The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-07-14
A FOB

wrong side of the Danube, recalls the
nervous suspense with which all Europe.
and particularly Austria regarded Ma
Poleon's delay upon the same river in
leo9. 1t was after his second capture
at Vienna, when the Emperor Francis,
anxious to avenge the overthrow of Aus
terlltz, four years previous, precipitated
Austria into a war with France. Ma
poleon was in Spain, directing the move
ments of his army in pursuit of Sir John
Moore, who vas retiring on Corunna,
when he was advised of Austria's threat
enlng attitude. Committing the for
tunes OF the Spanish wa to the guidance
OF Marshal Soult, Bonaparte set out for
Paris, and reached hat city with his
customary amazing rapidity. He lost
no time in joining his forces stationed
among the provinces of the confedera-
tion Of the Rhine, and Immediately COM
menced the campaign which drove the
Archduke Charles beyond the Inn and
made Marshal Davoust prince of Eek
muhl. By the brilliant victory of the
latter name Vienna was uncovered and
evacuated by the Austrians. Napoleon
occupied the city IN the beginning of
May 1909, and then planned his attack
upon the Archduke Charles, who, with
more than 10000 men occupied the left
bank of the Danube, some miles below
Vienna, and nearly opposite the island
of Lobau, which by a strange oversight,
was left ungarrisoned. The willy Cor
sican perceived the error, and resolved
to engage the Archduke without delay.
BY means of pontoons, he crossed his
army to Lobau, and then, with the corps
OF Massena aud Lannes, succeeded in
gaining the hostile bank. The Austrians
held the villages Of Aspern and Essling,
forming the extremes of their line, and
were iercely assailed, The rising flood
on the Danube prevented Napoleon from
bringing up his reserves, and, at night
fall of the second day he was compelled
to order a retreat on Lobau, his bridges
having been repaired by the exertions of
u large body Of sailors that he had the
foresight to bring with him from France.
The Austrians seeing the invaders retire,
and comprehending that it was the first
time Bonaps.rte had ever turned his back
upon a foe, became vastly encouraged,
and pursued the French with
pied ardor. Marshal Lannes, the "Rol-
land Of the camp" while vaIiantly cheer
ing the rearguard of his corps, was NOR
tally wounded, and his soldiers lost heart
and would, undoubtedly, have fed in
panic had not the Emperor in person
sustained their courage. Massena, with
the tenacity of a bulldog, held Fssling,
thus enabling his comrades to secure tbeir
retreat.
With a loss in killed and wounded
which he had never before encountered
without corresponding advantages, the
hero of Austerlitz was compelled to take
refuge On TIP islandof Lobau, and there,
for nearly two months, he remained fac
ing the Austrians, who dared not cross
in his front. Meanwhile Bonaparte or
dered up all his reintoreements from the
Rhine and elsewhere, keeping the Arch
duke at bay by building immense batter
les on the edge of Lobau, fronting the
Austrian position. Europe looked ON
with awe, for all knew that the result of
the next battle would decide the fate of
the continent. If Napoleon lost. Prus-
sia and all the Gearaanic states, with
Russia rs a reserve, would fall upon him,
thus anticipating by a few years the cat
astrophe Of Leipsic. Deceiving the Arch
duke by his apparent intention to cross
the Danube under cover of the batteries,
which he had constructed at such cost
and with so much labor, the great cap
tain set his sailors to work behind the is
land, and, screened from the observation
OF the enemy, built q huge raft or pom
toon long enough to reach the other bank
of the river at q point where, by land
ing his troops, the Austrian flank couldb be
turned.
In the interim his reserves had come
up, and B~onaparte only awaited a favor
able opportunity to put his plan in ope-
ration. II came very soon. The night
and morning OF July AS, 1909, brought a
fierce storm of wind and rain. and the
daring genius of Napoleon seized the
auspicious time. The broad raft was
allowed to swing around with the cur
rent from the end of the island, below
The Austrian defenses, and was secured
by the sailors on both banks. In the
midst of a deluge of rain the French
army began to cross, and, by daylight,
more than $4,000 soldiers had gained the
hostile strand, and Archduke Charles
found his flank turned. The French
troops saw and understood the superb
.maneuyre, oand saluted the chief with
shouts of Eue 4 Ea1pereurt which were
heard in the Austrian lines. The Arch.
duke manfally resolved to sun the
offensive and 10 crush Napoleon before
al his army could cross. He attacked
impetuously, but nothing could with
stand the enthusiasm Of the French.