Calaveras chronicle., 1852-02-14
Marshal SOuIf.

We give the following condensed his
tory of the above soldier, the death of
whom the last intelligence from Europe
brought US. We translate it from
long and succint narrative of his ex-
pIoits in the army and the legislative
halls of his country. Although in the
latter capacity, his history may be very
interesting to Frenchmen, still it con-
tains nothing Of import to the American
reader. We have therefore but slightly
alluded to it:
Marshal Soult belongs to the great
generation of 1869, a year really eli
macteric, which produced Napoleon,
CuVier, Chateeubriand, Walter Scott,
and we believe, also, Wellington. Born
at Saint Amans, (Tarn, department
of France), of farming family, Nico-
las Jean de Soult entered as simple sol
dier, in 1885, in the royal infantry,
where he first received his military
grades. In 1791 he was appointed
second lieutenant Of company Of gre
nadiers in the first battalion of Haut-
Rhln, which very shortly afterwards
elected him by acclamation adjutant-
major, and then captain. Charged with
the command Of division, he assisted
at the battle of Kaiserslautern. AT the
battle of Weissenbourg he nobly dis
tinguished himself, where, commanding
the attack Of the left flank, he succeed.
ed IN putting to flight the Austrians
from the important heights Of Pigeon
nier, where they had nestled themselves.
His valorous achievements here, bought
him the respective ranks Of adjutant-
general-in-chief of battalion, and colo
nel-adjutant-general He was present
at the two battles Of Fleurus, at the last
of which, the divisions of Ardennes,
commanded by Marceau, having been
repulsed, and retreating in great disor-
der, the desperate general searched for
an honOurable death in the midst Of the
mills of Fleurus. Soult ran to him, and
said, You wish death, Marceau and
your soldiers are dishonoring them
selves and their standard go to them
and bring them back to the combat !
Victory will be more glorious than
death so isolated-so secluded ~ Mar
ceau listened to his friend-hurried
after the retreating soldiers and rally
ing them, came back to participate in
the triumphs of the day.
Soult assisted at the blockade of Lux
embOurg, in the capacity of general of
brigade, to which rank he had been
promoted. Shortly after, under the re-
nowned Lefebvre and Kleber, as chief
of the advance guard, he obtained sue
cessful passages across the Sieg, Enest,
and Usnach, and commanded the left
wing at the battle of Altkirchen, where
the Austrians were completely routed.
AS general of division, in the 7th
year of the consulateship, he was charg-
ed with the suppression of the Helve-
tian insurrection, and succeeded as
much by his powers of persuasion as
by the sword. This work accomplish
ed, he rejoined the army of Massena,
and took an efficient part in gaining the
famous battle of Zurich, by cutting at
night,-a maneuvre full of hardihood
and daring, through the junction of
the Anstrians with the Russians.
He followed Massena to the army of
Italy, where he commanded the right
wing, and contributed to that admirable
defense of Genes, which rendered prac-
ucqble the campaign Of Saint Bernard
and the success of Marengo.
After numerous and glorious com
bats, in all parts Of Genes, he was
wounded and made prisoner, with his
brother, at Monte Cretto but the vic
tory Of Marengo returned him liberty,
and he was named superior comman-
dant of Piedmont, where he suppressed
the insurrection Of the valley of Aoste,
and the aggression of the BGrbets.
In 1901 we find him at the head of
corps of $4,000 men, charged with the
occupation of Otrante, Gallipoli, Ia
rent and Brindes.
Eighteen months after he was desig-
mated to the general command of the
Egyptian army, vice Abdallah Menou,
resigned.
After the famous peace of Amiens, as
-colonel-general of the Consular guard,
he was, at the rupture of the treaty, in