Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-07-23

has taken her prayer-bOoK and is going
10 mass" AS I pictured TO myself that
quiet happy life, I could have burst
into tears.
But the drums began to beat and the
trumpetS sounded.
The first movement was when our
four divisions were ordered to adj
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 10 face with us were the Eng
fish. in perfect order, their cannoneerS
with lighted matches in their hands
On all sides, as far as the eye could
reach. nothing was to be seen but cut
rasSeS, helmets. swords, lances and
rows of bayonets.
"What battler' cried Buche, my
comrade-at-armS. "Woe to the Eng
lish !"
And thought as he did. believed
that not a single Englishman would
escape. But bad luck pursued us that
day though, had it not been for the
PrusSianS, think we should have ex-
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 bayonetw
The batteries hurled their grape-shot
point blank upon us. 1t was then. for
the first time, l saw the English close
at hand. They bad fair skins and
were clean shaven like respectable cit
liens. They can fight Well too-hut
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 a mass Of red dragons, on gray
horses, sweeping along like the wind
and Sabring our straggIers without
mercy 1t was one of the most ter
rible moments of my life as we We're
driven back.
What a fearful thing is a battle,
Then out came Marshal Ney waving
his sword in the air. Older, thinner
and more hony 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, 81 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. l felt
myself grow pale.
At that moment cries of give rEm-
pereur.' rose from thousands of
Threats behind us. and looking back
I saw all our cavalry of the right wing
advancing to attack the solid squares
/ of the English. It was an awesome
| sight With waving sabres they rush
/ ed pell-mell again and again upon the
rcd-coats. Twenty such charges they
made. until the horses of our cuiras,
/ sjerS, exhausted. could no longer even
walk-and there still firmly stood the
/ great red lines. steadfaSt as walls.
Now all that remained for attack
was the Old Guard-those wonderful
veterans who had fought in Germany
in Egypt, in Spain and in Russia. o.
/ whom the Emperor took special caro-
and who no longer knew parents or
relations They only knew the en-
peror who was their god When il
was said in the ranks "The Guard j,
going 10 charge, is was the same as
saving. "The battle is won {"
And Ney commanded theml
Upon the Guard fell the concentrated
! EaI Of bullets In twenty minutes
every officer had been dismountod anf
/ the Guard. reduced from three chou
sand men TO twelve hundred, slowIl
gave way.
Now the entire English army fel
upon US And. as the remnant Of th,
Old Guard fell backward, across tbs
field fed hussars, cuirassiers, artillery
and infantry like an army of savages
What can I tell you more? Il was
utter rout. And in the valley ole
Butcher, with forty thousand Prus
slams, was looming up.
The end had come-and | wept Xix,
child.
Back we scurried, borne down VIII
fatigue hunger and despair
Keep on" cried Buche, "the Prus
slams take no prisoners. LOOK thei
are cutting down everyone
SO back, back. even TO Paris W,