Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-11-19

va Ahc pCu uHu WCcRiuS. aunt dEetuet
has taken her prayer-book and is going
to mass" As pictured to myself that
quiet. happy life, I could have hurst
into tears.
But the drums began to beat and the
trumpets sounded.
The first movement was when our
four divisions were ordered to ad
vance. We were about twenty thou
sand men marching in two lines and
sinking up to our knees with every
step in the soft mud. Nobody spoke
word.
Face to face with us were the Eng
fish, In perfect order, their cannoneers
with lighted matches in their hands.
On oil sides, as far as the eye could
reach, nothing was to be seen but cui-
rasses, helmets, swords, lances and
rows Of bayonets.
| what a battie!" cried Buche, my
comrade-at-arms. "W0e to the Eng"
/ lish |"
And I thought as he did. believes
that not a single Englishman would
escape. But bad luck pursued us that
day; though, had 1t not been for the
Prussians, l think we should have en-
terminated them all.
Down into the little valley we pour
ed, right into the face Of the English
fire, and shouting all the time Give
them the bayonet!"
The batteries hurled their grape-shot
point blank upon us. 1t was then, for
the first time, saw the English close
at hand. They had fair skins and
we're clean shaven like respectable cit
liens. They can fight well, too--but
we are as good as they. Every shot
of the English told; and this forced
us to break our ranks, for men are
not mere palisades.
And almost at the same moment we
saw mass of red dragons, on gray
horses, sweeping along like the wind
and sabring our stragglers without
mercy. 1t was one of the most ter
rible moments of my life as we Were
driven back.
What a fearful thing is battle!
Then out came Marshal Ney waving
his sword in the air. Older, thinner
and more bony than when l saw him
last but still the same brave soldier
with the clear eyes that seemed to
| take us all in.
Forward" he cried, II shall lead
: you myself" And we rushed ahead,
one after the other like pack Of
wolves, until we gained the principal
. outpost of the British.
But suddenly the rumor spread that
the Prussians were coming. felt
e myself grow pale.
9 At that moment cries of "Vive FEM
a pereur!'' rose from thousands OF
threats behind us, and looking back
. I saw all our cavalry Of the right wing
2 advancing to attack the solid squares
!, of the English. 1t was an awesome
r sight. With waving sabres they rush
e ed pell-meIl again and again upon the
e red-coats. Twenty such charges they
# made, until the horses of our cuiras-
Il siers, exhausted, could no longer even
,. walk-and there still firmly stood the
+ great red lines steadfast as walls.
e Now all that remained for attack
was the Old Guard-those wonderful
/, veterans who had fought in Germany,
e In Egypt In Spain and in Russia, OF
d whom the Emperor took special care
Is and who no longer knew parents OF
d relations. They only knew the en-
n peror who was their god. When II
Is was said in the ranks "The Guard Is
n going to charge" Is was the same al
saying, "The battle is WON'T ~4,
" And Ney commanded them
W Upon the Guard fell the concentrated
ID hail of bullets. In twenty minutes
ID every officer had been dismounted and
d the Guard, reduced from three thou
b. sand men to twelve hundred, SLOWLY
a gave way.
Now the entire English army fell
ST upon us. And, as the remnant Of the
r. Old Guard fell backward, across the
,e field fed hussars cuirassiers, artillery
and infantry like an army of savages
)r " at can tell you more? 1t was
II utter rout. And In the valley ole
Bluchtr, with forty thousand frus
d. sians was looming up.
I'd The end had come-and wept like
I'd q child.
ce Back we S, Irried, borne down will
h fatigue, hunger and despair.
lie Keep on" cried Buche, 1.-THE Prus
r SLAMS take no prisoners. Look they
3 are cutting down Everyone"
e. So back, back, even to Paris VIZ
re fed, and there we learned that hos
e. tilities We're to be suspended, that thu
n emperor had gone and that the KIM
n was returning to the throne. Deser
1t mons Logan.
nj / hurried on from village to village
~ ~-' - '"~t reached Pfalzbourg -ant
e. my home.
rs Up the stairs l sprang; Catherine
Y, was in my arms. / fell to SO bling 81
violently that one would have though
O. misfortune had come upon me-.
III The first words of Catherine were
e. "Joseph, knew that you would coil'
,h back. / had put my trust In God"
Thus happiness finally reached us
n, Now ! have lived to see tho return
r. of the flag of liberty and TO see thu
OF nation increase in wealth, in educa
| tn hAv hArvt,