The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-12-08
FOR THE YOU NG Pc PILE 5!
INTERESTING MATTERS FOR THE.
BOYS AND GIRLS.
Some Anecdotes OF Napoleon ana
His FrIends--Q Queer Facts About Il
China Snakes Jaws That
UnhinRe--A Brave EnRl-
neer--Not as Hard
& \ as It Looks, as
Some Anecdotes Of Napoleon and
His Friends. s5ss

Some Anecdotes Of Napoleon and
His Friends.
Napoleon the First found himself in
his latter days not only shorn Of his
power, but in sad measure deprived
OF his friends. III the time Of his sue
! cess, however, he had many evidences
OF the devotion to him and his cause
!; OF those by whom he was surrounded.
At the battle Of Marengo, for in
stance, the great Corsican was dictat-
ing some written. instructions to an
officer whose name is unfortunately
lost. While writing, a, cannon ball
struck the amanuensis, and
threw him, grievously wound.
ed, to the ground. Immediate
~ Napoleon sent for another secre-
tary, who came. The General began
to dictate once more, when the dying
soldier with difficulty drew himself up,
and gasped,
General We've stopped there"
And then, repeated the last words Ma
poleon had dictated to him, and fell
back dead.
A similar incident to this, and one
which resulted more happily, is told
Of Marshal Junot, who being a good
penman, was once ordered to write g.
letter at the dictatiop of his command
er. This was in the days before blot
ting paper was known, and sand was
used for drying the ink The soon-to-
he Marshal of France was seated in
an exposed situation, taking down
the words dictated to him, and had
just finished the letter when shell.
came screaming through the air, and
bursting near where Junot sat, near
" covered the brave fellow with earth.
"Good!' said Junot. "We needed
some sand"
Napoleon was the officer who was
debating the letter, and so i'm
pressed was he by the GOODNESS Of
.Junot under such trying circumstances
that upon every possible occasion
thereafter he advanced him in rank,
until he finally become one of Bona
parts most trusted lieutenants.
One OF the interesting features OF
Napoleon's hold upon his soldiers,
which was marvellous, and to which
no doubt he owed many of the victor
les which he snatched from seemingly
certain defeat, was the manner in
which he employed music to keep the
courage OF his men alive when it was
about to falter. He employed certain
pieces of music at stated times, pro-
hibiting their use at other times.
Some he permitted to be used under
circumstances OF a peculiar nature,
and others were never played until
the fnal charge in a. battle. The pos
tency ofmuslc AS an aid to the mann
tenance of a soldiers spirit he recog-
nized to the fullest extent, and it is
said by writer's of Judgment that his
wonderful feat in taking an army
across the Alps in the face OF appall-
lngly adverse conditions twas largely
due to his knowledge as to how best
to employ music as an aid. When he
perceived that his men hesitated,
he ordered the buglers to play their
liVeliest notes, and when the men were
confronted by an apparently insur.
mountable obstacle, the whole band
was ordered to sound forth the battle
charge, which so aroused the men that
they stopped at nothing.
p, Considering Napoleon's feeling to-
ward music as an aid to success, it is
singular to note that, according to
Junot, he always paced the floor,
hun1ming some tune, falsely, when he
was cross. 1t is told that upon one
OCCASION a caller wishing to see Bona
parte was thus advised by Junot:
"T you have anything to say to the
General, advise you not to 90 near
HIM just now, because he is singing
-Harper's Young People.