The Washington herald., 1914-03-15
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HIS HEEZNS ESooS5, .Iy Uer7et,

Genoa really had fallen, but the
French there had held out long enough
to detain the Austrians from advancing
into France until Napoleon had them by
the coat tails. They were now shut In
between him and the Alps, and instead
of invading France they must turn in
an effort to cut their way to safety
through the French ranks that covered
the roads across Italy.
The Battle OF Marens-.
The battle came before either side was
properly prepared for It. Taken by sur
prise, Melas had been able to assemble
OF his immense but widely scattered
forces only about 5000 men at AIessan-
dria, when the French presented them
selves before the brick wall of that town,
an important place sixty miles south of
Milan Napoleon, on his part, had neg
lected for once his adopted maxim that
God Is always on the side Of the heav-
lest battalions" He had tempted fate
by so dispensing his army as to bring
perhaps only 1000 men to the field of
action and only forty guns to meet the
fire Of 800 Austrian guns.
Although he had long counted on find
ing Melas at Alessandria, he had lost
faith in his own prediction. He rode in
a hard rain almost to the town gate the
day before the battle. and finding no
signs of a large force present there, he
went away. When, therefore. Melas sail,
ed out OF the gate next morning at break
Of day. there was only a thin French
line drawn across his avenue of escape.
For five hours this small force had
struggled to restrain the advance of the
Austrians. when at 10 o'clock Napoleon
galloped upon the scene of battle for the
first time with his old Guides, now the
Consular Guard. ar ] wearing the cloak
which was destined to cover his coffin
when 1t was borne to the willows at St
Helena.
Great Football Field.
Nearly all the. famous battlefieIds were
appointed such by nature and not by
military strategists. We hear of war
-riors selecting fields of combat. but they
only seek out the ices chosen for them
long ages before they were born, gener-
ally beside a stream or a hill.
Looking down from the old legendary
tower of Theodoric, the great Ostro-
goth. which still rises among the
orchard trees of Marengo, one sees a
lazy little creek meandering over the
broad plain that lies before the eastern
gate of Alessandria. The plain Is like a
great football field. bordered on either
cioc oy ike Ine UefS oil "A
grandstand. with the River Bormida
washing the old walls of Alessandria ar
one end and the heights of San Giuliano
rising at the o.her end of the gridiron,
while the tiny rivulet Fontanone is the
50-yard hne.
Across that mere brooklet the battle
cf Marengo was fought. There, by the
steep banks Of reedy ditch, the history
Of Europe was decided for fifteen years.
At 2 O'Clock of June afternoon it was
decided favorably TO Austria and ad-
versely to France. for then Melas had
crossed the creek and smashed Napoi-
cons army into fragments. Many of
tho French were in a rdut. but. others
stubbornly contested the ground inch by
inch as they slowly retreated over the.
plain. Lannes. falling back at the head
Of small brigade. yielded only a mile
in two hours But at last the Consular
Guard itself We way under a blazing
artillery fire.
Napoleon I'm De-ca~-
The Battle of Marengo was lost, ana
with 1t, very likely. Napoleon's chance
foi empire, A messenger hastily stole
away to carry to the enemies Of the
first ranSrrl in -,arix the we1cor,e v,au--