352 Ten Years of my Life. 



been reported that the French were advancing. Whoever has 

 not seen such a scene cannot imaghie it. The place was only 

 occupied by cavalry, commanded by General Count Groeben. 

 When we entered his headquarters the General had left, but 

 we found in the kitchen his distracted cook, the roast on the 

 spit and a good meal in preparation. When 1 saw him pack 

 up the half-cooked meat, and everything he could grab in his 

 hurry, I stopped him, requesting him to run if he liked behind 

 his general, but to leave us the victuals, for Bapaume looked 

 as if there was nothing eatable to be had in it. The cook 

 defended manfully his general's dinner, but yielding to my 

 persuasion and perseverance we at last secured a sufticient 

 supply. The French, however, did not come that time, and 

 Count Groeben had been airing himself all day for nothing. 



We heard that the French had carried our wounded to a 

 village not far off, where they were left, the French having 

 evacuated. These wounded, about one hundred, we found in 

 the most miserable state. I'hey had been carried off from 

 Bapaume on horseback, or thrown pell-mell into carts, and 

 though many of them were very severely wounded their 

 wounds were not dressed for several days. Amongst them was 

 Captain von Butler, who had a shot through his lungs. After 

 having examined him Professor Busch told me that there was 

 no hope, and requested me to give him a dose of morphine to 

 comtort him, and do what was possible, but die he must ; and 

 so he did. 



The wounded were all brought to a convent, forming a part 

 of a building used as a barrack, and in communication with it. 

 After the wounded had had their wounds dressed, my first care 

 was to look out for something for them to eat. I found in 

 the kitchen a man, Heinrich, whom I had often seen, as he 

 was head-waiter at Perron's, a fine restaurant in Bonn, and 

 who had volunteered to go to the war as a cook. I knew him 

 to be a practical, handy man, having met him before in the 

 war and admired the good care which he took of the wounded 

 in a hospital to which he was attached. He was very service- 

 able now ; he cooked for the poor wounded, and assisted me, 

 and I was always pleased when I saw him occasionally at 

 Perron's, where he is still head-waiter. 



Looking about in the convent serving us as hospital, I en- 

 tered a darkened little room, where I found a bed w'.th some- 



