The National tribune., 1898-06-23

1 ing storm, and concealed pitfalls, were not
enough to complete this scene OF terror.
Avalanches fell in rapid succession from
the top of the Splugen. Scaling the
breast of the mountain with single leap,
| they came with crash on the shlvering
column, bearing it away to the destruc-
ton that waited beneath. The extreme
| density OF the atmosphere, filled as IT was
with snow, impaired infinite terror to these
| mysterious messengers of death, as they
came down the mountain decIlVlty.
low, rumbllng sound would be heard
amid the pauSes OF the storm; and as the
| next shrek of the blast swept by, rush
ing as of a counterblast smote the ear,
, and before the thought had time to change
, a rolling, loaping, broken mass OF snow
, burst through the thick atmosphere, ana
the next moment rushed with the Souhu
OF thunder, far, far below, bearing away a
whole company of soldiers to its deep,
dark resting place. One drummer, carried
over the precpice, fell unhurt TO the bot
tom OF the gulf, and crawling out from the
mass OF the snow which had broken ms
fall, began to beat his drum Tor relief.
| Deep down, amid the crushed forms OF
his comrades, the poor fellow stood, and for
a whole hour beat the rapid strains which
had so often summoned his companions
to arms. The muffled sound came ring
ing up the face of the precipice, the most
touching appeal that could be made to a
soldiers heart. But no hand could
reach him there, and the rapid blows
grew fainter and fainter, till they ceased
altogether, and the poor drummer lay
down to die. He had beaten his last
reveille, and his companions passed
| mOurnfully on, leaving the Alpine storm
| to sing his dirge.
On the evening of the 9th of December,
the greater part of the army had passed
the mountains, and the van had pushed
on as far as Lake Como. From the 10Th
OF November to the 9th of December, or
| ttUn haH Macdonald been
engaged in this perilous pass. Nearly
200 men had persisted in the undertaking,
| and as many more mules and horses.
And never can one in imagination see
that long, struggling line, winding itself
like huge anaconda over the lofty snow
peak OF the Splugen, with the indomitable
Macdonald, feeling his way in front, Gov
cred with snow, while ever and anon
huge avalanches sweep by him, and the
binding storm covers his men and the
path from his sight, and hear his stern,
calm, clear voice, directing the way, with
out feelings OF supreme wonder.
There is nothing like it in modern
history, unless it be Suwarrow's passage
OF the Glarus in the midst OF superior
enemy. BOnaparteS passage over the st.
Bernard-so world-renowned-waS mere
child'S play compared to it. That pass
was made in pleasant weather, with moth
ing but the ruGgedness of the ascent to
obstruct the progress. Suwarrow, on the
contrary, led his mighty army over the
Prage], breaSt-deep in snow, with the
enemy on every side of him, moving
down his ranks without resistance.
Macdonald had no enemy to contend
with but nature-but it was nature alive
and wild The path by which he con-
Quoted his army over the Splugen was
nearly as bad in Summer as the st.
Bernard the time Napoleon crossed it.
| But in Midwinter 10 make a path, and
lead an army OF 1850 men through huul-
canes and avalanches, where the foot OF
the channels scarce dared TO tread was an
| undertaking from which even Bonaparte
himself would have shrunk.
But Macdonald's difficulties did not
| end with the passage OF the Splugen. To
fulfill the orders of Napoleon to penetrate
into the valley of the Adige, he had no
sooner arrived at Lake Como, than ne be
gan the ascent of the Col Apriga, which
| also was no sooner achieved than the
bleak peak of Mount Tonal arose before
him. A mere Shecppath led over this
| steep mountain, and the army was COM
| PEELED to toll up it in single file through
! the deep snow. And when he arrived at
| the summit, which was a small fiat
| about so rods across, he found the Aus
| TRANS there, prepared to dispute the pass
| age with him.
This narrow fat lay between two
enormous glaciers that no human foot
could scale, and across it the enemy had
line, and composed chiefly of huge blocks
of ice, cut into regular shapes, and fitted
to each other. Behind these walls OF ice,
the AuStrianS lay waiting the approach of
the exhausted French. The grenadiers
clambering up the slippery path formed
in column and advanced with firm step
on the strong intrenchments. A sheet OF
fire ran along their sides, Strewing the
rocks with the dead.
Pressing on, however, they carried the
I
coming so destructive, they were com
PEELED to retreat, and brought word to
Macdonald that the amendments could
not be forced. Eight days after however,
he ordered fresh column, under Van
dammo, TO attempt to carry them by as
sault. Under q terrible discharge the in
trepid column moved up to the icy wall,
and though a devouring fire moved down
the men so fierce was the onset that the
two external forts were carried But the
fire from the inner intrenchment and
from Il blockhousc that commanded the
position of tlie French, was too terrific to
withstand s9S.-d, after bravery struggling
against SucA desperate odds they were
compelled W. retreat.
Ga the snowy summit Of the TOnal-
among the glaciers, and scattered around
on he huge blocks of ice, lay the brave
dead. Wife Che wintry sun flashed
mourpfully down on the bayonets of the
retrcating and wounded column. Moth
ing daunted. Macdonald, by a circuitous
route over two other mountain ridges, at
length rcached the Adige and fulfilled the
extraordinary commands Of Napoleon.
The passage Of Napoleon over the st.
Bernard wasAa magnificent feat, but the
passage OF The Splugen by Macdonald
was a -aea9esates ane. One was attended
with difficulties alone, the other with
da 1eer: st3lfr was executed in safety, the
other with the loss of whole companies.
THIS laffer fagt alone is sufficient to
prove which was the most difficult and
dangerous.
Suwarrow was driven up his pass by
the cannon Of the French, and led his
| bleeding thousands over the snow, while
| the enemy'S musketS were continually
| thinning his defenseiess ranks. Mac
! donald led his column through an awful
gorge and up a naked Alpine peak when
| the tempest was raging and the snow
! flying and the avalanches falling in all
| the terror Of q wintfy hurricane.
-Bonaparte led his army over the San
Bernard in the delightful month of Sum
mer. when the genial sun subdueS the
asperity of the Alps; and without an
enemy to MODEST him Which achieve
ment OF these three stands lowest in the
scale it is not d ilicult TO determine.
(7D be c0ntinued)