THOUGHT AND ACT

Toward the end of Venemiaire, year VII., a republican period which in
the present day corresponds to October 20, 1799, two young men,
leaving Bonn in the early morning, had reached by nightfall the
environs of Andernach, a small town standing on the left bank of the
Rhine a few leagues from Coblentz. At that time the French army,
commanded by Augereau, was manoeuvring before the Austrians, who then
occupied the right bank of the river. The headquarters of the
Republican division was at Coblentz, and one of the demi-brigades
belonging to Augereau's corps was stationed at Andernach.

The two travellers were Frenchmen. At sight of their uniforms, blue
mixed with white and faced with red velvet, their sabres, and above
all their hats covered with a green varnished-cloth and adorned with a
tricolor plume, even the German peasants had recognized army surgeons,
a body of men of science and merit liked, for the most part, not only
in our own army but also in the countries invaded by our troops. At
this period many sons of good families taken from their medical
studies by the recent conscription law due to General Jourdan, had
naturally preferred to continue their studies on the battle-field
rather than be restricted to mere military duty, little in keeping
with their early education and their peaceful destinies. Men of
science, pacific yet useful, these young men did an actual good in the
midst of so much misery, and formed a bond of sympathy with other men
of science in the various countries through which the cruel
civilization of the Republic passed.