Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-09-15
RETREAT OF NEY.
BY JOHN S. c. ABBOTT.

OF fortitude and heroism recorded il
the annals Of war was performed by
Marshal Ney, in the retreat from
Moscow. With q division of fiv,
thousand men he was cut off from
the remainder of the French army
Kutusoff, the Russian general, will
eighty thousand men, including nu
merous cavalry, and with two hun
dred pieces of artillery, had cffectually
blocked up his passage.
Ncy, with his little band of half
famishcd soldiers, wavcring in theii
languid march, with guns defective
and dirty, and with but six pieces OF
cannon, rushed upon the hostile bat.
teries, and maintained the UNEQUAL
conflict, in his vain endeavor to cut
hls way through the masses of the
foe, until night darkencd the field,
Then, at midnight, no thought even
OF surrender, he ordered his troops to
turn upon their track, and marched
back into the wilds of Russia
With amazement the troops heard
this command, which, without besita.
tion, they obeyed. 1t was cold,
gloomy winters night. The frozen
ground was covered with snow, and
the blast pierced the worn-out cloth
ing of the soldiers. For two or three
hours they traversed, in darkness, the
savage waste till they came 10 small
river. Breaking the ice to see in what
direction the current ran, Ney said
This stream must flow into the Dnei.
per. 1t shall be our guide.o
The feeble band, cold, hungry and
weary, struggled along until they
reached the Dneiper, Its broad aud
rapid current was clogged with float
ing masses OF ice, and in one spot only
TO which lame peasant conducted
them, was the ice sufficiently firm for
them TO attempt passage. And even
here 1t was necessary to pass with the
utmost caution. Ney, wrapped in his
cloak, slept for an hour upon the snow
while his troops passed over in single
file. The ice bent and cracked under
their feet.
They then attempted TO pass the
wagons over, laden with the sick and
wounded. The frail surface broke
and several of the wagons sank be.
meath the ice. A few faint cries only
were heard MS the sufferers disappear.
ed in their cold icy sepulrhre. By
crossing the Dneiper, Ney hoped, in a
long detour, again to reach the army.
The Russians followed this feeble band
in its retreat, keeping beyond muslsct
shot, but firing necessarily upon their
victims with artillery, FROM every
available emnence.
Napoleon was at Orcha, waiting
With Tho most intense anxiety TO hear
tidings from Ney. -Four days had
passed without even rumor of his
fate. The whole army was looking
back across the Dneiper, hoping to
catch glimpse of his advancing col.
umns, or 10 hear the report Of his
artillery AT the close of solitude and
watching, anolher wintry night envel.
opcd IN its gloom these reireatinC,
woc-stricken armies. Napoleon was
partaking of frugal supper with Gen.
eral Leiebvre when a shout of ,ov was
heard in The streets, and the words
"Marshal Ney is safe" iell--upon his
ear. AT that moment Polish officer
entered with the tidings that the Mar.
shal was a few leagues distant, on the
banks Of the river, harassed by pursu.
ing Cossacks, md in want of immedi.
ate assistance. Napoleon sprang from
his chair, seized the informant by both
arms, and gazing into his eyes, ex
claimed:
"ls that really trueY Are you sure
of IL! | have two hundred millions
of gold in my vaults at the Tuileries
! would have given them all to save
Marshal Ney,9
Instantly Eugene was dispatched
with Eve thousand men for the rescuc
OF the Marshal. Eagerly the soldiers
left their bivouac fires for their mid.
night march. For six miles they toll.
ed along the snow and over an an.
known path, often stopping TO listen
II they could bear any sound of their
lost friends The river, which was
their only guide, flowed drear and chill
at their side, encumbered by vast
masses of floating ice. Gloomy for
ests of evergreens irowned along their
path, and no sound bat the tramp ofl
Eugene's battalion disturbed the ST.
lence of the night.
At length Eugene ordered his artil.
lery to be discharged, as shout to
call the attention'oi bis friends. Lis.
tening anxiously, they heard far off in
the distance, IN apparent response, ,
feeble report of musketry. The Mar. |
shal had not a single piece of artillery |
left. Both parties, however, under. |
stood the language of their guns, and |
they FASTENED to meet each other
They were soon united Officers and |
soldiers alike threw themselves into
'aca others arms, and many of these
war worn veterans wcpt for 10Y.
The reunited bands, forgetful oil
past pcrils, and the still greater ones |
hey were yet to encounter, returned |
TO Orcha. As Marshal
Ney with soldierly simplicity and |
inostentation, gave a recital Of the
iangers and difficulties they had sur
mounted and the hardships he had |
endured, Napoleon grasred his hand |
md imm ,rtaliEcd him with the title |
If tho "bravest of the brave Again |
Napoleon said, in reference TO this
same achievement, in words which
will never die, "Better is an army OF
lecr commanded by lion, than an |
lrmy OF lions commanded by a deer" /
During this retreat an unnatural
who was one of the camp fol
overs, weary of nursing her crying
,hild, threw Il out into the snow 10
perish. Ney chanced TO witness the
nhuman deed, and lining up the child,
'oolhcd il tenderly, and restored il to
is mother IN the slcdgc, commanding
he mother to take charge of IT, But