Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-10-02
THE GUARD OF DEATH.
A Thrilling Trcident Zen HaDOleOn's
Rctreat from MOscOS.

a InTlitADS ANclOeuL LW NdDOleOn
Retreat from MOscOS.
The horrors of war have been
detailed in infinite variety-afford-
ing themes of inexhaustible abund-
ance for the moralist, the poet, the
historian and the romancer. Abun-
dant in such details Of suffering
must have been the disastrous cam
paign of Napoleon in RuSsia-or,
rather, the most disastrous portion
of the campaign-the retreat from
Moscow.
The ordinary disasters Of a re-
treat through an enemy's country
we're, in this instance, fearlully ag-
gravated by the intense severity of
the cold, and that Of the multitudes
who perished, there were the thou
sands who sank beneath its rigors
for the hundreds who fell beneath
the lances of the Cossacks. Yet
the assaults of these rowing war;
riors of the desert were fearfully
destructive. Hovering in small
bands around the division Of the
retreating Frenchmen, and never
falling to strike whenever a small
part of the enemy became separated
from the main body on its march
and such separations were daily be-
coming more frequent, through the
relaxation of discipline and the in
creasing want of provlsions-there
was no possibility of either resist
ing or escaping their attacks. Well
mounted upon their fleet and hardy
courser, such was the rapidity Of
their movements that they seemed
to spring up from the earth, always
appearing when least expected, and
repulsed, securing away with a
celebrity that defed pursuit, even
if the worn and harassed French
men had been able to attempt it.
For them, indeed, there was but
one resource to keep as closely as
possible together when attacked
by the CosSacks to form in solid
squares and meet the shock and,
above all, to pursue their march
with the least possible inter
mission, for those who failed died
Thus were the remains Of Ma
poleon'S great army toiling back
across the frightful wastes of thq
unhospitable region, but daily leay
ing thousands of their number
stiitauing on its snowSi the troops
of Cossacks sweeping around then
and bringing up their rear, ready
to pick up every straggler whom
fatigue or greater hope of safety il
isolated progress had separated
from his fellows.
The main body had passed on
and there was solitude on the vas
and naked steppe which they hat
traversed. The cold was dreadful
and a driving storm of sGpw wa
whitening the ground, to whicl
that intense frost had given tn
rigidity of marble, Afar off, in th
remotest verge of the horizon,
dark object might be seen, dimlg
through the snow; and from an
! other quarter comes Whirling on
J troop of Cossacks, with msRy
! wild hurrah. Their leader point
to the dark object in the distance
and away they scour across tn
/, plain in the direction Of hi
: spear. AS they approach, the
see with grim delight that a ban
Of Frenchmon is before them-bu
these, il seems, are prepared for tn
. attack, The square is formed-th
' bayonets at charge. Fhe gqssaob
gallop round and round, as if seet
Q ing for apoint of vantage to attae'
the Frenchmen stand firm, pre-
senting everywhere a bold an
steady front, which seems to das
. the courage of the as.ailant
Meantime tho snow comes down !
: wreathes, and is fast gsthering /
! white masses on the dark uniform
of the brave Frenchmep. Roun
and round and round the CeGsacF
wheel, approaching nearer ever
moment-yet not a hand is stirre
in that human citadel; not mu
: ket is fired, although every sht
r might tell. At length the lead'
4 of the Cossacks shouts, "Forwal