The mountain Democrat., 1863-04-18

Thus an day long tidings of victory
and Of death were reaching the ears or
the Emperor. Sadly he listened to the
recital as courier after courier brought
to him their reports, while he was still
watching with eagle eye, and guiding
with almost superhuman skill, all the tre-
mendous energies of battle. Napoleon
had formed such plans that, from the
commencement Of the engagement he
had entertained no doubts IS to the result
During the whole day, while the biIlows
Of war rolled to and fro over the plain, he
held in reserve the whole imperial guard,
Amounting to 10000 men, notwithStoDd-
J ing many opportunities that they might
be permitted to enter the hotly contested
field. At one time Berthier, in mo.
ment of apparently fearful peril, entreated
him to send them forward to the aid of
portion of the army, apparently on the
point Of being swept back by the impetu-
GUS foe, NO." said Napoleon, calmly,
I 1.-THE hour OF this battle is not yet come.
1t will begin in two hours more" The
well ordered movements of the massive
columns of the French pressed more and
more heavily upon the Russians. Each
hour some new battery opened it's de-
structive fire upon their bewildered and
crowded ranks. Gradually the surges of
the battle rolled to one great redoubt,
where the Russians had concentrated
their utmost strength. Both armies grav-
itated towards this central point, and all
the fury of the conflict seemed with mag
nified intensity to have gathered there
Behind, around and upon the vast en-
trenchments one hundred thousand men
were struggling, with the utmost con-
ceivable ferOcity and desperation. Dense
volumes Of sulphurous smoke, in a cloud
black and suffocating, envelopcd the
combatants. The most vivid flashes of
lightning, accompanied by an incessant
roar as Of deafening thunder, burst from
this volcanic crater of war. Within its
midnight gloom, and amidst its pillows Of
flame and blood, horsemen, infantry and
artillery we're rushing madly upon each
other. Napoleon gazed calmly and 81
lently upon the awful phenomenon, in
the midst Of whose dashing waves of
death his troops were cOntending, and
where defeat would be followed by conse-
quences more disastrous than imagina-
ton we'll could paint. The struggle was
short. Suddenly the awful roar of battle
ceased. The passing breeze swept the
smoke away, and the glittering helmets
Of the French cuirassiers cleaned through
the embrnsures, and the proud eagles of
France huttered over the CORY bastons.
The sun was now sinking over the
bleak hills of the north. Sulenly the
Russian army commenced its retreat, but
with the indomitable courage character
istic Of the Russians, they disputed every
inch Of ground. Had Napoleon then
called In his reserve, the Russian army
might, perhaps, have been destroyed,
and the carnage would have been far
more dreadful. For not doing this, he
has been, in military point of view, Sc
verely censured. lie, however, remarked
oil the time to General Dumas
people will, perhaps, be astonished
that have not brought forward nv re-
serves to obtain greater success. But
felt the necessity of preserving them to
strike decisive blow, in the great bat.
tie which the enemy will probably give
US in the plains in front Of Moscow. The
success of the action in which we have
been engaged was secured. But it was
my duty to think of the general result of
the campaign, and it was for that that
| spared my reserves"
The evening of victory even to the
conquerors, was not one Of cxultation.
Thirty thousand Frenchmen, including
forty-three generals had either been killed
or wounded. The loss of the Russians
was still more dreadful. According to
his invariable custom, Napoleon rode that
night over the CORY field, paying the
most assiduous attention to the wounded
on both sides. His sympathies were Pc
culiarly excited by q Russian soldier in
dreadful suffering. Some one, to sooth
him, remarked, at is only Russian"
He replied, with warmth, "Aftcr victory
there are no enemies, but only men,
[Abbot.