The Washington herald., 1914-06-07

muskets useless. --.
At the height of the binding storm.
corps. with instructions to seize a hill
out Of the town. where in these days a
battle monument rises among the tall
pines. The marshal. himself. although
tism, had not been able to resist the
sound Of strife. He was borne on a
sledge to the battle line, where he was
lifted to the back of his horse and strap
ped in the saddle He was dashing for
ward in furious snow squall. unable to
zee anything in front Of him. when the
snow suddenly ceased to fall, and his
5000 men found themselves eighty PAGES
from a great Russian battery. which
swept them with dense sheets Of case
shots. At the same time Russian infan-
try were raking them on one side and
yelling Cossacks charging them on the
other. Yet the 15,oe0 rushed upon the can
non and broke the artillery line. only to
Cossacks who galloped from their hiding
place behind the hill.
In twenty minutes the corps of Augu-
reau was gone from the list OF the grand
army. 1t had been shot to pieces under
the eyes Of Napoleon, as he watched
from the churchyard, and at evening
rollcall only 5000 Of the l5,eoo stood to be
counted.
The Cossacks raced over their fallen
foes, galloped up the churchyard knoll
and plunged among the graves. The cry
rose, Save the Emperor" Marshal Ber-
thier loudly called for the horses. but the
Without Without moving foot. exclaimed.
What audacityt' The invaders of the
imperial presence had exhausted them
selves in their daring charge and were
easily brushed back by the cavalry of
the, guard -
row Murat's cavalry with their 1900
sabers flung themselves at the enemy's
center, while Davout pushed around the
left Of the Russians. The French seemed
to have retrieved their mishaps, and at
o'clock they were apparently the vic
tors. They were in the Russian rear and
the battle was believed to be over. But
as the sun was setting. the head Of q
Prussion column. which had been hurry
ing ali day. through the deep snow. rushed
into q grove OF birch trees, where 1t fell
upon the vanguard of the French flank
ing force and drove il back foot by foot
until the Russian rear was clear again
and the army Of the Czar was saved.
A Drawn hattie.
Napoleon for the first time In ten years
was Obliged to accept a drawn battle;
,1e.000 men lay dead and 5000 more lay
wounded among the thousands Of dead
horses in the trampled. blood-tained
snow, a frightful sacrifice without a gain
The Emperor even thought OF retreating
to the Vistuls- but Marshal Soult pleaded.
main the last on the field, and we shall
have the honor Of the day. From what
have seen I suspect the enemy will re-
treat during the night"
THE country is streyn with the dead
and wounded" the Emperor wrote to Jo-
sephine,1n q tone Of lamentation as he
sat In the salon Of the present-day
soualid tenement house Of Eylau. The
survivors, passed the night in robbing the
eeons while they were absorbed in their
humane tasks, rifiing the pockets Of the
Hfeless and the helpless living. ripping
on the gold braid and jerking on the
comm and graves. Emerson says that
half OF Napoleon's soldiers at Eylau were
thieves and burglars. At any rate. q
season Of privation had brutalixed the
army and left its better nature winter
killed.
when morning came only the Cossacks
remained before the town to guard the
retreat OF the Russian army TO KonigS-