Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-08-27

and the blaze of artillery, The strong Al
pine storm was alike invulnerabIe. On
the serried column and struggling line it
Numbered with the same reckless power,
while over all the sifted snow lay like one
vast winding sheet. No one who has not
seen an A pine storm, can imagine the
fearful energy with which it RACES through
the mountains. The light snow borne
aloft on its bosom, is whirled and scattered
like an ocean of mist over all things
Such storm now piled around them the
drifts which seemed to form instantane-
ously, as by the touch of magician's
wand. All was mystery and darkness,
gloom and terror. The storm had sound
ed its trumpet for the charge, but no note
of defiance replied. The heroes of so
many battle fields stood in still terror
before this new and mightier foe. Crowd
ing together as though proximity added
to their safety, the disordered column
crouched and shivered in the blast that
seemed to pierce their very bones with
chilling cold. But the piercing cold, and
drifting Snow, and raging storm, and con-
cealed pitfalls, were not enough to COM
plete this scene of terror. Avalanches
fell in rapid succession from the top of the
Splugen. Scaling the breast of the noun
tain with single leap, they came with a
crash on the shivering column, bearing it
away to the destruction that waited be-
meath. The extreme density of the at
mosphere, filled as it was with snow, i'm
parted infinite terror TO these mysterious
messengers OF death, as they came down
the mountain declivity. a low rumbling
sound would be heard amid the pauses OF
the storm, and as the next shrek of the
blast swept by, rushing as of counter
blast smote the ear, and before the thought
had time to change, rolling, leaping,
broken mass of snow burst through the
thick atmosphere, and the next moment
rushed with the sound of thunder, far, far
below, bearing away a whole company OF
soldiers TO lis deep dark resting place.
On the evening of the 9th of Decem.
Der, the greater part of the army had pass
ed the mountains, and the van had pushed
on as far as Lake Como. From the 9th
| of November to the 9Th of December, or
nearly two weeks, had Macdonald been
engaged in this periIous pass. Nearly
two hundred men had persisted in the un-
dertaking, and as many more mules and
horses. We do not believe there was ano.
Their general, except Ney, that could have
succeeded in the face of such obstacles
as Macdonald was compelled to struggle
against. And we never in imagination
see that long struggling line, winding it.
| self like huge anaconda ouer the lofty
snowpeak of the Splugen, with the indomi
table Macdonald feeling his way in from
covered with snow, while ever and anon
huge avalanches sweep by him, and the
binding storm covers his men and the
path from his sight, and hear his stern
calm, clear voice directing the way, with
out feelings of supreme wonder. There
is nothing like il in modern history, unles:
it be Suwarrow's passage of the Glarus
in the midst of a superior enemy. Bona
parties passage over the St. Bernard-sC
world-renowned-was mere child's play
compared to if. That pass was made il
pleasant weather, with nothing but the
ruggedness of the ascent to obstruct The
progress. Suwarrow, on the contrary
led his mighty army over the Scachenthal
breast-deep in snow, with the enemy OF
every side Of him, moving down his rank
without resistance! Macdonald had NJ
enemy to contend with but nature but i
was nature alive and wild. The path BY
which he led his army over the Splugen
was nearly as bad in summer as the 81
Bernard at the time Napoleon crossed il
But in mid-wnter to make path, and lea
) an army of fifteen thousand men throug
hurricanes and avaanches, where the foo
of the Channels scarce dared to tread, wa
, an undertaking from which even Bonapart
J himself would have shrunk. And Napc
: leon never perpetrated a greater false
: hood, or one more unworthy of him, tina
when he said, THE passage of the Spluge
presented without doubt some difficulties
but winter is by no means the season {
! the year in which such operations are cor
Quoted with most difficulty; the snow
then firm, the weather settled, and ther
5 is nothing TO fear from the avalanche
: which constitute the true and only DANCE
: to be apprehended in the Alps.n Bona
parte would have US to suppose that n
' avalanches fall in December, and that Ii
passage of the Spugen in the midst of hu
$ ricanes of snow. was executed in sssettle
j weather." What then must we think
/. has passage Of the San Bernard, in summ'
J, time, without a foe to modest him, or q
4 avalanche to frighlen him!
t But Macdonald's difficulties did not Ell
y with the passage of the Splugen. To FL
p FL the orders Of Napoleon to penetrate j
: to the valley of The Adige, he had no 500
i er arrived at Lake Como, than he begi
q the ascent of The Col Anrina. which al