Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-08-30


The officer who had borne the flag Of truce
retired, and in about ten minutes piece Of
artillery wass brought into the pass and
opened On the tower. But to effect this, the
piece had to 81 placed directly IN front OF
the tower, and within easy musket range Of
it, They had scarcely got the gun in posi-
ton when rapid fire opened On it from the
tower, and continued with such marked
effect that the piece was Withdrawn after
the second discharge, with loss OF 1--WE
men.
This was bad beginning, SO half an hour
after the gun was Withdrawn the Austrian
Colonel ordered an assault.
As the troops entered the defle they were
received with rapid and accurate fire, so
that when they had passed over half the
distance they had to traverse, they lost fif-
teen men. Disheartened by this, they re-
turned to the mouth Of the defile.
Three more assaults were repulsed IN this
manner, and the enemy by sunset had lost
forty five men, Of whom ten were killed.
The firing from the tower had been rapid
and accurate, but the Austrian commander
had noticed this peculiarly about it-every
shot seemed to come from the same place.
For while this perplexed him, but at last
he came to the conclusion that there were a
number of loop holes close together IN the
tower, so constructed as to command the
ravine perfectly.
At sunset the last assault was made and
repalsed, and at dark the Austrian COM
mander sent a second summons to the gar
rison.
This time the answer was favorable. The
garrison offered to surrender at sunrise the
next morning, if allowed to march out with
their arms and return to the army unmo-
Tested. After some hesitation the terms
were accepted.
Meantime, La Tour d Auyergne has passed
an anxious day in the tower. He had
opened the fight with an armament of thirty
loaded muskets, but had not been able to
discharge them all. He had fired with sur
prising rapidity, but with surprising accu-
racy, for it was well known in the army that
ne never threw away a shot. He had de-
termined to stand to his post until he had
accomplished his end, which was to hold the
place twenty-four hours, in order to allow
the French army time to complete its ma
neuver. After that, he knew the pass would
be of no consequence to the enemy.
When the demand for surrender came to
uluu dlJ6T iuC 1881 dSsduib, uE COuSGLlSQ w IL
upon the conditions named.
The next day at sunrise the Austrian
troops lined the pass in two files, extending
from the mouth to the tower, leaving q
space between them for the garrison to pass
out.
The heavy door of the tower opened
slowly, and in few minutes bronzed and
SCARED grenadier, literally loaded down
with muskets came out and passed down
the line of troops. He walked with diff
Guilty under his heavy load.
To the surprise of the Austrians, no one
followed him from the tower.
In establishment the Austrian Colonel rode
up to him, and asked him in French why the
garrison did not come out.
81 am the garrison, Colonel" said the
soldier, proudly.
"What," exclaimed the Colonel; edo
you mean to tell me that you alone have held
that tower against me ?"
~ have the honor, Colonel" vas the re-
ply.
"What possessed you to make such an
attempt, grenadier 2"
.'The honor of France was at stake"
The Colonel gazed at him fer moment
with undisguised admiration then, raising
his cap, he said, warmly: "Grenadier, l
salute you. You have proved yourself the
bravest of the brave"
The officer caused all the arms which La
Tour dAuvergne could not carry to be col
lected, and sent them all, with the grena-
der, into the French lines, together with a
note relating the whole affair
When the knowledge of it came to the
ears of Napoleon, he offered to promote La
Tour d'Auvergne, but the latter declined to
accept the promotion, saying that he pre-
ferred to remain where he was.
This brave soldier met his death in an
action at Aberhausen, in June, 1900, and
the simple but expressive scene at roll CT all
in his regiment, was commenced and con-
tinued by the express command of the En-
peror himself