The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-01

and body from the extreme cold. His
| whole physical condition in state Of
coma. So different from himself; in other
words "A Sick Man" Marshal Ney's
proposed movement was somewhat SINH
lar to the brilliant flank movement exc
! cuted by Stonewall Jackson at Chancel-
louisville, Va, save the chances apparent
to any student of military history of
Ney's success was eighty out of 100 Stone
wall Jacksons brilliant and successfully
executed, were but twenty out of a hun
bred. The success of that great military
genius-Stonewall Jackson-was in a large
degree due to two eminently brave heroes
from our coast, Maj Gems. Nc
Laws, and Richard Anderson, from
the coast of South Carolina,
holding Gen. Hooker in check
in the center, and creating the impression
that Lees whole army was concentred
there, by displaying troops from right to
left and left to right and firing in rapid
succession every field piece cannon. The
tenacity and GOODNESS with which Gems.
McLaws and Richard Anderson held Gen.
Hooker in check during the great flank
movement not only emphasized Stonewall
Jacksons genius, but stamped Gen. Nc
Laws, whose division was SO extended,
that it was more like a picket line than a
division confronting Hooker's centre-a
second Marshal Cambronne.
The Count de Segur goes on to state
that less than twenty-four hours after
Napoleon had refused Marshal Ney per-
mission to make the proposed flank move
ment on the Russian right flank the en-
peror was himself again, but the oppor-
tunity had passed, for Immediately after
nightfall the whole Russian army was in
full retreat. Napoleon seemed entirely
aroused from his lethargic condition of
mind and body of the previous day. On
TO Moscow were his orders, and the count
adds that brilliant as had been his past
victories and triumphs and mpressing his
marshals and generals as he had previously
done with. his profound knowledge of
grand tactics, and his genius for strategy
never before had they witnessed such an
almost supernatural knowledge of the sci
ence of logistics. handling this large army
of nearly million men, composed of so
many nationalities with as much apparent
ease as if directing the movements of a
brigade and with his mind crowded as it
was with the affairs of state entering upon
the minutest details of everything con-
corning his army. Before reaching Mos
COW he made his plans and such disposition
of his army that he felt confident of com
pelling the surrender of the Russian army
If they would only for few hours make
a stand, but his willy enemy Kept retreat
ing, and as the cod weather had fully set
ln hoping to lure him on to certain de-
struction by the elements rather}than Rus
sian bullets. Destroying in their retreat
all live stock on the farms, horses as we'll
as cows, dogs as well as sheep and
hogs. Driving Napoleon further from
his base of supplies" and
making the whole country barren waste,
by applying the torch to everything that
could in any way contribute to the com
fort of the French army. Moscow was
reached, the Russians still retreating Ma
m 1a hp : IL, nal loo ba,
quarters, encamping a corps de armee
within it's grounds. This palace at the
time was considered the largest and hand
soonest in Europe. The many other build
ings within it's grounds of like character.
Within the walls of this palace were
stored millions and millions of money and
art treasures. In the small hours of the
morning, when least expected, all was
commotion and confusion. Russian incen-
diaries, many of them disguised as French
soldiers, were not only applyingthe torch
everywhere, butNust as some of the odd
Guard" with the emperor IN their arms,
protestingras he did in vain. had ,alighted
him in a place of safety, hundreds of bar
rels of gunpowder with SLOW matches APP
piled to them, exploded. The count de-
scrbes that awful, if not hellish, night,
the burning of the Kremlin and Moscow,
as wildly as a panorama passing before
you A child could understand it.
Napoleon, when the full facts burst upon
him, became almost a mailman. In his eff
forts to restore order from the confusion,
his escape from falling debris and the
bursting of bombshells almost beneath his
feet, as they were placed within the
grounds with slow matches applied 10
them, he was al the time not only the in
carnation of war and genius, but his es-
cape from death was truly miraculous.
When order was partially restored, he
Al. 10, Daf
burg. When the order was promulgated,
he was quietly approached by the dignified
and gallant old hero-Marshal Mcdonald,
who, in a few brief words, made known
to him that all the marshals were gathered
a short distance from where they We're
standing, and wished to say a word to
him Marshal Mcdonald exercised great
tact, for had he said the marshals de-
sired council of war; or conference"
as to the future movements of the army
il would have been throwing fire on gun
powder as it was Napoleon's wonted
boast that he did not know the definition
of such terms. The blunt, grim old hero
"the bravest of the brave" Marshal Ney,
voiced the sentiments of the marshals as
sembled, when with bowed head and in
strong, vigorous language made known to
the emperor why the army should
fall hack upon it's base" rather than
attempt TO reach St. Petersburg and
that not the Russians but starvation and
the cold weather would destroy the army
and that he very much doubted it, they
attempted to reach St. Petersburg,
remnant even would be left to tell the
tale. Contrary to his rule the emperor
submitted the question to his marshals,
and found without a single exception, they
were of Marshal Ney's opinion. After a
few moments of reflection, the emperor
Welded and assigned the old hero, Mar
shall Ney, to bring up the rear guard, and
how well this peerless soldier performed
his duty his story tells US. At every step
he was ready for fight. Once when con-
fronted by quite large body of Russians,
he wheeled about, and the HOld Guard"
full of fight, quite large number of his
men fell to the ground clashing their mus
kets in their death gripS The brave old
marshal was here, there, and every
where, encouraging his men, defeating ev-
cry attack made on him by the Russians,
and although thousands fell by the way
side, Ney safely covered their retreat un-
til their base was reached. Following
on, the Count de Segur was loyal to the
emperor to the end, and as a French no.
bleman he thought his neck would be
safer, If he left France for awhile; so
1 al r,1a