The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-03-04

NAPOLEON AT THE BATTLE OF ARCOLE.
passion. Only short time before depart
ing on the first Italian campaign he wrote
letter to Bourrjenne, then an emigrant
at Sens. saying, Seek out for me small
piece of land in your beautiful valley of
the Yonne. 1 will purchase it as soon as
i can get together the money wish to
retire there; but recollect that will have
nothing to do with national property"
Quite insincere and fltfull Indeed, Gen
eral "a small piece of land Is the last
thing in this world that you wish for;
and as to your retiring there, your re-
tirement is fixed for another place-that
far-off island TO which you referred in the
last clause OF your school exercise at Au-
tun. Your essay was headed Possessions
des Anglais;" and you finished thus:
Sainte Helene, petite isle" You will
find it sol
The military glory of Napoleon properly
begins with his first campaign into Italy.
Tho States of that peninsula were about
90 be made the playthings of great ambi-
tions Whether the influence of Austria
and the coalition should continue FREEDOM
inant from Piedmont to Venice was the
question. The existing order in the Ital-
ian States and cities favored the Austrian
power; but the popular party was in sym
patty with Republican France Bona
parties mission into Italy was ostensibly
for preoccupation and defense; but 1t
meant, out of the nature of things, sharp
war and speedy conquest.
Hardly had the campaign in Piedmont
begun before the Directory in Paris would
send out the veteran Kelerman to be sec
ond In command This might he a COM
pliment to general in-chief not yet TWEEN
ty-seven; but not so to Bonaparte. He at
once replied saying that 1t was indifferent
10 him Ga thing most untrue) whether he
should serve in Italy or somewhere else.
All he wished-so ran his plaint-was a
brief page in history awarded for service
20 his country. General kellerman had
more experience than he, and knew better
how TO make war; but both together we
shall make il badly. / will not willingly
serve with q man who considers himself
the first general i'm Europe" How strong
ly is here revealed tho uncomfortable will
and self-sufficiency and purpose of Bona
parte to be all or nothinRl
Let us scan the field. The coalition
against France now embraced Austria,
Bavaria, Piedmont, Naples, and England.
The smaller States OF Germany and Italy
were also in the league. For the 'protec-
ton" of Piedmont and indeed of all Italy.
ON army of about sixty thousand men,
thoroughly equipped and supplied AID
commanded by General Beaulieu, one of
the ablest and most experienced in Europe,
had been sent into Lombardy Against
this power Napoleon's Army of Italy was
set, consisting Of only thirty five thousand
new men, miserably destitute, and having
enthusiasm for It's principal resource.
With this he must compete for the mastery
of states and kingdoms.
But the Army of Italy had for a com
mander military genius of so audacious
character as to rank its possessor with
the two other prime warriors of human
history. He had daring. military inven-
ton, the power of combination, the dis
covery of new expedients sudden adapta.
ton to unforeseen contingencies, courage
ambition, foresight, subtlety, and indeed
every quality fit to make him what he was
now about to become-the greatest com
mander of modern times.
At Montenotte, twenty six miles wes
of Genoa. Napoleon fought his first field
battle He attacked the Austrian division
of D'Argenteau, and won victory. MARI
you, he fought with division of the en-
emy This was on the 18th OF April,
only twenty-five days after his departure
from Paris. On the 14th he struck the
Austrians and Sardinians at Millesimo
ten miles further on, and won another vic
tory. On the next day he came on thu
enemy at Diego, and added third. Or
the 2lst, he reached Mondovi, forty Ugh
miles from Turin, and on the following
day attacked and defeated the division o
General Coli. In every engagement hi
blow was like that of a thunderbolt Tn
disciplined armies of his opponents brok
before him.
An incident Of these first wild days o
battle and victory we'll illustrates the pre-
vailing temper of the conqueror. HI
first passage with Coli was with pei
rather than sword. just after the confiic
at Diego, the German General denande'
the release OF q certain Emigrant Moulil
who bad been taken by the French, thougl