Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-08-30
LA TOUR D'AUvEEsGNE.
Exploits Of the First Grenadier
| Of France.

For many year there was touching
and beautiful custom to be witnessed in q
certain regiment of French grenadiers, and
which was meant to commemorate the he
roism of departed comrade.
When the companies assembled for pa
rade, and the roll was called, there was one
name to which the owner could not answer
lit was that of La Tour d'Auvergne.
When it was called, the oldest sergeant
present stepped pace forward and, rails
ing his hand to his cap, said p oudly: (
'' "Died ON the field of honor
For fourteen years this custom was con-
tinued, and only ceased when the restored
Bourbons, to please their foreign masters
forbade everything that was calculated to
preserve the spirits Of the soldiers of
Franc
La Tour d'Auvergne was not unworthy
in life the honor thus paid him after his
death. He was educated for the army, en-
tered in 1867, and in 1871 served under the
Duke de Crillon at the seige of Port Mahon.
He served always with distinction, but con-
stantly refused offers of promotion, saying
that he was only fit for the command of
company of grenadiers; but finally, the va
rious grenadier companies being united, he
found himself in command of body of
5000 men, while retaining 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 country that was soon to bee me the
scene of campaign. While there he was
busy in acquainting himself with the fea-
lures of the country, thinking it not unlikely
that this knowledge might be of use to him,
and while here the brave grenadier was as
tonished to learn that the war had been
rapidly shifted to this quarter, and that a
regiment of Austrians was pushing on to
occupy a narrow pass about ten miles from
where he was staying, and the possessIc n
of which would give them an opportunity
to prevent an important movement Of the
French which was then on foot.
They hoped to surprise this post, and
were moving SO rapidly upon it that they
were not more than two honrs 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 it.
He had no idea of being captured by the
enemy in their advance, and be at once set
of for the pass. He knew that the pass
was defended by a 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 a perfect condition. 1t had
just been vacated by the garrison, who had
heard of the approach of the Austrians,
and had been seized with panic thereat
and had fed, leaving their arms, consisting
Of thirty excellent muskets.
La Tour d'Auvergne CRASHED his teeth
with rage as he discovered this. Searching
in the building he found several boxes OF
ammunition which the towards had not de-
stroyed. For moment he was in despair,
but then with grim smile he began to
fasten the main door and pile against il
such articles as he could find.
When he had done this he loaded all the
guns he could find, and placed them, togeth-
er with good supply of ammunition, under
the loop holes that commanded the road by
which the enemy must advance.
Then he ate heartily of the provisions
which he had brought with him, and sat
down to wait. He had absolutely formed
the heroic resolution to defend the tower
alone against the enemy.
There were some things in his favor in
such an undertaking. The pass was steep
anu narrow, and the enemy's troops could
enter it only in double files, and in doing
this would be exposed to the fire from the
tower. The original garrison of thirty
men could easily have held it against di
vision, and now one man was about to at
tempt TO hold it against regiment.
1t was dark when La Tour d Auvergne
reached the tower, and he had to wait some
tine TO- the enemy. They were longer
in coming than he had expected, and for a
abandoned 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 entering the dehle. Immedi-
ately he discharged couple of muskets in
TO the darkness to let them know that he
knew Of their presence and intentions, and
he heard the quick, short commands of 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 10 receive
him, saw that he could not surprise the post
as ne had hoped to do, and deemed it pru-
dent to wait until daylight before making
his attack.
AT sunrise he summoned the garrison to
surrender. Agrenadier answered the sum
mons.
"Ssy TO your commander" he said, in
reply to the messenger, "that this garrison