The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-13
NApoLEoNu GENERALS.
story Of Marshal Lefebvre-Lannes'
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, we're transformed
into bulwsrks of his Empire as Mar
shals of France.
Whatever was the variety OF their
merit as scientific soldiers, whatever
may have been II cir individual fail
ings, unscrupulousness, jealousness
and rapacity, there has never been
any question, says the Cornhill 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 1t 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 honor 1t was because he
knew that they v ere above and be-
yond all other men in at least one
priceless character istic, which. in its
most consummate form, is certainly a
gift bestowed upon few.
A story is told OF Marshal I.efebvre,
Duke of Dantzic. which illustrates
his own conscious Iess of the qualities
that had made him what he was. lie
was vexed at the tone of envy ana un-
kindness with which n companion OF
his childhood, who met him in his
prosperity, spoke of his riches, titles
and luxury, and said in reply: "Sell
now you shall have 1t all but at the
price which | have paid Tor it. We
will go into the garden and | viii
fire a musket at you 60 times, and then
II 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 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 a marvellous turn of fortune, for
his corps, though IL 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
lets.
At Zurich Massena was in the hot
test part of the fight keeping his hand
upon the pulse OF the battle where il
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 was acknow-
ledged, 10000 lives.
AT Ratisbon, after the first and sec
ond attacks on the Notifications 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
l was a grenadier before became a
Marshal, and that | am one still"
seized a scaling ladder and began TO
carry ii to the breach, thereby stirring
up a wave of enthusiasm which al
once CARED the French columns for
ward to a great success.