Year: 1871

~
the beautiful manufactures in iron and
steel of Berlin,-brides even brought
| their wedding rings, and the poor peas
ant girls, if they had naught else, their
| flowing locks for the highest pride of
| women had no charms for them while
| their country was trodden down by the
| heel of the oppressor. Thus was intro
| duced an age of iron, whose mark of
honor for noble deeds was the Iron
| Cross.


When Germany became free again in
consequence of the great uprising, the
| Iron Cross was held sacred to that
| epoch, and the order closed. But when
| the second Napoleon threatened to
| bathe his steeds in the waters of the
Rhine, and possess himself of the fairest
| cities of the land, the first impulse of
| the nation was to renew the order of
| that Cross that had been to them sig
nal of Gods favor in times past; and the
possession of the Iron Cross became the
| darling aspiration of every man in the
| army, from meanest private to King
William himself.


This proud insignia has been charity
bestowed, with the sole view of making
| it an emblem of genuine merit but no
great engagement has taken place that
has not witnessed deeds SO heroic as to
claim this coveted reward. In one in


stance even the chaplain of regiment,
who had sought permission to accom-
pany his charge to battle. came back to
receive the Cross. In the heat of the
contest the officers had nearly all fallen,
and the men were wavering from a
| withering fire from the heights they


were storming; the chaplain, seeing
| the urgency of the moment, seized a
| sword, and, preaching to his men like
Peter the Hermit, led them in the
fierce assault, and soon scaled the dan
gerous crest, and stood with his chill
dren victorious on its summit. The
remnant of the brave band voted him
the warriors cross, and the King gladly
bestowed it.


The scene here depicted is the sequel
of q bitter contest in one of the sorties


from Paris. The alarm had come in


the dead of the night, but, like the cleo
trio flash, it had given life to the sleep
ing post, and in few minutes the rat


tling artillery were fastening to the en-


emies' intrenchments. Cannon were
roaring, balls kissing, and men falling
| by scores around. Presently one of the
| field-pieces is shattered, and the horses


lie groaning on the earth the advanc-


ing foe will soon possess it as trophy,


when boy-officer calls his men to his


side, cuts the traces, and with superhu-


man strength he and his men drag it,


creaking and cracking, from the enemy,
! while the latter pursue and bring half
of his men to the ground before the
piece is safely rescued.


On another wing of the engagement
the ammunition fails. A mounted mes
senger is sent to bring new supply,


but the way leads through a burning
ifofi fhn off


commanding the column starts in full


gallop with his powder train through


the flaming streets. Smoke is ascend
ing from every roof, and glowing Gin


ders are falling thick and fast; single


spark on his treasure, and he and his
men would be blown to atoms but this


is no place for timid hearts-rather lose
their lives than lose the battle.


And now comes the reward for this
valor and devotion. In few days the


heroes are summoned to the gardens of


Versailles, accompanied by their COM


panions in the contest. AS their COM


mander calls them forward from the
I silent ranks the drums peal out bravo
| to the men who have done their duty,


and a smile lights up their faces which


compensates for many shadow. By
| the side of the gray-haired veteran
stands the beardless youth who has


Just received his first baptism of fire
alike in courage, though separated by
years. AS their names are called, they
step forward, and are told that the
manly heart should be of gold, but the
will of iron; that theirs having proved


so, they are found worthy to wear the


Iron Cross as a badge of duty done and
honor won.


With this proud emblem on his
Il


happy to his family, though crippled in


body, to receive the ovations and thanks
of his fellow citizens, and give to his
| children an heirloom of which they


will be ever proud. In some instances
! this distinction has been gained only by
| the loss of life, and then the honor has


been conferred on the dead soldier who


brought from the field the testimonial
of the gaping wound in the open


breast The cross in this instance is
| sent to his nearest relatives, as the


richest legacy a fallen warrior can leave
| them.


AS we pass from lights to shadows in


our story, we next encounter the Red


Cross-the sympathy for those wounded


on the battlefield or pining in the hos


pital. 1t is not the fate of the battle
that all may gain the cross of honor and


bravery to which all aspire; too many


alas lie wounded and crippled, writh


ing in an agony from which only quick


relief will save from death. After the


warrior has fulfilled the demands o


duty, and lies victim of his bravery


he has claims to the ordinary rights o.


humanity, though he be a fallen soldier


in the face of an enemy.


These claims were so nobly responded


to in our own war by the Sanitary Com


mission, that the world looked on its re


suits and admired. In 1864, conven


ton of the friends of humanity in wal


was convened in Geneva, with view t.


the adoption of an international cod,
for the benefit of the sick and thos,


wounded in battle. The principa
T points adopted were, that the momen


a man is wounded SO as to be disabled
his person is sacred from assault, ant
: also that the Sanitary Corps attending


the army for the relief of the sick AM
wounded shall be considered as neu


trails, and their persons be free from at


tack or seizure while engaged in tn
performance of their duties. The col
or adopted by this branch of the arm.
were the Red Gross on white ground
and they were declared sacred on tn
BATTLE field and the ambulance; tn
members of the Corps generally dlspla