The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-09-25
Panic-Strifken Soldiers.

Panic-StriCken Soldiers.
The question is often asked, will troops
that have fed from battlefield in a panic
ever get over The demoralizing effect? We
have, in reply, only 10 say that panics are
not uncommon things in war, and are not
confined by any means 10 new levies, snch
as composed our army at Bull Run. Nepo-
/ leon /, with an army composed of MS best
veterans, suffered from TWO panics, among
the most disgraceful recorded in military an
j nails, yet the same troops a few days after
wards achieved brilliant victories.
In the month Of July, ls4S, the Italian
army, under Charles Albert, was marching
1 toward Mantua for the parpose OF besiesing
that important fortress the Piedmontese
secretary of war, Gen Bava, commanding
the advance, eleven thousand strong All
went well with the Italian army, and victory
seemed within its grasp. The enemy, IN.
der the Austrian Marshal Radelzky, was
! fortified in Verona, and an Austrian governor
was there. One fine morning, $50 Gen.
Bava relates 10 his report 10 the parliament
at Turin,) as the advanced troops marched
along, shot was suddenly fired out OF a
solitary house, mill sea. Tie .irailleur
raised the cry, " the Ausirians The Aus
trians y and precipiately reirealed. The
cry was repealed by whole battalion which
al the same time wheeled about aud march
ed back al double quick lime. The move
ment was soon degenerated into a wild run.
The fright communicated itself 10 the ether
troops, and in short time the whole adj
vance corps of eleven thousand men we're
dissolved into an ignominious route and, in
spite OF their commanding General, fed for
more than ten miles, dnlil there course was
arrested by the approach of reinforcemenls
Gen. Bava resumed his march the next day
and it was purely accidental on the part o.
the people in the mill. There were nc
Austrians within several miles.
But the most remarkable case of panic is
of such recent occurrence that il must be IA
mliar with intelligent people. At the bault
of Solleuno, French corps of fifteen thou
sand picked troops ran some fifteen miles
back 10 Brescia, because five struggling
Austrian huzzars suddenly appe ared on The
road, there object being TO surrender them.
selves as prisoners to the French. A
graphic description OF this most disgracefuI
affair was published al the time, from the
pen OF II j. Raymond, of the New Yorl
Tunes, who saw the panic
The battle Of Rosbach, which was Tough
Sth
blance, in many particulars, 10 Bull Run
On the occasion referred 10, Frederick III
Great, with twenty five thousand men, al
tackled the combined army of the FrencI
and lmperiaists, fifty-iour thousand strong
under The command OF the French Duke d,
Soubise Two French regiments fought 70
a half hour ard than the whole army bega
10 waver, and finally the entire force broke
abandoning arms, artillery and camp equip
age. The route was continued TOR NOR
: Than forty miles from the battle field.
Panics have even seized men in forti6e
camps anu cilies. Alter the battle OF Jena
October, 1906 Murat came with three csvalr
regiments before The Folress Steiuin, an,
{; asked an unconditional surrender. He had
strange as il may seem, no infantry or artil
: lery, still the Prussians at the moment wer
SO panic stricken that they surrendred III
, sirong fortress 10 weak cavalry force
Remberg, the commander, had six thousan
men, one hundred and fifty cannon, an
plenty of pro visions. Napoleon was so as
tonshed al the result that he wrote Murai
T ieslingy, that he would melt his guns, a
: Prussian lortresses were best taken by cav
T airy"
a Ii must be obser we'd that these sirang
a panics every one oil which took place
3 among veteran regular troops, were wilhor
2 cause. They did not, as at Boil Ron
follow a severely fought battle, where Ii
enemy was reinforced, but from the efeC
e of pure haluclnaiion of the mind. Beside
g these mentioned Instances of panics, ou
Il disasler. al Bull Run properly takes its pIac
!, as repulse OF reconnaissance in forct
II It was nothing more, and would never nav
0 assumed other Importance if twenty foC
u hours had elapsed before any report. ha
q been made to The public. We repeat ths
i in,everJ instance the panic stricken Eu
ropean soldiers subsequently, fought viii
]: superior yalor. In the cause oi our ow
:! troops. Bull Run will serve as a stimulous
y new deeds OF heroic action.
q