The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-11-29
THE ACT OF A FIEND.
4 Leaf From History.

Leaf From History.
During the campaign of 1890, the
| French army destined to meet the power
| of Austria on the plains of Italy, Before
it could render itself master of Turin
| and of Milan, penetrate even to the walls
| of Genoa, and declare the terms of peace
| on the battlefield of Marengo, had vet
| to surmount that vast Alpine barrier
which extends from the st. Bernard te
| Nice and MOntenOtte, and to overcome q
series of tremendous obstacles, present.
| ing themselves one after the other in
seemingly endless succession, and tasking
| to the utmost, II not defying the courage
of the troops and the military genius and
perseverance of the leaders. These OBJ
stacles were not merely the result OF
natural position; there were instances in
which the resistance of the invaded
was more obstinate and more terrible
! than that of mountains, pTecipices OT
rivers. Protected by Notifications OF
little strength or difficulty, and but very
| inefficiently aided by a locality which
| yielded but few means or opportunities
| of vigorous defense, but sustained by an
| indOmitable courage, great resource OF
| invention, and an enthusiastic love OF
country, infinitely more formidable even
| than their courage and their skill, the
| inhabitants of the small town and cita.
| del of Ivree, with a harrison of 1900
| Austrian soldiers and twenty-five pieces
| of cannon, maintained siege of three
days against an army of 10000 French
men commanded by the three youngest
already most iIlustriOus generals in
Europe-Massena, Lannes and Berna-
dotte.
Furious at seeing his march thus ar
rested before this insignificant little
place, he who had taken Aiexandria in a
day, and Cairo in an hour, and impa-
tient, moreover, TO assume his positions
for the investment of Milan, the COM
mander- in chief, on the 25th of May,
1900, ordered the division of Gen. Ian
nes to march upon the village in all its
force, and take it by assault. After
three hours of sanguinaTy combat of
fierce attack, and the most heroic dC =
tense, handful of the defenders. driven
from the citadel, retreating step by step,
and hotly pursued by the victorious
Frenchmen, threw themselves as a last
resort into the quarters of Adjutant
General H, with the resolution there to
maintain themselves to the last, and sell
their lives as dearly as they might. In
moment the house occupied by this
brave veteran was converted into a for
tress-barricades were thrown up, loop
. holes for musketry cut in the walls, and
every disposition made that time and
means afforded for a last desperate re-
sistan6sS
Lannes, who was the first to enter the
assaulted village, detached an officer, in
command of two battaliOns, to drive the
insurgents from their position. The Of
fcer, equally distinguished among his
fellOw-seldiers for his impetuOus courage
and his ferOcity, soon forced his way, at
the head of one of his battaliOns, into
the disputed mansion, trampling as he
went upon the dead bodies of the forty
brave fellows by whom it had been de-
tended. General H, the only survivor,
after behOlding the slaughter of the gar
rison, had armed himself with a hatChet,
and with almost sUperhUman strength
and desperation opposed the entrace of
the republicans when their leader pre-
| sented himself, sword in hand, at the door
of the room to which he had TetFeated,
as his last stand of defense, the old
general aimed at his head furious blow,
which would have closed his career at
once and forever, had it not been skill
fully parried by the saber of the French
uldus II was bAC A1SS CAAOlb VI tLlB
wounded and weary veteran he fell, and
in another moment the apartment was
filed with republicans.
The FTenchman, who was never known
| to yield quarter to a vauquished enemy
in the fifteen years of his welded life,
| stepped forward to dispatch the fallen
general, when a young and lovely woman
| rushed from an adjoining room, threw
| L.-anIF ct his faoF an1 Ev.oTsro- H..
| pale, distracted, the tears streaming from
her eyes, shrieked forth, in a veice of
terror and despair:
Spare him-O, spare him-do not
take his Iife-he is my husband-the
father of my child!"
The FTenchman glanced for a moment
at the supple mt with an eye in which
there was no trace of either anger or
pity-and then, deliberately pushed her
aside, he made q step in advance, took a
| cool and steady aim with his pistol at
| the wounded officer, and shet him through
| the heart.
The wife OF the murdered man uttered
| A fearful scream, and, starting to her
| feet and flying to the room whence she
| had come, returned in a moment with
her boy, who, at the sight of his fathers
massacre, had hidden himself, pale and
trembling, under the bed she held him
up TO the feroCious republican, and ex-
/ claimei:
Monster! you have slain the father
complete your work and destroy the
| son"
At this moment loud shouts were
heard, and French general, surrounded
by q crowd of officers, appeared at the
| door of the apartment. The scene was
! dramatic--a perfect coup de theater
! The h9art of the ferocious soldier failed
| him palOr OveTspTe6d his features and
! his limbs shook, while Madame H., as II
| by a sudden impulse, flung herself at the