CHRISTMAS-TIME IN FOUR CONTINENTS 193 



shelter from the piercing wind under some bush, and tried to 

 reach their wounds ; but although we examined all, none were 

 still alive. Three French line battalions, recently arrived from 

 Algeria the 3rd Zouaves, the 22nd, and 79th were the only 

 regular troops in Gambetta's New Army, which was, with these 

 exceptions, formed entirely of Guardes Mobiles and Nationaux, 

 men who had never had any experience of real war. The 

 regular troops were therefore ordered to show, so a wounded 

 Zouave told me afterwards, their rawer comrades the way in 

 which a village should be taken by brave soldiers, and nobly did 

 they obey their orders ; but with the result that the whole 

 battalion of Zouaves was wiped out, and the other two suffered 

 grievous loss. Very plainly could this be proved on the ground. 

 Close to the houses lay the Zouaves in heaps, then came the 

 dead 79th and 22nd, and after long intervals scattered Guardes 

 Mobiles and Nationaux. Nobly indeed had the brave troops 

 set the example ; but, insufficiently supported, their glorious 

 effort proved unsuccessful against stone walls and Prussian 

 fire. 



Very hard work followed those days ; the wounded had to be 

 housed, attended, and fed, which, thanks to plentiful supplies 

 brought in the wagons, we were fortunately able to do. 

 Shortly afterwards the Germans sent their own wounded away, 

 and as their troops left the village for the second taking of 

 Orleans, the Frenchmen were handed over to our ambulance 

 altogether. Soon we were able to send convoys of them away 

 to hospitals further back, and when our Christmas dinner was 

 placed upon the table but few remained. Many of these 

 convoys of wounded prisoners have I taken, and a curious 

 experience some of them proved. Thus, on one occasion we 

 left Beaune in charge of five ambulance wagons full of 

 wounded, with orders to leave them at Puiseaux. It was 

 already dark when I reported my arrival to the German com- 

 mandant there, who, after telling me that every place was full, 

 ordered the convoy to be taken to Malesherbes and failing 

 room there to Fontainebleau. There being no way out of it, 

 I returned to the wagons, which, to my horror, were empty; 

 the villagers, full of pity, had in my absence taken their 

 wounded countrymen into various houses, there to regale them 

 with hot wine and bouillon. It was freezing hard and I was 



14 



