Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-03-15
HETKEAr OF NEx .
BY JOHN 8. Q. ABBOTT.

One OF the most memorable deeds of forti.
tude ana herolsm recorded In the annals Of war
was performed by Marshal Ney, In the retreat
from Moscow. With division Of fvefhousand
men he was cut of from the Remainder of tbe
French army. KutusofY The RnssSn ,sn.,sI
With eight thousand man inc,nSIrw I nnrs.On. Sss,
cavalry, and with two hnnd,sS nis..s - sr,,I.
lery, had efRectually block "a mn his nsssaga - =
Ney with his little band of half fsmishsd sol.
diers, wayerinR IN their lanonjd mach vitb
guns detective and dirty, and with but six
pieces Of cannon, rush ed po the bostil tsa,iea
and maintained the uneoual cop6ict IN thsvsin
endeavor 10 cut his way tbrougb tbs msssaa af
the foe, until night darkened The feld Tbsn
at midnight, With no thoueht even of anr,ondsr.
he ordered his troops 10 turn nnon thai. .rsct
and march back again into The wilds Of Rus.
sis. -
With amusement the troona heard th,s ann.
mand, which, without besitatiop. thew abeved.
Il was q cold, gloomy wjnter,s nisbt Ths
frozen ground was covered with sno1 and ths
blast pierced the wornont olostbinc ~ re al.
diers. For two or threo houra thsv t,svs,ssS 'tr
detkness, the savage waste mn tSav csms ~ q :
small river. Breaking the ice. to ass in vba,
direction the current ran. Nav " ssial I - "Th;' mn
stream must How into the Dpeiper. n sbail b.
ouf guide" -
The feeble band. cold. MARY and hungry
struggled along until they raschsd the Dneiper
Its broad aud rapid current Was clogred witl
floating masses ofice, and in one spot only. 4
which q lame peasant Conducted chem. Wss i n, !,
Ice sufficiently firm for them to attempt O pas
sage And even here 1t was necessary to pas,
with the utmost caution. Ney, wrapped In hil
cloak, slept for an hour upon the snow, Will,
bis troops passed over In single Gle. The iot
bent and crackled under their feet. , ..-ar-
They then attempted to pass the wagons over
ladened with the sick and wounded. The frai
surface broke, and several of the wagons sanl
beneath the Ice. A few faint orics only wer,
heard, as the sufferers disappeared In their colG
and icy sepulchre. By crossing the Dneiper
Ney hoped, In long detour, again 10 reach th,
army. The Russians followed thia feeble BAN
IN its retreat, keeping beyond musket shot, bu
firing incessantly upon their victims with artiI
lefy, from every available eminence 1881 ..sl
Napoleon was at Orcha, waiting In the mos
intense anxiety, to hear tidings from Ney.-
-Four days had passed without even rum " q
his tate. The whole army was looking baol
across the Dneiper, hoping to catch glimpse o
bis advancing columns, or to hear the report o
his artillery. Al the close Of day of solioltud
anc Watcning, another wintry night envelopes
IN its gloom these retreating, woe-strlcken ar
mles' Napoleon was partaking OF Q fruga
supper with Gen. Lefebvre when shout Of 10
was heard IN the street, and the words Marsha
Ney 10 safe," fell upon his ear. At that momeu
roiisn omcer entered With the tidings that th
Marshal was q few leagues distant, on the bank
OF the river, harrassed BY pursuing CossAcks
ana IN want OF immediate assistance. Napo
leon E spraug from his chair, seized the informan
| claimed: