Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-12-03
NAPOLEON THE GREAT.
Dsscription By . Rassian ofnosr VINO saw
Him at Borodino.

Dsseription by . Rassian odnosr VINO saw
Him ss Borodino.
Maior. General Yakoyitoh, Of the Rus.
sian army, Is ono Of the few mon now
living who saw the great Napoleon on
a battlefield The old General saw
the French Emperor at Borodino. At
that battle Yakovitch, then mere
boy. served with battery In the grand
redoubt which was the center Of the
Russian line. He gives vivid descrip.
ton of the battle. When morning
broke q sea OF gray mist shut out the
field from view. The voices Of the
enemy were heard, the neighing Of
their horses. and tho rumbllng Of ar
tillory wheels. Then came the thunder
Of cannon. making the very sarthGsm-
bio. Three TIMES all the Russian gun
ners were killed. and three times new
men took their places. Bullets few
thick as hail. and men dropped dead or
mangled every moment
At last o strange sound was heard In
the distance like rain pattering on
withered leaves. 1t grew louder and
louder. until It filled the air like the
roar Of o stormy sea- All at once
great wave Of bright swords and
helmets and horses's heads came surg.
ing up over the breastwoiks. II was
the Imperial Guard Before the shock
Of that mighty wave the Russian center
crumbled away shattered wrecks.
When Yakovitch camo to his senses
and opened his eyes he saw around
him the corpses Of his father and com.
rades. Suddenly the tramping OF
hoofs called his attention to group OF
gaily.dressed officers, and Napoleon's
staff came riding over the field. The
young Russian pccred anxiously into
their faces. In his graphic language;
There were the hard faces Of Rapp
and Darn and broad.chcsted Sebastian.
and Nansouty, with the sabcr scar
across his cheek and the low broad
forehead and bulldog jaw Of grim old
Ney. the bravest Of them all. There.
too. was Murat, with his white plumes
and bis braided jacket, his long. dark
curls hanging down his neck, and his
riding.whip in his hand. just like cir.
cus.rider. And then the group parted
suddenly. and there was the man him.
self Ia the midst Of them. with his face
hard and immovable as marble mid all
that blood and agony. and far.away
look In those cold gray eyes Of his. as
II he saw Moscow somewhere up in the
sky. and could see nothing between.
"A glorious victoryr cried Murat, wav.
Ing his hand. What stir there'll be
among the good folks In Paris when the
bulletin arriyes!' We've lost half our
army in doing it. though. growled Ncy.
Hadn't We better fall back little and
walt there for enforcementsT Then Ma.
poleon turned his head slowly. just as
tho statue might do, and looked him
full in. the face. Thou advising ave
treat Michael? That is something new.
indeed! Mono falling back now !
must date my bulletin from Moscow.
As for the army. you can't make an
omclcttec without breaking q few
eggs" Yakovitch says that when he
heard that he knew that God had for.
saken Napoleon. for no man save one
doomed to destruction could have
spoken so lightly Of the slaughter OF
thousands OF brave men. In three
months from that day the French I'm.
peror was flying for his life across the
border with the Cossacks at his heels
like hungry wolves -NOroe premya.