The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-06-07
The capitulatiOn OF Paris.

the Tuileries, and took command of his
little army, mostly of raw recruits, to re-
pei the invaders. The allies proclaimed
that every French peasant, taken with
arms in his hands, should be shot as a
brigand, aud that every village or town
making any resistance should be burned.
Napoleon rode rapidlyupn hundred miles
east of Paris to St Dizier, and here, at the
head Of few thousand troops, fell upon
one Of The advancing columns of the foe,
led by Blucher He routed them and
scattered them like leaves by the whirl-
wind Then instantly turning, he march
ed fifty miles south to Troyes, through
mud and rain and snow, the wheels often
sinking to the hxkS On The 29thAvitF
but $1,000 men be came suddenly upon
%, 900 Russians, near Sfienne. Before
the sun went down, 10000 Of those Rus
slams were dead upon the plain, and the
remnant were iN YSscIpState retrsAG"
YHe next day the fugitives effected q
junction with another division Of the army,
and with battalons 10000 strong, re-
turned to crush Napoleon. The Emperor
had also gathered reinfOrcements, and had
40, 900 men to meet their assault. Through
another day of tumult and blood the ter
rible battle ragged, till again the wintry
night darkened the scene. Overpowered
by numbers, Napoleon was compelled to
retreat, leaving 5000 Of his little band
dying and dead IN the ground. Alexan-
der of Russia and Frederick William Of
Prussia, from neighboring height, wit
messed this triumph Of their troops. The
exu tant allies now crowded from all di-
tecti,jhs u4Ga ferS..
Napoleon retreated six miles down the
Seine to Nogent. Two hundred thousand
Austrians pursued him. Blucher, with
10000 men, was descending the Marine,
fifty miles from the Seine. Wellington,
with an immense army, was coming up
from the south. Bernadotte, with un.
counted legions, was advancing from the
north.
Napoleon, leaving 1000 men to retard
the advance of 200, 900, by forced march
through mud up to the axles OF his car
riages, with 10000 men, crossed TO the
Marne, fell as unexpectedly as a thunder
bolt upon the flank of Blucher, and scat
tered his army as wolves drive sheep
The next day, Blucher, with reserves
swelling his host to 10000, advanced to
meet Napoleon. Again he was defeated,
and driven back with great slaughter. In
an extraordinary march Of thirty'six
hours, Napoleon hurried back to the
Seine. The Austrians, 800, 900 in num-
Der, were now in the vicinity of Fontain-
bleau. Napoleon with 10000 advanced
to meet them. For whole day he re-
sisted all their efforts, with his own hand
aiding the artillerymen in their herculean
tolls. When night came, the whole allied
army was on the retreat, and Napoleon
was vigorously pursuing them. With
Alexander and Frederick in the midst Of
the fugitivcs, they fled back one hundred
and sixty miles to ChaumOnt. 1t was
in the midst of these terrific scenes that
Napoleon held brief interview with
Josephine, and said to her:
Josephine, have been as fortunate
as was ever man upon the face Of this
earth. But in this hour. when storm is
gathering over my head, | have not, in
this wide world, any one but you upon
whom | can repOse."
The allies were astounded by these dc.
feats. But they had enormous reserves,
amounting to million Of men, to bring
up. With vast reinforccmentS they divi'
ded their army into two bands, one to de-
scend the Marne, the other the Seine
The former river enters the latter but a
few miles from Paris. Again Napoleon
crossed to the Marne, and with 10000
troops drove 100000 AuStrians before
him. In the midst of their route, Berna-
dotte appeared with $4,000 fresh men, to
Join the .Austrians, and Napoleon was
compelled u retire, the enemy noAdari0g
to pursue him in his despair.
The 200, 900 AustrianS, now upon the
Seine. pressed forward with alacrity,
while Wellington, with a vast force OF
English, Portuguese, and Spaniards, was
advancing from Bordeaux. Another army
of the allies had also crossed the Alps
from Switzerland, and had reached Lyons.
With amazing celebrity Napoleon crossed
again from the Marne to the Seine, and
fell with such fury upon the Austrlans
that they turned and fled.
Napolean was now about two hundred
miles from Paris, on the Seine. The al
lies had gathered an army of 300, 900 at
Chalons, on the Marne, q hundred miles
nearer Paris, aud we're marching with the
utmost rapidity to reach the city before
Napoleon could get there. In one day,
through the miry roads, Napoleon's heroic
band marched nearly fifty miles, in the
endeavor to reach the city before the en-
envy. At midnight, with the advance
guard of his army, he reached Troyes,
1t was cold, dark, dismal night. He
could see, far away across the country,
the whole horizon illumined with the BIZ
youac fires of his foes. With small de-
tachmcnt he galloped along the road and
entered the little village of La Cour. The
church clock was just tolling twelve. To
his surprise he saw groups Of disbanded
soldiers marching away from Paris. lie
rode into the midst Of them exc!aiming,
CLOVIS this? Why are not these soldiers
marching to Paris ?"
General Belliard, friend Of the Empe-
ror, recognized his voice, and coming for
ward, said:
"Paris has capitulated. The enemy
enters tomorrow, two hours after sun
rise"
The Emperor seemed stunned by the
blow. For a moment not a word was
uttered. Cold drops Of agony oozed from
his brow. With staggering step he walk
ed backward and forward on the rugged
pavement, bewildered with the enormity
of his woe. 1t was night of agony such
as is rarely experienced on earth. With
his few faithful troops he repaired to Fon-
taiubleau, and thence to his exile in Elba.
ARIosTo tells n pretty story of fairy,
who, by some mysterious law Of her ma
ture, was condemned to appear, at certain
seasons, in the form Of foul and poison
GUS snake. Those who injured her during
the period of her disguise, were forever
excluded from participation in the bless