The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-01-30
The Crenadier Of France,

| 'n"uy ycdtS tLcio was u touching
and beautiful custom to be witnessed In a
certain regiment Of French grenadiers, and
which meant to commemorate the heroism
OF departed comrade. -
When the companies assembled for
parade, and roll was called, there was one
name to which its owner could not answer
it 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 proudly:
died on thefeld ofhonor."
For fourteen years this custom was con-
tlnued, and only ceased when the restored
Bourbons, to please their foreign masters,
forbade every thing that was calculated to
preserve the spirits OF the soldiers of
France.
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 1857, and in 1871 served under
the Duke de Crillon, at the siege of Port
Mahon. He served always with distinc-
ton, but constantly refused offers of pro-
motion, saying that be was only fit for the
command of a company grenadiers but,
finally, the. various grenadier companies
being united, he found himself in command
of body Of eight thousand men, while re-
tanning 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 acquaintihg himself with the coun-
try, thinking it not unlikely that this
knowledge might be of use to him and
while here the brave grenadier was aston
ished to learn that the war had been sud-
denly shifted to that quarter, and that a
regiment of Austrians was pushing 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 movement of the
French which was then on foot. They
hoped to surprise this post, and were NOV
ing so rapidly upon it that they were not
more than two hours distant from the
place where he was staying, and which they
would have to pass on their march. It
matters not how he heard the news. It 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 he at once set
off for the pass. He knew that the pass
was defended by q stout tower, and gar.
rison of thirty men, and he hoped to be
able to warn the mel oftheir danger.
He fastened on, and arriving there found
the tower in 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 mtiskets.
La Tour dAuvergne 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 momenthe was in despair,
but then, with grim smile, be began to
fasten the main door and pile against it
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 ofammunition, under
the loop holes that command 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 hero
ic resolution to defend the tower alone
against the enemy.
There were some things in his favor in
such All undertaking. The pass was stsep
and narrow, and the enemy's troops could
enter it only in double files, and in doing
this would be fully exposed to the fire
from the tower. The original garrison of
thirty men could easily have held it against
division, and now one man was about to
hold it against regiment.
1t was dark when La Tour dAvergne
reached the tower, and he had to wait
some time for the enemy. They were long
er in coming than he expected, and for a
while he was tempted to believe they had
abandoned the expedition.
About midnight, however, his practised
ear caught the tramp Of feet. Every mo-
ment the sound came nearer, and at last he
heard them entering the defle. 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 bis
movements and was prepared to receive
him, saw that he could not surprise the
post as he had hoped to do, and deemed it
prudent to wait till daylight before max
ing his attack.
At sunrise he summoned the garrison to
surrender. A grenadier answered the sum-
mons.
"Say to your commander" he said, in
reply to the messenger, :" that this garrison
will defend this pass to the last moment.
The officer who had borne the flag Of
truce retired, and in about ten minutes a
piece of artillery was brought into the pass
and opened on the tower. But to effect
this, the piece had to be placed within easy
musket range oft. They had scarcely got
the gun in position, when q rapid fire was
opened ON it from the tower, and continu-
ed with such marked effect that the piece
was withdrawn after the second discharge,
with loss of five 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
had lost fifteen men. Disheartened by
this, they returned to the mouth of the
defle.
Three more assaults were repulsedin this
manner, and the enemy by sunset had lost
forty.fve men, of whom ten were killed. B
The fire from the tower had been rapid
and accurate, but the Austrian commander
had noticed this popularity about it--eve-