Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-10-12
From Bizarre


m0CuOHWAUs
All readers of histor; know that Napoleon's Mar
sbals were body of en-. who, as whole, differed
from and lowered above the majority OF DINER men,
in yerv much The same manner, if not to the same ex-
tent. as did Napoleon himself
In fact, have always esteemed it one OF the most
demonstraive proofs of the Empeors peerless genius
that be was able to select, out of the umbed, semi
chaotic aggregate, precisely those individuals VINO
could best subserve the special purposes for which ne
required them.
expression in words, though their access was plainly
enough visible in his face. But 10 his appreciation
of heroic Decd or his admirng sympathy with high
Qualities he did give verbal though brlet expression
followed usually by some more tangible and endur-
ing token of bis good will An advance in military
rank, or the cross of the Legion of Honor, may
be, both, often were bestowed, on the very oatAe-
field upon the subocer, even the private SOLDIER
who had achieved some especially daring or oistn
guished act under his eye. No wonder that armies
were invncibe and irresistible, who were moved by
such nstigaons as these. No wonder that such SOL
ders were enabled 10 make moderate coun-
try for many successive years. that arbtress and dlc
tatress of the European continent, with its vastly
out numbering millions
Among all his chieftains, think Ney and Macdon-
aid were held by the Emperor in profOundes respect
How it might have been had not kleber ard Desalx
been untimely cut off, of course | cannot tell. |
know that Napoleon put very high estimate upon
the soldierly abilities of both these chiefs; that he
felt for both strong personal regard ana maj ne
deeply lamented their loss.
But, as the case stood, Ney and Macdonald were
the two leaders most respected by their MASTER and
think, moreover, that Ney would have stood i" pri-
mus enter pdres, had the two deceased gener-
ais survived
In many other points dssimiIar, Ney and Mac
donald had one quality in common, and that in an
extraordinary degree. Speaking hguratlvely, in the
hinder head of each was depos ted lump OF IRON,
even bigger than in that OF Napoleon himself; which,
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ueness, determination tenacty OF purpose, Il
stubbornness of endurance, or quality combining
all these, If there is any difference between them,
which made '' backing out" from what they had un-
dertaken. or even hesitating to 60 forward in path
they had entered upon, thing to be submitted to on
memorable necessity alone.
This quality in them was not merely a passive
principle, but active one also, and they could COM
municae the same, by species of magnetlzIng pro-
cess, to the men under their command Whether 1t
was to move slowly ahead, with bayonets fixed, and
without returning shot, in the face of artillery and
musketry, vomiting necessarily tempest OF death
dealing balls upon their seTried masses; or whether
ii to stand motionless and be delugngly sormed
on by the same missiles, or dashed against by
cessive furious whirlwinds of cavalry charges, the
troops under the command of these chiefs were, in
the case rock moving, and, in the other, rock
stationery-in either impenerable and lmperVl-
Gus TO all influences, the single one that babe
them move or stand still Or in the ordinary phrase,
firmly, as Ney and Macdonald.
most thrilling and, may add awful example OF
this presented in of the great continental
battles.
Macdonald was ordered, with strong body of In
fantry to assault and attempt to break the Austrian
centre (This, as all readers of history know, was
one of Napoleon's tavorite manoeuvres, which, in
fact, raely failed of being successfully
Macdonald at once marshaIled his men, command
ed them to fix bayonets, and moved forward with
hopo nAorfo fort no AuS.
TRAN forces arranged in half shape, the
two horns of the crescent being pointed towards
army OF course, the centre the most distant por
ton of the Austrian army and our FORCE in order to
reach it, obliged, for great part of the way,
to sustain front fire and cross fire from two wings
1t was similar 10 the recent charge OF the Esx
hundred before Sebastopol.
On passing between the two WINGS the carnage be-
came horrible. lncessan cannon boomngs and mus
ket ratings from the front and from either side
dropping by scores every Instant and our ranks co
sing cooly up and moving steadily onward, without
fri lg return uttering sound-it was specta.
Gle that made the behoders heart beat FAST and his
breath come thick! The leaders voice of command
cheer occasionally heard clear, sonorous, and
untremulous ever, and each successive sound of it
was like additional blow stricken upon red hot
iron-making them trmer more lmperVious and i'm
pregnable of mood.
While yet some distance short of the point aimed
at, the Marshal paused an instant and looked back
shocking spectacle met his view. A long line of
PROSTATE men-the dead, the dying, and the with
ing, grooming wounded, strewing thickly
the ground, from the spot where he stood to that
from which he had started 1t looked absolutely
like road paved with mangled bloody human bodies.
He looked at his ranks and noted that they
grievously thin2ed-scarce half the original number
remained For once his steel heart we'll nigh gave
way, and he was about 10 order hurrying retreat.
But a moment later, his native mood returned; he
accelerated the advance; in few moments the
point aimed at was reached; the troops poured in
one CRASHING voey, and with loud cheers rushed on
with the bayonet; in less than twenty minutes the
enemy's centre was broken, and his whole army
in hasiy and disorderly retreat.
1t was superb and rarely equalled charge; and
doubt whether another general in the army, with
the sole exception of Ney, could long have held
his men amid fire SO deadly, and under such diff
cult circumstances.
Ney could have done it. He had done like things
repeatedly. But never did this ndomitabe frmness,
this iron resolution, come out conspicuously in
the fatal retreat from Moscow There was, in truth,
most desperate need of it, Napoleon acted with his
wonted judgment when he made Ney commander of
his rearguard, though it is quite probable he sup.
posed he was thus sacrificing his favorite marshal
on this rearguard, and he knew this leader would do
all that mora! could do, for the benefit of the
whole.
And he did perform almost more than mortal deeds
Day after day and night after night with freezing,
starving, suffering band, he kept at bay ten = if
teen times the number of well supplied, well appoint
ed troops burning TO revenge themselves the de-
tested foes who had desecrated their natal soil.
| need Tot detail the history of those days and
nights Tor all reading persons familiar with it.
Its incidents seem like fiction than fact and
that ne should have been able TO break through and
surmount such obstacles, finally to reion Ma
poleon, appears little short of miraculous.
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