The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-10-20
Gres. Ven Good sIeeperS.

Napoleon, ~ ct iirltuc' tGHSNi O1
what be called historical Stiffness
(niaiseries) on the part Of historians
who Judged i'll Of men and events.
at was wrong, for example, 10 ex-
patiate on the ealmness Of Alexan-
der, Cesar, and others, for having
slept on the eve Of = battle. There
are none of our soldiers, of our gen
erals, who have not repeated this
marvel twenty tires, and nearly all
the heroism lay in the foregoing IA
tigue." NJ. De Segur describes him
passing the night before Wagram,
within reach of the enemy, on the
alert, the horses bridled.
The Emperor was in the middle
of his guard. A spread
mantle served him for tent He
slept under it scarcely three or four
hours, but as profoundly as usual. 1t
was necessary 10 wake him in the
morning. This will excite no aston
ishment If we reflect that at these
critical moments history shows as
hardly any great men without sleep
or appetite; not that robust health is
indispensable to these great actions,
but rather because they require ele-
vated and firm characters which main
tain their calu."
Conde was an excellent sleeper; so
was the Duke of Wellington; SO was
Pitt, till his health became fatally
shattered; and the power or habit is
quite as essential in civil as in militia
ry affairs, for without it both mind
and body must prove unequal to a
strain. One striking exception was
Nelson, who, When everything was
ready for the attack on Copenhagen,
and be was only waiting for wind,
was with difficulty persuaded to at
tempt an hour or two Of rest he
allowed bis cot to be placed on the
deck and lay down on it, but never
closed bis eyes a moment, and at
brief intervals during some hours,
kept aDxiously inquiring about the
wind. Napoleon or Wellington
would have ordered himself to be
called when the wind was favorable,
ard gone quietly to sleep. Yet Mel
son was 4 hero in the brightest ae.
ceptation of the word:
"Ihe fiery spirit working cut its way
Fr.t tied the puny body - decay.
A; Wagram there was time when
be French left was routed, and the
artillery at Boudet taken Intelli-
gence of this disaster and Of the
threatening advance Of the Austrian
right to operate on the French rear
being brought by one Of Massena's
aides de camp, the Emperor remsined
silent, impassive, as if he had beard
nothing, with looks fixed on the op-
posite side, on Neusiedl and Davoust.
It was not till be saw the FIRE of Da-
youst. and his victoriousright wing
pass the high tower of his village,
that be turned to the aide de camp:
"Boudet's artillery Is taken. Well.
it was there to be taken. Go and tell
Massena that the battle is won" 1t
was then far from won; desperate
effort was required to redeem it, and
be was obliged to order up bis re-
serve, to which be never resorted ex-
cept in the last emergency.
Having given this order, confident
of its execution BY Lauriston. Da-
voust, and d. Aboyille, and sure Of
its effect, trsuquilized, moreover, by
the progress Of Davoust and our right
wing, Napoleon alighted, and that
which will astonisb, but is certain, is
that, calling Russian, (the Mamelouk)
he caused his bearskin to be spread
out, stretched himself upon it, and
fell into a deep sleep. This sleep
had already lasted nearly 90 minutes,
and was beginning TO create disquiet,
when be awoke, without surprise,
without esgerDess to know what bad
come to pass during this absence OF
his consciousness. We could even
see, BY the direction Of his first lock,
and by the orders which be redoubled
that be resumed, or rather followed,
his train of thought as if it had un-
dergone no interruption. "-QUdrter-
ly ReUietr-