Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-10-01
b L t L E OF Nj INT TABOR


tuc WOTiu HAS SliICe UtCOtne Iamliiar. IL
was bright morning. and as he sat on
his s,eed in the clear sunlight, his eye
rested on scene in The vale below, which
was sublime and appalling enough to
quicken the pulsalion of the calmest heart.
That form was Napoleon Bonapar,e, and
the scene before him the fierce and terri
bic Battle of Mount Tabor From Ma
zareth, where the Savior once ,rod, Kle.
Der had marched forth with three thou.
sand French soldiers into the plain. where
a, the foot of Mount Tabor, he saw the
whole Turkish army drawn up in the or
der of battle. Fifteen thousand infantry
and twelve thousand splendid cavalry
moved down in majestic strength on this
band of three thousand French. Kleber
had scarcely time to throw his handful Of
men into squares. with the cannon a, the
angles. before those twelve thousand
horse, making the earth smoke and lhun-
der as they came, burst into headlong
gallop upon them. But round those
steady squares rolled a fierce devouring
fire. emp,ying the saddles of those wild
horsemen with frighlful rapidly. and
sirewing the earth with the bodies of rid
ers and steeds together. Again and again
did these splendid squadrons wheel. re-
form, and charge with deafening shouts,
while their uplifted and flashing scimeters
cleaned like forest of steel through the
smoke Of battle; but that same wasting
fire received them. Those squares seem
ed bound by girdle of fame, so rapid
and constant were the discharges. Before
their certain and deadly aim, as they
stood fighting for existence. the charging
| squadrons fell so fast that rampant Of
| dead bodies was soon formed around
| them. Behind the embankment Of dead
men and horses. this band of warriors
stood and fought for six dreadful hours,
and was still steadily thinning the ranks
Of the enemy, when Napoleon debouched
with single division on Mount Tabor,
and turned his eye below. What scene
met his gaze! The whole plain was fill
ed with marching columns and charging
squadrons of wildly galopng steeds,
while the thunder of cannon and fierce
rattle of mu.ke.ry, amids, which now and
then was heard the bias, of thousands Of
trumpets, and strains of martial music
filled the air. The smoke of ba,tle was
rolling furiously over the hosts, and all
was confusion and chaos in his sight
Amid the twenty seven thousand Turks
that covered the plain and enveloped the
enemy like cloud, and aimed the inces-
SAINT discharge of artillery and muskeuy
Napoleon could tell where his own brave
troops were struggling by the steady and
simultaneous vol!ey which showed where
discipline was con,ending against the
wild vaor of overpowering numbers
The constant flashes from behind the ram
flame on the tumu,uous and chaotic field.
Napoleon descended from Mount Tabor
with his little band, while single twelve
FOUNDER, fired from the heights. told the
wearied Keber that he was rushing to
the rescue. Thrown in confusion and
lrampled under foot, tina, mighty army
rolled turbulentlv back towards the Jor.
dan. where Murat was anxiously waiting
to mingle in the fight. Dashing with hi.
cavalry among the dlsordered ranks, he
sabred them down without mercy, ant
ragged like lion amid the prev. Thi:
chivalric and romantic warrior declared
the remembrance Of the scenes that once
transpired on Mount Tabor and on these
), thrice consecra,ed spots, came to him il
the hottest of the fight, and nerved hin
with ten fold courage.
As the sun went down over the plain
Of Palestine, and twilight shed its din
rays over the rem. and trodden. and dea
covered field. a suIphurous cloud ltnn
around the summit of Mount Tabor. Tn
smoke of battle had settled there, wher
once the cloud of glory rested. Will
groans and shrieks rem, The air. Naza
= reth. Jordan and Mount Tabor! Wha
spots for battle fields!
Roll back twenty centuries. and aga
view lha, hill. The day is brigh, an
beautiful as then. and The same rich orr
entail landscape is smiling in the sam
sun. There is Nazareth with its bus
= population-and the same Nazareth fror
which Kleber marched his army and Their
: is Jordan rolling liz brigh. waters alon
$ the same Jordan along whose bank
charged the glillering squadrons of MI
rats cava airy; and there is Mount Tabo
the same on which Bonaparte s,oo
with his cannon, and the same beautif,
plain where rolled the smoke of battle
: and struggled thirty thousand men in mo-
tai combat. But how different is tn
{. scene that is passing there! The Son
God stands on tina, height and casts hi
:" eye over the quiet valley through whic
Jordan winds It's silver, current. Tire
friends are beside Him They ha,
. walked together up the ,olsome wav, an
now the four stand mere specks in tn
distant summit. But the glorious lant
4 scape at their feet is forgotten in sui
Inner scene that is passing before then
= The son of Mary-.he carpenter of Ma
\ sreth-the wanderer with whom they ha,
Il ate and drank and travelled on foot man
weary league, in all The intimacy
: companions and friends, began to chang
- before their eyes. Over his soiled al
coarse garments is spread a strange ligh
8. steadily Frightening into inlenser beau,
mt ill tina. form CLOVIS with such sp!end
that it seems to waver to and fro and di
cnlve in tho still radiance Tho ,hr