The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-07-05
Charge Of Murat at Eylau.
BY T. J. HEADLEY.

fought in mid winter, in 1907, was the mos
important and bloody one that had then oc
CURED. France and Russia had never bcfor
opposed such strength to each other, and I
complete victory on either side would hay'
settled the fate Of Europe. Bonaparte 70
manned in possession Of tho field, and tha
was oil no victory was ever 80 like do
feat.
Tho field Of Eylau was covered with snow
and the little ponds that lay scattered over |
were frozen sufficiently hard to bear the ar
tillery. Seventy-ono thousand men on on
side. and cighty.Gve thousand on tho other
arose from the frozen field on which they hat
slept that night in February, without tent o.
covering, to battle for continent. Ange
reau, on the left, was utterly routed early il
the morning. Advancing through q snow
storm so thick he could not 500 the enemy
the Russian cannon moved his ranks dowr
with their destructive fire, while the Cossacl
cavalry, which were ordered to charge, came
laundering on, almost hitting the French in
iantry with their long lances before they
were visible through the storm.
IIcmmed in and over thrown, the whole
division, composed Of 10000 men with the
exception OF l,5O0, were captured or slain.
Just then the snow storm clearing up, re.
vealed to Napoleon the peril to which he was
brought, and he Immediately ordered grand
charge by tho Imperial guard and the whole
cavalry. Nothing was further from Bona
parties wishes or expectation. than tho bring
ing of his reserve into the engagement a,
this early stage Of the battle, but there wa'
no other resource left him.
Murat sustained his high reputation on
this occasion, and proved himself for the
hundreth time worthy of the greatest conf
denco Napoleon placed in him. Nothing
could bc more imposing than the battlefield
at this moment. Bonaparte and the Empire
trcmbled in the balance, while Murat pre-.
pared to lead down his cavalry tosave them,
Seventy squadrons, making in all IA, 900 well
mounted men, began to move over the slope,
with the Old Guard marching Sternly be-
hind.
Bonaparte, it is said, was more agitatcd at
this crisis, than when, moment before, he
was SC near being captured by the Russians.
But as no saw those seventy squadrans CON-
ing down on plunging trot, pressing hard
after the white plume of Murat, :hatstrean-
cd in front, a smile passed over his counten-
ance.
Tho earth groancd and trcmbled rs they
passed, and tho sabres, above the dark angry
mass below, looked like the foam of q sea.
wave as 1t crests on the deep. The rattling
of their armor, and the muilled thunder OF
their tread, drowned oil the roar OF battle
as with firm, set array, andswift steady mo-
ton, they bore down with terrible front or
tho foe.
The shock of that immense host was like o
falling mountain, and tho front line Of the
Russian army went down like o frost work
before 1t. Then commenced protracted
fight OF hand to hand, and sword to sword
as in the cavalry action at Eckmuhl. The
clashing of steel was like the raging oil
countless hammers, and horses and riders
wero blended in wild confusion together; the
Russian reserve were ordered up, and on these
Nlurat fell with his fierce horsemen, crush.
ing and trampling them down by thousands.
But the obstinate Russians disdained to ay,
and rallied again and again. so that II was
no longer cavalry charging on infantry, but
squadrons of horse gallopins through broken
hosts. that. gathering into knots, still dispu.
ted, with unparalleled bravery, the red and
rent field.
1t was during this strange fight that Murnt
was seen to perform one Of those desperate
deeds for which no was 50 renowned. Excl.
ted to the highest pitch Of passion by the OBJ
stacles that opposed him ho seemed endowed
with ten.fold strength and looked more like
a superhuman being trcadlng down helpless
mortals, than an ordinary man. Amid the
roar Of the artillery, and the rattling ofmu'-
kerry, and falling Of sabre strokes like light
ming above him, that lofty plume never once
went down, while ever and anon 1t was
seen slaring through tho smoke Of battle,
the star Of hope in Napoleon, and showing
that his fright arm" was still uplifted and
striking for victory. He ragged like an un-
locssd lion amid the foe; and his eyes, al.
ways terrible in battle, burned with increased
lustrc, which his clear and steady voice,
heard above the turmoil Of strife, was worth
more than thousand trumpcts TO cheer on
his followers. At length, seeing q knot Of
Russian soldiers that for long time had
kept upa devouoing fro on his men, he
wheeled his horse and drove In full gallop
upon their levelled muskets. A few OF his
guards who never allowed that plumeto leave
their sight charged after him. Without
waiting to count his foes. he seized his bri.
die in his teeth, and with his pistol in one
hand and his drawn sword in the other, burst
in headlong fury upon them, and scattered
them as II a hurricane had sweptby. Munas
was thundorbolt on that day, and the deeds
that were wrought BY him will furnish themes
for the poet and tho painter.