Year: 1871

As the war is prolonged its horrors in
crease. The bitter weather under which
we are shivering in this country would
alone involve q terrible aggravation of
misery. Ia this respect it is long since
such sufferings have. been inflicted, even in
war. But such horrible scenes as were
described by ga Military Correspondent"
are but too probable in such operations as
the army of the Loire has lately been en-
gagged in, and it is to be feared they have
been many times multiplied within the
course of the present mouth. That army
has been executing continuous "strate-
aic movement of retreat, aud fighting
almost continuous battles during some of
the severest weather of the month. Both
armies have been strained to the uttermost,
and have had no time to look behind
them. The horrible consequences has
been that the wounded have practically
been left as uncared for as the dead. They
have in some instances been gathered off
the field of battle, though there must be
nun bers who have been left to perish Of
cold on the spot where they fell. But
even when carried under shelter they have
simply been heaped together in unin-
habited houses, and have sometimes lain
there for days unattended, unted, and
almost uncovered.


The scenes at Beaugency, described by
"a Military Correspondent" is one even
more horrible, because more prolonged
scene of agony. In house which had
once been a Pension do Jeunes Files,
"every room from cellar to roof was crowd
ed with dead and starving men, lying so
thick it was impossible to move among
them" 1t was Saturday, and many of
them had been there since the Wednesday,
some since the Tuesday. All that time
mot one drop of water, not one atom OF
food had passed their lips" nor had any
comforting hand approached them. If a
broken legged sergeant had been able to
| throw his own coat over bis more severely
wounded officer that was the utmost relief
any of them had obtained. Moreover
the windows of the house were all
broken, "and all these days and
nights of almost Arctic cold they
had been lying on the bare floor
with their wounds uudressed." All
| the agouies of wounds, Of cold, Of
munger, anu tnlISb, WlLn all eno holiolo "
death, were endured for days together by
these helpless sufferers. The battle, il
fact, had been raging for three days around
Beaugency, neither side gaining such un
disputed possession of the town as to bt
able to think of the wounded. Even OF
the second day, German shells burst IL
hospitals where French volunteers wer
tending German wounded. That nigh
there was only one doctor in the towr
capable of performing amputations, ant
there were 200 desperately wounded mel
in one building alone.


The dead lay thick among the dying
and as the former was dragged out thei
places were instantly filled. Miserabl
objects, with broken jaws or faces half sho
away, wandered about pointing to thei
dreadful wounds and making piteous sig
nails for water, which was impossible 70
them to swallow. Officers and men, vete
rams and boys, lay in one undistinguisha
BILE mass Of misery. Every moan that th
human voice can utter rose from that heal
of agony. This was on the Thursday
How many more scenes like the one W
have just described might there have bee
seen in Beaugency on Saturday An
how many more in the numerous village
over which the storm of conflict has pass
ed between Beaugency and Vendome.