The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1845-10-15

pected every moment to see him shattered hy
cannon ball, he moved unscathed amid the Storm
AT length Davoust was seen charging like fire
over the plateau of Wagram, and finally appear
ed with his cannon on the father side of Neu-
sedel. In moment the plateau was covered
with smoke as he opened his cannon on the ex-
posed ranks of the enemy. A smile lighted up
Napoleon's cOuntenance, and the brow that had
been knit like iron during the terrific strife ofthe
two hours before, as word was constantly brought
him of his successive losses, and the steady pro
gross of the Austrans, cleared up, and he order
ed Macdonald with eight battallions, to march
on the enemy's centre, and pierce it. This form
ed the crisis of the battle, and no sooner did the
Archduke see the movement of this terrible CO.
lumn of eight battaons, composed of sixteen
thousand men, than he knew that the hour of Eu-
ropes destiny and his own army had come. He
Immediately doubled his lines at the threatened
point, and brought up the reserve cavalry, while
two hundred cannon we're wheeled around the
spot on which such destines hung, and opened
a terrific fire on the approaching column. Mac
donald Immediately ordered a hundred cannon
to prccede him, and answer the Austrian bate
res, that swept every inch of ground like storm
OF sleet. The cannoneers mounted their horses
and starting on rapid trot with their hundred
Ipleces, approached to within half cannon shot,
and opened destructive fire on tae enemy's
ranks. With this battery at its head, beching
| forth hre like some huge monster, the mighty CO.
lumn steadily advanced. The Ausrians fell
I back, and closed on each other knowing that the
final struggle had come. At this crisis of the bat
tie, nothing could exceed the submty and ter
ror OF it. The whole interest of the armies was
concentrated here, where the incessant and ra-
pid roll of cannon told how desperate was the
conflict. Still Macdonald slowly advanced tho
his numbers were diminishing, and the fierce
battery at his head was gradually becoming ST.
lent. EnVeopod in the awful fire Of his antag-
onist, the guns had one by one been dismount-
ed and at the distance of mile and half from
the spot where he started on this awful mission,
Macdonald found himself without protecting
battery, and the centre yet unbroken. March
i ing over the wreck of his cannon,and pushing the
naked head of the column into the field, ,and into
the devourng cross fire Of the Austrian artiIle-
}, ry he began to advance. The destruction then
became awful At every discharge the head of
the column disappeared, as if it sunk into the
earth, while the outer ranks on either side melt
ed away like snow wreaths on the rivers brink.
No pen can describe the anxiety with which Ma
!, poleon watched its progress. On just such a
, charge rested his empire at Waterloo, and on its
failure his doom was sealed. But all the lion in
Macdonad's nature was reused, and he had full
ly resolved TO execute the awful task given him
or fall in the field. Still he lowered unhurt amid
his falling guard, and with his eye steadily fixed
5 on the enemy's centre, continued TO advance. At
the close and fierce discharges of these cross
batteries on its manged head the column would
> irnn md cto bnc hlyo
? ship when smtten by wave The next mo-
, ment the drums would beat their hurried charge
. and the calm, steady voice of Macdonald ring
) back through his exhausted ranks, nerving them
to the desperate valor that filled his own spirit
. Never before was such a charge made, and it
/; seemed at every moment that the torn and man
y ged column must break and fly. Tho Austrian
: cannon are gradually wheeled around till they
stretch away in parallel lines on each side of this
j band of heroes, and hurled an ncessant tempest
: of lead against their bosoms But the stern war
riors close in and fill up the rightful gaps made
# at every discharge, and still pressed on.
t Mcdonald has communicated his own settled
: purpose TO conquer or die, to his devoted follow
= ers. There is no excitement--no enthusiasm
such as Murat was wont to infuse into his men
when making one of his desperate charges of ca
g valry. No cries of "ViDe ] EmpGeur," are heard
= along their lines; but in their place is an unaer-
able determination that nothing but annihilation
, can shake. The eyes of the army and the world
n are upon them, and they carry Napoleon's fate as
1 they go. But human strength has its limits, and
= human effort the spo; where it ceases forever
t No living man could have carried the column to
where il stands, but the iron hearted hero at its
e head. But now he halts and casts his eye over
b. his little surviving band that stands alone in the
c midst of the enemy He looks back on his path
and as far as the eye can reach he sees the course
G Of his column by the black swath of dead men
G that stretches like huge serpent over the plain.
T. Out ofthe sixteen thousand men with which he
n has started, but fifteen hundred are left beside
h him. Ten out of every eleven have fallen, and
here at length the tried hero pauses, and surveys
d with q stern and anxious eye his few remaining
/. followers. The heart of Bonaparte stops beating
Il at the sight; and well it may for his throne is
$ where Macdonald stands He bears the empire
# on his single brave heart--he is the EMPIRE
# flShall he turn at last and sound the retreat?--
9 The Empire totters on the ensanguned field, fof
: like speck in the distance, Macdonald is seen
Il still to pause, while the cannon are png the
g dead in heaps around him.
: "Wili he turn at Iast?" is the secret and ago
: nizing question Napoleon puts to himself, 'must
s my throne 60 downp No! he is worthy of the
d mighty trust committed to him. The empire
stands or falls with him, but shal Il stand while he
a stands. Lookingaway tolwhefe his emperor sits
G he secs movement as if aidWere at hand. "On-
d ward" breaks from his iron lips. The roll oI
/ drums and the peang Of trumpes answer the
l. voley that smites the exhausted column, and the
/ next moment tits seen piercing the Austrian cen
IT tre The day is won-the empire saved-and
y the whole Austrian Army is in full retreat,
+ Such was the awful battle Of Wagram, and