Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-03-31
ny MAJOR JOHN F. LAxGESBAucH, SEN.
CHAPTER VII.

In sullen hnmor the troops held on their way
The field appeared in few minutes to be changed
into a rigid tracelcss unboundcd occan;-and how
desert, where sun, star, distant mountain
or tower could bo discovered, and mo- road dis
cernable1 Those warriors wht.h,d marched from
the Pyramids to the mouth Of the Tagus-from the
mount ,inso of ,labra to the roaring Bclt-from the
Pyrcnccs to the foot of the ufal-n constant bat
ties. AMI delyins all dmscrs-.ltsc warriors felt
now. for the first timc the vision of fear hunting
their hearts. The NJ uses of snow became more
and moro heavy. Not satisfied with tli,sc which
il shook from the clouds, the storm also stirred up
thnsc OH the ground, and whi.tcd them in the faces
of the soldiers. Drifting over hill and plain, it
filed the whole valley through which the road ran
"Onc would think that the feet of so many thou
s,nds, would make u hard path" said L, to
Lerusli, '.but before find foot tracks, and
behind us we leave none-so rapidly arc the! effa-
ccd by the stcrm.''
| The line was checked. At first Larusa thought
: it MAS only momentiry delay. Soon. however,
hc perceived that serious obstacle must have been
IN, ct witi--for the hat lasted too long At length
an adjutsni, who with great difficulty, had worked
him self and horse through the snow, approached
I.ariish.
IL bring you the orlcr Colonel, forthwith to send
half the horses OF your regiment to the aid of the
artillery. They can't get forward; before us is n
,lsie where the snow is heapcd up to the height of
ams-."
.Mu-s,ny men di.mountl' inquired L,rush,
both surprised aml alarmed.
at is hard necessity. hut tho same order is CO.
ims t.ir ugh all the regiments. Even the Empcr-
,r's Gu,rd are required resign their ho.scs and
wslk. Saddles AMI baggage remain--ti.e soldiers
can follow them"
Larush saw that there help for this state
o. things still it COS. him hard struggle to deprive
his "a thful men, unaccustoncd to walk, Of their
horses He BETRAYED, however, dissatisfaction.
w .t!,out delay he ordered the first and second
s,uarols wheel 10y sections to the right, aud de
sired them TO ride ont from the regiments into the
roul They were then broken into half SECTIONS.
follow ell the aduant at the head Of them, under
Iarusl,'. command. They had to put their horses
twelve by twlevc to the guns of the nearest d'is-
ion, Which in the confusion could be dane only with
ir,pcs and miserable fragments of harness. The
slhlicrs walked by their sides.
..You do the work to-day s,d Larush; "to-
morrow your comrades will do it,
In this way twas Just possible for the artillery to
adv ance; but tho difficulty great, for the wheels
sunk To the axlcs in the snow, while the snow and
earth together formed a mass of miro which adj
h red with great tenacity to the wheels. The
sounds of lashil,ss and exccraiions rose high above
tho tumultuous t!rong; aud although twenty Or thr-
tv horses were attached to some OF the guns, the
aid of many mon requisite to force thcnr for
ward. hftcr some time, fatigue completely over
D ,wered both m IN and beast. Discipline in the
several regiments began disappear, ard numbers
o. cnfccble, men dropped behind. NJ ny no Ion
ger con inucsl on the rpadthc tracks were lost in
the SNOW drift, and each cndcavorcd to find bet
ter way for himself; thus il that as often ss
hill was seen barred by the blast. vast numbers
crowded upon il in the hope oi enjoying bricf res
pitc from their abors Many. however, paid a ter
rec lenalis, tor Lehind ,hosc hills were o;tei
dc, y chasm and pres piccs, whic'. d-ceit.ul ly hill
c,l, prcscnted IN apparent level viii, the ground
On a su,l.lcn men found themselves immersed t6
the MD c, or even to the shoulders others, b!in
ed by tho drifting snow, stumbled ov-r their fallen
comrades AMI were prec;pitstcd deeper into theil
winiFy grave.
Thus il WIS often observed thi; il,rec of four mer
suddenly disappeared beneath the SHOW. Few on
ly were able to work themselves through; the grea
ter part lost their strength entirely, and the mus
kct or the weapon with which they cndcsrorcd te
! Al. har
They would rest few moments to catcI, breath
but there were none to hear their CRY, nor could
human aid reach them; all were sufferers suppl
csnss ami each one Ind enough to occupy all his en-
crscs. When the first victims fell, all hearts
struck with pity and dismiy; yet when their NUM-
bcr incrcased-whcn with approaching darkness
hundreds ami even thousands remained on the field
compassion was swallowed up in dread, and assh
was all that could be spared for those struck down.
The snow was their winding shcet-lssavcn's white
saroud-soon covered them. At first "A slight &C.
vstion indicated the resting place Of the dead; bu,
in short time the desert was even again, and cv-
cry trrce of grave cf,ced. Night came, t,ut no
stars were visible. The hcavcns, becoming moro
ch,rgcd, inccsssntly poured down tho icy destruc.
|
eye could scarcely discover psth for the uncertain
foot; all who straycd aside, Jagged behind disap
pcared in the profound darness- Whos,evcr fell
was soon swallowed up in the deep bcdded snow
their dying eyes last opened the darkness Of that
fearful night
Around and within Dorogobusc the army en-
, c,mpod after this terrible day. With bruisc.l and
stificncd limbs, the soldiers reached their resting
place. To the weary, the sick, and the wounded
every step had been torture; and yet the trouble
some bivouac were to be made, and straw and food
for their horses, aud wood and provisions for them
selves to be procured. With his. .accustomcd zeal
and activity, Colonel Larush had succeeded in sc
curing, a miserable house which gaze shcIter a,
least totaIfhis men. Herein dncd outside him.
self, by persuasion and example, 70 encourage the
wesricd soldiers complete their work for the day
by cutting wood, bringing provisions. and clearing
the pw from tl,e place where they were to sleep
With sorrow he found--by calling the roIl--tha,
twenty eve Of his soldiers were missing. In addi-
ton to this thirty horses had died Where wosld
it end The darker coming events appeared, the
more Larush felt the necessity Of showing an I'M