Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-28
Mar shal murut's Famous Charuo at

It is at Byisu that Murst 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 be.
fore opposed such strength to each other,
and a complete victory on either side would
have settled the fate OF Europe; Bonaparte
remained in possession Of the field, and that
was all; no victory wasever so.like a defeat.
The field Of Eylau was covered with snow,
and the little ponds that lay scattered over il
we're frozen sufficiently hard 10 bear the ar
tiiiery. Seventy. one thousand men on one
side, and eighty-fve thousand IN the other,
arose fom the frozen field on which they
tent or covering, to battle for a continent.
Augufeau on the left, was utterly routed in
the morning. Advancing through a snow
storm so thick be could not see The enemy,
the Russian cannon moved down his ranks
with their destructive FIRE, while the Cos
sack Cavalry, which were ordered to charge,
cam laundering on, almost hitting the
French Infantry, with their long lsnces be-
fore they were visible through the storm.
Htmmed in and overthrow, the whole
division, composed of sixteen thousand men,
with the exception Of fifteen hundred, were
captured or slain. just then the soow storm
clearing up, revealed TO Napoleon the peril
to v hich he was brought aud he immedi-
aiely ofdered a grand charge by the Imperial
Guard and the whole cavalry. Nothing was
feIiber from B0napsrtes wishes or expecta-
ton. than the bringing Of his reserve iuto
the engagement at this early stage of the
bait e,Iut there was no other resource left him.
MuIht sustained his high reputation on
this occasion, and proved himself, for the
hundIedlh time, worthy Of the great conf
denoe Napoleon placed in him Nothing
could be more imposing Than the battlefield
at this moment. Bonaparte aud the Empire
trenbted IN the BALANCE, while Murat pre-
pared " lead down his cavalry to save them,
Seventy squadrons, making in all fourteen
thcussLd well mounted men, began to move
over The slope, with the Old Guard march.
ing 6ttrbly behind.
BcbapaIte, 1t is said, was more agi,ated at
this Crisis then when, a moment before, he
was so Lear being captured by the Russians.
But as he saw those seventy squsdrons come
down on a blowing trot pressing hard after
the ~hite plume of Murat, that streamed
through the snow storm far 10 front, q smile
passed over his countenauce.
The earth groaned and trembled as they
passed, and the sabres, above the dark and
angry mas below, looked like the foam of a
Tea wave as it crests on the deep. Toe
rafting of their armor, and the mufled
thunder Of their tread, dro wned a | 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
falling mountaio, and the front line of the
Russian ormy went down like frost-work
before il. Then commenced a protracted
fight, of hand to hand, and sword to sword,
as in the. cavalry action at Eehmubi. The
clashiDg of steel was like the ringing 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 thou
sands. But the obstinate Russians dis.
daiped 10 fly, and rallied again, and again,
so 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
bravery, the red and rent field.
II was during this strange fight that Murat
was stem to perform one of those desperate
cetds for which he was 30 renowned, Ex-
cited 10 the highest pitch of passion by the
obstacles that opposed him, he seemed en-
dowed with ten. fold strength, and looked
more like a superhuman being treading do Wn
helpless mortals, than an ordinary man.
Amid the roar Of artillery, and rafting of
musketIy, and falling of sabre strokes like
lightning about him, that lofty white plume
never once went down, while ever aud anon
it was seen glazing through the smoke of
battle, the star of hope to Napoleon, and
showing that his fright arm" was still up
lifted ard striking Tor victory.
He rsged like an unloOsed lion amid the
foe ana his eyes, always terrible in battle,
burDtd with increased ~lnster, while his clear
and steady voice, heard above the turmoil of
the suife, was worth more than a thousand
tIum cts to cheer on his followers. 1t
leDg'b, seeing q knot of Russian soldiers
shat f,r a long time had kept up a devouring
fire upon his men, he wheeled his horse aud
drove in full gallop upon their levelled mus
kets. A few Of his guards, that never al
lowed that white plume to leave their sight,
charged after him. Without waiting to
count his foes, he seized his Bride in his
teetb, ard with his pistol ia one hand aud
hisdtawn sword in the other, burst in head
long fury upon them, and scattered them as
"a hurricane bad swept by. Murat was a
tbubderbolt on that day, aud the deeds that
were wrought by him will furnish themes
Fl y. II = -1af - Al. A.s.s~-