The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-11-18

princess OF Bavaria. Eut scarcely was the
marriage consrmmated, when as ii ON pur-
pose to complete his despair, the husband
of Madame NISconti died
This was too much for Berthier. Ours
ing his miserable fate, he FASTENED to
Napoleon overcome with grief, exciaiming:
What q miSera BILE man am Had been
only a little more constant, Madame Vis-
CONT would have been my wife"
| remarked before that Berthier might
possibly have passed for a good General
had he not gratuitously revealed his own
weakness to the eyes of Europe. At the
opening OF the campaigns OF nSberg
LandShut, and Echmuhl, Napoleon dis
patched him to the headquarters of the
army with definite directions-the sum of
which was to concentrate all the forces
around Ratsl,on, unless the enemy made
an attack before the 18th, in which case
he was tn concentrate them on the Lech,
around Donauwerth
Berthier, seized with some wonderful
idea OF his own, instead OF carrying out
the Emperor orders to the very letter, as
he had ever before done, acted directly
contrary to them. Instead OF concentrat
ing the army, he scattered it. The Aus
TRANS were advancing, and the notion
instantly seized him of executing a prodi-
gioUS feat, and OF stopping the enemy at
all points.
Massena and Davoust, commanding the
rated a hundred miles from each other,
while at the same time he placed Lefevre,
Wrede, and Oudinot in SO absurd a posi-
ton, that these experienced Generals were
utterly amazed.
Davoust became perfectly furious Mt the
folly of Berthier-told him he was DOOM
ing the army to utter destruction, while
MaSSena urged his strong remonstrance
against this suicidal measure. As he was
acting under Napoleon's orders, however,
they were compelled to obey him, though
some of the Marshals declared that he
was a traitor, and had been brlbed TO de-
liver up the army.
Nothing but the siowness of the Arch
dukes advance saved them. His army
of 900 men at this juncture could
have crushed them almost at a blow, if 1t
had possessed one quarter the activity
! Napoleon soon after eyinccd. While al
fairs were in this deplOrable state, and
Berthier was in an agony at his own folly,
and utterly at loss what TO do, Napoleon
arrived at headquarters. He WAS perfectly
amazed at the peIilcus position in which
his army was placed.
CRITICAL SITUATION.
His hasty interrogationS of every one
around him soon placed the condition OF
the two armies clearly before him; and his
thoughts and actions. rapid as lightning,
quickly showed that another spirit was at
the head of affairs. Officers were dis
patched iither and thither on the fleetest
horses-Berthier'S orders were all counter
manded and the concentration OF the army
was effected barely in time to save 1t. I'M
mediateIy on his arrival at Ionauwerth,
he dispatched note to Berthier, saying:
What you have done appears so strange
that if | was not aware OF your friendship,
/ should think You were betraying me-
Davoust is at this moment more com
pletely at the Archduke's disposal than
my own"
DavOust was also perfectly aware of this,
but thought only OF fulfilling his orders
like a brave man. In speaking OF this
aftcrward, Napoleon said:
"You cannot imagine in what n condi-
ton / found the army on my arrival, and
to what dreadful reverses it was exposed
enemy. ! shall take care that | am not
surprised again in such a manner"
The Chief Of the Staff was never after
suspected of being anything more than a
mere instrument in the hands of the
Emperor.
The change that passed over the French
army was instantaneous, and the power of
intellect and genius working with light
ming like rapidity, was never more clearly
seen than in the different aspect Napoleon
put on affairs in single day.
Under his ali-pervading, all-embracing
spirit order rose out of confusion, and
strength out of weakness. Had an Aus
TRAN General committed such a blunder
in his presence as Berthier did in the face
of the Archduke Charles, he would have
utterly annihilated him.