The Shasta courier., 1862-02-15
The Charge ofMeDonald at wagran.

In the battle of Wagram, Napoleon sent
Marshal Dayoust with fifty thousand men to
make circruit and attack the Austrians. on
the farther side of the Neusidel. As soon
as Davoust appeared ON the plateau Of Wag-
ram and opened his artillery on the exposed
ranks ofthe enemy, Napoleon ordered Mar
shal Mcdonald, with eight battalions, to
march straight on the enemy's centerland
pierce it. This charge forced the crisis of the
battle and no sooner did the Arch Duke see the
movement of this terrible column of eight
battalions, composed Of sixteen thousand
men, upon his centre, then he knew that the
hour of Europe had come. lie Immediately
donhled II thEeatene4 int. and bro't up
the reserve cavalry, while two hundred guns
were wheeled around the spot on which such
destinies hung, and oponed steady fire upon
the approaching column.
Mcdonald Immediately ordered a hundred
cannon to answer the Austrian batteries,
that swept every inch of ground like a. storm
of sleet. The cannoniers mounted their horses
and started on a rapid trot with their hundred
pieces, and approached within half cannon
shot, and then opened on the enemys ranks.
The column marched up to this battery, and
with it at its head belching forth fire like
some monster, steadily advanced. The Aus
trians fell back and closed on each other,
knowing that the final struggle had come
At this crisis of the battle nothing could ex-
ceed the sublimity and terror of the scene
The whole interest of the armies was concen-
trated here. where the incessant and rap
id roll of cannon told how desperate was the
conflict. Still Mcdonald slowly advanced,
though his numbers were diminishing, and
the fierce battery at his head was gradually
becoming silent. Enveloped in the fire of
his antagonist, the guns had slowly one by one
been dismounted, a1d at the distance of a
mile and a half from the spot where he first
started on his awful mission, Mcdonald
found. himself without protecting battery
and the center still unbroken. Marching
over the wreck of his guns and pushing the
naked head of his column into the devouring
cross fire of the Austrian artillery, he con-
tinued his advance. The carnage tnen be-
came terrible. At every discharge the head
of that column disappeared as if sunk into
the earth, while the outer rank on either
side melted away like the snow on the riv-
er's brink
No pen can portray the intense anxiety
with which Napoleon watched its progress.
On just such charge rested his empire at
Waterloo, and in its failure his doom was
sealed. But all the lion in McDonald's IS ma
ture was aroused, and he had fully resolved
to execute the dread task given to him or fall
on the field Still he lowered unhurt, among
his falling guard, and with his eyes fixed
steadily on the enemy's center, moved on.-
At the close and fierce discharges of those
cross batteries on its mangled head that col
umn would sometimes stop and stager back,
like a strong ship when smitten by wave.
Tba {ba Il ~,
their hurried charge, and the calm steady
voice of Mcdonald would ring back through
the exhausted ranks, nerving them to the des-
perate valor that filled.his own spirit Never
before was such charge made, and it
seemed every moment that the torn and
mangled masses must break and fly. The
Austrian cannon gradually wheeling around
till they were stretched away in parallel
lines like two walls of fire on each side of
this band of heroes, hurled an incessant
tempest of iron against their bosoms, Lut
the stern warriors close in and fill up the
frightful gaps made at every discharge, and
still they press forward.
Mcdonald had communicated his own
settled purpose to conquer or die to his devo
ted followers. There is no excitement-no
enthusiasm such as Murat was wont to in
fuse into his men when pouring on the foe
his terrible cavalry. No cries of ''Vive i'Empe-
reurv ~ are heard along the line; but in
their place is an unalterable resolution that
nothing but annihilation can shake. The eyes
ofthe army and the world are on them, and
they carry Napoleon's fate as they go. But
human strength has its limits, and human
efforts the spot where it ceases forever. No
man could have carried that column to where
it stands, but the n-hearted leader at its
head. But he halts, casts his eyes over his
little surviving band that stands in the midst
of the enemy, He looks back on his path,
and as far as the eye can reach he sees the
course of his heroes marked by the swarth
of dead men that stretches like huge SER
pent over the plain. Out of sixteen thousand
men with whom he started but fifteen hun
dred are left him. Ten out of ele,e have
fallen, and here, at length, the tired hero
pauses, and surveys with stern and anxious
eye his few remaining followers.
The heart of Napoleon stops beating at
the sight. as well he may, for his throne is
where Mcdonald stands. He bears the En-
pire on his single brave heart-he is the EN-
pire. Shall we turn at the last and sound
the retreat? The fate of nations move to
and fro, for like a shock in the distance.
Mcdonald is still seen to pause, while the
cannon are piling the dead in heaps
around him. .'Will be turn and fy?"
is the secret and agonizing question Napo
leon puts to himself No! he is worthy of
the mighty trust committed. The Emperor
stands or falls with him, but shall stand
while he stands.
Looking away to where his Emperor sits,
he sees the dark masses of the Old Guard in
notion and the shining helmets of the
brave cuirassiers speeding to his relief
g Forward !" broke from his iron lips. The
roll of drums and the pealings of trumpets
answers the volley that sn,ites that exausting
column, and the next moment it is seen
piercing the Austrian center. The day is
won-the Empire is saved-and the whole
Austrian army is in full retreat.
Such was the battle of Wagran, and such
the charge of Mcdonald. know of nothing
equal to it, except Ney's charge at Waterloo,
and that was not not equal because it
failed.
On riding over the field, Bonoparte came
to where Mcdonald stood amid his troops
As his eye fell on the calm and collected he
70, he stopped, and holding out his hand,
said, g Shake hands, McDonald-no more
hatred between us-we must henceforth be
friends. and as a pledge of sincerity, / will