II AlphUns, de Neuville, represents the
desperate defense of an old house az
Bazeines by "a handful of French ma
rines against great odds Doubt hav-
iag been east upon the authenticity Of
this episode. the French government
has published the official report made
by COmmandant Lambert, who com
manded the detachment at Ba2eilles
The report is simply plain, unyar
nlshed 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 text
Tor b stirring play This is the brief
story rs il was recOumted 10y the brave
commandant:
Lambert had been wounded by ball
IN the leg and was unable to walk more
than a few steps With few officers
and detachment Of his soldiers, cut
OF 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
ether openings that they could find.
the soldiers inflicted heavy loss upon
the enemy. who swarmed through the
streets of the town. They believed
thai they would soon be rescued by
their own troops.
They still heard the sound of their
anitiailleuscs and the detOnatiOns Of
the French chassepOts. which they
could distinguish perfectly well from
ihe sounds of thc guns Of the Bava-
rams about them.
They did not know that these sounds
pame from q Fren h force as hopeless
N walled in as they themselves were
and that the main body Of their coun-
tymen had deserted Them
AT one time seeing a chance for
their escape. Lambert tried to send his
comrades away while he and a few
aoldieTs We're to remain and fall into
fbe bands Of the enemy but they re-
fnsed to 20 Meantime proiectiles Of
al sorts were raining into the Old
house Bullets perforated the doors
Ind windows until but little remained
81 them. The building was entirely
surrOunded by the Fifteenth Bavarian
Regiment
A bombshel crashed through the
roof. bearing down with it several
men. Others were cut down by Vava-
rlau bullets. But the fghs went on for
long time. and the Frenchmen We're
able to keep their assailants at bay.
At last. however. the ammunition
eaye out AS the last cartridges were
bred the men. having heard the Bava
rlans' demand that no quarter be given
hose Frenchmen because of the heavy
losses they had inflicted, proposed TO
issue from the building with charged
bayOnets and sell their lives dearly in
hand to hand conflict
But their commander the wounded
lambert. waited until the last car
bridge was fired: then he limped
through the door and confronted the
swarming Bavarians alone. He de
cared that if they killed him il would
be time for his soldiers 10 die. and it
was possible that he their commander.
tould 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 |
Ba'arian captain had not. at the risk |
of his own life precipitated himself |
upon the French officer and beaten |
back his own men. lnfuriated by the !
fiightful loss which the defenders had |
Inflicted upon their own regiment, they |
you'd have put the whole detachment |
b death.
The Bavarian captain prevailed, and /
The Frenchmen were made prisoners |
b war The Bavarian officer congrat- |
plated the French commander warmly |
hpon the desperate and heroic stand /
fhey had made