News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-01-29

| III u victory
there was not the result of accident or
| raShneSs.
When the little republican army of
France set out in 1896 to crush the
Austrian power in Italy, the odds were
two to one in favor of the Austrian al
| lies. Napoleon himself was on trial
After passing the Alps by rare strategy
he found himself approaching two
strong Austrian armies separated only
by the distance between Mantua and
Milan and having the shorter line for
marching to Il junction. To beat the
Milan army before it could be re-en-
forced was the French problem; to
keep the French on the hitler side of
the river AIDA the Austrian problem.
A strong bridge 200 feet in length was
the key to both problems.
A battery of fourteen Austrian can
IOn-su -ay some accounts, others thir-
TWAS planted on the farther side to
| play upon the structure, and to support
| these there was line of troops 5000
strong. After driving the Austrian
rear guard out of the town Napoleon
placed artillery on the heights in the
rear Of the bridge and bombarded the
Austrians. The Austrians in turn bonn
| barded Lodi to drive out the French.
eve must cross, let it cost what it
may" said Napoleon.
A solid storming column of 1000
, grenadiers was massed near the head
of the bridge, with a battalion of 800
carbineers, or light infantry, in front.
The ranks were the exact width of the
bridge and were so arranged that at
the word Forward" the leading sec
tons could wheel from the cover of the
rampant wall, cross the shot ridden
space around the gateway at a single
spring and then make the run along
the causeway to the Austrian side quite
free from danger. Napoleon went
among the troops and spoke encourag
ing words. 1t was the contrast be-
tween his SLIGHT figure and the massive
grenadierS who stood in the front
ranks that suggested the name of "Lit-
tie CorToral" -.,,
Drums beat the signal "Forwardr'
The foremost assailants moved from
behind the "amparts, wheeled under
the terrible hail of grape and canister
and attempted to pass the gateway of
the bridge. The front rank went down
like a row of grain stalks before the
reaper, the column staggered and reel
ed backward. and the valiant grena-
ders We're appalled, by the task before
them. To crown all, Napoleon placed
himself at their head, ana his aids and
generals - Cervoni, Dallemagne, Ber-
thier, Massena and Lannes-rushed to
his side. Forward again, this time
over the heaps of dead bodies that
choked the passage, and quick run,
counted by seconds only, carried the
column over the 200 yards of clear
space, scarcely shot from the Austri-
ans taking effect, except at the point
where the platoons wheeled to take the
first leap. The Austrian artillerists
abandoned the guns instantly, and,
without hating at the front line, the
charging grenadiers rushed up the hill
to attack the second. This, too. gave
way, and within few minutes after
the French landed on the Austrian
bank of the river the entire army of the
allies was running to the rear.
At the battle of the pyramids Napo-
leon again carried all before him by
holiness The Egyptian cannon were
in his pathway at the crossing of the
Nile and he saw that they were in sta
tionary rests and could only fire
straight ahead. Forming his line to
march up on tie flank and avoid the
fire, his columns ran upon the Name
luke cavalry of Murad Bey. Napoleon
allowed the fierce horsemen to ride
within half pistol shot before opening
fire. Meanwhile he harangued his le-
gions to stand fast. To the division in
front of the pyramids he exclaimed,
Soldiers, from yon lofty SUBMITS for
ty centuries look down upon you" The
squares stood the shock like invinci-
bles, and at a swoop the finest body of
horseback riders ever seen upon earth
was destroyed. Viewing the wrecks of
that once mighty host, Napoleon ex-
claimed, "Could l have united the
Mameluke horse to my French infan-
try / could have reckoned myself mas
ter of the world"
But Marengo in 1900 was the test
battle of Napoleon's career. What Shi-
lob was to Grant Marengo was to Ma
poleOn. Shiloh was saved by the OPP
perfume arrival of a division of sup
ports when all seemed lost; so, too,
Marengo. Had Shiloh ended as at one
moment seemed probable Grant would
have dropped into obscurity, aud the
same with Napoleon had Marengo gone
against him,
On the morning of June IA, 1900, Ma
poleon's army was at the gates of Ales-
sandria, all except the division of De
saix that had been dispatched to Novi
to head off the Austrian column of
Melas on the south. Two divisions
of French, 5000 strong, under Vic
tor 5000 under Lannes, and Mu-
rats cavalry, 3,70O strong, covered Ma
rengo. A cavalry brigade under Keller