The hydraulic press., 1861-08-10
BATTLE-PANICS.


yet, the panic on that occasion seems to have
seized upon the rebel forces in an almost equal
degree, as it had previously done, to greater or
less extent, in every battle fought with the Fed
eral troops. To the traitors and disunion SYM
pathisers, this one partial Confederate victory,
was gleam of sunshine breaking through a
mass of overshadowing cloud. They are forget
full that an exposed army of $4,000 men fought
against $4,000 in their trenches, driving them
back distance Of two miles, putting them into
disorder, and were on the eve of claiming the
victory, when reinforcement to the enemy of
$4,000 fresh troops-equal to the entire force of
the Federals-came down upon them like an
avalanche, and changed the fortunes of the day.
Our loss, eyonunder this atlversity, is represent
ed as less than half that of the enemy.
The panic which occurred among the Federal
forces, was the real cause of their discontinue.
The rear of an army knows little of what is
going on in front. They hear the roar of artillery
and see the smoke of battle-that is all. Their
nerves have net yet been strung for the encoun-
ter. They are m astate of indolent rest; and it
is not until the command is given, Form into
rank !-.for,card" accompanied by the thrilling
strains of martial music that the soul of the SOL
dier leaps into amor, and is eager for the fray.
1t was while they were awaiting the order to ad-
vance, that the teamsters, civilian spectators of
the battle and camp-followers swept past in full
retreat, communicating their own cowardly fears
to the rear of the Federal army, and creating
one of those strange and terrible panics which
have often before occurred among the best fight
ing and best disciplined troops, but the morale of
which never could De accounted for by military
men.
These panics have been very common IN all
countries, even among veteran troops. General
Vaubois ordered by Napoleon to defend
certain pass near Verona, with Il, 900 men. They
were forced into disorderly retreat by the Aus
TRANS. Napoleon repaired hastily to the scene,
and by we'll directed effort succeeded in ar
resting the fight and ralying the panic stricken
forces. Soldiers" said he, 81 am displeased
with you. You have allowed yourselves to be
driven from positions where a handful of reso-
lutte men might have arrested an army You
are no longer French soldiers. Chief of the
Staf-cause it to be written on their standards,
They are no longer of the army of Italy y
With tears in their eyes these delinquent soldiers
asked to be forgiven. The historian adds: "In
the next battle Napoleon placed them in the van
Contending against fearful odds, they accom-
plished all that mortal valor could accomplish
rolling back upon the Austrians the tide of VIC
tory"
At Marengo, Napoleon and Lannes were pres
ent encouraging the troops. After nine hours of
hard fighting, 'the destruction of life," continues
the same authority, "was too awful for mortal
men to endure. Many divisions of the army
broke and fled, crying. AN is lost! Save himself
who can! A scene Of frightful disorder ensued.
The whole plain was covered with fugitives,
swept like an inundation before the multitudin-
Gus Austrians." Desaix arrived opportunely
with a reinforcement of ten thousand men,
In two divisions he and Kellerman charged upon
the foe, breaking his ranks into disorder Napo-
leon at this uncture rode along the lines of those
an retreat, exclaiming, "My friends, we have re
treated far enough. 1t is now our time to ad-
vance" They did advance, and Marengo, bat
tie previously lost, was won to the French arms.
At Eylau the French troops required to be
rallied from panic. At Austerlitz they several
times wavered. And these were veteran troops
the heroes of succession of brilliant achieve
ments-upon whom Napoleon relied with an
assurance that was seldom betrayed or shaken.
On the plains of Lutzen, Napoleon had an
army composed chiefly of young conscripts.-
They fed in terror from the fire of the Russian
batteries. They were subsequently reformed
and won the battle
| The troops of the Allies were seized with a
panic at Bautzen, and fled towards the forests of
Bohemia. They afterwards made stand and
fought determinedly, until compelled to retire
before the impetuosity of French valor.
| panic seized upon Wellington's forces at
Waterloo. "Many of the regiments were re-
duced to skeletons, and some, thrown into disor-
der, were rushing from the field in fugitive bands.
The whole rear of the English army now pre-
sented tumultuary scene of confusion, the en-
tire space between Waterloo and Brussels being
filed with stragglers and all the debris of rout-
ed army" "Just at this critical moment,
when the Emperor giving an order for a
simultaneous attack by his whole force, two long
dark columns, of thirty thousand each-the
united forces of Blucher and Bulow-came pour
ing over the hills, down upon the torn and bleed
ing flank of Napoleon's exhausted troops"
The rebel army at Bulls Run was already
defeated, when Johnston joined his forty-fve
thousand troops to those of Beauregard, and
reversed the fortunes of the day.
Thus it will be seen that there are many pre-
cedents for panics. No army, however illustri-
Gus its fame, has altogether escaped them. The
bravest and and most reliable soldiers have yield
ed to their demoralizing influence without know
ing why or wherefore. While fleeing from a
foe who has in many instances ceased to pursue,
| the scared fugitive will utter a cry of hopeless
anguish on being pricked with brier, who both
before and after, has marched in front of death
dealing batteries without wincing so much as a
muscle.
These pancs so fatal in their consequent