Judsonia weekly advance., 1921-07-21

to mass" As 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 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 a word.
 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 cui- rasses, helmets, swords, lances and rows of bayonets.
 "What battle!" cried Buche, my comrade-at-arms. "Woe to the Eng lishl
 And I thought as he did. believed that not 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 bayonet!"
 The batteries hurled their grapeshot point blank upon us. It was then, for the first time, I saw the English close at hand. They had fair skins and were clean shaven like respectable cit izens. 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. It was one of the most ter rible moments of my life as we were driven back.
 What fearful thing is battle
 Then out came Marshal Ney waving his sword in the air. Older, thinner and more bony than when I saw him last but still the same brave soldier with the clear eyes that seemed to take us all in.
 Forward" he cried, q 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. I felt myself grow pale.
 At that moment cries of "Vive pEm- 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 red-coats. Twenty such charges they made, until the horses of our cuiras- sers, 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, of whom the Emperor took special care and who no longer knew parents or relations. They only knew the em- peror who was their god. When it was said in the ranks "The Guard is going to charge" is was the same as saying, 1.-The battle is wonl" And Ney commanded them! Upon the Guard fell the concentrated hail of bullets. In twenty minutes every officer had been dismounted and the Guard, reduced from three thou sand men to twelve hundred, slowly gave way.
 Now the entire English army fell upon us. And, as the remnant of the Old Guard fell backward, across the l field fled hussars, cuirassiers, artillery and infantry like an army of savages. What can I tell you more? It was utter rout. And in the valley old Butcher, with forty thousand Prus- sians, was looming up. The end had come-and wept like child.
 Back we scurried, borne down with fatigue, hunger and despair.
 keep on," cried Buche, "the Prus- sians take no prisoners. Look! they are cutting down everyone" So back, back, even to Paris we fled, and there we learned that hos tilities were to be suspended, that the emperor had gone, and. that the king was was returning stnrn to the ahroae' Deser-
 hurried on from village to village and at last reached Pfalzbourg-and my home.
 Up the stairs I sprang; Catherine was in my arms. I fell to sobbing so violently that one would have thought misfortune had come upon me.
 The first words of Catherine were, Joseph, knew that you would come back. I had put my trust in God" Thus happiness finally reached us. Now I have lived to see the return of the flag of liberty and to see the nation increase in wealth, in educa- T. ~...