Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-03-08
+" FLYING ARTILLERY"

the Mexlcaus at Buena Vista, is now station
ed at Fort Trumbull, near New London, Conn.
II Is commanded by Brevet Major Thomas
Sherman, OF Newport X. J., Of whom The
News said when he left home 10 assume
lis comm nd lie is most gallant and
accompI shed officer, and we recommend him
- the good people of New Lon Ion, as a de-
vOut christian, an aniabe and worthy man,
aud a hiGh-minded, and honorable soldier"
The Light Artillery is unqucstionably the
favorile corps OF our army, and the above no.
tlce o! one OF It's most ga liant officers recalls
some particulars respecting the commander of
II in Napo'con's army-Gen. Drouot, which
we geaucd some years since from the London
Times. In the first battles of the Revolut on,
the FrrncA had no horse-aril. cry, but the ad-
vdIlages derived rom this peculiar corps were
SO manifest, that in !712 the Legislative As
scmbly decroed the organization OF a similar
body. The new corps at once sprung into
that extraordinary favor which, in all coun-
tries it seems equally to have maintained,
/ anu IlS l'i'lllhllNl Nbo III 'hc IiSo-
ent case by its strange achievement, three
! Ycars after lis establihmen', Of the capture Of
l,lho Dutch hcel, a it lay ice bound offits own
/ shores. Their, is no ohe! inst ance on record
! we believe Of a squadron surreGderlng to II
! battalion OF mounted artillery, although sail
/ ors of eu joke about horse marines.
|. Napoleon, whD had such abundant reason
! to know the Va re Of prcponderating artillery
wa, sjncuarly backward in strengthening his
l,pijched corps with the favorite arm, a on for
I.ming the GGrde Imperial he naturallzed
! Illacouns, chassaurs, lancers, grenadlers, fus-
ee and infantry into lts ranks, before any
IIguns were al;achci 10 il. At last, il 1907,
iIlr took from the old Garde Consulaire its
sole company Of light artillery, wh ch scarce
lIv nuE.burei leo men, and increased II TO
lthree sguadyous of 900 each. Two years af-
l'erwprds, he ,dcd eight companies under
lI.oloncl Drouot, aud SO rapidly did his pcrcep.
lions bightcn concerning the importance o.
lihis arm Of his force tlat the artillery of the
li.,a2enl Guard aluue, by success i've augmcn
II,atious, Lad actually reached in 1913, TO no
,ess than l9S guns This was tie terrific
weapon 50 tremendously welded by Drouot,
# which The flashes porcndcd the FIt' Ct en-
pircs a.! the ia ,f kingdoms fan more truly
.han ever DID the fiery tale ola comet
i Drouo, was an able SO dier, " no, in bravery
| I'D stead less, and, above ALL in single.ln nd
ID h nrsly, slaunch fidelity, and unimpeach'
Iblp virtue, mad no sup Nor, and but very
/: lew equals, in all that band Of heroes who
.liscl the Emperor 10 his throne of glory
In his personal haJits he was most singular,
lIue-a Frcuchmau and soldier, in the mids
I If tie imperial staff, and under the reign o
!, Napocon--wa> actually a religious character
. aud d not scruplc to avow the fact. lie eS
an carried about with him small Bible--,h,
IInn!y oDe, probably, that was ever to be fount
| N the baggage oi tie Grand Army, cxcep
tha, aced by Napoleon in the mylhologica
:, lass of hi travelling lbrary-and this 1t wa
ne Of his chic del ghsto read.
1 ltvas part of NapoIeon's system of war
fare, to keep his Light Artillery IN reserve
. ,n,i the enemy Ieean to waver. Whe'
Il Drauot was ordered to the front, it was usual
dlIly at the most hazardous moment ofthc day
nd on these occasions he is said to have al
. IINays Gr.,sel himself in certain old coat
nspoun,cd. and advanced on foo, in the mid,
' or his guns, and il did happen that, through
Inut al his innumcrabe peils and coInbats
no never received a wound Few reader
=, H ,ill r,ouir,. 10 be rem ndcd how often h. an
,is rlnnua,crs Ge lded the fate OF well
ilf.ucht 4 d. Those 81 or g. guns, descIlbe
= rye.wijnes Sc, as seeming to be actuall
discharged as tn y gallopped along, sweT
way the last relics of Russian obstnacy Q
- austrian chiyalry, and terminated the carnaG
!, Of the lay.
- In the manipulation md direction of his PIE
~ .es, Drouot was unrlvalled. Once, at tn
,ssape of the Elbe, in 1913, the Emper'
Observing the enemy on the opposite bant
allied out hastily for "a hundred pieces I
= ,onnon =" TIE General was at his side
moment with the guns in position, D.
~ ,mr,,ient was the Emperor for success
IIhat ON the eject Of the fire not being
IMMEDIATE as he expected, he jumped oil h
y ,orse, took holl Of Drouot's ears and shoe
= rim soundly. The General bore the oper
" ion with great patience, and then dehed u
F, n Emrcror II place the guns bet'er-a cha
y, .cnge which Napoleon waived with the ia
:, II pacIfed child
/, Although created a Count Of the Frcn
+. II Enairc, Drouo, retained his Bblo and ]
,;c II re,iolon-and when rcverscs at length can
- md he creatures of the Emperor boun
tollc.u OF rom h IN On every side Druot s
%. .'ooi by his master and ab'n 'oned him ne
I'LL W,th Macdonald. bertrand, aud Fam, W
-, cam rom and eau aincourt--he await
-, hat l,.t lcyce ~ tonnineLcau an! sol'
,,, Il his Sovereign to Ella With as much d
81. yo,io, as he had followed him to Dresden.