The Penn's Grove record., 1896-08-07
LAST IMPERIAL VICTORY.
NapoIeon's hattie Against the Allies
at reside

Napoleon's Hattie Against the Allies
at Dresdeu.
On the 25th, as he passed Bautzen, he
learned that 0udinot had been defeated
at Luckau; but he gave no heed to the
report, and next day he reached Dres.
den at nine In the morning. An hour
later the guard came up, having per.
formed the almost incredible feat OF
marching ssventy-six miles in three
days. Van1amme, with 10000 men,
had reached Pima, a few miles above
the city, and st. Cyr was dra wing in
behind the temporary Notifications OF
Dresden. The head of NapOleon's defens-
I've line was to be kept at any cost. The
enemy, too, wal at hand, but they had
no plan. In a council of war held by
them the same morning there was a
~protracted debate, and finally Moreau's
advice to advance in seven columns
was taken. He refused to Eight against
his country" but explained that the
French could never be conquered In
mass, and that II one assaIhng column
were crushed the rest could still push
On.
This long deliberation cost the allies
their opportunity, for at four In the
afternoon. when they attacked, the
mass of the French army had crossed
the Elbe and completed the garrison
Of the city. For two hours the fighting
was fierce and stubborn; from three
1iffarnIlf Ei1ng DnCSfap5 4ctrtnt
and Prussians, each made substantial
gains; at six Napoleon determined to
threw in his guard. With fine prompt
ness Mortier, with two divisions Of the
young guard, sailed forth against the
Russians, and. fighting until midnight,
drove them beyond the hamlet of STRIFE
fen. st. Cyr dislodged the Prussians
and pushed them to Strebla, while Ney,
with two divisions of the young guard,
threw a portion of the Austrians into
Plauen, and Murat, with two divisions
Of infantry and Observation-Disclosures cav
airy, cleared the suburb Fr~ledrichstadt
Of the rest. Napoleon, alert and ubiqui-
tous, then made his usual round, and
knew when he retired to rest that with
10000 men or boys he had repulsed $780,
600 of his foe. His inspirlting personal
work might be calculated as worth 80
600 Of his opponents best men. That
night both Marmout and Victor, with
their corps, entered the city; and Van
damme In the early dawn began to
lombard Pima, thus drawing away
forces from the allies to hold hat out
post.
The morning of the 9th opened In a
tempest OF wind and rain, a fact which
Is considered as having been most ad-
vantageous to the French, since 1t ena-
bled them to hide their movements,
and interfered with their enemy's guns
and ammunition. In any case. the sec
ond days fighting was more disastrous
to the allies than the first. At six both
sides were arrayed. On the French
right Victor and Latour- Maubourg;
then Marmont; then the old guard. ana
Ney, with two divisions of the young
guard; next st. Cyr, with Mortier on
the left. Opposite stood Russians, Prus-
slams and Austrlans, in the same rela-
tive positions, on higher ground, enclr-
cling the French all the way westward
and around by the south to Plauen; be-
tween their center and left was reserv-
ed a gap for the Austrians under Kle-
nau, who were coming up from Thar
iandt in the binding storm, and were
overdue. At seven began the artillery
fire of the young guard, but before long
1t ceased for an instant, since the gun
ners found the enemy's line too high
for the elevation of their guns. Con.
tinue," came swiftly the Emperor's or
der; 1--WE must occupy the attention
Of the enemy on that spot"
The ruse succeeded: at ten Murat
dashed through the apparently unno-
ticed gap, and, turning westward to-
ward the Elbe, killed or captured all
who composed the enemy's extreme
left. The garrison of Pirna stood firm
until afternoon, and then retreated to-
ward Peterswald. Elsewhere there was
continuous fighting, but the French
merely held their own. Napoleon loung-
ed all day in a curious apathy before
his campfire, his condition being APP
parently due to the incipient stages of
q digestive disorder. Early in the after
noon Schwarzenberg heard of Murat's
great charge, but he still held firm.
When, however, the flight from Pirna
was announced, he prepared to retreat,
and at Eve his columns were slowly
withdra wing from the conflict. By six
Napoleon was aware that the conflict
was over, and, mounting his horse, he
trotted listlessly to the palace, his old
gray overcoat and hood streaming With
rain.-Century.