“For several days in succession fragments of a defeated army had passed through the town.”

Boule de Suif (1880)
Context: For several days in succession fragments of a defeated army had passed through the town. They were mere disorganized bands, not disciplined forces. The men wore long, dirty beards and tattered uniforms; they advanced in listless fashion, without a flag, without a leader. All seemed exhausted, worn out, incapable of thought or resolve, marching onward merely by force of habit, and dropping to the ground with fatigue the moment they halted.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Do you have more details about the quote "For several days in succession fragments of a defeated army had passed through the town." by Guy De Maupassant?
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Guy De Maupassant 59
French writer 1850–1893

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