The National tribune., 1898-01-06

So1-A.
Davoust was master of the field at Auer-
stadt aftes Morand he'd Gained the hiSdtS
of Sumelberg ard with ms artiIlcry nom
there swept t:se plateau below. but net
vet < tiSted DaVoust determined tc COM
plete the victory by carrying the nights ot
Eckarts berg which protected the retreat
of the enemy. The trumpets Immediately
sounded the charge, and the wcaried 0uolh
pressed forward.
But the King had already rallied hls
shattered troops behind a reserve oi lo.cVo
men which had not yet been engaged;
There too, in security the IRON souleu
F...chfr rallied the remnants of his Spien-
did cavalry.
1t was in this crisis Davoust showed
himse6 the great commander, aho hAcd
fore, er his military fame. This reserve,
only a third less than has entire iorlc,
would have wrung the victory from almost
any other hand than his. do not be
liere there were three Generals III ule
French army that would not have been
defeated at this roint-thcre was not one
iE the allied armies.
Here was an army OF some 2i,0o0 p,en,
wearied with q mornings m&rcn, and Il
half-day's severe fighting, dragging, It's
bleeding columns UP L. q peTiIot:s assault;
while l. Coo fresh troops, sustained by the
now reformed cavalry and infantry, feil
with the energy al despair upon 1T.
Blucher stood cyeing the ranks, ready,
the moment column shook, TO dash on 1t
with his cavalry. The day 80 nobly bat
tied for and won seemed ut last about tc
be lost Wearied troops against fresh ones
"a division against corps-Such was the
relative strength of the armies.
But DaVoust gathered his energies ior
a last effort. and poured his wearied but
resolute troops in such strength and terror
on the enemy, that they swept down every
thing iii their passage charged the arul-
lerymen at their pieces, and wrenched
their gums from their grasp-turned the
cavalry in alright over the field, and car
ried the nights with shouts Of victory that
were echoed back from old Sonncnbcrg, as
Morand, driving back the enemy that had
Just attacked him III his position, came
driving down the slope, scattering like a
whirlwind everything before him.
PUTTING TO FLIGHT TIE ENEMY.
The Prussians were utterly defeated,
and the tired Davoust paused amid the
wreck Of his army, and surveyed the bloody
field that should stand as an everlasting
monument of his deeds.
That was a gloomy night for the Prus-
sian King. Fleeing from the disastrous
field with his disheartened troops. he was
soon crossed in his track by the fugitiveS
from the equally disastrous plains of Jena.
The wreck Of Jena came. driving on the
wreck OF Auerstadt, and the news OF one
overthrow was added TO that of another
sending indescribahle confusion and terror
through the already broken ranks. Whole
divisions disbanded Mt once. The artil-
lerymen left their guns-the infantry their
ammunition and baggage wagons-all order
was lost, and nothing but cloud OF fugi-
tives, of all that magnificent army that
moved in such pomp TO battle, was seen
driving through the darkness. The King
himself well nigh captured, struggled no
longer for his army but for his life.
Such was the battle of Auerstadt, fought
on the same day with that of Jena. For
his heroic conduct Davoust was created
Duke OF Auerstadt, and to honor him still
more, Napoleon appointed him 10 enter