Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-05-25


his.at Eylau that Murat always appears in
his most terrible aspect. This battle, fought
in mid-Finter, in 1907, was the most imPor-
tant and bloody one that had then, occurred.
France and Russia had never before opposed
such stFeRgta TO each other, and complete
victory on either side would havs settled The
fate Of Europe; BOnaparts remained In pos
session Of the field, and that was all; no VIC
tory was ever 90 like defeat.
The Geld Of Eylan EAs covered with snow,
and the little ponds that lay scattered over It
were frozen sufficiently hard to bear the ar
tillery. Seventy one thousand men on one
sids, and eighIy-6ve chOnsand on the other,
arose from the frozen Geld on which they bad
slept the night Of February, without ten. or
| covering, 10 battle for continent. Augurea,
on the left was utterly routed in the morn
] Ing. Advancing through a snow storm SO
thick he could not see the enemy, the Russian
cannon moved down his ranks with their de-
struetive Ere, while the Cossack cavalry,
which were ordered % charge. came thunder
ing-0n, almost hitting the French infantry
4 with their long lAnces before they were vls-
ibls through the storm. 11- 14i Sr-
Hemmed in and overthroWn, the whole d.
vision, composed Of 10000 men, with the
exception Of 1900, were captured or slain.
Jnst then the snow storm cleariRg up, reveal
ed 70 Napoleon the peril 10 which be was
brought and be Immediately ordered grand
chsrge by the Imperial Guard and the whole
! cavalry. Nothing was farther from Bona
] pertes wishes or expectation. than the bring
ing of his reserve into the engagement at
] this early stage Of the battle, but there was
i no other Fesoulce left him. sl.e .a.rt
l. Murat sustained his high reputation on this
occasion, and proved himself for the hun
dredth time, worthy Of the great confidence
Napoleon placed 10 him. Nothing could be
more imposing than the battlefield at this
moment. Bonaparte and the Empire trem.
bled in the balance, while Anrat prepared 70
lead down his cavalry to save them. Seventy
squadrOns, making In all u, 900 we'll mount
ed men, Degan 70 move over the slope, with
the Old Guard marching sternly behind.
n BonAparte, II Is said, was more agitated at
this crisis then when, & r1oment before, he
was 50 near being captured by the Bussians
But as be saw those seventy squadrons come
down on ploughing trot, pressing hard after
the white plume OF Murat, that streamed
through the snow storm far in front, a smile
passed over his countenanee.
The earth groaned and trembled as they
passed, and the sabre1 above the dark AID
angry mass below, looked like the foam Of a
sea wave as il erests on the deep. The
], rattling of their aEmor, and the muHied thun-
der oftheir tread, drowned all the roar OF bat
} tie, as with firm, set array, and swift, steady
motion, they bore down with their terrible
front on the foe.
The shocl of that immense host was like
> q falling mountain, and the front line Of the
Russiaa army went down like frost-work
, before il Then commenced q protracted
fght, Of hand 70 hand, and sword to sword,
ss in the cavaly sction at Echmubi. The
clasbing Of steel was like the ringing Of
countless hammers, and horses and riders
I were blended In Wild confusion together; the
Russian reserve were ordered up, and on these
hurat fell with his fierce horsemen, crushing
J and tranpling them down by thOusands-
But the obstinate Russians disdained to hy,
: and rallied again, snd again, 30 that 1t was nc
longer cavalry charging on infantry, bui
|, squadrons Of horse galloplng through broker
: hosts that, gathering into knots, still disputed
with unparalleled bravery, the red and rent
field.
It was during this strange fight that Murat
! ! wss seen to perform one Of those desperat,
deeds for which he was 50 renowned. Ex
! cited to the highest pitch Of passion by The
obstacles that opposed him, he seemed en-
dowed with ten-fold strength, and looked
more like supsrhuman being treading dowT
helpless mortals, than an ordinary man.
! | Amid the roar OF artillery, and rattling o.
: mnsketry, and falling Of sabre strokes like
) lightning about hiut that lofty white plume
never once went down, while ever and amor
!, It was seen glaring through tho smoke o
battle, the star Of hope 10 Napoleon, an6
! showing that bis fright arm" was still up
: lifted, and striking for victory.
BE ragged like An unloosed lion amid thl
!. foe; aHd his eyep, always terrible in battle
2 burned with increased lustre, while his eleal
: and steady voice, heard above the turmoil o
: strife, was worth more than thOusan,
! trumpets to cheer on bis followers. A
! length, seeing a knot of Russian soldier
{ that for a long time had kept up g devourini
FIRE upon his men, he wheeled his hOrse sn'
y drove II full gRllop upon their leyelled mus
: kets. AfeW ofhis guards, that never allOWe,
that white plume to leave their sight, charge
: after MIN. Without waiting to count hi
y foes, be seized his bride IA his teeth, an
= with his pistol in one hand and his draw
= sword In the other, burst In headlong fur
= upon them, and scattered them IS g hurri
io cane bad swept By. Murat was a thundeI
bolt on that day, and the deeds that ver
wrought BY him viii furnish themes for tn
poet and the painter.
% We think If Gov. Jackson, Of Missouri
le Intends es.ablishiug another camp fer Stat