The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-02-15
NIarcngo.

hepubllcan France assailed, both by land
AMI sea by the combined fleets and armies
both of England and Austria. The peril
OF France was so great that dictator;al
power seemed essential for its salvation.
Napoleon, by general acclaim, was placed
at the head of the government, with the
title of Consul
His first act was to write to both Eng
land and Avstriu. imploring peace An
Austrian army 10000 strong was on the
banks of the Rhine, menacing the north
ern provinces of France Napoleon placed
/ 15o,O00 veterans, the elite Of the French
army, under the command Of Moreau, and
sent them to repel these invaders. The
work was etfectually accomplished at the
/ great battle of Hohenlinden
The Austrian general, Melas, with
| 10000 men, was marching upon France
! through western Italy. He had already
reached the plains from which the Airs
ascend and was preparing TO penetrate
( France through the undefended defiles.
! Napoleon formed the plan of presenting
no resistance TO the head of these formi-
dahie columns. but secretly to pass the
/ Alps, where his passage would not be
thought of, and 10 assail the foe unexpect-
ediy, and with overwhelming energy, in
the rear.
sixty five thousand troops were assem-
tleH, at points on the eastern frontiers OF
France. where they would attract but
little observation, but from which, at
few hours notice, they could be concen.
trated at the contemplated rendezvous at
Dion. From this station, at the foot Of
the Alps, almost with a rush they were TO
cross the pass OF the Great 5. int Bernard.
and to sweep down, like an avalanche, OH
details OF the expedition were arranged
with the utmost care, that there should
/ be no possibility OF failure Immense
magazines OF provisions were collected
An ample amount OF gold was placed IN
. the army chest TO hire the peasants with
their mules 10 aid in dragging the guns
over the pass. Mechanic shops rose, as
by magic, all along the way, to repair
promptly every possible breakage The
ammunition was stored in small boxes,
which could be transported on the backs
of mules. ilo>pita were established on
both SIDES of the pass
On the summit Of the mountain is a
convent OF world wide renown. The
monks were provided with an ample
supply Of bread aud cheese. and q cup of
wine 10 present to each soldier as he pass
cd NaPulrnn superiuiended all these
details, while at the same time, lie arrun-
"ed all th" comprehensive combinations
OF the campaign. As the preci :tous path
could only be trod in single file the car.
riages we're taken TO pieces and slung on
poles. carried by men Large pine logs
were split and followed out so that the
heavy guns could be fastened in the
grooves and thus they were dragged by
long sivugs .. miles in sirgle file When
the mules failed a hundred men were
harnessed to a single gun The summit
oil the pass Is eight thousand fee, above
the sea. he distance across, from the
plains OF France TO the plains OF Italy, is
twenty miles
Though there were several disasters by
the way. and not n few lost their lives. the
feat. winch had been deemed irnpos ,ible,
was accomplished, and the army appeared
as If II had d. scri ded from the clouds.
III on the plains OF Italy. traversins the
banks Of Aosta The Austrians. who
we're eagerly crowdlng upon the frontiers
OF France, bad 40 conception of the peril
thus gathering IN their rear.
Aelas heard the tidirgs ard alarmed.
began 20 concentrate his forces. Napoleon
gave him not moment Of leisure To
Lannes and Murat he issued the order,
Gather Immediately your divisions st
fifteen or eighteen thousand Austrians
Meeet them and cut them to pieces. 1t
will be 50 many enemies less on the day
OF the decisive battle we are 10 expect
" th the entire army of Melas'
he prediction was true Lanncs and
Mur.t encountered 1900 of rhd foe at
Mon ete!io, strongly posted with batteries
which swept the plain. The French sol
d.ers, inspired hy the almos' miraculous
power with which Napoleon infused hi,
OWN spirit into iis troops. appeared to pay
no regard to shot or shell Though but
eight thousand in number they rushed .
upon the entrenched foe at the first
discharge of the hostile batteries" SAID /
Lannes. - could hear the bones crash in
my division like glass in a hail storm
For nine hours the carnage continued /
Just as the Austrians were routed, and .
flying before their vict0iS, Napoleon ap-
prared upon the field. Lanness had been
the hero oi this bloody day As he stood
amidst the dead. blackenel with smoke,
aHd wi'h ii> uniform soiled and tatterc,i
With the terrible strife, Napoleon rra>ped
his hane with smile of gratitude and
conferred upon him the title of the Duke
of Mout-Lelio
Four days after this Napoleon, with but
2n,0t0 men, encountered Meias with 40.
600 uo"rs upon the plain of Mareneo-
The Aust ian !orce included 1000 cavalry
and 2o1 pieces OF artillery The French
General DesaiX. with 5000 men. was nearly
thirty miles from the field Fortunately,
when reclining in his tent, he heard the
inst crash OF the battle as ii came boom
ing over the field like distant thunder
His troops were lestantly on the march.
and they pressed forward with all possible
speed TO the aid of their comrades
All the day long Napoleon held his
ground against a foe outhumbering him
two TO one. 1t was now 3 clock i'm the
afternoon. The contending hosts were
within pistol shot of each other and many
cases blending in the tiercest fight On
parts of the field the French, exhausted
and overrowered, were ret ring in confu-
sion, pursued and cut down by the cavalry
OF the foe. Napoleon, by his personal
supremacy, stlll held a few squares to
gerher, slowly. reluctantly but in good
oLde", retiii ing, while the victorious Aus
trims closely followed them. piowin 9 their
ranks with two hundred pieces Of artillery.
Melas doubted not that he had gained the
day. and dispatched couriers throughout
Europe to announce his victory
just then the solid columns of Desaix
appeared, impetuously entering the plain
Desaix cast an anxious glance over the
confusion around bim, and upon tho
broken, bleeding, and retreating battalions
of the French, and spurring his horse,
salloped to the point where Napoleon
stood envelope6 in the smoke and lust of
the conflict.
81 see, said Desaix, that the battle is
lost can do 10 more for you, 81 ppose,
than to cover your retreat.
by no means" Nanoleon renlied -