THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR. 6$ 



was a needless alarm, for the Prussian shells were much 

 better than the French ones, which very often did not go 

 off when they were meant to. The landlady was most 

 polite and obliging, though she had two officers billeted 

 upon her, and the upper part of her " Hotel de Luxem- 

 bourg" was in ruins. There was only one chamber intact, 

 so some of us had perforce a draughty night of it. 



December yd. Utter disorder prevailed at the railway 

 station. German guards, porters, drivers, stokers, had been 

 substituted for French ones, and the people could not or 

 would not make themselves understood. Even the ticket- 

 clerk did not know French money when he got it, or a 

 bond fide traveller when he saw one ! 



Arrived at Metz. Three prisoners, recaptured runaways, 

 were chilling themselves and their guard on the platform 

 until they could be taken off prisoners into Germany. 

 Wretched-looking objects ! Plow different from the smart 

 uniforms in the " Grand Place," where were being drilled 

 a moiety of the five and thirty thousand Prussians who 

 now garrisoned Metz, as was currently reported. The flower 

 of France went down before these broad-shouldered fellows. 



December ^tJi. Walked to the village of Woippy ; noticed 

 Crested Larks in small flocks upon the snow. Just before 

 we got to the village, we met the Cure, who sent for the 

 " Maire," who sent for the Sergeant of the Police, who con- 

 ducted us to the farm of St. Agathe. The Prussians had 

 taken it and held it, and the " chassepot " had left its mark 

 on the walls in many places. I picked up in the grass 

 several bullets shaped liked a miniature shell, barring the 

 ribs. He then took us to Chateau Ladonchamps, which was 

 held by both parties and twice bombarded. It is a square 

 castellated building in a wood, surrounded by a moat. We 

 found outhouses, extensive stabling, a chapel, etc., and al- 

 together it must once have been — before its investment — as 

 nice a residence as any country gentleman could wish to 



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