The National tribune., 1898-04-21

was now ended, and the last was about &c
commence.
On his arrival at the army he was again
placed over the Young Guard. At the
battle of Krasnoi which Napoleon fought
to save Davoust, and which was described
in the chapter on that Marshal, Mortier
was the principal actor When Bonaparte
with his 5000 imperial Guard marched into
the center of $4,000 Russians, protected by
powerful batteries AIortier, with 5000 Of
the Young Guard-all that was LETT OF that
splendid body-was just in advance OF
him. He and Gen. Roguet commenced the
attack.
The Russians, able by their Overwh helm
ing numbers to crush that handful OF
French at once, hesitated to advance, and
I began to cannOnade them. Mortier stood
with his noble Guard in the midst of this
! iron storm, willing victims to save Da-
! vouSt. Having no artillery of his own to
| answer the murderous batteries Of the
| Russians, and they being beyond the
reach Of musketry, he had nothing to do
! but to remain inactive, and let the cannon
| pillow through his ranks.
| For three mortal hours he stood and saw
| the horrible gaps which every discharge
made. Yet not battalion broke; and that
| Yourg Guard there proved themselves
worthy to fight beside the Old Guard of the
Empire. In those three hours 2,CO0 Of his
little band had fallen, and then he was
directed to retreat. Steadily and i'm per
! feet order, though the enemy were rapidly
hemming them in, did that heroic Guard
retire before those so, 600 Russians.
Mortier gave orders for them to retreat
| slowly and Gen. Labordc, repeating his
orders, exclaimed: "Do you hear, soldiers?
| the Marshal oSders ordinary time. Ordi-
nary time soldiers, and amid that inces .
SAINT tempest Of grapeshot and balls, it
was ordinary time" with them The
| brave fellows never FASTENED their steps
l 10 l,,y
! calmly out OF that storm as If going to their
! bivouacks.
At Lutzen and Dresden he fought worthy
Of his former glory, and at the disastrous
| battle of Leipsic commanded the Old
Guard. He battled for France till the last
moment and when the allied forces in
vaded his country, and were marching
! towards Paris, he and Marmont alone
were left to arrest them. Napoleon, think
| ing to draw the enemy after him, had
! hung on their rear till they We're out Of his
reach, and on the march for the French
| Capital.
But previous to his separation from Ma
poleon, Morticr conbatted bravely by his
! side in those StupendouS efforts he put
| forth to save his Empire. AT the battle of
| Montmirail he fought beside Ney with the
| greatest heroism. At the commencement
| Of the action he was not on the field, but
| amid the roar of artillery and the shocks of
the bayonet he came up, BRINGING with him
| the Old Guard, the cuirassiers, and the
| Guards Of Honor.
Napoleon Immediately ordered a grand
| attack on the center, and while victor
! stood balancing in the conflict he brought
! up the cuirassers and Guards Of Honor
! As they rode in their splendid array past
| him, he said
Brave young mem there is the enemy,
| Will you let them march on Paris?"
We will not, ;" was the ready response.
and shaking their gIitterng sabers over
| their heads, they burst with loud hurrah
on the enemy, scattering them like q
whirlwind from their path.
HIS SPLENDID EXAMPLE.
AT the bloody battle of Graon, he fought
| on foot at the head of his columns; and
amid one of the most wasting fires OF
| artillery troops were perhaps ever exposed
| to- Steadied his men by his example, and
| was seen, again and again, with his tall.
| commanding form rising above his sol
diers, 10 move straight into the blaze of
the enemy's batteries. When the smoke
cleared away, there he still stood amid his
rent and shattered ranks, sending his
calm voice over the tnmult, and animatinp
for the third time, his troops by his cour-
| ageouS words and still more courageous
| actions.
But when Marmont and Morticr, who had
held the positions at Rheims and scissors
as Napoleon had directed, found them
| selves cut off from all communication with
the Emperor by the interposition of the
Russian army their case became des-
peraie.
With only 90 900 men in all, they SLOWLY
retired towards Paris before the formd-
able masses OF the allied forces. The