The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-01-23

bis most terr1Dle aspect. 1nlS battle,
fought in mid-winter, III 1907, was the
most important and bloody one that had
yet occurred. France and Russia had
never opposed such strength TO each
other, and complete victory on either
side would have settled the fate of Eu-
rope; Napoleon remained in possession
of the field, that was all, no victory
was ever SO like defeat.
The field of Eylau was covered with
snow, and the little ponds that lay scat
tered over it were frozen sufficiently to
bear the artillery. SeventY-one thousand
men on one side, and eighty-ive thous-
and ON the other, arose from the frozen
field on which they had slept that night
of February, without tent or covering,
to battle for continent. Augereau, on
the left, was utterly routed in the morn,
ing. Advancing through storm so
thick he could not see the enemy, the
Russian cannon moved down his ranks
with their destructive fire, while the
Cossack cavalry, which were ordered to
charge, came laundering on, almost hit
ting the French infantry with their long
lances before they were visible through
the storm.
Hemmed in and overthrow, the
| whole division, composed of l6, 900 men,
with the exception or l, 800, were captur-
ed or slain. Just then the snow storm
clearing up, revealed to Napoleon the
peril to which he was brought, and he
| Immediately ordered a grand charge by
the Imperial Guard and the whole cav
airy. Nothing was further from Bona
parties wishes and expectation than the
bringing of his reserve into the action at
this early stage Of the battle, but there
| was no other resource left him.
Murat sustained his high reputation on
| this occasion, and proved himself, for
the hundredth time, worthy of the great
confidence Napoleon placed in him
Nothing could be more imposing than
/ lDc bdblIt-ISlJl DIT ltilS IllOulGill. ISOua-
parte and the Empire trembled in the
balance, while Murat prepared to lead
down his cavalry to save them. Seventy
squs drons, making in all 1000 we'll
mounted men, began to move over the
slope, with the old guard marching stern
ly behind.
Napoleon, it is said, was more agitated
at this crisis than when. few moments
before, he was near being captured by
the Russians. But as he saw those sew
enty squadrons come down on plunging
trot, pressing hard after the white plume
of Murat, that streamed in the snow
storm far in front, smile passed over
| his countenance.
The earth groaned and trembled as
they passed, and the sabres, above the
dark, angry mass below, looked like the
foam OF sea-wave as it crests on the
deep. The rattle of their armor, and the
muflied thunder of their tread, drowned
all the roar of battle, as with firm set
array, and swift, steady motion, they
| bore down with terrible front on the foe.
The shock of that immense host was
| like a falling mountain, and the front
! line of the Russian army went down like
| frostwork before it. Then commenced
protracted fight of hand to hand, and
sword to sword, as in the cavalry action
at Eckmuhl. The clashing of steel was
| like the ring Of countless hammers, and
! horses and riders were blended in wild
confusion together. The Russian reserve
was ordered up, and on these Murat fell
! with his fierce horsemen, crushing and
| trampling them down by thousands.
But the obstinate Russians disdained to
fly, and rallied again and again, so that
it was no longer cavalry charging on IN
| fantry, but squadrons of horses galloping
through broken hosts that, gathering
into knots, still disputed with unparalleled
| bravery, the red and rent field.
1t was during this strange fight that
Murat was seen to perform one of those
! desperate deeds for which he was so
renowned Excited to the highest pitch
Of passion by the obstacles that opposed
him, be seemed endowed with tenfold
| strength, and looked more like q super
human being treading down helpless
mortals, than an ordinary man. Amid
the roar Of artillery, and rafting of mus
kerry, and falling of sabre-strokes ike
lightning about him. that Lofty white
plume never once went down, while ever
and anon it was seen glaring through the
smoke of battle, the star of hope to Ma
poleon, and showing that ''his right arm"
was still uplifted and striking for victory.
He ragged like an Embossed lion amid
the foe; and his eyes, always terrible in
battle, burned with increased lustre.
while his clear and steady voice heard
above the turmoil of strife, was worth
more than a thousand trumpets to cheer
on his followers. At length, seeing a
knot of Russian soldiers that kept up
devourlng lire on his men, he wheeled
his horse and drove fl full gallop upon
their leveled muskets. few of his
guards, that never allowed that white
plume to leave their sight, charged after
him. Without waiting to count his foes,
he seized his bride in his teeth, and with
his pistol in one hand and his drawn
sword in the other, burst in headlong
fury upon them, aid scattered them as if
hurricane had passed by. Murat was
thunderbolt on that day, and the deeds
that were wrought by HIM will furnish
themes for the poet and painter.
BUSINESS FAILURES.
Lack of Judgment causes fully so per