St. Mary's beacon., 1862-05-29

ucats we're stationed heie. Twas Of de
utmost mouicEt that this post should in
stantly be taken With scarcely an hours
delay the c,lumns were on the move.
The Austriaus, sweeping the bridge with.
the batteries we're prepared to meet them
The French s6Idiess rushed forward and
we're met BY discharge which pros.
trated the whole head Of the column in
the dust.
From such destruction the troops recoil-
ed. Napoleon spraug from bis horse.
and seizing q standard. shouted, Com
querors Of Ladi. follow your general" Z"
He thus led the column in an impetuous
rush. through tempest Of ball, until they
reached the centre Of the bridge. Here
the file was thrown into confusion. The
rccoiling soldiers trsmplcd over the dying
and dead. Napoleon, naturally exceed
ingly fragile, wasted by toll. seemed but
rs child. The tall grenadiers. loving
him to alteration. seized him in their
arms. and dragged him from the mouth
of this terrible furnace. In the ,umuit
they we're forced over the bridge aud
Napoleon was near perishing in the wa
ter and the mire. His appearance
led to the fear that he had been
taken q prisoner, and the cry arose.
Forward to save your general" This
cry thrilled every soul The rush was
resis,less. The soldiers. like u gale.
swept across the bridge. Napoleon was
rescued and Arc"la was takeL.
Alvinzi. near Verona, knew nothing OF
Nspolcon's retreat. till he was ast"unded
by the thunder Of his guns at Arcola. 1t
was necessary to regain that post at every
hazard His whole army was instantly
in motion. But the French wore already
stationed at every important point upon
the dikcs. Through all the long hours of
night the heads Of tho columns fought
The devotion Of officers and soldiers to
Napoleon was such as was never seen BE-
fore, and probably never will be seen
again. Lsnnes received three wounds in
the endcavor to protect his general. Mui-
ron threw himself befure bomshcll, and
saved the life Of Napoleon BY the sacrifice
Of his own.
Both parties slept upon their arms. and
with TIE dawn Of another morning renew
ed the conflict. Through the long hours
Of this second day, the surges Of war
rolled to aud fro over these bloodstained
dykes. In the midst Of the roufict . ball
struck Napoleou's horse. cutting deeply
through his flesh. Tue frantic animal
plunged into the midst of the Austrian
ranks. and fell in the conyulsions of
death. Napoleon was left struggling in
the swamp. up to his neck in mire. But
the smoke aud tunault Of the battle were
such that the Austrisns were not aware
If the rich prize within their grasp. The
French soon forced their way to his res
cue. Another night of exhaustion came.
Napoleon had lost i. 900. men. in killed
wounded and prisoners. But the Aus-
trians had lost 10000. They had so long
been accustomed TO defeat. that despair
began to seize upon the soldiers. Napol-
con, who seemed to have frame of iron,
which no sleeplcssness or fatigue could
exhaust. gall"ped along the dykes at mid.
night, now speaking a cheering word to u
wounded soldier. now encouraging an ex-
hausted sentinel. and aninaring the de-
voted and hardy band with the assurance
Of victory. A, two O'clock in the morn
ing the whole army was again arranged in
battle array. A .quadron Of horse, with
great difficulty. led BY a peasant guide,
struggled through the swamp and obtain
I'd position in the rear Of the Austriana,
every drsgoon being furnished With a
trumpet.
Before the dawn. the attack was re-
newed along the whole line. In the
midst Of the hottest of the FIRE. a signal
rocket brought down the mouutcJ guards,
with trumpet peals, upon the rear ranks
Of the enemy. The whole. Austrian ar
my, in the utmost CONSERVATION, broke
and fed Napoleon was never so terribleI
rs in pursuing routed foe A defeated
army almost surely became On anuihilatcd
army. with the loss of most Of its baggage
aud materials Of war. All the day long
the flying foe Was pursued. and the rem
nant. dcspoiled and shattered, struggled
back to the fastnesses Of the Tyrol. That
same evening Napoleon. with music and
baansrs. returned to Verona. marching in
at the eastern gates of the city. opposite
from which hs had PASSED out three days
before.
The habitants received him with amaze
ment aud delight. Eren the enemies of
Napoleon were 20 impressed by this heroic
80 characteristic Of his ener-
gy and genius. that they joined in the uni
vrrsal enthusiasm. In this continuous
three days battle, Napoleon had killed or
taken captive 80. 900 Austrians. Nearly
all their artillery and munitions of war fell
into his hands. The moment the fate of
the battle was decided. he, in The midst of
the uproar and carriage, hastily thus wrote
to Josephine:
"MY ADoKED JOsEpHINE:-At length |
live again. Death is no longer before me.
and glory and honor ar. still in my breast.
The enemy is beaten. Soon Mantua will
bs ours, TLsn thy husband will fold thee