The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-20
The Last Great Victory

The sovereigns had 100000 men in hand when they arrived on the nights of Ores den. But although they knew that Ma poleon was absent and that the defenses were manned by hardly 10000 men, they flinched from the attack and decided to wait for the remaining half of the army to come up. While they waited, the Elm peror raced into the city and took his stand at the head of the bridge over the Elbe to stir his tired and sleepy men when they crossed the river As their cheers of ''Vive rEmpreu' mounted in waves to the hills behind the town, the camp of the allies was filled with dis may They knew now that they had the lion in front of them.
 The Czar indeed was for taking flight at once but in an unwcnted spirit Of toldness Frederick William declared it would be shame for 200 GOO men to run away from one man. The allies, there fore, irresolutely stood up to fight But the battle of Dresden had already been won by shout
 Napoleonic battlefieds generally are fair to see and none is fairer than the Held of Dresden, for it IS all but over grown today with the streets and homes and lawns of that fairest of the fail among the beautiful cities of German In the battle time, the Saxon capital was not the imposing city more than -'S'A '' iiAiiiioh Pccpic llidl IL IS lOudy ', but only a big town of 3oOOO. The vil- lage lanes and peasant fields, in which the armies of all the nations fought for two days, have given way to the broad thero uehfates and handsome residences Of the modern city. The villas and pen sions and schools of the large Anglo Americans colony are set almost in the center of the battle-ground where the Cossack spears and the French lances clashed in the furious combat, while the trees were shattered and the sward was crlmsoned in that lovely old park the Grosser Garten. Napoleon's battle line IS now lost in the expanded business section where the clanor of arms has been succeeded by the no less camorous street cars and automobiles. The red tide flowed almost to tine 'sals of the royal ralace, where the Emperor was q guest of the King and where in these uays the tourists finger in the apart ments he occupied
 The battle broke at in the afternoon, when the sovereigns from their hill hurled their Russians Prussans and Austrians upon the redoumbts of the French and the storm of fire did not subside until midnight. But that first day was only a Skaw.
 AS early as the next mo- ming Ma poleon was out on the firing line asain, where he stood in his tent door before a "eSs pohllre to dry his clothes, which were soaking with the rain that de- Fcended m floods. After the mingled storms or fire and water had bea ten
 upon the two armies for hours he de-
 hVered the decisive stroke in the after
 nooii' when he sent Murat and 2500O men
 With 70 guns to hurl themselves upon the ieit rank of the enemy The horsemen ciashea the1r way with lance and sword , dnu roue down the allied infantry whose r.'ht locAs were so wet they could moi ire. bhe entire wing was svept away ana lV'oVo of the foe stacked their useless weapons and surrendered Tha, was the
 linlshlng blow which spread consterna. : uoh through the ranks of the allies and won the battle. In the two days n, nshting the sovereigns had lost 15.OO l men killed and wounded end 20 oOo talrer prisoners, while Napoleon's loss was 10000 'oss was 9 But the allied army was only heatan II was not broken. And :i battle is no ] fought to conquer a few acres of gro,nf t but to conquer an army
 : And the victor of Dresden. tired vo g and bedragaied, stopped to dry and res . himself rather than complete his victory r Wit1 his cooked hat dissolved into . shapeless mass and hanging over hi ears, he mounted his horse at 4 o'clocl
 and f(otted into the town, followed by
 long Nain of captives. IS standards o
 his HaPsburg father-in-law and 26 car : tured cAnDon. The water dripped fror