Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-08-27
CARRoLLToN, WEDNESDAY. AUGUST a. 1915

mountain, and the army was compelled TO
toll up it in single file through the deep
snow. And when he arrived at the sum.
nit, which was a small fiat, about fifty rods
across, he found the Ausrians there, pre-
pared to dispute the passage with him.
This narrow fiat lay between two enor-
nous glaciers, that no human loot could
scale, and across it the enemy had built
three entertainments, forming triple line
and composed chiefly Of huge blocks Of
ice, cut into regular shapes, and fitted 10
each other. Behind these walls of ice,
the Austrans lay waiting the approach Of
the exhausted French. The grenadiers
cIambcred up The slippery path, formed in
column, and advanced with firm step on
the strong entertainments. A sheet Of fire
ran along their sides, strewing the rocks
with the dead Pressing on, however, they
carried the external palisades. but the fire
here becoming so destructive, they were
compelled to retreat, and brought word 10
Macdonald that the entertainments could
not be forced. Eight days after, however,
he ordered a fresh column under Van.
damme, TO attempt to carry them by as.
sault. Under terrible discharge, the in
trepid column moved up to the icy wall,
and though devouriug fire moved down
the men, so fierce was the onset that the
two external forts were carried. But the
fire from the inner reirenchment, and from
bloekhouse that commanded the position
of the French, was too terrific to withstand,
and after bravely struggling against such
desperate odds, they were compelled to re-.
treat. On the snowy summit of the To-
nal among the glaciers, and scattered
around on the huge blocks Office, lay the
brave dead, while the wintry sun flashed
mournfully down on the bayonets of the
retreating and wounded column. Nothing
daunted, Macdonald by circuilous route
over two other mountain ridges, at length
reached the Adige, and fulfilled the extra
ordinary commands Of Napoleon. This
wonderful exploit Bonaparale took every
pains 10 disparage, knowing as he did,
that il rivalled the most brilliant achieve
ment lie ever performed. But the world
can now see clearly, and that passage Of
the brave Scochman stands alone in mo-
dern warfare. A hired press and interest
ed Aaterers could echo the false state
menis Of Napoleon, while he welded tie
destinies Of Europe, but Time, which
-" Sets all things eyen,''
has reversed that falsehood. The passage
Of Napoleon over the San Bernard was a
magnificent feat, but the passage of the
Spugen, by Macdonald, was a desperate
one. One was attended with difficulties
alone, the other with danger--one was ex-
ecuted in sffely, the other with the loss of
whole companies. This latter fact alone
IS sufficient to prove which was the most
difficult and dangerous feat. Suwariow
was driven up bis pass by the cannon Of
the French, and led his bleeding thou
sands over the snow, while the cnemy's
muskets were continually thinning his de-
lenceess ranks. Macdonald led his CO.
lumn through an awful gorge, and up
naked Alpine peak, when the tempest was
raging, and the snow flying, and the ava
lanches falling in all the terror Of win
try hurricane. Bonaparle led his army
over the San Bernard, in the delightful
month of summer, when the genial sun
subdues the asperity Of the Alps, and with
out an enemy to modest him. Which
achievement Of the three stands lowest IN
the scale, it is not difficult to determine.