Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-06-10
CHARGE OF mURAr AT ESLAU.

Itisat Eylau that Murat always appears in
his most terrible aspect. This battle. fought
in mid-winter, in 1907, was the most important
and bloody one that had then occurred. France
and Russia had never before opposed such
strength to. each other, and a complete victory
on either side would have settled the fate Of
Europe; lSOnaparte remained in possession of
the field, and that was all; no victory was ever
so like defeat.
The ie "a Of Eylau was covered with snow,
and the little ponds that lay scattered over it
were fros sen sufficiently hard to bear the artil-
lery. SlNenty- thousand men on one side,
and eigh ty-fye thousand on the other, arose
from the frozen field on which they had slept
the night of February, without tent or cover
ing, to bat tie for a continent. Augurea, on the
left, was u tterly routed in the morning. Ad-
vanciny Sd rough a snow storm 50 thick as he
could not see the enemy, the Russian cannon
moved do wn his ranks with their destructive
FIRE, while the Cossack cavalry, which was or
dered to O barge, came laundering on, almost
hi'ting the French infantry with their long
lances bef ore they were visible through the
storm.
Hemme0 in and overthrown, the whole di-
vision, composed of l6, 900 men, with the ex-
ception of 500, were captured or slain Just
then the Stow storm clearing up, revealed to
Napoleon the peril to which he was brought,
and he immediately ordered a grand charge
by the I'm perial Guard and the whole cavalry.
Nothing as further from Bonsparte's wishes
or expecta tion, than the bringing of the re-
serve into I.he engagement at this early stage
of the battl ., but there was no other resources Q
left him.
Murat su. tanned his high reputation on this
occasion, and proved himself for the hundredth
time, worthy of the great confidence Napoleon
placed in him Nothing could be more impo-
sing than the battle field at this moment. Bo-
naparte and the Empire trembled in the bal
ance, while Murat prepared to lead down his
cavalry to save them. Seventy squadrons,
making in all IA 900 we'll mounted men, began
to move over the slope, with the Old Guard
marching sternSy behind.
Bonaparte, it is said, was more agitated at
this crisis than when, moment before he was
90 near being cap tured by the Russians. But
as he saw those seventy squadrons come down
on n plugging trot, pressing hard after the
white plume Of Murat, that streamed through
the snow storm far ii front, a smile passed over
his eountenance-
The earth groaned and trembled as they
passed, and the sabers above the dark and
angry mass below looked like the foam of a sea
wave as it crests on the deep. The rattling of
their armor and the thunder Of their tread
drowned all the roar Of battle, as with firm set
array and swift steady motion they bore down
with their terrible front on the foe.
The shock of that immense host was like a
falling mountain, and the front line of the
Russian army went down like frost work be-
fore it. Then commenced a protracted fight
OF hand to hand, and sword to sword, as in the
cavalry action at Echmuhi. The clashing of
steel was like the ring Of countless hammers,
and horses and riders were blended In wild
confusion together; the Russian reserve were
ordered up, and on these Murat fell with his
fierce horsemen, crushing and trampling them
down by thouss nds. But the obstinate Rus
SLAMS disdained to fly, and rallied again and
again; 50 that it was no longer cavalry charging
on infantry, but squadrons Of horse gallOping
through broken hosts that, gathering into
knots, still disputed, with unparalleled bra
very, the red and rent field.
II was during this strange fight that Murat
was seen to perform one of those desperate
deeds for which he was so renowned. Excited
to the highest pitch of passion by the obstacles
that opposed him, he seemed endowed with
teA-fOld strength, and looked more like a su-
perhuman being treading down helpless NOR
tails, than an ordinary man. Amid the roar OF
artillery, and rafting Of musketry, and falling
Of saber strokes like lightning about him, that
lofty white plume never ence went down, while
ever and anon it was seen glaring through the
smoke of battle, the star Of hope to Napoleon,
and showing that his fright ARM was still up
lifted, and striking for victory.
He ragged like an unloosed lion among the
foe; bis eyes, always terrible in battle, burned
with increased lustre; while bis clear and
steady voice, heard above the turmoil of strife
wss worth more than thousand trumpets tC
cheer on his followers. At length, seeing 6
kno. Of Russian soldiers that for a long time
had kept up a devouriDg fire upon his men, he
wheeled bis horse and drove in full gallon
upon their levelled muskets. few Of bis
guards, that never allowed that white plume
to leave their sight, charged after him. With
out waiting to count his foes, he seized hi
bride in his teeth, and with his pistol in one
hand and his drawn sword in the other, burst
g.
them as a hurricane had swept by. Murat wa:
thunderbolt on that day, and the deeds ths
were wrought by him will furnish themes fol
the poet and the painter.