New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-06-29
From Harpera New Monthly Magazine
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

Harper's New Monthly Magazine
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
BY JOHN s. C. ABBOTT.
On the eastern frontiers of France there surge
up, from luXuriant meadows and vine-clad
fields and hill sides, the majestic ranges of the
Alps, piercing the clouds and soaring with gilt
tering pinnacles, into the region of perpetual
ice and snow. Vast spurs of the mountain ex-
tend on each side, opening gloomy gorges and
trighttul detiles. through which foaming torrents
rush impetuoualy, walled in by almost precipi-
tous cliffs, whose SUBMITS, crowned with melan-
choly frs, are inaccessible to the foot of man
The principal pass over this enormous ridge was
that of the great St Bernard The traveller,
accompanied by guide, and mounted on a
mule, slowly and painfully ascended steep and
rugged path, now crossing a narrow bridge,
spanning tathomless abyss, again creeping
along the edge of precipice, where the eagle
scared and screamed over the fir tops in the
abyss below, and where q perpendicular wall
rose to gidiy heights in the clouds above. The
path at times was so narrow, that it seemed tha
the mountain goat could with difficulty find a
foothold for its slender hoof. A false Steep or
slip upon the icy rocks, would precipitate the
traveller, mangled corpse, a thousand feet upon
| the fragments Of granite in the gulf beneath.
| As higher and higher he climbed these wild and
rugged and cloud enveloped paths borne by the
unerling instinct of the faithful mule, his steps
were often arrested by the roar of the avalanche
and he gazed appalled, upon its resistless rush
as rocks, and trees. and earth, and ice, swept
by him with awful and resistless desolation, fal
down into the dimly discerned torrents which
rushed beneath his feet. At Gods bidding the
avalanche fell. No precaution could save til,
traveller who was in his path. He was instantly
borne to destruction, and buried where no voice
| but the archangefs trump could ever reach his
ear. Terrific storms of wind and snow otter
swept through those bleak attitudes, binding
and smothering the traveller. Hundreds o
bodies, like pillars Of ice, embalmed in snow
are now sepuchored in those drifts. there tosleel
till the fires of the last confagraton shall hav
consumed their winding sheet. Having toilec
two days through such scenes of desolation ant
peril, the adventurous traveller stands upon tn
summit of the pass, eight thousand feet aboy
the level Of the sea, two thousand feet highe
than the crest of Mount Washington, our Owl
mountain monach. This summit, over whicl
the path winds, consists of small level plain
surrounded by mountains Of snow of still highe
elevation,
The appointed hour at last arrived On TIL
Ith of May, 1900, Napoleon entered his carriag
at the Tuilleries, saying, tGood-by, my dea
Josephne! must go to Italy. 1 shall not for
get you, and will not he absent long AT
word, the whole majestic array was in motion
Like a meteor he swept over France. lie ar
rived at the foot of the mountains The troop
and all the paraphernalia Of war We're on tn
spot at the designated hour. Napoleon imme
diately appointed a very careful inspection
/ Every foot soldier and every horseman passe,
before his scrutinizing eye. If shoe was rag
ged, or jacket torn, or a musket injured, tn
defect was Immediately repaired. His CLOWN
words inspired the troops with the ardor whic
was burning in his own bosom. The genius {
the First Consul was infused into the might
. host. Each man exerted himself to the utmost
The eye of their chief was everywhere, and hi
cheering voice around the army to almost su
I perhuman exertions. Two skiltul engineer
had been sent to explore the path, and to d
what could be done in the removal of the OF
structions. They returned with an appallin
J recital of the apparently insurmountable diff
culties of the way. is it possible,' inquire
Napoleon to cross the pass:" ''Perhaps,
. was the hesitating reply, i" it is within the lin
its of p0SsibUuy." Forward, then,' was til
energetic response. Each man was required I
/ carry besides his arms, food for several day
- and q large quantity of cartridges. As I'll
sinuosities Of the precipitous path could only |
trod in single file, the heavy wheels were take
from the carriages, and each slung upon pol
soldiers was far less than for the horsemel
8 The latter clambered upon foot, dragging the
horses after them. The descent was very dal
gerous. The dragon, in the steep and mario
D. path, was compelled to walk before his hors
At the least stumble he was exposed to beir
plunged headlong into the abyss yawning b
n fore him. In this way many horses and sove
al riders pershed. To export the heavy cam,
e and howitzers, pine logs were split in the cenr
c the parts followed out, and the guns sunk in
the grooves, A long string Of mules, in sing
- file, were attached to the ponderous machines
!, war, to drag them up the slippery ascent 7
mules soon began to fail, and then the me
Al. with hearty good will, brought their o,
lie shoulders into the harness-a hundred men
e. a single gun. Napoleon offered the peasa1
y, two hundred dollars for the transportation O
rs. twelve FOUNDER over the pass. The love of ga
,, h was not strong enough to lure them to such II
.le mendous exertions. But Napoeon's fascinati
! over the hearts of his soldiers was a more po
"a erful impulse With shouts of encourageme
"a ID they toiled at the cables successive bands Of
IS, hundred men relieving each other every h
ca. ca. hour. High on those craggy sleeps geami
@ Ten through The mist, the glittering bands of arm
). men, like phantoms appeared. The Ell
wheeled and screamed beneath their feet.
= mountain goat, affrighted by the unwon
. spectacle, bounded away and paused in bold
Ssi lief upon the cliff to gaze upon the martial
srv ray which had so suddenly peopled the solitu
,... When they approached any spot of any v
'S' especial difficulty, the trumpets sounded
: charge, which re-echoed with sublime rever
, rations, from pinnacle to pinnacle of rock
"a ice. Animated by these bugle notes, the
"a diers strained every nerve as if rushing Il
!, ~ the foe Napoleon offered to these bands
i Of same reward which he had promised to
:, peasants. But to man, they refused the G
: They had imbibed the spirit of their chief
e. enthusiasm, and his proud superiority to
EY mercenary motives, ''We are not toiling
M money" said they, '' but for your approval