The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-15

Quick growths decay quickly. Ma
poleon's precocity astonished the world.
but his early failure of faculties is
,Iually wonderful. After the battles of
Eckmuhl he was barely q second rate
general. Aspern was failure. Wa
gram was failure. The entire Russian
campaign was failure. At Lutzen he
was barely not defeated. At Bautzen,
with overwhelming forces, he con
Iuercd, but made no prisoners. His
victory at Dresden was due chiefly to a
lucky topography. by pushing Van
damme into peril and tt,rly failing to
support him, that Generals army was
annihilated. BY pushing Oudinot. and
sfterward Ney, too far north at Gross
Beeren and Dewnewitz. and MacDon-
AID too far south at Katzbach, their ar
mics were defeated and almost ruined.
In short, the campaign of the Elbe was
failure. Napoleon's management was
bad. Even the illiterate AMI stupid
Blucher outwitted him.
Tho nations were combined against
Napoleon. Spain, England, substan-
tally all the Germanic sovereign lies.
Sweden and Norway and Russia and
Austria. through his vicious statesman
ship. were in alliance and were resolved
to conquer or die. In October, 1913.
he had become much weakened by suc-
,essive disasters. Tho allies determ-
inx..J v,<,11 ,,,n S.,1, -,
berg, in command Of tho Austrian and
Russian forces, marched to his rear
from the south, and Butcher with Prus-
slams and Bernadotte with Swedcs from
the North. made like movement.
Their purpose was to unite ut Leipzig.
Napoleon was then at Dresden. The
allies were immensely superior to him
in numbers. A military tyro eight to
have known that a concentration Of his
forces was necessary. Especially was
concentration necessary when his com
municatiOn with France was threatened.
Napoleon saw clearly his peril. Weeks
before he forwarded to his War Minis
ter in Paris an order to man and pro-
vision fortresses along tho Rhine with
view to defensive warfare ON that from.
tier. Yet when he saw his communica-
tons threatened from both north and
south and the destruction of his army
imminent, he delayed. His mind seemed
paralyzed.
In addition TO the armv which he &C.
tually led into battle at Leipzig. he had
m re thaa 2OO, 900 excellent troops scat.
tered in different garrisons on and near
the Baltic and on the Elbe. Though |
treatened with destruction, he allowed !
them to remain, and all were finally |
taken prisoners. Even when he did
quit Dresden to march to Leipzig. he had |
time 10 collect the garrisons of Dresden,
Nielsen, Torgau, Wittenburg and Mag.
ieburg, making total Of $4,000. 1t is
that Napoleon allowed
these to remain idle. Though time
was terribly precious. and though the
weather was cold and rainy, he made .
ciruitous route, nv which he wasted $50
vice through exposure and consequent
sickness. loitered four days at Duben
and brought his army into Leipzig ex-
He reached Leipzig October
Is. His main army was posted about
Ave miles south Of Leipzig aud on o
slight ridge. which gave him an advan-
tage Of position. Though his line OF
battle was about four milss long, yet
the country was 20 level and 40 free
from forests that he was able from an
elevated point to survey the field. To
his lie, 1000 men Schwartzenberg OPP
posed 10000
To oppose Blucher's approach from
The North with 60, 900 (Bernadotte was
tardy) he stationed Marmont with 90
OOO at the village of Mockern, five miles
north of Leipzig. But it was essential
that his line of retreat must be guarded,
and hence he placed MargarOn with
10 900 ut Lindenau, about two miles
west Of Leipzig, to guard tho road and
bridges. Bertrand with 10000 was
in the city to aid Margaron or
~ occasion migat require.
This was . mistake. Bertrand did
nothing, although Margaron was over
powered and driven back. Thus. on
The night OF the 18th there were three
prepared. The troops OF
The allies were burning with patriotic
nate.
October 16, 1918. At 9 O'Clock in the
EARNING YEAR, Ego
battle ragged oil along the line. For
'hree hours Schwartzenberg gained
yround slowly but steadily. Napoleons
right, where the battle ragged furiously,
was driven back. But ct II the tide
turned. Napoleon massed ON the
.nemys center, determined to pierce il.
Within three hours he had gained an
important advantage. He even oon-
,luded that he had gained victory,
md sent to Leipzig an order to ring all
bells ~ . demonstration Of Joy. The