The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-06-04
NAPOLEON iii. AND THE SENTINEL
AN EPISODE OF THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN.

GThe following truthful incident of the
present Emperor of France is related in
the weekly Herald of May ninth. Aside
| from its romance, the story possesses
| unusuai interest for us at this time, and
| may serve as lesson to some of our Off
GERS in high command.
'fhe French troops were poured into
Italy at the commencement of the cam
paign with rapidity bordering upon the
marvellous They crossed the Alps by
thousands, and swarmed into the plains
of Piedmont when the Austrians deemed
them as yet scarcely out of their barracks
in France. The display of activity was
wonderful every hour transports arrived
at Genoa, conveying cavalry and artillery,
| which landed and joined the infantry,
who. had crossed the mountains, so speed
| lily as to defeat the plans of the Austrians,
then marching upon Turin, which capital
| they were aware was almost defenceless
To their surprise few days placed
between them and the devoted city one
hundred thousand of Napoleon's troops,
and at once the Austrians began
retrograde movement They were in
immense force, over two hundred thousand,
but they saw proper to await the attack
of the French and Sardinian armies,
instead of pushing on boldly, as they
had at first evinced the intention of
doing.
"The Emperor of the French took up
his headquarters at Alessandria, a fortified
city In Piedmont, and here he remained
some twenty days, during which time
there reigned an apparent inactivity which
the Austrians deemed unaccountable-
They were not aware that the French
troops were moved by night. They had
possession of the railroads, and during
the interval referred to they were massed
in such places as Napoleon designated to
his officers He took counsel of none,
gave no reasons for any of his actions,
and surveyed himself the country over
which his troops were to move.
"One morning at two o'clock messen-
ger from the palace informed Mr.. Gamble
Can Englishman who has for years had
charge of the emperor's saddle-horses)
that his majesty wished to have held in
readiness three OF his best steeds. An
hour after, the emperor, Captain Vergne
and Mr.. Gamble were conveyed In
special train to Casale, the extreme out
post of the French and Sandman lines
They took their horses with them, and at
Casale mounted and rode for some miles,
until they had crossed the river Po, and
were actually in sight of the Austrian
camp. AS the daylight dawned the
emperor observed large bodies of Austrian
troops moving in the direction of Stradella,
and he at once concluded they intended
crossing the river at that point He was
anxions to prevent this, as it turned out
afterward that he himself wished to cross
his army at that place. He ordered
Captain Vergne to gallop off to General
Bazaine's division, and request them to
march at once toward Stradella, from
which they were distant some fifteen miles.
They were to use all despatch.
ale then returned toward his own
lines. with the intention of ordering tor
waxd such troops as he deemed necessary
to prevent the successful crossing of the
river by the heavy masses OF Austrians
he had observed under march. As he
had command of the railroad, he was
aware that he could throw several regi-
mepts of picked troops forward IN time to