New Orleans and its forts--Farragut despises craven counsel--The mortar-fleet in disguise--Fire-rafts rush down--A week of hot gun-fire--A dash through the defences--The _Varuna’s_ last shot--Oscar, aged thirteen--Ranged before the city--Anger of mob--Summary justice--Soldiers insulted in the streets--General Butler in command--Porter nearly blown up in council--Fort Jackson in ruins--“The fuse is out” 213-219 CHAPTER XVI THE SIEGE OF RICHMOND (1862 AND 1865) Fair Oaks a drawn battle--Robert Lee succeeds Johnston--Reforms in the army--Humours of the sentinels--Chaffing the niggers--Their idea of liberty--The pickets chum together--Stuart’s raid--A duel between a Texan and a German--Effect of music on soldiers--A terrible retreat to James River--Malvern Hill battle-scenes--Three years after--General Grant before Richmond--Coloured troops enter the Southern capital in triumph--Lee surrenders--Friends once more 220-230 CHAPTER XVII THE SIEGE OF PARIS (1870-1871) WITH THE GERMANS OUTSIDE The Germans invest Paris--Trochu’s sortie fails--The English ambulance welcomed--A Prince’s visit to the wounded--In the snow--Madame Simon--A brave Lieutenant--Piano and jam--The big guns begin--St. Denis--Old Jacob writes to the Crown Prince--A dramatic telegram--Spy fever--Journalists mobbed 231-240 CHAPTER XVIII THE SIEGE OF PARIS--_Continued_ WITH THE BESIEGED (1870-1871) Moods in Paris--The Empress escapes--Taking down Imperial flags--Playing dominoes under fire--Cowards branded--Balloon post--Return of the wounded--French numbed by cold--The lady and the dogs--The nurse who was mighty particular--Castor and Pollux pronounced tough--Stories of suffering 241-250 CHAPTER XIX METZ (1870) Metz surrounded--Taken for a spy--Work with an ambulance--Fierce Prussians rob an old woman--Attempt to leave Metz--Refusing an honour--The _cantinière’s_ horse--The grey pet of the regiment--Deserters abound--A village fired for punishment--Sad scenes at the end 251-263 CHAPTER XX PLEVNA (1877) An English boy as Turkish Lieutenant--A mêlée--Wounded by a horseman--Takes letter to Russian camp--The Czar watches the guns--Skobeleff’s charge--The great Todleben arrives--Skobeleff deals with cowards--Pasting labels--The last sortie--Osman surrenders--Prisoners in the snow--Bukarest ladies very kind 264-279 CHAPTER XXI SIEGE OF KHARTOUM (1884)