Hannibal journal and western union. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1851-1852, 1851-12-04

lof their flight. The depression OF the soldiers
thus compelled at last, as they supposed, to ro-
treat, was extreme. Suddenly, and to the per-
Iplexity of ALL Napoleon wheeled his columns
into another road, which followed down the val
lev O. of the Adige. No one could amagino
whittier he was leading them. He fastened a.
long the banks Of the river, in mostrapid march,
about fourteen miles, and, inst at midnight, re-
crossed the stream, and came upon the rear of
the Austrian army. Here the soldiers found
a vast morass, many miles in oextent, traversed
by several marrow causeways. In these i'm
lsacase marshes superiority ia number was OF
little avail as the heads of,the column only could
meet. The plan of Napoleon instantly flashed
upon the minds of the intelligent French soldiers.
They appreciated at once the advantage he had
thus skillfully secured for them. Shouts of Joy
ran through the Ianks.o Their previous deieo-
tion was succeeded by corresponding elaton
1t was midnight, Far and wide along the
horizon blazed the fires OF the Austrian camps,
while the French were in perfect darkness
Napoleon, emaciate with care and toll, and
silent in intensity of thought, as calm and un-
perturbed as the clear, cold, serene winters
night, stood upon an eminence observing the
position, and estimating the strength Of his foes
He had but thirteen thousand troops Forty
Thousand Austrians, crowding the hill sides with
their vast array, were manGuvering TO envelop
and to crush him. But now indescribable en-
thusiasm animated the French army They no
longer doubted Ct success. Every man Gelt
confident that the Lille Corporal was leading
: them again to glorious victory.
In the centre Of these wide spreading NOR
asses was the village of Arcoa, ,'apprOached only
by narrow dykes and protected by sream,
: crossed by a small wooden bridge. A srong
division of the Austrian army was stationed here.
1t was of the first importance that this position
should be taken from the enemy. Before the
, break of day the solid columns Of Napoleon
were moving along the narrow passages, and the
: fierce strife commenced The soldiers, with
loud shouts, rushed upon the bridge. In an
instant the whole head of the column was sewpt
away by a volcanic burst of fire. Napoleon
! sprung from his horse, seized standard, and
: shouted, 'Conquerors of Lodi, follow your gen.
: eral!' He rushed at the head OF the column
leading his impetuous troops through perfect
hurricane of balls and bullets, till he arrived al
: the centre of the bridge. Here the tempest o.
fire was so dreadful that all were thown into
confusion. Clouds of smoke enveoped The
bridge in almost midnight darkness. The
soldiers recoed, and trampling oyer the deac
and dying, in. wild disorder retreated. The tai
grenodiers seized the fragile and wasted form
of Napoleon in their arms as if he had been a
, child and regardless of their own danger, drag
ged him from the mouth of this terrible battery
But in the tumult they were forced over the
dyke and Napoleon was plunged into the NOR
J ass and was left almost smothered in the mire.
o The Austrians were already between Napoleon
and his column, when the anxious soldiers per-
ceived, in the midst of the darkness and the tu-
>, multi, that their beloved chief was missing. The
wild cry arose, Forward TO save your general.
o Every heart thrilled at this cry. The whole
= column instantly turned and regardless of death
inspired by love for their general, rushed i'm
o petuOusly, rrisstibly upon the bridge. Napol.
con was extrcated and Arcola was taken.
As soon as the morning dawned, Alvinz
perceived that Verona was evacuated, and in as
y tonishment he heard the thunder of Napoleon:
guns reverberating over the marshes which
! surrounded Arcoa. He feared the genius o.
P his adversary, and his whole army was imme
n diately in motion. All day long the battle rageC
u on those narrow causeways, the heads OF th'
81 columns rushing against each other with indis
u cribable fury, and the dead and the dying filling
the morass. The terrible rebuke which ha
= been inflicted upon the division Of Vaubos still
u rung in the ears of the French troops, an
a. every officer and every man resolved TO prev
l. that he belonged to the army Of Italy. Sal
: Augereae, as he rushed into the mouth Of
ie perfect volcano of flame and fire. "Napoleol
s. may break my sword over my dead body, bu
is he shall never cashier me in Che presence Of m
lo troops" Napoleon was every where expose
y 10 every danger, now struggling through d
D 1l dead and the dying on foot heading the inpetu
oHs charge now galloping over the dykes, wit
TO the balls from Che Austrian batteries powin
If the ground arousd him Wherever his vojc
&c was heard, and his eye fall, tenfold enthusiasts
'e 'iuspired bis men. Lannes, though severel
~ wounded, had hastened from the hospital 1
a Milan, 10 aid the army in this terrible emergenc!
hs He received three wounds in endeayorng
tprOteet Napoleon, and never left his side Ii
." the battle was closed. Muron, another Of tho'
gallant spirits, bound to Napoleon by those my:
el erinils ties of affection which this strange ma
he inspired, seeing a bomb she'll about to explode
Oh threw himself between il and Napoleon, saviu
:" the life of his beloved general by the sacri6C
o. of his own The darkness Of night separate
n. the combatants for few hours, but before Ii
dawn of the morning the murderous assault W;
renewed, and continued with unabated vioenC
through the whole ensuing day. The Frenc
veterans charged with the bayonet, and hurlt
g, the Austrans with prodigious slaughter into Il
he marsh. Another night came and went. I'll
ad gray light of another cold winter 5 morning al
,e- lpeared family in the east, when the soldie
e- sprang again from their freezing, marshy bed
cir and in the dense clouds of vapor and of smol
Ter which had settled down over the morassS wi
Ia the fury of blood-hounds rushed again to Il
ed assault. In the midsFof this terrible conflict
he cannon-baE fearfully mangled the horse upC
M which Napoleon was riding. The 'powerf
~, qanimal, frantic with pain and terror, bepm
oh. perfectly unmanageable. Seizing the bit in h
St teeth, he rushed through the storm of bulle
zee directly into the midst of the Austrian rank
rI. =, H. daatb r-rlnnoad n,