Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-10-18
NJ ISC LLA N EO S.
NAPoLEAN's ATTEMPT TO GROSS THE
DANUBE IN MAY 1909.

an army across a river which is defended by
the enemy is how to throw over. at some
point or, other, before the adversary shall
have had time to make dispositions to pre-
vent him, such a force as shall be able to
hold its ground and beat off attack until II o
whole army shall he safely transported
across the river in rear of tthe. screen thus
formed. Thetime, therefore, required by
large bodies of troops to file over a bridge
becomes and important element in the cal
culation, and, consequently, at the present
moment the following details of the actual
passage Of q large arIny across the Danube
will not be without interest. In May, 1909,
Napoleon determined to cross the, Danube
and attack the Austrian army, which, hay
ing been defeated on the right bank, had re-.
tired to the north Of the river. Various
considerations, political as well as, military,
induced him to select Vienna as the town in
the neigllborhood of which the attempt
should be made, and the actual spot chosen
by him was where the river'isf divided Tito
two branches by the Island of Lobau. OF
the atwo arms the more southern is tile
wider, the northern one, having an average
width OF 100 yards" The force at the dispo-
sal of Napoleon amounted in round num-
bers to 10000 men, while the opposing
army under the command of the Archduke
Charles was about 100, 1000 strong. Keeping.
his design secret, Napoleon was able to oc-
c,,py the, Island OF L4obal2 without opposi-4
ton Bridging materials had been prepared
and in three hours on the 2Oth7of May eom-
munication was established by means Of 1f-
teen pontoens between. the, island and the
left bank. Before dark a division of light
cavalry under General Lasalle, a division of
infantry under Molitor, and n division OF
voltiggelrs under Boudet, in all l,3, 500 men,
had filed across, and, as the enemy had not
BECOME, aware OF Napoleon's enterprise We're
able to- take up. a strong position without
being molcsted. But now the bridge gave
way. The whole night was spent in the
work of repair, and it was not until MORN
ing thatthe passage Of the river. could bel
resumed. During the early part Of the
forenoon of the Dist, Mazulaz'sH cavalry,
E~SSpagne's cuirassiers, Legrand's division of
infantry, and some artillery, in all about.
5000 men, crossed over; when. again the
bridge broke. The Danube, which had risen
three feet on the Goth, had risen four feet
more during the forenoon, Of the 2lst. In a
few hours, however, communication was
again. established, and in the evening ST.
Cyr's division and 1T. Germain's cavalry
We're ibrought across, so that by niglltfall
Napoleon had altogether 10000 men on the
cnemy's bank of the river. By this time the
Austrian commander had received informa-
tiQa Of Napoleon's movements had assem-
bleds36, oo0tof his troops, and already st one
o'clock on the afternoon of the 2lst, had be-
gun aa. attack upon the French advanced
guard. This latter was disposed. in 4 strong
position nthe Villages Essling@ and sAspern,
aud until these were capturedit was. impos-
siDlc for the Austrians tc penetrate between
five hours the French defended themselves
with the utmost %obstinacy.~ Half of M1pli-
tors division, which held Aspern, Had fall
ca, The survivors We're b%eginning 10 wa
Ncr,, when, luckily tor them,ihe Archduke
Charles, sasing that no more French troops
ana Typ from, the, bridge, which had not
yetbeen repaired, and thinking that lis had
done enoughin staying the deboucae of the
enemy, and that he could, more easily and
more certainly crush them on the morrow,
Nhen, his own force should have received
Feiniprce9ents, gave orders to campviiring ;
and during the night The prospects Of Napo-
leon were ntruth gloomy. For the third
- SO a. . Il L- - ~ LL 49, lyl - -