The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-12-31
FIRST GEENADIER OFFRANCE.

and beautiful custom to be witnessed in a
certain regiment Of French grenadiers, and
which meant 10 commemorate the hcroiSm
Of departed comradc.
When the companies assembled for pa
radc and the roll was called, there was one
name to which its owner could not an
swer-it was that OF La Tour d Auvcrene.
When it was called, the Oldest sergeant
present stepped pace forward, ana rails
ing his hand to his cap, said proudly:
"Dicd on the field of honor"
For fourteen years this custom was con-
tiuucd. and only ceased when the restored
Bou.bous, to please their foreign masters,
forbade everything that was calculated to
preserve the spirits of the soldiers of
France.
La Tour d Auvcrgnc was not unworthy
| in lite the honor thus paid him after his
death. He was educated for the army,
entered in 1867, and in 1871 served uudcr
the Dulc de Cri!lon at the siege Of Port
M[ahon. lie served always with distinction,
but constantly refused offers of promotion,
saving that he was only tit for the command
Of Il company Of grcnadlerS; but lnaiiy
the various grenadier companies beng uhi-
ted. he found himself in command OF a
body of eight thousand men, while retain
| ing only the rank OF captain.
Hence he was known as the First Grena-
der of France.
But it is of one particular exploit of his
that we wish to write, more than his career
| in general.
When he was forty years of age he went
| on visit TO friend, not far from section
Of the country that was soon to become the
scene of a campaign. While there, he was
busy in acquainting himself with the fea-
lures of the country, thinking it not un-
likely that this knowledge might be OF use
10 him: ard while here, the brave grena-
dier was astonished to learn that the war
had been rapidly shifted to this quarter,
and that regiment Of AuStrianS was push
ing on to occupy narrow pass about ten
miles from where he was staying, and the
possession of which would give them an
opportunity to prevent an important move
meut of the French which was then on
foot They hoped TO surprise this post, and
were moving so rapidly upon 1t That they
were not more than two hours distant from
the place where he was staying, and which
they would have TO pass in their march. Ii
matters not how he heard the news. 1t IS
sufficient to say that he determined at once
to act upon 1t.
He had no idea of being captured by the
enemy in their advance, and lie at once set
off for the pass. He knew that the pass
was defended by stout tower and gar
rison of thirty men, and he hoped to be
able to warn the men of their danger.
He fastened ON, and arriving there,
found the tower in perfect condition. Ii
Ir-f
who had heard of the approach of the
Austrians, and had been seized with a
panic thereat and had fled, leaving their
arms, consisting OF thirty excellent mus
kets.
La Tour d'Auvcrgne CRASHED his teeth
with rage as he discovered this. Search
ing in the building, he found several boxes
of ammunition which the towards had not
destroyed. For a moment he was IN de-
spair, but then, with II grim smile, he be-
| gan to fasten the main door and pile against
! il such articles as he could lind.
| When he had done this he loaded all the
guns he could find, and placed them, to-
gether with a good supply Of ammunition,
under the loop-h0leS that commanded the
road by which the enemy must advance.
Then he ate heartily of the provisions
he had brought with him, and sat down to
wait. He had absolutely formed the he
roic resolution TO defend the tower alone
| against the enemy.
There were some things in his favor in
such an undertaking. The pass was steep
and narrow, and the enemy's troops could
enter it only in double files. and in doing
this would be fully exposed to the lire from
the tower. The original garrison OF thirty
men could easily have held 1t against oil
vision, and now one man was about to hold
! il against a regiment.
| II was dark when La Tour d. Auvergne
reached the tower, and he had to wait some
time for the enemy. They were longer IN
| coming than he expected, and for while
he was tempted TO believe they had aban-
doned the expedition. ;,
About midnight, however, his practiced
ear caught the tramp of feet. Every mo-
ment the sound came nearer, and at last
:, he heard them enter the detile. lmmedl-
atcly he discharged a couple OF muskets
| into the darkness to let them know that ne
| knew OF their presence and intentions, ana
lie heard the quick, short commands the
officers, and, from the sounds, he supposed
that the troops were retiring from the pass.
Until the morning he was undisturbed.
The Austrian commander, feeling assured
that the garrison had been informed OF his
movements, and was prepared to receive
him. saw that he could not surprise the