Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-12-06

ulea, IN OfQef not
to interrupt false move which the enemy
appeared to be making and which, thanks
to his foresight and self control, they car
ried out, placing victory within his grasp
The Austrian campaign Of Napoleon in
1909, eliminating at Wagram, unlike
either that Of 1905, closing with Austerlitz,
or the invasion of Prussia in 1907 ending
nc Jena, both Of which were marvels in
way of bold and telling strokes proceeded
with marvellous deliberation and patience,
/ While the emperor's main army Of zoo, 600
men contended with the Spaniards and
English in the peninsula, and his garrison
detachments were widely scattered along
the Rhine and in Italy, his old antagonist,
\ Francis Joseph Of Austria, precipitatcd
new conflict by invading the territoryof
| the French allies forming the eonfcdera.
ton Of the Rhine. Napoleon promptly or
dercd his generals in Germany and Italy
as well as the reserves in France TO march
to the banks of the Danube, and the con
centration went forward with the usual
dispatch. The odds in numbers were like
/ ly to be more than two TO one against
/ France; hence it was necessary TO make up
/ for the lack of soldiers by rapid move
ments and blows, and in its first stages
u LIT IA 4oUt WIS llkt ilost Aiiul
had gone before. The emperor reached
the front and assumed personal command
of the troops on April II. Five days later
he whipped the Austrian leader, Archduko
Charles, at Eckmuhl, in Bavaria, complete
ly routing his forces and taking 10000
prisoners. The Austrians then abandoned
the border and left the road open for the
French to seize Vienna On May / 3 Ma.
not half Of the plumber which he had Sc
lectcd TO meet him on the Danube, for the
spring frcshets in mountain rivers blocked
their march more effectually than the Aus
trian bayonets had done. On the other
hand the Archduke Charles, with fresh
~ recruited army of Austrian veterans,
lay intrenched ON the opposite side of the
river from the capital, while from all
parts of the dominions re-enforcements
were fastening to join him. The availa-
bic strength Of Austria was placed at 300,
600 men, and the problem which Napoleon
had TO face was how TO prevent the con
ccntration of the vast force to crush him.
Hall Of his own troops were not up; an
impossible river lay between him and the
army, which he deemed il necessary TO
disperse before it grew more formidable,
NltA Niit tA4hiiif > guns tRAiAtUAittll hNAA1
position available for the crossing Of lis
troops. In this emergency Napoleon trans
ported his army to the island of Lohau.
IN the Danube six miles below Vienna. I
where the channels on either side were
narrow enough 70 be SPAWNED by floating |
bridges
On the 9th Of May, in the night, the /
crossing was effected over both channels |
by 20, 600 French troops. Next day, with |
Napoleon at their head, they seized two |
Villages in front OF the Austrian camp, and |
toward its close one village defended by |
only 1000 French was attacked by SO, 600 |
Austrlans. The other village also became |
the scene of desperate battle, and the |
troops in Vienna were hurried across the |
single bridge as rapidly as possible. When |
half Of them had crossed and became en-
gagged in desperate fighting to hold the |
ground, the bridge between the island and |
Vienna gave way under the force of the
food carrying column of troops with it,
Soon afterward Lannes, Napoleon's favor
lite marshal, fell MORALLY wounded, and
the army was ordered to re-
treat to the island
To most men the disaster would have
seemed irreparable. II had cost the French
10, uOU men, DtSluts UDG loss OF l4ullnts
and the sting Of defeat. But Napoleon
his spirits the very night Of the
retreat after taking brief nap on a bed
of straw. The heroic fighting of bis sol
iiers had caused loss to the Austrians
Of nearly 80, 600 men, and he argued that
weeks would pass before the archduke
would recover from the blow He immc-
liately began preparations for "A Second
attempt, and for this purpose built per
mauent bridge TO connect the island with
he Vienna shore. In order TO deceive the
Austrians he built heavy Notifications
opposite the point of his first crossing
md manned them with cannon to sweep
nc channel. Meanwhile floating bridge
ngeniously devised by Napoleon himself
o give with the current. was constructed
eady for launching some miles down
he channel on the flank Of the enemy's
L ~ i