The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-09-06
THE GUARD OF DEATH.
A Thrilling Incident In NapoleOn's Retreat
from Moscow,

A
from Moscow.
The horrors of war have been detailed
in almost infinite varlety-afordlng
themes of ineXhaustible abundance Tor
the moralist, the poet, the historian ana
the romancer. Abundant in such details
of suffering must have been the disas-
trous campaign Of Napoleon in Russia
or, rather, the most disastrous portion
of the campaign, the retreat from Mos
COW.
The ordinary disasters of a retreat
through an enemy's country were, in
this instance, tearfully aggravated by
the intense severity OF the cold, and
that, of the multitudes who perished,
there were thousands who sank beneath
it's rigors for hundreds who fell beneath
the lances of the Cossacks. Yet the as
saults of these rowing warriors OF the
desert were ieariully destructive.
HoVering in small bands around the
divisions of the retreating Frenchman,
and never failing to strike whenever
small party OF the enemy became separ-
ated from the main body on its march
and such separations were daily becom-
ing more frequent, through the relaxa-
ti0n of disipline and the increasing want
of nroyisions-there was no possibility
of either resisting or escaping their
attacks, Well mounted on their heet
and hardy coursers, such was the rapid
ity of their movements that they seemed
TO spring up from the earth, always ap-
nearing when least expected, and, re-
buIsed. securing away with celebrity
that detied pursuit, even II the worn and
harrassed Frelchmen had been able TO
attempt it. For them, indeed, there was
but one resource. 70 keep as closely as
possible together; when attacked by the
Cossacks TO form IN solid squares anu
meet the shock-and, above all, TO pur-
sue their march with the least possible
lntermI ssion; for those who halted died.
Thus were the remains Of Napoleon's
great army toiling back ACROSS the
Irightful wastes of that inhospitable
re zion, but daily leaving thousands OF
their number stitfening on its SHOWS;
the troops OF COssacks sweeping around
them. and bringing up their rear, ready
to DICK up every straggler whom fatigue
or the hope OF greater safety in isolated
proyress had separated from his
fellows.
The main body had passed on; and
there was solitude ON the vast and naked
steppe which they had traVersed. The
cold was dreadful, and a drlVlng storm
of snow was whitening the ground, to
which LlhL lnlOnS0 lfOSO h1u SANOu buG
rlgidity of marble. Afar of, In the re-
mOtest verge of the horizon, dark OBJ
ject might De seen, dimly, through the
snow; and from another quarter comes
whirllng on troop OF Cossacks, with
many a wild hurrah. Their leader
points to the dark object in the distance,
and away they scour across the plain in
the direction of his spear. AS they ap-
proacn, they see with grim delight that
a band OF Frenehmen is before them-but
these, it seems, are prepared Tor the at
tack. The square is tormed-the bayo-
nets at charge. The Cossacks gallop
| round and round, as ii seeking for a
point of vantage to attack-the French
| men stand firm, presenting everywhere
bold and steady front, which seems to
dash the courage OF the assallants.
| Meantime the snow comes down in
| wreaths, and is fast gathering in white
| masses on the dark uniforms of the
brave Frenchmen. Round and round
the Cossacks wheel, approaching nearer
| every moment-yet not hand is stirred
| in that human citadel; not a musket is
fired. although every shot might tell. At
| Ienuth the leader of the Cos sacks shouts,
.tForward to the chargeP' and with a
rush they fling themselves upon the
dead, At the first shot the foremost
rank of Frencnmen falls, a row Of stiff
ened corpses, on the plain. They had
been frozen to death, there where they
stood; and there, perhaps, they would
have stood, until the next summers heat
mad given relaxation to their rigid
| muscles, but for the wild attack OF the
fierce desert warriors.