Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-08-19

Mons. A great gush OF blood CAME
from his mouth and he expired" e
~
"The French pushed forward and a
hand-to-hand fight continued until ev-
| cry Spaniard had died in fulfillment of
| hie OATH The arsenal had fallen, but
| the slaughter in the city continued. At
| last the Madrilinos were overpowered
| and Murat was master. Later volley
| after volley of musketry rang out,
sounding the death kneH of citizens
| who were being executed in squads in
| the court yard of Buen Suceso. Thous-
ands and thousands of dead cucumber
| ed the streets. About me was a hide
| Gus cluster of corpses.
| Murat came riding by with his
! Mameluke guard, on inspection. He
rode through the sprawling and open
eyed dead and stopped about ten feet
| from me. He was a gorgeous sight 70
| behold. His passion for adornment
was unconquerable, and even there
amid all this turmoil he was an ex-
quisite glitter of gold lace and crimson
velvet, and from his chapeau there
foated, several feet in the air, the ia
nous heron plumes.
$50 these are the follows that caused
so much trouble. This Daoiz that you
speak of-that quarreled with La
grange-was he killed."
That is he lying partly across the
cannon" said a grenadier, and with
that he picked his way through the
mangled corpses and gave poor Daoiz
a vicious kick. The dead body fell
upon its back The upturned face and
hair were covered with coagulated
| blood
Murat looked at him for moment,
then at me, and said:
Have these cannon attached to the
batteries at St. Vincent"
He then rode on.
Napoleons brother Joseph was
brought to Spain to be made king, but
revolt spread throughout the entire
Peninsula. Then French armies be-
gan to pour across the border to assist
in placing Joseph on the throne. |
went hither and thither with my new
masters in innumerable skirmishes
| and did bloody work at the great battle
of l3ioSecco | was with the grand di-
vision under Bessieres, that attacked
the united Spanish armies of Generals
| Cuesta, Leon and Galacia, ON the 14th
OF July. 1t was a fearful day From
place to place l was hurried as the
| point of battle changed, sending muir
derous discharges into the struggling
columns of my countrymen 10000
| Spaniards were killed outright in this
calamatous battle, 1t opened the way
h1i1
But his reign was BRIEF
After the battle of Riosecco I went
with Gen. Dupont and at Bayles on
the 23d we met the Spanish army and
frightful battle followed Again |
| poured forth destruction into the ranks
OF my countrymen. But their repeated
| charges fast weakened us. Twice was
| captured and re-captured, when at
last, after a most desperate resistance
| the whole French army surrendered
and | was again with the colors of my
native land.
This battle aroused Napoleon and he
began the formation of an army of
| 200 1000 which he set in motion toward
the Pyranees. He himself entered
Spain and took personal command"
| of the Somosierra mountains we
| thought to check him. l was there
foremost in the battery that commanded
the pass. Gallant and courageous old
Gen. San Juan was our commander.
Miguel Ramon, an Asturian, was chief
| artillerio and he swore that | should
have the honor of blowing the great
Napoleon into atoms We were anx-
tn 10
him his first defeat. Our position was
invincible. Gen. San Juan had placed
our soldiers on each side of the pass
through which the French would be
obnged to ascend.
The pass was very narrow and the
mountains rose with great abruptness,
and upon rising terraces our soldiers
were stationed in a manner that would
expose the French to a double fire OF
musketry, while in the very narrowest
part OF the defle battery of 16 cannon
was placed the foremost.
In early morning on the LIST of De-
cember the French vanguard came in
sight of our position. After some lit
tie time three battalions attempted to
turn San Juan'S flank their efforts were
| unsuccessful. We were as secure as
Leonidas at Thermopylae. After some
hours of useless skirmish the great
Napoleon himself arrived at the head
of his Imperial Guard. He rode to the
mouth of the pass and attentively sur
veyed the situation, and seeing the use
lessness of the skirmishing, withdrew
and ordered the Polish guards to
charge our position"
The guards were in motion, when
Col. Pere countermarched the advance
and sent word to the Emperor mat the
undertaking was Impossible" When
this was communicated to Napoleon -4e
became furious. 'Impossible!" said
he, nothing is impossible to my brave
Poles Gen. Waiter attempted to
reason with him, but he continued to
exclaim: Impossible, there is no
such word my guards checked by
Spaniards-by peasants, never." Ma
polean turned and observing Maj. Phil
ip Segur said. 60, Segur, and take the
Poles and let them take the Spaniards,
or let the Sparllards take them"
Kozietulski, commander of the Pol
ish troops was informed that the EN-
peror had refused to withdraw his or
derS and that the commander and Sc
CUR should prepare for the charge.
Come see the situation" said koz-
ietulski to Segur. and he then pointed
to the narrow ampitheatre where our
battalions lay. one above the other, in