The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-12-19
SAPot soN's GENERALS.
story Of Marshal Lefebvre-Lanne
Challenge to His Men.


Challenge to His Men.
Probably no men who ever bore
arms faced greater or more frequently
recurring personal perils than the
children of the French Republic, who.
by the will of their old comrade Nap
oleon Bonaparte, were transformed
into bulwarks of his Empire as Mar.
shals of France.
Whatever was the variety Of their
merit as scientific soldiers, whatever
may have been their individual fall
ings, unscrupulousness, jealousness
and rapacity. there has never been
any question, says the Cornhin Mag
azine, that they were fighting men
to the backbone, that their courage
was at all times without stain, and
that they hau no faintest hesitation
In placing themselves in extremity OF
danger whenever It was necessary to
. lead and snow an example Of resolu-
tion to the men under their command.
IL their master loaded them with
wealth and honors II was because he
knew that they were above and be-
yond all other men in at least one
priceless characteristic, which, in its
most consummate form, is certainly a
gift bestowed upon few.
story is told of Marshal Lefebvre.
Duke Of Dantzic, which illustrates
his own consciousness of the qualities
that had made him what he was. He
was veXed at the tone Of envy anu un.
Kindness with which a companion OF
his childhood, who met him in his
prosperity, spoke of his riches, titles
and luxury, and said in reply: "r5ell
now you shall have it all but at the
price which / have paid FOR it. We
will go into 'the garden and | Will
fire musket at you 60 times, and tnen
If you are not killed everything shall
be yours"
Indeed, the trial which Lefebvre pro-
posed to his friend was not in the
least an exaggeration of the circum-
stances which every marshal had
passed through in his early days,
when he was a subaltern and was
bringing himself to notice; circum.
stances, too, which might well again
present themselves to him in any cam
paign, even after he had attained the
highest rank
At Eylau Augereau escaped death
by marvellous turn of fortune, for
his corps, though it held its ground,
was reduced from $1,000 to 5000. all
his staff were either killed or wound
ed and he himself, wounded more than
once, had his uniform rent with bull
let's
At Zurich Massena was in the hot
test part of the fight keeping his hand
upon the pulse of the battle where it
throbbed with greatest emphasis. Ev-
cry one knows of Marshal Ney's hero
ic conduct during the retreat from
Moscow, how he took a musket in his
hand and fought as the last man in
the rear guard saving as vas acknow-
lodged, 10000 lives.
At Ratisbon, after the first and sec
ond attacks on the fortifications had
failed with scathing loss, and to at
tempt the task again seemed to in
volve such certain destruction to the
stormers that the men would not un-
dertake it, Marshall Lannes cried:
Come l am going to show you that
I was a grenadier before | became a
Marshal, and that I am one STILL"
seized n scaling ladder and hogan IN
carry it to the breach, thereby stirring
up wave of enthusiasm which NJ
once CARED the French columns for
ward to a great success.