The Washington herald., 1914-01-18
CONQUERDNG AUSTRIA


THE genius of Napoleon budded on
the Alpine slopes of Piedmont. in
the spring of 1876: it ripened in the
summer on the plains of Lombardy and
Eenetia.
The traveller from Milan to Verona and
Venice looks from his car window
upon the still war furrowed fields. where
young man of twenty-six and twenty
seven reaped such a harvest of military
glory as had not fallen before another's
sword in many centuries 1t must have
astonished the youth no less than the
world. No doubt a presentiment OF great
fortunes had visited his dreams as it
visits the imaginati tions of all ambitious
boys. But he never could have dreamed
of success so rapid. so amazing and SO
complete as he had won since he left his
bride in Paris to enter upon his first cam
paign. Il saw the world flying beneath
me-, he said, "as il | were being carried
through the air
He vanquished two armies and con-
quered Italy in thirty days. Then. tax
ing his stand at the foot of Lake Garda,
he beat on the Austrian armies, which
hurled themselves upon him from the
mountains OF the Tyrol two at time,
while taking care all the while that the
Austrian garrison in the fortress of Man
tUa did not sally forth and leap upon
his back.
Hairbreadth Escapes.
Once the battle ragged about the lower
end of the lake for five days without
breathing spell. Napoleon did not take
off his boots, and he rode five horses to
death he galloped to and fro night
and Gay.
Twice i'm the course of the summer
campaigning. Napoleon was nearly cap
tured. He was far from well. His health
his youth and more lately by exposure
in the earthworks at Toulon. he was still
suffering from the blood poisoning which
he contracted by handling an infected
artillery sponge in the siege of that city.
Symptoms of tuberculosis also had de-
veloped.
He hated the loathsome drugs in the
pharmacopia of that day, and refused
them like a stubborn child. The only
thing his physician could do to relieve
his frightful headaches was 10 plunge
him into a tub or barrel of hot water
AS he had taken off a shoe prepara-
tory to undressing for such a bath in a
palace near Verona after hard day on
horseback, he was almost taken captive
and saved himself by fleeing through
the garden of the palace with only one
shoe on.
That experience led him to form
body of guides for his personal pro-
lection a corps which eventually de-
veloped into the famous guard. Bes-
sieres was their leader, and every man
among them must have seen at least ten
years of service.
Another day neither the guides nor
flight and nothing but his own audacity
could save him from falling into the
hands of the enemy. The Austrians had
been so confused by the blow they re-
ceived at Tomato that 1000 of them wan
dered about the country in body, with
out knowing which way to go. In their
wandering they strayed back to the
lost battlefield of the day before, where
they stumbled upon and surrounded LOO
French with Napoleon himself. although
never suspecting his presence there
An Austrian OI.Icer demanding the sur
render of this little French force was
bIindfolded, as usual, before being con-
Quoted to headquarters with his flag of
truce. Napoleon had quickly mounted
his staff and drawn his guides around
him in an imposing array. When the
bandage was removed the eyes of the
Austrian opened wide with amaZement
as he found himself before the general
in-chief of the French, who, having
thrown his most terrifying expression into
his face addressed the messenger in an
indignant tone:
what means this insult? Have you
the insolence to bring a summons of sur
render to me in the middle of my army?
Saw to those who sent you that unless
they lay down their arms within eight
minutes, every man of them shall be
shot" And it did not take eight min
utes for the 1900 to surrender to the
LOO!
Castfglione Today.
Disliking to ride five horses to death
as 1 followed THE Path of Napoleon"
about Castiglione, 1 took more humane
conveyance and rode among the scenes
of the five days of strife in taxi cab
from Dezanzano on the lake. While all
the scattered engagements Of early Au-
gust, 1876, often are grouped together
under the name of Battle of Castig-
lione, no important combat really took
place in that village. Although its name
has been inscribed in bold face on the
pages of history. on the lampposts of
the rue Castiglione in Paris and on great
monuments in that capital, 1 found the
village quite oblivious to its fame and
to the memory of the man who made It
famous.
I had supposed there was at least a
Next Sunday-"Naions at the Fe,
abeolute n