Middletown transcript., 1877-03-10


but be was hemmed in and, after
= protracted and stormy council Of wal
It was decided that they should open
passage with the 40, 900 men which th
Austrian general had left, out Of a
army Of 120,000 This movement de
termined. the next day. the 14th. th
eDemy's army marched and crossed th
two bridges Of the Bormida The
forced the Gardanne division, whicI
they FIRST met. to fall back on Marengo
which they fortunately did not pene
trate, and whence General Victor i'm
medistely sent to notify the First Con
t, sui that the Austrians we're advancing
and that general engagement was i'm.
minent. Before the village of Marengc
stretched deep and miry stream called
the Fontanone, which allowed the
French troops. surprised and inferior in
numbers, to defend themselves for a
long time. But finally they were COM
pelled to yield to an overwhelming
force, and. at ten o'clock in the morn
ing, Notwithstanding the valiant charges
of Kelerman. the efforts of Lanncs,
Rivaud and Champeaux who was killed.
and after horrible carnage, the French
we're repulsed from Marengo. and por-
ton of Victor's corps. completely dis
organized, poured over San Giuliano,
exclaiming that all was lost.
It was at this moment that the First
Consul, who had hastened from Caro-
fOlo, reached the field Of battle with the
Consular Guard. the Monnier division
and two regiments Of cavalry He had
just sent to Desaix. then. il will be re-
membered marching on Novi. the order
to turn back in all haste on San Giuli-
| ano.
He found .Fictor's left in full route,
the right, under Lannes. overwhelmed,
but still sustaining itself below the vii
lage of Marengo With his usual clear
sightedness, it was to this last be judg-
ed it expediont and urgent to send help
Grst. reserving the rally of his left wing
to follow the establishment and rein
forcement Of his right His arrival,
and the sight of the bearskin caps of
Consular Guard, restored courage to
the brave fellows who had been fighting
against such odds; the offensive was re-
sumed everywhere, and LanDes' sol
diers drove the troops Of General Kahn
into the Fontanone with the bayonet
The eight hundred men of the Consular
Guard, formed in an heroic square, re-
ceiving nnfihehingly the charges of
powerful cavalry, and the FIRE Of an
artillery, which battered them in breach
without breaking Lannes and four
demi-brigades placed under his com
mand performed prodigies Of valor
bat the Austrians fought on their part
with the energy of despair Old MelaS
brought them on Marepgo in compact
masses there was no way of holding
out The French general issued the
order to give ground with firm front,
and sustained himself on the right 50 as
to secure line Of retreat to the banks
Of the Pc. The Consular Guard was
forced to recede. but 10 good order I
half the day passed away; the whole {
French army vas in full retreat the I
left, dispersed and decimated, had al
ready sought point Of support at San
Giuliano, three-quarters of league to
The rear Ola Baron Melas, exhausted :
With fatigue, seeing the victory in his I
hands. returned to Alexandria, leaving /
he command to de Zach, the chief Of d
bis staff. and thence sent couriers to all '
Europe to announce bis victory. :
The battle might in fact have been /
considered as lost to the French, if g
nothing changed the aspect of affairs
,ut at this crisis Desaix arrived. This 4
Ioung general, thirty-two years of age
'nly. had been a soldier from his boy a
lood Che was lieutenant at fifteen), b
nd had already won a brilliant reputa- a
ion in Germany and Egypt. r,
At the first cannon-shot he had heard II
o his rear, be halted, conjecturing that Il
be enemy be had been sent to meet at a
Vovi must be in the opposite direction, b
There Bonaparte FIRST expected him,
hat is to say, on Scrivia He immedi- Il
tely despatched Savary, his aide-de- +
amp. with few hundred horses to re- v
onnOitre Novi, aud the latter having
iscOvered nothing, be hesitated no il
'Dgel, but faced about and marched in Oh
be direction of the cannonading On al
ne way be met one of the aides-de-camp cI
be First Consul had despatched to cl
asten his return. 81
He came up at a gallop. preceding "
is division, which was hidden BY a to
dge Of land in front of San Giuliano d.
-e was surrounded, and urged to give th
is opinion many we're in favor of re- CO
eat, but the First Consul was disin- is
ined to the step, and questioned De- th
ix anxiously Desaix then took out b,
is watch, cast a glance over the plain hi
rewn with dead and dying, and an in
Eered, with the noble and manly SIM
icity which distinguished him, "Yes. th
Ie battle is lost; but it is only 8 o'clock
we have time enough left to win an N
her" He Immediately fastened to
range the three demi-brigades which NJ
ere coming up by San Giuliano, and, be
] Of sudden, while the Austrians, co
linking the victory achieved, were fol-
wing the high road, more in order Of sh
arch than order Of battle, and while 81
armont unmasked twelve pieces of dr.
nnon on them, Desaix. on horseback tn
ID at the head of his demi- brigades,
oEsed the slight ridge of land which he
d them from the Austrian column, sal
id charged most opportunely. do
At the first discharge of musketry, re-
ed point blank. the enemy replied,
ID the illustrious warrior fell, struck flo
! ball full in the breast. "Hide my ha
iath," be said to General Boudet, dr.
for it might shake the troops" But
had been seen to fall, and the troops NJ,
're only more ardent in the attacks thi
: they wished to avenge him. KEEL no
IL r