The Washington herald., 1914-09-06

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! Wilma But now they must 60 away and
| not stay and look at the ragged, hol-
! lOw-eyed ten thousand that he had drag
| Eed from the graveyard OF the half
million. For he dreaded TO face the
world with the appalling truth. 7 desire
that there shall be IN Wilma no foreign
agent. he notified his commander The
army is not fine TO show. Send to
Warsaw the ministers of America. OF
Prussia and all the other ministers.
/ But the American minister was not
waiting AT Wilma. The only cheering re-
| port that had come TO Napoleon in his
! Russian exile was Of the war against
England by the United States. After
ward in addressing the Corps Legislatif
he eXtolled II as "a glorious contest" for
the freedom OF the sea. and ne predicted
that II the Americans should win. pos
terity will say that the old world had
lost its rights and that the new world
recovered them" He had commanded
Joel Barlow. the new American minister
at Paris. to attend upon him at Wilma,
but that first of American men OF letters
to receive diplomatic honors was exposed
to respond that he was even dying at
CracOw.
NnpoIeon's Flight.
Napoleon himself was not going TO
Wilma. but was about to shake of his
nightmare army. A month had passed
since a courier. riding al a furious pace.
came TO him on the march TO Smelensk
and brought the report of a movement
to seize the government at Paris.
demcnted man. who had broken away
from his keepeTS, had been able to COM
municate TO others his delusion that the
Emperor was dead place himself in COM
mand Of 60o OF the Guard and cast into
prison Savary. the minister OF police
along with the project Of police. II
crazy man. armed with a crazy rumor.
could do that, Napoleon naturally won
dered what would become of his throne
II he were not seated upon it when Paris
should hear that the grand army was
dead. He rode into the little village OF
Smorgoni. therefore. with a determine
ton to free himself from the wreckage
and race TO his capital ahead Of the news
OF his disaster
Closeting himself with his marshals. he
whispered his purpose to return to France
where he would speedily organize and
bring back another army to repel the
Russians in their inevitable advance
through Germany. Then he sat down and
wrote the last bulletin Of the campaign
blaming everything on the Russian win
ter and on men whom nature had not
fashioned stoutly enough TO be above all
the chances OF fate and fortune. while
he added as il to draw a contrast between
himself and the half million who had
fallen. the health of His Majesty has
never been better That closing line.
however. obviously had the less sinister
motive OF assuring the restless revolu-
tionists of France that the eagle was not
winged.
Finally having committed to King
Murat the horrid skeleton of the great
est military body OF modern times, Ma
poleOn stole away by night in an open
sleigh with Duroc and Caulincort Rpus-
tan and a Polish guide. 1t was not glori-
GUS but II was the only thing to do.
Some one else could lead the staggering
ten thousand but he alone. once he was
in Paris could stamp his foot and raise
up new legions.
Crossing the NIemcn.
Other attachments came and Joined the
little column from Moscow, but only to
swell its list OF deaths to 5000 in the
short distance between Smorgoni and
wilma. The feasting in the latter city
proved to be fatal as the fasting had
been on the march from Moscow.
As the fight TO Kovno began there
were only 5000 under arms. When Ney. |
bringing up the rear. rode into that town
on the Niemen, the gateway which in
June had opened so invitinglv to the
grave. he found 1000 soldiers lying drunk |
In the streets, while others, hardly less
insensibIe from pTivation. crouChed about |
the fires and doggedly refused to take !
the few steps remaining to complete their |
long retreat out of Russia.
The Cossacks, soon sweeping down upon !
the place, sent panic into the feeble ]
ranks OF the little rear guard. But Ney, !
seZing a musket. laid low the boldGst |
and fought on until he had repealed his !
assRilants and until he had only thirty |
men in his redoubt. The next morning |
at dawn he crossed the Niemen. the last
to quit Russian soil.
The Cossacks galloped beyond their