, 1876-09-23
THE GUaRD OF DEATH.
4 Thrilling Iucid ms Ia NRpOIeon's Re-
treat from MOSCOW.

4 Thrilling Incid ms la NnpOIeon's Re-
treat from MOSCOW.
The horrors Of war have been detailed in
simos; infinite variety-aForiing themes OF
inexhaus,ible abundance for the moralist.
the poet. the historian and the rouiancer.
Abundant in such detail OF suffering must
have been the disastrous campaign Of NApo-
leon in Russia-or, rather, the most di,as-
trous portion Of the cam2aisn, the retreat
from Moscow.
The ordinary disasters Of a retreat through
an euemy's country were, in this instance.
feasfany aggravated by the intense severity
OF the cold, ani that, Of the mulii'ules who
uerishrd, there were thousands who saak b.
rcath It's rigors for hundreds who fell beneath
the lances Of the CuSsacks- Yet the assaults
Of these rowing warriors OF the desert were
fearfully destructive. Hovering in small
bands around the divisions Of the retreann =
Freuohmen, and never failing 10 strike when
ever small party Of the enemy became s-P-
arated from the maiu body on lis march
and such separations were daily becoming
more frequent, through the relaxation Of dis
cipliua and the increasing want Of provisions
there was no possibility of either resting
or escaping their attacks. Well mounted on
their fleet and hardy cUursers, such Wa he
rapidity Of their movements that they seemed
20 spring up fs0m The earth, always appear
iug when least expected, and, repuissd, scour-
ing away with celebrity that def i pursuit,
even if the worn and haTraSsed Erenchmen
had been able 10 attempt it. For them, in
deed, 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 shack-and, above all, TO parsue
their march with the leas: possible intrrmis-
sion; for those Who halted died
Thus We're the remains OF N.polgon's great
army telling back across the frightiul wastes
Of thnr inhyspitable region, bn, daily leaving
thousands Of their number s'iiianing on its
saows the troops Of Cos-acks sweeping
around them ana bringing up ;heir rear,
ready to PICK mp every s'=agEler whom ia
tisue or the hope of greater safety IN isolated
progress had separated from his fellows.
The main body had passed on ard :hsre
was solitude on The vast and naked steppe
which they had ,ravcrsed- The co.d WAS
dreadful, and a driving storm Of snow vas
whitening the ground, to which that intense
frost had given the rigiiity Of marble Afir
off, in the Iemo.est verge Of the horizon, a
dark object might be seen, dimig, through
the snow and from aDoih.r quarter comes
RhiI!ins on a troop oG Cos=acS-, giih many
q Wild hurrah. Their lesier points to the
dark o! let in the distance, aud away rhry
scour across the plain in the direction OF his
spear. As thy approaoh, they see With grim
dcirh, that baud Of Freuchmsn is before
them; but these, i sans. they ere u, pared
TO a'Iar'. Tie square /. / r.aed, the bayO-
nets at charge. The Cc-S4ch g.iiOp round
and round, ~ Is II srrkinZ for polnto! van
tage 10 attack the French stand firm, pre-
--ntiug everywhere ,holl and steady front,
which seems 10 dash tue courage OF the assa !
ants Mean hIie the snow comes down IN
wrsa;hs, and Il fast gathering in white
masses ou the dark uniforms OF The brave
FreucLruen. Eouui and round ,he Cos-scSs
wheel, approaching nearer every moment !;
YET not a hand i stirred in nat human cl'a-
del; not = musket Is fired, although every
shot might tell y length The leader Of H..
CuSSa-ks shouts, " Forward 30 the charge
and with rush they ling themselves upon
the-dead. At the fr-r shot the foremost
rank Of FrsIehmen fall. Tow OF sritTsned
c1rpsss on The plain They had been frozen
70 death, there where they stood erd there,
p-rhap-, they would have stood, unrIl the
next summers heat had given relaxation 70
ih-ir rigid muscles, but tor the w.lI attack
OF the fi=Ice desert warriors.