The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-02-11

!
swarming armies upon his right hand
and his left.
"If Napoleon" says his brother Lou
is, {" in his bold and often hazardous ac-
tions, seemed to calculate wholly on his
good fortune, no person seemed to leave
less to accident in the conception of his
plans. He always considered things un-
der every imaginable aspect. And
though he never, or scarcely ever ex-
perienced reverses, he was in every en-
terprise prepared beforehand for whatev
er might happen"
At the Forward to Vienna" the
whole French army moved resistlessly
on, sweeping the valley of the Danube
like an inundation. All Austria was
terror-stricken. The panic in Vienna
was dreadful, as each day the restless
host drew nearer. On the morning of
the 18th OF November the eagles of
France glittered upon the heights which
surrounded the Austrian capital. Re-
sistance was hopeless. The Emperor
Francis, with a fragment ofhis army had
fled to the North, seeking the protection
of Russia. A Deputatlon of citizens
waited upon Napoleon, imploring his
clemency. No private property was al
lowed to be touched, but the govern
ment chests and arsenals, filled to reple-
ton with munitions of war, fell into the
hands of the victor. One hundred thou
sand muskets, two thousand cannon, and
military supplies of every kind, replen-
lshed the stores of the French.
In forty days the Emperor had trans
ported the army of 10000 men from the
shores of the ocean to the remote capitol
OF Vienna. His descent of the Danube
was continued battle and a continuous
victory. But his situation now seemed
more perilous than ever before. Detach-
ments which he had been forced 10 leave
by the way, to protect his line of com
muncation, had dwindled his available
troops whom he could lead into battle, to
but 10000 men. Armies in this vicini-
ty, amounting TO $4,000 men were
straining every nerve to concentrate and
destroy him. He paused for a moment
to decide where TO strike his first blow,
and then fixing his eyes upon the legions
of Alexander crowding down through
the defles of the Carpalhian mountains
and who were soon TO be joined by the
Emperor Francis and his routed troops,
he gave again the order for an onward
march.
The blast of winter already swept The
hills whitened with snow. The iudomit-
able host, eagerly following their leader,
plunged into the wilderness of the north,
until they disappeared from the observa-
ton of France. On the lst of December
the French, 10000 in number met the
Russians and Austrians, 100, 900 strong,
OH the field of Austerlitz, more than n
thousand miles from the capital OF
France. The conflict was short and ter
ribe. Alexander and Francis, from an
adjacent eminence, witnessed the discom-
future and almost annihilation Of their
united army. Accompanied by few
guards they joined the fugitives and fled
from the CORY field. A flag of truce,
borne by the hand of Prince John, of
Austria, was sent to Napoleon imploring
an armistice. 1t was readily granted,
and the next morning the Emperor Fran
els repaired TO an appoin ted place for an
interview with Napoleon. He found the
French Emperor standing by camp fire
built by the side of windmill, which
alone protected him from the wind which
swept the frozen hills.
=" / receive YOU" said Napoleon. +" in
the only place which l have inhabited
for the last two months.'
% You have made such good use of
that habtalion." Francis replied, that
il ought 10 be agreeable to you"
The terms ofpeace were soon conclu-
ded both with Austria and Russia.
When the Emperor Francis had with
drawn. Napoleon walked for some time
thoughtfally before the fire. and was
overheard 10 say -
Il have acted very unwisely. | could
have followed up my victory, and have
taken the whole of the Russian and Aus
trian armies. They are both entirely in
my power. But-let il be. II will at
least cause some less tears TO be shed"
Napoleon returned with the utmost ra-
pidity to Paris. leaving the army to fol-
low by easy marches, which occupied
three months,
In the place yendome, in Paris, there
stands monumental obelisk in bronze,