The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-07-23

TO mass" As pictured to myself Il
quiet, happy life, | could have bus
| into tears.
But the drums began to beat and
| trumpetS sounded. Z
| The first movement was when tS
| four divisions We're ordered to II
vance. We were about twenty III.
sand men marching in two lines N
sinking up TO cur knees with evd
step in the soft mud. Nobody spd
word.
Face to face with us were the ER,
liSh. in perfect order. their cannones
with lighted matches in their handiI
ON All sides, rs far as the eye coiol
reach, nothing was to be seen but or
raSSes, helmets. swords, lances a
rows Of bayonetS. 81
what a battlew cried Buche, ia
comrade-at-arms. "WOe to the Erd
lish!" ~
And | thought as he did. belieytn
that not a single Englishman wou'
escape. But bad luck pursued us tbs
day; though, had it not been for tn
PruSSianS, | think we should have g
terminated them all.
Down into the little valley we pot
ed, right into the face of the Engli
fire, and shouting all the time "Gif
them the bayOnet!" Z
The batteries hurled their grape-she
point blank upon US. II was then, f..
the first time, l saw the English cloi
at hand. They had fair skins az
were clean shaver like respectable eli
liens. They can fight well, too-bi;
we are as good as they. Every sh,
of the English told; and this force
us to break our ranks, for men al
not mere palisades.
And almost at the same moment v :
saw a mass Of red dragons, on gra
horses. sweeping along like the win
and Sabring our stragglers witholk
mercy. 1t was one of the most ted
rible moments of my life as we wed
driven back.
What fearful thing is battlel }
Then out came Marshal Ney wayin
his sword in the air. Older, thinntf
and more bOny than when l saw hi.
last but still the same brave soldieo
with the clear eyes that seemed II
take us all in. Il
Forward" he cried, 81 shall lea
you myself" And we rushed ahead
one after the other like a pack
wolves, until we gained the principae
outpost of the British.
But suddenly the rumor spread thar
the Prussians were coming. fel
myself grow pale.
AT that moment cries of "Vive PEm
pereur!" rose from thousands. Of
Threats behind us, and looking bacl.
saw all our cavalry Of the right wing
advancing to attack the solid square.
of the English. 1t was an awesome'
sight. With waving sabres they rush,
ed pell-mell again and again upon the
red-coats. Twenty such charges theA
made, until the horses of our cuiras.
siers, exhausted could no longer even
walk-and there still firmly stood tho
great red lines, steadfast as walls. l
Now all that remained for attack
was the Old Guard-those wonderful
veterans who had fought In Germanyl
In Egypt, in Spain and in Russia, of
whom the Emperor took special card
and who no longer knew parents cd
relations. They only knew the END
peror who was their god. When II
was said in the ranks "The Guard ID
going to charge" is was the same as
saying, "The battle is won -
And Ney commanded theml
Upon the Guard fell the concentrated
hail of bullets. In twenty minutes
every officer had been dismounted and
The Guard, reduced from three thoul
sand men to twelve hundred, slowly
gave way.
Now the entire English army fell
upon us. And, as the remnant Of the
Did Guard fell backward, across the
ield fled hussars, cuirasslers, artilIery
md infantry like an army of savagesI
What can 1 tell you more? 1t was'
liter rout. And in the valley old
with forty thousand Prus-
slams. was looming up.
The end had come-and / wept like.
/ child.
Back we scurried, borne down with
atigue, hunger and despair.
IA
Keep on" cried Buche, ''the Prus-
lans take no prisoners. Look they
re cutting down everyone"
SO back. back, even to Paris we
led, and there we learned that hos
ilities were to be suspended, that the
mperor had gone, and that the kim
vas returning to the throne. Deser-
ions began.
/ hurried on from village to viIfagz
nd at last reached Pfalzbourg-and
~ home.
Up the stairs l sprang; Catherine
'as in my arms. / fell to sobbing so
iolently that one would have thought
Misfortune had come upon me.
The first words of Catherine were.
Joseph, knew that you would come
ack. / had put ny trust in God"
Thus happiness finally reached us.
Now i have lived to see the return
f the flag Of liberty and to see the4
alton increase in wealth, in educa-
ION and in happiness. People begin
understand their rights. They know
nat war only brings increase of tax
ton and suffering; and when the
eOple, as masters, shall say. "Instead 4