The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1846-08-20
HEADLEY'S NAPOLEON AND HIS
MARSHALS.
BATTLE OF HoHENL1NpEN.


The lser and The Inn as they flow from
the Alps towards the Danube, move nearly
in parallel lines aad nearly forty miles apart.
As they approach the river, the space be-
tween them becomes one elevated plain,
covered chiefly with a sombre, dark pine
!, forest-crossed by two roads only-while
Z the mere country paths that wind through.
E it here aud there give no space to marching
r columns. Moreau had advanced across this
a forest TO the lnn, where, on the lst of De-
i, cember, he was attacked and forced to re-
i trace his steps, and take up his position on
e the further side, at the village. of Hohenlin-
!, den. Here, where one OF the great roads
e debouched from the woods, he placed Ney
Al and Grouchy.
ri "The Ausirians, in four massive columns
q plunged into this gloomy wilderness. design
m ing TO meet in The open plain of Hohenlin-
el den-the central column marching alU Q
n, the high road, while those on either side,
made their way through, amid the trees as
NJ they best could.
N ''It was stormy December morning
he when these seventy thousand men were
al; swallowed from sight in the dark defIes of
re Hohenllnden. The day before il had rained
in ole but now a furious snow storm datken-
M ed the heavens, and covered the ground
an with one white unbroken surface. The by
oy paths were botted out, and the sighng
co pines overhead dropped with their heavy
in burdens above The ranks, or shook them
down on The heads of the soldiers, as the
til artillery wheels Smote against their trunks
h, 1t was strange spectacle, those long dark
in columns, out OF sight of each other, stretch
. ing through the dreary forest by themselves,
ST while falling snow, sitting over the ranks,
made the unmarked way still more solitary.
The soft and yielding mass broke the tread
:, of the advancing hosts, while The rumbling
r. Of the artillery, the ammunition and the bag
:. gage wagons, gave forth muffied sound,
:, that seemed prophetic of some mournlul Ca
= tastrophe. The centre column alone had
!, hundred wagons in its train, while behind
these were FIVE hundred wagons--the whole
!, closed up by the slow moving cavalry
!; Thus matching, il came about nine O'Clock
/; upon Hohenlnden and attempted TO de-
!, bouch into the open plain, when Grouchy
= fell upon it with such fury that it was forced
\ back into the woods. In moment the ole
Il forest was alive with echoes, and its gloomy
recesses iIlumned with the blaze of arlilie
~. Grouchy, Grandjeau and Ney, put forth
incredible efforts 10 keep this immense force
from deploying into the open field. The
two former Struggled with the energy o
desperation TO hold their ground, and al
. though the soldiers could not see the enc
mics lines, the storm was 50 thick, yet they
took aim at the flashes that issued from toe
wood, and thus the two armies fought. The
pine trees were cut in two like reeds by the
artillery, and fell with crash on the Aus
TRAN columns, while the fresh falling snow
turned red with the flowing blood. In The
mean time Ricbenpanse, who had beer
sent by circuitous route with a single di-
vision 10 attack the enemy'5 rear, had &C
complished his mission. Though his divis
ion had been cut in two, and irretrieVabll
separated by The Austrian left wing, The
brave gene raj continued 10 advance, and Eel
boldly on forty thousand AusTians. A
soon as Moreau heard The sound of his can
non through the forest, and saw the alarm i
spread amid The enemy's ranks, he ordered
Ney and Grouchy 10 charge full on the Aus
TRAN centre. Checked, then overthrown
that broken column was rolled back in dis
order, and utterly routed. Campbell, the
poet, stood in tower, and gazed on this ter
rible scene, and in the midst of the fight
composed, in part, that stirring ode which il
known as far as the English language is spo
ken.
"The depths of the dark forest swallowed
The struggling hosts from sight; but still
there issued forth from IFS bosom shouts ant
yells mingled with the thunder of cannon
and all the confused noise of battle. Th'
Austrans were utterly routed, and The fright
ened cavalry went plunging through th'
crowd Of fugiiiyes into the woods-ihe ar
tilerymen cut their traces, and leaving shei
guns behind, mounted their horses and g al
loped away--and thai magnificent column
as if sent by some violent explosion, wa