The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-03-26
THE REAL HERO OF MARENGO.

Daring Desaix, but tho Fearless
Drummer Boy Who Refused to Beat
q Retreat, but Beat Charge Instead.
Napoleon was sitting In his tent. Be-
fore him lay q map Of Italy. He
took four pins and stuck them up,
measured, moved the pins and measur-
ed again. Now" said he, that is
right. viii capture him thereg'
"Who, sirY' asked an officer.
''Milas, the old fox of Austria. He
will retire from Genoa, pass Turin and
fall back on Alexandria. / shall cross
the Pc. meet him on the plains of La
COMA and conquer him there" and the
finger of the child of destiny pointed
to Marengo.
Two months later the memorable
campaign of 1900 began. The Goth of
May saw Napoleon on the heights of
St Bernard. The 22d. Larmes, with
the army of Genoa, held Padua. So
far all had been well with Napoleon.
He had compelled the Austrians to
take the position he desired, reduced
the army from 10000 to 10000 men,
dispatched Murat to the right and
June Ii moved forward to consummate
his mastery plan.
But God threatened to overthrow his
scheme! A little rain had fallen in the
Alps. and the Pc could not be crossed
In time. The battle was begun.
Milas, pushed to the wall, resolved to
cut his way out, and Napoleon reached
the field to see Larmes beaten, Cham
peaux dead, Desaix still charging old
Milas with his Austrian phalanx at
Marengo till the consular guard gave
way, and the well planned victory was
terrible defeat
Just as the day was lost Desaix, the
boy general, sweeping across the field
at the head Of his cavalry, halted on
the eminence where stood Napoleon.
There was In the corps drummer boy,
a ganin whom Desaix had picked up
in the streets OF Paris. He had fol-
lowed the victorious eagle OF France In
the campaigns of Egypt and Germany.
AS the columns halted, Napoleon shout
ed to him, Beat a retreatw
The boy did not stir.
"Gamin, beat retreat"
The boy Strengthened up, grasped his
drumsticks. turned and looked Napo-
leon straight In the eyes, and said, "Sir,
i do not know how to beat retreat;
Desaix never taught me that, but /
can beat a charge-oh, l can beat
charge that will make the dead fall
into line. | beat that charge at the
Pyramids, beat that charge at Mount
Tabor, beat 1t again at the bridge OF
Lodi May beat it here?"
Napoleon turned from the boy TO
Desaix and said, 1--WE are beaten; what
shall we do?'
do? Beat them! 1t is only o'clock
and there is time enough to win vic
tory yet. Up! the charge! beat the old
charge OF Mount Tabor and Lodi!"
A moment later the corps, following
the sword gleam of Desaix and keep
ing step with the furious roll Of the
gamin's drum, swept down on the host
of Austrians. They drove the first line
back on the second-both on the third
and there they died.
Desaix fell at the first volley, but
the line never faltered, and as the
smoke cleared away, the gamin was
seen In front of his line marching right
on and still beating the furious charge.
Over the dead and wounded. over
breastworks and fallen foe, over can
mons belching forth their fire OF death,
he led the way to victory and the
6ftoau aavm in TfqIv yUQrn 4udad
Today men point to Marengo in won
der. They admire the power and fore
sight that SO skillfully handled the bat
tie. but they forget that general only
thirty years OF age made victory of
d defeat They forget that gamin
OF Paris put to shame "the child of
destiny