Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-11-15
THE CHARGE OF MCDONALD AT
WAGRAI 49,.

In the battle of Wagram, Napoleon sent
Marshal Davoust with fifty thousand men
to made circuit and attack the Austrans
on the farther side of the Neusidel. AS
soon as Davoust appeared on the plateau
OF Wagram, and opened his artillery on
the exposed ranks of the enemy, Napoleon
ordered Marshal Mcdonald. with eight
batallans to march straight Oh the enemy
centre and pierce it. This charge forced
the crisis of the battle, and no sooner did
the Archduke see tie movements of this
terrible colamn Of eight battallions. c m
posed Of sixteen thousand men, upon his
centre than he knew that the hour Of Eu-
ropes destiny, ard Of bis own army had
arrived. He Immediately doubled the lines
at the threatened point, and brought up
the reserve cavalry, while two hundred
cannons were wheeled around the spot on
which such stiny hung, and opened
steady fire on the approaching column,
Mcdonald immediately ordered a hun
dred cannon to answer the Austrian bat
teries that swept every inch of ground Ike
a storm of sleet. The cannoniers mount
ed their horses and started oa Il rapid trot
with their hundred pieces and approached
to within half common shot, and then
opened on the enemy's ranks Tie col
umn marched up to this battery, and with
it at its head, belehing forth fire like some
monster, steadily advanced. The Aus
trians fell back and closed upon each 9th
er, knowing that the final struggle bad
come. At this crisis Of the battle nothing
could exceed the sublinity and terror of
the scene The whole interest Of the ar
mics was concentrated here. where the in
cessant and rapid roll Of the cannon, told
how desperate was the conflict Still Me
Donald slowly advanced though bis num-
Eers were diminishing, ard the fierce bat
terry al his head was gradually becoming
silent Enveloped in The FIRE Of h-s an
tagonist, the guns had one by one beea
dismounted ami at distance Of a mile
and half from the spot where he started
on his awful mission, Mcdonald found
himself without protecting battery and
the centre still unbroken. Marching over
the wreck of his guns and putting the IA
ked head of his column into the devauring
cross fire of the Austrian artillery, be con-
tinued to advance. The carnage then be-
came terrible. At every discharge the
head of the column disappeared as if it
sank into the earth, while The outer rank
on either side. melted away like snow on
the river brink.
No pen can describe the intense anxiety
with which Napoleon watched its progress.
On just such charge rested bis empire at
Waterloo. and in its failure his doom was
sealed. But all the lion in NcDonald's
nature was aroused, and be had fully re-
solved to execute the mission gwen him,
or die on the field Still be lowered un-
hurt among his falling Guard, aud with
his eyes fixed steadily on the enemy's cen
ire. moved steadily on. At the close and
fierce discharges of these cross batteries
on its mangled head, that column would
sometimes stop and stagger back ike
strong ship when smitten by wave. The
next moment the drums would beat their
hurried charge, and the calm steady voice
of Mcdonald would ring back through his
exhausted ranks. nerving them to the des-
perate valor that filed his ogn soal. New
er before was such charge made, and it
seemed at every moment that the torn and
mangled mass must break and fly The
Austrian cannon gradually wheeled around
till they were stretched away ia parallel
lines ike two walls of FIRE on each side Of
this band Of heroes, hurled Al inccssant