Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1870-04-28

thought stsrtsd % his mind. asd uplasine
himself in frcn. Of tho forty eight reSi.
meas - they de6led, he addressed aeon.
pany Of cid grenadiers q the, 6rss bassal-
ion: .f --r s7..,'.,,r.-s ,.l-..-,...k !,
"Grenadier~." s.id he. my aide-ae-
camp, Colonel Koblinski, was Yesterday
severely sounded while showing IN ex-
ampls Of courage aud obedience. He a
Pole. Would you vish 70 leave him 70
the Russians 2"
"No. no. Long live the Pole !" cried
the soldiers. s,t....T q --g gF.-s..s
"Vive L Emperour - cried they who
had not fully comprehended the words Of
the Marshal. -tt- -.ft.
"Listen, them" said Davoust. care
there amongs. this company, which /
have selected, four rien who are willing
to undertake the responsible task which
shall impose 2"
ASshis invitation grcpsa;er stepping
from the ranks, excla:eed. briSkiy,
l"H rel? He was immedistely folio wed
by dozan others all the company did
the same.
The marshal addressing the man who
had first spoken. demanded his name.
Joseph Trigaad.'
"Well Trigaud, it is to you that con.
fide my aide-de-camp. Thou and thy
comrades shall be answerable for him
Soldiers guard him as you would your
colors ~
Eyes. yes! Vive = Enpercur W.
are responsible :" cried al! the grenadiers.
A litter was Immediately constructed
on which the Pole was laid and carried
to the centre Of the company, which SO On
after continued it's march.
In the meantime. the retreat of tho
main body Of the army, commenced at
first in good order, soon presented, from
the intensity of the cold. frightful. as.
pect Of disorganiz alton, selfishues, and
misery. The company ofgrenadiers slow
iy parsued their course, aud were soon
isolated amidst the immense plains COW
cred with the wrecks of the army. Some.
times in square. with the litter of Kob-
linski in the centre. they repulscd With
the bayonct the dragons Of Milorado-
witch. or returned the unexpected attacks
Of Platow with a vithering fre-ever act
ing ou the defensive but always calm, ST.
lent. and steady. BY these means their
numbers had gradually diminished: and
when on the 8Oth Of Octo Der, they reach.
ed the Viazma, out Of the entire company
of greuadiers. not more than thirty sur.
vived Still these brave pen, abandon
ed and left to themselves. preserved amidst
the general discomfort, that moral force,
which coaqncrs evan events. l. was
their honor and not their lives that they
sought to defend. It vas sufficient for
them that one o. the most illustrious mar
shals of the Emperor had said to them,
ITO your honor and bravery I confiie
my aid-de-camp; you are to restore him
tn me-" These words hrd act ed as a
tali,man, which had not lost its force un-
der the pressure of misery, privAtiou and
even death.
After three week. OF continual hard.
ship. the few men who remained of the
heroic and devoted company sc u ted with
disdain, and looked upon as an affront the
repeated prayers and solicitations of the
Pole. who seeing himself the cause of so
many sacrifices anl sutferings, hal be-
sought them to relieve themselves by at
once putting an end to his misery.
"Thou art but coward" said he to
Triraul "who will not dare to 10 what
ask-to shoot me through the heal"
Colonel" said Trigaud with st,ical
indifference, "y"u may charge me with
such, If YOU please, hat I laugh at it.
Deal 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."
'1fyou had buried me yesterday in the
snow when attacked hy the Cossacks, I
should ere to-day have suffered no more -
"The Cnssacks would have disinterred
ard have burn'd yau alive" rep'iei Tri-
gaud. who during the prrvicns night had
made his own bodya protection to the
wounded man. These eaters of can
dies would rejoice to have your skin
but they must take mine first it is ready
for them. Oh the savages."
"You are bu. a coward" repeated the
Pole in a feverish transport which shook
:he litter OF which he lay.
'Be calm, be calm, my colonel; you
know that the carhines Of the marshal
have ere now taught the necessity of obe-
dience. Why then do yoa wrong Us By
speaking these disscrecable things p
However it is all equal to me, I shall not
reply 70 you."
He who had spoken thue nearly per-
ished. ~ith all his companions, in the
passage Of the Voss, while eudeavorine
to protect the sacred deposit coufiied to
them. The waters Of the torrent were
within twenty y-four hours changed into
sharp and bristling masses of ice owing
70 that circumstances. bat few Of the
grenadlers reached the opposite bank
SOms days subsequently,. when Trigaud
awcke after few hours repose, he found
that bat four Of his companions survived,
the others havias persisted from the sta
peiying effects Of the frost miniature