St. Paul daily globe., 1893-02-17
ond word, but taking his drumstieks,
put himself at Z. the head of the y0lti-

Al the first fire of the Russians the
line was thinned. Many fell never to
rise. Smoke envelOped those who still
pressed on, the cannon laundering in
front of them. But little by little the
smoke was blown away, the noise
ceased, and one could see twenty PAGES
ahead, the little drummer beating the
charge, escaping by his verYllttleness
the WhiZZing cannon trained upon him.
ever advancing. A second yolley fol-
lowed with hail of bullets. and rent
through and through the line. Fifty
men fell. Silbert redoubled his noise,
beating his drum with redoubled blows.
1t was like twenty drums beaten at
once. The soldiers made last effort
and were in the battery.
"They are very good little cannonS,"
cried Silbert, who was the first to enter.
Upon a distant height Napoleon
watched with an air of satisfaction the
heroic capture of battery regarded as
impregnabe. At each discharge he
trembled for them, but when they
gained the battery he lowered his glass
and cried: "Oh. the brave feliows!'
and 10000 menin reserve clapped their
hands and cried: bravo les yoltig-
eurs ~
"How many reached it??''
Forty, SIRE"
"Forty crosses tomorrow" said Ma
poleon to Berthier.
Next day Duroc went to carry the re-
ward to the lucky troops. They formed
in line and Duroc gave the cross of the
Legion of Honor to each of therorty
heroes. 1t was a solemn scene.
And l?' said all at once childish
voice from the ranks, sis there nothing
Tor me? Haven't l a right to little
bauble"
Duroc saw the little drummer, his
cheeks flushed with modification, and
his eyes brmming with tears.
"And what do you Wish?''
.'My general, | was in that hell's COM
pany. You didn't see the little drum
mer who beat the charge at the head OF
the line, and who was first in the bat
terry. That was IL
You shall not be forgotten. my little
man. You are still young; l will bring
you tomorrow the 'drumsticRs of honor
The cross will come later-neXt time"
$50 for the drumsticks, my general,
Another time think of the little drum
mer of AusterlltZ."
1t was not more than four years after
that Silbert put OH the little trinket"
at w Wagram. On account of the destruc-
ton of the Danube bridges, the army
suffered every kind of hardship-lived
on horse soup savored with gunpOWder.
On july 5 Napoleon galloped hither and
thither. giving his orders for the next
day as if parade were coming. The
neighborho0d was SO destitute OF trees
that it was hard to find enough to build
a barrack for the emperor. About q
o'clock his officers had built headquar-
ters somewhat sheltered, where they
warmed themselves by brush fire
wrapped in their long cloakS.
The cheers of Austerlitz were heard
again at Wagram, and next morning
forest of bayonets glittered III the rising
sun. 81 can see that checkerboard
plainly" said the emperor, as he
glanced out on the vast plain.
During the battle his glance fingered
often on the tower of Neusidel, and
often he asked if the fire of the French
batteries had produced any effect.
About 4 O'Clock came an aid from Mas
sena: "Our last cannon is with the Aus
trians."
No answer.
"Boudet's division is on Lobau island.
1t has lost its guns"
Still the same silence.
Then Davout opened fire on the
tower. Napoleon turned to the aid:
Tell Massena to attack the Banners
dorff cemetery toward the village clock.
and the victory is ours"
Then gallOping in that direction Ma
poleon showed where to place light
battery to disperse the Austrians about
the cemetery chapel.
That church | must have" said the
emperor.
"We must have the church. For
o,II tnn
the emperorW
Drums beat, bayonets were lowered,
cannon baWled A drummer passed
near Napoleon, his body stained with
blood.
N"What are you doing there?' asked
] the emperor. "You ought to be
in an ambulance"
"When you have the church." cried
the frantic drummer.
The carnage lasted four hours. The
position was not safely taken till s.
Next morning when Napoleon set out
alone on foot, he was accosted by SOL
dier whose head was enveloped IN
bloody bandageS.
..Well, here | am again." he said salut
ing.
As Napoleon looked at him aston
shed, he cried: "What, do you not re-
i1ltHIUGl buC va oo NV ietOAii5
the furnace of Bau nersdortf. You re-
member the little drummer OF the fac
tory post? Well, that was IL
All You are Silbert. Why aren't
you in all ambulance?
You see it would"
"What? Explain; Pm listening"
"Ah. we'll; it is that little trlnket l
want first" said the soldier. "I'll go to
the ambulance afterward."
"Ah. | understand. You're not un-
reasonable. But have you won lt"'
Judge for yourself, my emperor. l
won my drumsticks at Austerlitz. and
in four successive battles Pve tried to
die without success-Jena, Eylau, Fried
land and Wagram."
well, here it is; this, at least, is not
from the treasury; it is milne" "
And Napoleon, detaching the cross
from his coat, pinned it upon Silbert's
uniform. The drummer could think Of
no word of thanks but Long live the
emperor1'
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