The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-03-17

/ At this invitation a grenadierepping from
the ranks, exclaimed, briskly, Here ?" He
was Immediately followed by aozen others
al the company did the same.
The marshal addressing the an who had
first spoken, demanded his nan
"Joseph Trigaud,"
s'Well, Trigaud it is to you lat | contide
my aide-de-camp. Thou and y comrades
shall be answerable for him. Sdiers guard
/ him as YOU would your colors p
Yes, yes, Vive rEmperel! We are
responsible - cried all the grenders.
| A Utter was Immediately cotructed, on
which the Pole was laid and Tried to the
centre of the company, which san after con-
tnued its march.
| In the mean time, the retreaof the main
body of the army, commenced airst in good
order, soon presented. from thintefsity of
the cold. frightful aspect Of Dissemination,
selfshness and misery. The copany of gre
nadiers slowly pursued their curse, and
were soon isolated amidst the imense plains
covered with the wrecks of the any Some
times in square, with the litte,f Koblinski
in the centre. they repulsed vFh the hayonet
the dragons OF Miloradowith. or returned
the unexpected attacks ofPlato with with
ering fire-ever acting on the efensive, but
always calm, silent. and steav. By these
means their numbers had gradully diminish
ed and when, on the 3Oth of'ctober, they
reached the Wanna, out of th entire COM
pany of grenadiers, not more TIN thirty sur
yived. Still these brave mel abandoned
and left to themselves, preservd amidst the
general discomfort, that moral )rce, which
conquers even events. 1t wastheir honor
and not their lives that they sougt to defend.
oil %Io% A.
illustrious marshals of the Empeor had said
to them, s'To your honor and brverv 1 con-
fide my aide-de-camp; you are tcrestore him
to me-" These words had acte, as tails
man, which had not lost its forc.under the
pressure of misery, privation and ven death.
After three weeks of continua hardship,
the few men who remained of theheroic and
devoted company secuted with didain, and
looked upon as an affront the REPEATED pray
ers and solicitations of the Pole, Who, seeing
himself the cause of so many sacifices and
sufferlngs, had besought them to relieve them
selves by at onco putting an cid to his
misery.
'Ihou art but coward" saidhe to Tri-
gaud, "who will not dare to do what l ask
to shoot me through the headn
"Colonel,' said Trigaud with stdcal indif-
ference. "you may charge me with such, if
you please, but laugha at it. Deac or alive,
we snail carry you to Smolensk tits the OF
der of the marshal, and he ever reqlires that
his order should be obeyed''
eff you had buried me yesterday in the
snow, when attacked bv the CoSsacks, |
should ere to-day have suffered no more.''
''Thc Cossacks would have disintered and
have burned you alive" replied Trigaud,
who during the previous night had made his
own body protection to the wounded man.
"Ihese eaters of candles would rejoice to
have your skin; but they must take mine first
it IS ready for them. Oh the savages"
''Y ou are but coward, repeated the Pole
in feverish transport which Shook the litter
on which he lay
''Be calm, be calm, my colonel; you know
that the carbines of the marshal have ere now
tanght thn necessity of obedience. Why then
40 you wrongus by speaking these disa greea-
pis s thSS 65 reP} Ph}9WSSsye9a rs is all """al to me-
He who had spoken thus nearly perished,
with all his companions, in the passage of the
Foss, while endeavoring to protect the sacred
deposit confided to them. The waters of the
torrent were, within twenty four hours chang
ed into sharp and bristling masses of ice; ow-
ING to that circumstance, but few of the
grenadicrs reached the opposite bank. Some
days subsequently, when Trigaud awoke
after a few hours repose, he found that but
four OF his companions survived, the others
having perished from the stupefying effects
OF the trost--a miniature of what the great
body OF the army was at that moment suffer
ing, and which has left in the military annals
of Napoleon such horrible "reminiscences
Before the day closed, they distinguished, on
the edge OF the gloomy horizon, line OF
Of 1ul,, ,ol L.,
the dead bodies left by the immense army
which had preceded them. 1t was Smolensk,
the land OF promisc-where the things look
ed forward to as great luxuries might be pro-
cured-a fire, shelter, and a little bread A
cry OF JOY escaped the five brave men who
still supported the litter of Koblinski Three,
however, fell to rise no more when within
sight OF the town; a fourth soon after shared
the same fate and but one grenadier, -Trig-
aud-was left to brave the elements with the
now inanimatc body Of the Pole. Not being
able to carry him, he slowly dragged him
along, and at length perceived some men at
distance, whom he called to his assistance.
They soon came to his aid, and he reached
omolensk III few hours, after twenty-five
days OF lighting, fatigue and misery. He
entered, it is true, the only survivor of his
company; but he cared not, since he had re-
deemed the promise made to the Prince
dEckmuhl
The next day Trigaud learned that the
marshal had arrived but few days previous
ly, and was then in town, which presente L
the appearance of one vast hospital, protect
ed by sentries, and extending to the very
suburbs. The skeletons of horses which had
been converted into food, were scattered in
every street, and the doors and windows of
the houses had long since been consumed as
firewood, by the frozen and famishine
soldiery. 1t was in one of the houses in the
outskirts of the town that Prince d'Eckmuhl
had established his quarters, and thither
Trigaud, assisted by some soldiers, bore the
insensible body of Koblinski, and laid it on
some straw in the doorway. On entering
the house, he perceived an officer on guard
at an outer room, enveloped in the ragged
remains of cuirassier's cloak, of whom he
demanded to speak with the marshal.
"What seek you of him ?" asked the Off
Ger, without changing his posture.
Il come to render an account of a mission
with which he charged me at Moro-Jarosla-
vitz, and to deliver up the deposit confided
to me-"
''The prince is at this moment in council :;
you can remain and rest yourself until it is
concluded"
"Certainly," said Trigaud, who spoke in a
tone of sadness: "but mayhap, in the mean
time, you would make known to him that
the grenadiers of the second COMPANY of the