, 1861-10-24
charRa 81 Murat az EYlaa

Charge Of Murat at EyiaH
It is at Eylau that Murat always apbeafsin his
most terrible aspcct. This battle, fought %
midwinteT, in 1907, was the most important end
bloody one that had then occurred. france and
Russia had never before opposed such force b
each other, and a complete victory neither side
would have settled the fate Of EarOpe. Bonn
parte remained in possession Of the held and thdt
was all no victory was ever 80 Ike deIeak
It was almost as bad for the Sictofa is the battle
The aeId Of kyiau Nss eoe.rsa viii S6S6. sna
the little pnnds that were scattered over 10 wuFO
frozen sufficiently hard to bear the artilleFy.
Seventy.one thousand men on one side, and
eighty.five thousand on the other. arose from the
frozen field on which they adElept that night&
Februafy; without tent or covering, ID battle ~
q continent Aughreau, on the len, was utterly
routed in the morning. Advancing through 3
snow storm so thick he could not see the enemy,
the Russian cannon moved down Bis ranks WITH
their destructive fife, while the Cossack cavalry
which were ordered to charge, came laundering
on, almost hitting the French infantry with their
long lanees before they were visible through the
storm. -A-
Henmed in and oterthrown, the whole diti.
son, composed Of 16, 900 men, with the e4cep.
ton Of 1900, were captured or slain. Just then,
the snow storm clearing up, revealed to Napoleon
the peril to which he was brought, and Be ims
mcdiately ordered 4 Rland charge By tle Impt.
rial Guard and the whole cavalry. Nothing was
further from BonSparte's wishes or expectations
than bringing his reserve into the engagemehtdt
this early stage Of the battle, but there was no
other resource lell him.
Mnrat sustained his high reputation on this oe-
casioh, ind proved himself Tor the hundrrdlR
time, worthy Of the great confidence Napoleon
placed in him. Nothing could Be more imposing
than the battle field at tbs moment. BonaparlO
and the Empire ttembled in the balance, while
Murat prepared to lead down bis cavalry 70 save
them. Seventy squadrons making in a. n, 900
well mounted men, began to mOye over the siopiI
while the Old Guard marched slernly behind. :.
Bonaparte, Il is said, was more egitatsd Il thiA
crisis, than when, moment before, he was 50
near being captured by the Russians But "a
he saw those seventy squadTons come down on
plungine trot, pressing bard alfer the white
plume Of Murat, that streamed through the snow
storm, far In front, smile passed over bis codui
tenancc. .,fi ianCN. ~ 80
The earth groaned and trembled Ss they
passed, and the sabres; above the dark and angry
mass below, looked like Gre foam Of Z Sti-uafo
at It's crests on the deep. The ratllhg Of their
arfIOr; and the muiiled thunder Of their tread,
drowned an the roar Of batllr, a. Silh 6rm, ttl
array, and swih, steady motion they bore down
with terrible front on the Zoe 10 50 ra5
The shock Of that immense bost wns Ike
falling mountain, and the front line Of the Rus
sian army went down like iretwrrk before II
Then commenced the prntraeted dghi of hand u :
hand, and sword to sword, as IN the cavalry So
ton Of EckmuhL The elaplingof steel Hlalile
The ringing Of countless hammera. and horses and
riders were blended 10 wild confusion iotsthar,
the Russian reserve were ordered an, and o.
these Murat lell with his fierce hoFsemen, crush
ing and tramplng them down BY thousanda
But the obstinate Russians disdained to ~, and
rallied again, SO that Il was no longer cavalry
charging against infantry, but tsdnddfonsoi horse
gallopng through the broken hosts that eathered
Into knots, still dispu'ing with unparalleled bfas
very the red and rrnt held
Il was during this strange Eight that Nulal
was seen To perform one Of those desperate decdl
for which he vas so renowned. Excited TO TIE
highest pitch Of passion BY tic Obstacles that
opposed him. he seemed endowed with fenloid
strength, and looked more like supefhnmai
being treading down helpless mortals than an Or
dinary man. Amid the roar Of artillery and ne
rattling Of musketry and q ling of sabre strokes
like Lightning about him, that ldilY white plnmb
never once went down, while ever and anon Il
was seen glaring through the smoke Of battle;
the star Of hope to Napoleon, and showing lhil
bis "right arm was still uplaed and sdIkiht
for vIctnry. sst... ~ = -
He ragged like an unloosed lion amid the foe.
and his eve. always terrible in batlle, burned
with an increased lustre. While his clear and
steady voice. heard above the turmoil of STRIFE,
was worth more than a thousand trumpels %
cheer on his followers At length seeing Knot
Of Russian soldiers that for long time lad kept
up devouring fire on his men. be wheeled BIZ
horse and drove IN full gallop upon their levelled
maslsets A few Of his guards. who never a.
lowed that white plume to leave their sight,
charged after him. Without waiting to count
his foes. he seized the bride 10 hiSteeih and with
his pistol in one hand and his drawn sword n
Murat was a thunderbolt on that day, and the
deeds that were wrought by him viii ever furnish
themes ior the poet aud the painter