The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-07-25

The commander OF the fort had seen the
aid -de-camp gallop up to the ninth regiment,
and had understood chat his battery was to be
silenced by an assaulting column. But as the
old sergeant had remarked it was necessary
6rst to reach it. The Russians determined to
reserve their fire; and when the French had
marched over about half the ground that sepa.
rated them from the guns, they were received
with general discharge, which seemed to
blow the attacking party to pieces, Still
young Bilboquet ran ahead, hammering away
at his drum, as if in mockery OF the Russian
artillery: With wonderful rapidity the gum
ners re- loaded, and again plunged up the ranks
of the advancing voltiguers, Bilboquet was
not touched, but on looking round he saw
that scarcely quarter of the two companies
were following him. The restwcre lying dead
and wounded on the plain. Bifboquet's drum
sounded like twenty. IF his drum had been
the enemy, he could not have attacked it with
greater violence The critical moment had
now been passed It would be impossible for
the Russians to fire on their assailants third
time, for in half minute they would, be in
the battery, engaged in hand to hand fight
with the artillery men Another rush, and
after receiving volley of musketry, which
scarcely took effect, the voltiguers, with Bill.
boquet still at the head, leaped into the bate
ry, and in few seconds had dispersed their
opponents and captured the terrible guns
During the attack, the Emperor stood on a
hillock watching its progress. He shuddered
as each volley of artillery swept down his men
and when at length he saw less than half a
company enter the battery, he lowered his
glass, exclaiming fellows!'
Immediately afterwards, Napoleon gave
some orders to an aid-de-camp, who, there
upon set off at gallop towards the battery,
and Instantly returned at tho same pace.
mp
ror. =. W. <-.e'l ~
s'Forty-one, Sire" )" replied the aid-de camp.
"Forty-one crosses tomorrow morning"
said the emperor, turning towards the general
of the brigade to which the ninth belonged.
The next day, the regiment was formed ia
circle around the remains of the two compa-
nies that had been entrusted with the capture
of the battery. AS the name of each was call
ed out, the soldiers answered to it, stepped
forward to the general, and received the Cross
of the Legion of Honor.
The ceremony was over, the forty-one had
received their crosses, and the men were about
to be marched back to their encampment, when
voice from the ranks cried out,
~And then ann to have nothing?"
It was Bilboquet, the little drummer-boy,
who had been quite forgotten.
The general looked around, and saw the
young hero standing before him, his face red
with excitement, and two big tears starting
from his eye.
"You, what do you want I? asked the gen.
eral,
"Why, general, wasn't I one of them2 in
CURED young Bilboquet, almost in passion.
Dida't beat the charge in front of them all
and vast 1 the first who got into the bat
terry ?'
ats true, general, he did y exclaimed for
ty-one voices. - f--. ..5sss
Silence in the ranks" shouted the general,
then turning again to Bilboquet, he said
"What am to do, my poor boy? Its very
hard, but they have forgotten you-besides,
you are very young" he continued. Wait
| till you have hair on your chin, and then
| you'll get the cross too. In the meanwhile,
you must try to console yourself with this"
| And with these words, the general held out
a forty-franc piece to the unfortunate Bilbo-
quet. He looked at it for few moments
without evincing the slightest intention of Ia
king it. All was silent. Every one was
looking at the poor little drummer-boy, and
wondering what he would do. His eyes were
full of tears, and those who had been the first
to tease him, now piticd him from the bottom
of their hearts. The whole regiment seemed
inclined to take up his case, and probably the
result would have been petition to the EN-
peror, had not the young drummer suddenly
changed his attitude. @ a"a
He raised his head, and looked the General
| full in the face, and said
| "Well, give it to me, l must wait for anoth.
er time"
And without any further ceremony, he put
the coin in his pocket, and went back to the
rank, humming an air.
From this moment, no one thought of i'll
treating young Diboquet. But he was not
very communicative, to his comrades, and
seemed to have some strange project in his
head, about which he was constantly medita-
ting. 1t was expected that he would spend
his forty francs in treat, and several hints to
that effect:were..thrown out by,his fellow soldiers
But no. Bilboquet kept his money and his
counsel to himself.
Some time afterwards, the French army en-
tered Smolensk. Bilboquet had assisted at
the capture, and the day after, walked all over
the town, examining every face with remark
able curiosity. He seemed pleased with most
of the physiognomies he saw, for he was per-
petually smiling, especially when he met a
man who had long beard, and he met sever
al thousands of them in the course of the day.
| However, the boards of Smolensk are, for
the most part, carroty. This seems not to
have met with Biloquet's appreciation but
he probably reflected, that if the Russians, the
Poles, and other SclayoniaDs had red boards,
that was not their fault, and that they had not
chosen that color themselves for the purpose
of annoying a French drummer boy. However
that may have been, he continued to laugh
whenev er he met man with red beard, un-
til at last he found himself in the Jewish
quarter of the city, where all the boards are
black. 20 -, % - lrt - - 20 5i -
Bilboquet did not like Jews, but he liked
their black boards, and indeed, was so delight
ed that he resolved to have one of them, and
that without delay.
| Behind the counter in dirty little shop
which was one of long line, stood a Hebrew;
with magnificent beard, as black as ebony.
"What do you want my little man?" said
| the Jew patronizingly
"I want your beard?" said Bilboqut, in a
decided tone. ..F .=...-s.<I Il,
"My beardY you're joking, my little man p
suggested its proprietor, with an uneasy ex-
! pression of countenance s---z-. =-..s.-.a4s. .s