Maryland free press. [volume] (Hagerstown [Md.]) 1862-18??, 1866-09-06
TIIECA ApTUR REE

The French army was preparing during the
campaign of 1900 to meet the Austrian forces UNI
the Archduke Charles in the plains of Italy,
aai w,r traversi ig wi Il most incredible diff
cilty and perseverance, the stupendous line of the
Alps which extends from St. Bernard TO Nice and
Ionenote; encountering hour by hour obstacles
soformidable that neither the courage of the
troops, the immense resources of the commissar-
lat, nor the military genius Of their leaders, were
enabled entirely to overcome them.
Nothing daunted, however, by either suffering
or fatigue, the toiled on, if they already fore
saw that the indomiable will ofthcir Gcnera-in-
Chief was destined to make ,hcm masters ofMilap
I'D Turin, to lead them to Genoa, and to dictate
his own terms of peace 10 his naughty rival on
th battlefield of Marcngo. u
Within few Leagues of Milan, in hsllow be
" IN two hills and en- the left bank of The Do
ria Batlea, they at length: came upon the little
town and fortress Of Ivrcc, which they scarcely
anticipated would venture 10 dispute their pas
age even for instant, its fortiiications being
almost nominal, and the nature of its position
rendering it impossible that its garrison could
sustain egular scigc.
They were, however, in error; courageous,
wonderfully adroit and fanatically patriotic, the
inhabitants of the town; and the troops in the cit
adj, consisting only of four thousand men with
twenty-five guns held the place three entire days
against an army of thirty thousand men, COM
msnded by three of the youngest, but already
three ofbrst generals in Europe; Bernadottc,
Aassena, and Lannes.
Furious 10 find himself arrested on his march
before so insignificant an obstacle, Bonapartc--
who had taken Alexandria in day; and Cairo
in an hour-who was moreover, anxious TO pos
sess himself of position which would facilitate
his operations on Milan issued an order for the
division under Lanncs 10 make an attack upon
the town, and to compel a surrender. A bsttsl-
Ion Of the 22nd demi-brigade, led by General
Cotehet, first escaladed the fortress, and carried
1t at the point of the bayonet; when the French
no sooner found themselves in possession of the
fifteen feld-pieces which had dcfen ded the en-
trance than they they turned them upon the town
and opened for their lagion pcrous, but unob
structed path; along which they boldly advanced
singing the Mdrseiiiais. After three hours of a
struggle as heroic as it was hopeless, driven from
the citadel, decimated in the streets of the town
shot down on all sides when beyond the reach o
their cnemies or cut down by the sabres Of thost
by whom they were ovcrtakcn in their flight 9
few of the Austrian soldiers and q mere hand
ful of Inhabitants who had escaped the carnage
TOOK refuge in the hou:e Of the u,trian Ad ju.
tant general resolved to hold out SO long as on,
of them should he left alive.
In few instents the residence of the brave
veteran was transformed into an actual fortress
loop-holes were perforated in .thc walls, barti
csdcs were hastily cree ed, and every energy wa
ererted to accomplish an effective defence.
Cochet was the first to enter Ivrec, but he wa
closely followed by Lannss, who sent an office
and two battallions of the 22nd 10 force the posi-
ton of the enemy. We refrain from naming thi
officer out of respect to his family, several o
whose members have, since the event We are a
bout to record, filled with honor to themselves a,
elevated rank in the French army; let it sufic
that Major- who was conspicuous in thu
Republican forces for his ferocity and headlonS
courage, penetrated, at the head of one ofthe bat
taliops (by passing oyer the bodies of the forty