The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-07-31
rhs Surprise Of crsmsna.

xhs Surprise Of Cremona.
John Cornelius O'Callahan has just COM
pleted his g History Of the Irish Brigades
in the Service of France" which has been
labor Of love with the author, entailing
vast labas, and . research which rendered
necessary the exploration Of many CONT
mental iibraties and the inspection Of thou
sands Of MSS. We extract the following
from the Dk6Ka Freeman's comments on
the work: s ~
The surpsise Of Cremona is among the
most iutefesting of military stories. In
lions, under the Duke of Berwick, Lord
Galway, Colonel Bourke; Colonel Dillon,
and Colonel Sheldon. Of these, but two
battAti0ns, in all GOO men, were in Gre
moss. Tho story of the treachery is we'll
known. y" Our good Prince Eugene" as
Kasper styles him, came in at dawn
interesting to the students of military his
tory. Boys will pleasantly remember Jane
Porter's thrilling story of how Sir William
Wallace routed the foe; will tolerably re-
collect thp narrative of Tacitus, in his Life
6f Agricol4; will hatefully bethink them
selves ofThucydides and the night attack
on Platae& and, we are sure, will gladly
turn 70 the doings of the Irish at Cremona.
De viiiesSy, rushing to his troops, is taken
upon hins and he had instantly persisted
but for tbA arrival Of an Irishman, Francis
O'Donneh This gentleman was an officer
in the InsPerial service. Mr.. O'Callaghan
tells u&Ae.was nearly connected with the
10 Of Mayo; with the O'Rorkes
80 heads were princes or chiefs Of
W 6fke from che 10th to the 18th
csneat bnae Of them ancient kings In
ConnauGht, their names to-day being re-
and aDnnts In Russia and with the
O'Conors, +" SO long kings of Connaught,
and in some instances monarchs of Ireland.
mcdonnell took the Marshal to a guard
house, where De Villeroy tried hard to
bribe him, but without success. Mean
while, the Dukes Major General was also
who came to his post with his regiment
was overpowered and slain. The next was
MORALLY wounded. The governor of the
city was equally unfortunate. Officers of
rank were captured, and no hope remained
to the betrayed citizens, save the 600 Irish
the first ready for action, and they stood at
the Pc gate, q most important position, not
yet in the hands of the enemy. Prince
Eugene had ordered the Baron de Mercy to
have this gate at all hazards, and to it the
Baron came. He shut off all cOmmunica-
Grenadiers to thrust their bayonets through
the openings of the pallisade. The Austri
ans were then to advance and fire in on
the Irish but the captain behind babe his
men occupy the openings, and when the
Austrians advanced they were shot down
with infallible precision. The Germans
again advancing with their bayonets were
similarly met. The firing reused the Irish
in the city, and just when the Baron had
seized the rampant to the left of the 36
heroes, Daniel O'MahOny, Major in billions,
and Francis Wauchop, Lieutenant colonel
of Bourke's, dashed down the streets, to
attack the Germans in the flank. The
poured out volley and then charged flu
! riously. The rampant was retaken. Prince
Eugene heard the news of the defeat and
sent an officer to inspect the position. He
replied that =" the Irish were too we'll post
ed at the gate to be forced from it." Eu-
Donnell, who had captured their command
er, De Villeroy, and mcdonnell made
| them q very handsome speech; saying as he
was desired, O'Mahony nobly replied, and
arrested mcdonnell as suborner. Eu-
gene now endeavored to induce De Villeroy
to order the Irish to submit; which the
Duke, q prisoner and no longer their COM
mander, declined to do. Eugene now sum-
moned the municipality, and besought
them to wean the Irish from their post.
Every stratagem having failed, the cry "to
armsn was given and for day these
Irish fought as men never fought before.
The slaughter was dreadful. "NOthing was
to be seen upon the pavement but blood and
slaughtered men and horses. The cries OF
the wounded and the dying, joined with
the lamentations of the townspeople, who
witnessed the fearful spectacle, increased
the horrors of the struggle. For eleven
hours the warfare was continued, and al
last Prince Eugene was forced to abandon
the attack and leave the city, which, he
said, was taken by q miracle, and lost by
q still greater one." King Louis compli.
mented O'Mahony, and all the great sol
diers of the day were lavish in praise o.
the Irish, who had done, "such incompre-
hensible things" Such were the men who
were not ft 10 stay at home