Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-02-11

when Massena at noon FASTENED to the |
spot. He ordered Soult, with two demi-
brigades, 10 retake the plateau in front of
Fort Diamond, while he himself advanced
on Fort Quezzi. Around the latter place,
the struggle became desperate. Col. Mou.
ton, after performing almost incredible
deeds of daring, fell, pierced by musket
ball. The combatants had advanced so
close TO each other that they could not fire,
and fought with stones and dubbed mus
kets. But superior numbers were fast
telling on the French, and they were on the
point of breaking, when Massena hurled
his reserve, composed of half a battalion,
on the enemy. He himself was at its
head, cheering il by his preseGce and voice,
and, dividing The enemy before him as the
rock filings aside the stream, swept the
dense masses of the enemy over their
own dead and wounded from the field.
Soult was equally successful, and Mas
sena returned at evening with 1000 pri-
soners; having slain and wounded 2400
more. For three weeks he had fought
on army Of about 40, 900 men with one of
$4,000 in the open country, and had slain
and taken prisoners in all nearly $4,000,
or almost the entire number OF the whole
army he had led into Genoa. Nearly eve-
ry man had killed or taken his man, and
yet there were $4,000 left to struggle OH.
On The 10Th OF May, MasseEa made
another successful sally with his diminish.
ed army General OF, of the Austrians.
had sent boast TO him that he had gain
ed a victory over Suchei, which was a
falsehood. The only reply the marshal
made to il was to fall on the enemy with
his brave columns. The Austrians were
hurled back by his irresistible onset, and
he returned at evening with 1900 more
prisoners. Nothing shows tn indomitable
resolution and power of the man more
| than these desperate assaults.
But nothing could much longer withstand
such superiority of numbers. Three DAYS
after this last victory, another assault was
made on Monte Creto. Massena was op-
posed TO this movement, for he saw that
! his exhausted army was not equal 10 a
siorming OF a position so strongly defend
cd as this. But he yielded to the urgent
E-olcitctio-a OF has .,ndor- oGieoss, and the
IRON -souied Soult was allowed, al his own
urgent request, to make the attempt. He
assembled with a firm step the mountain,
and fought, as he ever had done, with va
Tor that threatened 10 overleap every OBJ
stacle, when suddenly amid the uproar Of
/ battle, q thunder cloud was seen to sweep
over the mountain. The lightning min
glcd in with the flash of musketry, while
the rapid thunder peas rolled over the
STRUGGLING hosts, presenting to the specta-
tors scene of Undesirable sublimity.
In the midst of this war of the elements,
a. war of men, Soalt fell on the field
4 This decided the contest, and the French
wore driven for the first time before the
enemy. Soull, with broken leg, was Ia
ken prisoner.
This ended the fighting with the enemy,
and now the whole struggle was with fa-
mine. Bonaparte knew the fi.tress of lis
Fl brave general, and he wrote 10 Moreau 10
t az celebrate his movements on the Rhine,
t 50 thai Massena could be assisted. 'That
t general" said he, in his letter 10 Mofeau,
q wants provisions. For fifteen days he
has been enduring with his debililated sol.
diers the struggle of despair" And, in.
II deed, it was the struggle of despair. Ma
! poeon was doing, bui too late. what coulC
/ be done. Ills magnificent army was hang
ing along the al pine cliffs of San Der.
nard, while Lannes was pouring his victo
\ rious columns into the plains of Italy. Blu
> famine was advancing as fast as they
The women ran furiously through the CT
E ~, ringing bells and calling out for food
= Loaded cannon were arranged in III
e streets 10 restrain the maddened popuace
n The corn was all gonU-even the beam
and oats had failed them. The meat wa
Y consumed, and the starving soldiers lei
|. on their horses. These, too, were at lengl
j consumed, and then the most loathsom
3. animals were brought out and slain 70
= food. Massena, still unyielding and un
1t subdued, collected all the starch, linsee
r and cacao in the city, and had them mad
G into bread, which even many of the hard
h soldiers could not digest. But they sub
e mitted 10 their sufferingS without mul
S, muir. On its heing suggested to them tina
e their general would now surrender" II
t surrendern they exclaimed; "he woul
l. sooner make Us eat our very boots" The
1t knew The character of the cheftain VIII
f. had so often led them into battle, and h
lg held over them the sway of a great an
m lofty mind. But the distress increase
le every day. Wan and wretchod being
9 strolled about the streets. and, wasted vii
a. famine, fell dead beside the walls OF II
s. palaces. Elnaciated women, no long,
lie able TO nourish their infants, roamed abo
" with piteous cries, reaching out their star
r. ing offspring for help. The brave Sc