The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-09-26

wished Macdonald 10 form the left wing of
his army in Italy and had therefore ordered
him TO attempt the passage. Macdonald,
though no Drawer or holder man ever lived,
felt Tint it was n hopeless undertaking, and
Immediately despatched General Dumas TO
represent To him the insupcrable obstacles in
the way. Bonaparte heard him through his
representations, and then replied, with his u
sual recklessness of other peoples suilerings
or DEATH 81 will make no change in my dis
positions. Return quickly, and tell Macdo-
nnld that an army can always pass in evory
season, where two men can place their feet"
Macdonald, of course, could do no other
wise than obey commands, and Immediately
commenced the necessary preparations for
his desperate undertaking. IL was the Goth
of November, and the frequent storms had
covered the entire Alps, pass and all, in one
mass of yielding snow. His army was at the
upper RheintlIal or Rhine valley, nj the Gu
trance ofthe dreadful defile ofthe Via Mala,
the commencement of the Splugen pass.-
| Tho cannon were taken from their carriages
g. put on sleds, to which oxen were hnrnessed.
The ammunition was divided about OH the
back of mules, while evcryy soldier had to
carry, besides his usual arms, five days pro-
vision. The guides went in advance, and
stuck down long poles 10 indicate the course
ofthc path beneath, while behind them came
the workmen clearing away the snow, and
behind them still the mounted dragoons,w with
the most powerful horses ofthe army to beat
down the track. On the Goth of November,
the first company left Splugen, and began the
ascent The pass from Spugen TO lsola is
about fifteen miles in length and the advance
company had, after the most wasting toll and
exhnusting effort made nearly half oft, and
were approaching the hospice on the summit
,xl,n I,.at mi,
hills, like the voice ol'the sea before n storm.
The guides understood too well its meaning,
and gaZed on each other with alarm. The
ominous sound grew louder every moment,
and suddenly the fierce Alpine blast swept in
n cloud of snow over the mountain, and howl
ed, like an unclaimed demon, through the
gorge below. In an instant all was confusion
and blindness, and uncertainty. The very
heavens were botted out, and the frightened
column stood and listened TO the raving tenn
pest that made the pine trees above it sway
and groan, rs iflifted from their rock rooted
places. But suddenly another still more nlar-
ming sound was hcurd-s'An avalanchel an
avaanche!" shricked the guides, and the next
moment an awful white form came leaping
down the mountain, and striking the column
that was struggling along the path, passed
straight through il into the gulf below, carry
ing thirty Dragons and their horses With It i'll
It's wild plunge. The black form ola steed
and its rider were seen suspended for mo-
ment in mid heavens, amid clouds Of snow,
and the next moment they fell among the ice
and rocks below, crushed out ofthe very form
of humanity. The head ofthe column reach
ed the hospice in safety. The other part,
struck dumb 10y this sudden apparition cross
ing their path in such lightning like velocity,
bearing 10 such an awful death their brave
comrades, refused to proceed, and turned
back TO the village of Splugen. For three
days the storm ragged amid the Alps, filling the
heavens with snow, and hurting nvalanchcs
into the path, till it became so filed up that
the guides declared il would take fifteen days
TO open il again so as to make il at all passa-
bile. But fifteen days Macdonald could not
spare. Independent of the urgency of his
commands, there wns no way 10 provision his
army in these Alpine solitudes, and he must
proceed. lie ordered four ofthe strongest
oxen that could be found to be led in advance
by the best guides. Forty peasants followed
behind, clearing away and beating down the
snow, aud two companies ofsappers came nt-
ter to give still greater consistency to the track
while on their heels marched the remnant of
the company Outrageous, part of which had
been borne away three days before by the av-
alanche. The post ofdanger was given them
at their own request. Scarcely had they be-
gun the dangerous enterprise, when one of
the noble oxen slipped from the precipice,
and with convulsive fling of his huge Frame
went bounding from point to point ofjagged
rocks to the deep, dark torrent below.
1t was strange sight for wintry day.
Those three oxen, with their horns Just peer
ing above the snow, toled slowly on, pushing
their unwieldy bodies through the drifts, look
ing like mere specks on the breast of the
mountain, while the soldiers, up to their
breasts, struggled behind. Not drum or bu-
gle note cheered the solitude, or awoke the
echoes of those savage peaks. The foot fall
gave back no sound in the soft snow, and the
words ofcommand seemed smothered in the
very atmosphere. Silently and noiselessly
the mighty but disordered column toied for
ward, with naught to break the holy stiffness
ofnature, save the fierce paintings of the hor-
ses and animals, as with reeking sides they
strained up the ascent. Now and then tear-
full cry startled the eagle on his high circuit
as whole company slipped together, and
with their muskets in their hands, fell into the
all devouring gorge that yawned hundreds OF
feet below their path. 1t was wild sight, the
plunge of n steed and his rider over the prec-
ipice. One noble horse slipped just as the
dragoon had dismounted, and as he darted
off with his empty sapple, and for a moment
hung suspended in mid heaven, it is said, he
uttered one of those fearful blood-freezing
cries the wounded warehouse is known some
times to give forth OH the field ofbattle. The
roar ofthe lion after his prey, and the mid
night howl ofthe wolf that has missed his e.
vening repast of blood, is gentle sound COM
pared to 1t. Once heard, it lives in the mem
DRY and brain for ever. vi
To understand the route ofthe army bet
ter, one should divide the pass into three
parts. First comes the dark, deep defile, with