It was a problem what would become of the inhabitants in these country districts, where the Prussians (as my host and hostess informed me) had eaten up their meat, bread, and vegetables, had carried off their cattle, their hay, straw and corn, and in many instances had finished up, when they thought the people had balked them of supplies, by burning the houses over the heads of the Frenchmen. Such things, we were assured, had come to pass round Orleans. On several occasions since leaving Longumeau, we had encountered waggon-loads of women and children, who told us piteous tales how their houses had been destroyed, and themselves obliged to fly; and, perhaps, the saddest part of their story was, that when we asked whither they were going, they seemed, in some instances, not to have the faintest idea. They were wanderers on the face of the earth, and dazed by the calamities which had fallen on them so unexpectedly.
We left Chevilly for Orleans on the morning of the 19th. Our road still lay through the heart of the battlefield; and innumerable horses, knapsacks, broken muskets, and military trappings of all sorts, were lying about on every side. The frequent graves told their own monotonous tale. It had become a strange and painful journey; but our adventures were not yet over.
CHAPTER XIV.
ENTERING TO THE SOUND OF CANNON.—66 QUAI
DU CHÂTELET ASSIGNED TO US, ALSO THE
RAILWAY TERMINUS.—DESCRIPTION OF OUR NEW
QUARTERS.
About midday we entered Orleans by the Faubourg Bannier. All this time the cannon had been actively engaged at the other side of the town in the direction of Châteaudun, and, as we passed in, we met several companies of German regiments marching along some by-roads towards the quarter whence the sound of firing came, doubtless with the intention of joining in the fray. Orleans had fallen into the hands of the Bavarians; but at present the garrison was small, for all the available troops had been sent to the front, where they were now pursuing the Army of the Loire in its retreat upon Tours. In passing through the Faubourg Bannier, we saw convincing proofs of a severe and very recent conflict. Whole lines of houses were burned to the ground, while others had been partially demolished by shell, or had their doors and windows riddled. Many of the doors bore marks of having been broken through by the crowbar, or the hatchet of the sapper. In the streets the litter of the bloody battle which had been fought in the previous week, lay scattered about; and, judging from appearances, the street fighting must have been a very hot affair indeed.
| REFERENCE. | |
| 1. St. Paterne. | C.2. |
| 2. Cathedral. | F.4. |
| 3. Hôtel de Ville. | E.4. |
| 4. Museum. | E.5. |
| 5. Hôtel Cabul & Histl. Musm. | D.5. |
| 6. Notre Dame de Recouvrance. | C.5. |
| 7. St. Aignan. | H.6. |
| 8. St. Euverte. | H.4. |
| 9. St. Pierre. | E.4. |
| 10. House of Agnès Sorel. | D.5. |
| 11. House of François I. | C.5. |
| 12. St. Paul. | C.5. |
| Hôtels. | |
| a. d'Orléans. | D.2. |
| b. d'Aignan. | C.1. |
| c. du Loiret. | D.3. |