The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-04-12

by dozen others, all the company did
the same
The Marshal, addressing the man who
had first spoken, demanded his name:
"Joseph Trigaud."
"Well, Trigaud, It is to you that
confide my aide de camp. Thou and thy
comrades shall be answerable for him.
Soldiers, guard him as you would your
colors p
"Yes, yes! Vive PEmpereur! We
are responsible" cried all the grena-
diers.
| A litter was Immediately constructed,
on which the Pole was laid and carried
to the, center Of the company, which
soon after continued it's march.
In the meantime the retreat Of the
main body of the army, commenced at
first in good order, soon presented, from
the intensity of the cold, frightful as
pect of disorganization, selfishness and
misery. The company Of grenadiers
slowly pursued their course, and were
soon isolated amid the immense plains
covered with the wrecks of the army
Sometimes in square, with the litter of
Koblinski in the center, they repulsed
with the bayonet the dragoous of Milo
radowitch, or returned the unexpected
attack of Platow with whitening fire
ever acting on the defensive, but always
calm, silent and steady. BY these means
their numbers had gradually diminished !;
and when, on the 30th of October, they
reached the Viasma, out of the entire
company Of grenadiers, not more than
thirty survived. Still these brave men,
abandoned and left to themselves, pre-
lserved amid the general discomfort that
moral force which conquers even events.
It was their honor and not their lives
that they sought to defend. 1t was suf.
ficient for them that one of the most
illastrious Marshals of the Emperor had
said to them, "To your honor and bra
very / confde my aide de-camp you are
to restore him to me-" These words had
acted as a talisman, which had not lost
its force under the pressure of misery,
privation, and even death.
After three weeks of continued hard
ship, the few men who remained of the
heroic and devoted company secuted
with disdain, and looked upon as an af-
front, the repeated prayers and solicita-
tions of the Pole, who, seeing himself
the cause of so many sacrifices, had be-
sought them to relieve themselves by at
once putting an end to his misery.
"Thou art but coward" said he to
Trigaud: "who will not dare to do what
l ask-to shoot me through the head"
"Colonel," said Trigaud with stolcal
indifference, ''you may charge me with
such, if you please, but I laugh at it
Dead or alive, we shall carry you to
Smolensk. 1t is the order of the Mar.
shal, and he ever requires that his order
should be obeyed."
"If you had buried ME yesterday in
the snow,when attacked by the Cossacks,
l should ere to-day have suffered no
more"
"The Cossacks would have disinterred
and burned you alive" replied Trigaud,
who during the previous night had made
his own body protection to the woun-
ded man. "These eaters of candles
would rejoice to have your skin; ; but
they must take mine first-itis ready for
them. Oh, the savages."
"You are but coward" repeated the
Pole in feverish transport which shook
the litter on which he lay.
s'Be calm, be calm, my Colonel; you
know that the carbines of the Marshal
have ere now taught the necessity of
obedience. Why then do you wrong us
bv speaking these disagreeable thingsi
However, it is all equal to me,I shall not
reply to ycu."
He who had spoken thus nearly per-
ished, with all his companions, in the
passage Of the Voss, while endeavoring
to protect the sacred deposit confided to
them. The waters of the torrent were
within twenty four hours changed into
sharp and bristling masses of ice; owing
to that circumstance but few of the
grenadlers reached the opposite bank
Some days subsequently when Trigaud
awoke after few hours reposc he found
that but four of his companions surviv-
ed, the others having perished from the
stupefying effects Of the frost-a minia
ture of what the great army was at that
moment suffering, 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 houses,
the route Of which was marked by the
dead bodies left by the immense army
which had preceded them. 1t was Smo-
lensk, the land of promise the
things looked forward to as great luxu-
ries might be procurcd-a fire, shelter,
and 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; fourth soon after shared the
same fate and but one grcnadier-Tri-
gaud-was left to brave theSelements
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 a distance, whom
he called to his assistance. They soon
came to his ad, and he reached Smolensk
| in a few hours, after twenty two days of
lighting, fatigue and misery. He enter
ed, it is true, the only survivor of his
company, but he cared not, since lie had
redeemed the promise made to the Prince
| d Eckmuhl.
The ne It day Trigaud learned that the
Marshal had arrived but few days pre-
vlously, and was then in town, which pre-
sented the appearance of one vast hos
pital. protected by sentries, and extend
Iiag to the very suburbs The skeletons
of horses which had been converted into
food were scattered in every street, and
| the doors and windows cf the houses
had long since been consumed as fire
| wood by the frozen and furnishing sol
dcry. 1t was in one of the houses in
the outskirts of the town that Prince
Ii Eckmnhl had established his quarters,
and thither Trigauds assisted by some
soldiers, bore the insensble body of Ko-
ll;nski and hid If IN some straw in fha