Year: 1879




and which was meant TO commemorate
the heroism of a departed comrade.


When the companies assembled for
parade, aad the roll was called, there
was one name to which its owner could
not answer---it was that Of La Tour
d'Auvergne.


When it was called the eldest SER
geant present stepped pace forward,
and rising his hand 10 his cap, said,
proudly:


.'Died on The field OF honor"


For fourteen years this custom was
continued, and ony ceased when the
restored BourboDs, to please their for
eign masters, forbade everything that
was calculated TO preserve the spirit of
the soldiers of France.


La Tour d'Auvergne was not un-
worthy in life the honor thus paid him
after his death. He was educated for
the army, entered it in 17G7, and in
1881 served under the Duke de Crlllod
of the siege of Port Mahon. He served
always with distinction, but constantly
refused offers of promotion, saying that
he was only fit for the command of q
company OF soldiers; but finally, the
various grenadier companies being uni
ted, he found himself in command of a
body of eight thousand men, while re-
tanning Ouly the rank of captain. Hence
he was known as the First Grenadier of
France. But 1t was of one particular
exploit Of his that we wish to write, more
than his career in general.


When he was over forty years Of age,
he went on visit TO friend, not far
from section Of the country that was
soon to become the scene of a campaign.
While there, he was busy with acquaint-
ing himself with the features of the
country, thinking it not unlikely that
this knowledge might be of use to him
some day, and while here the brave
grenadier was astonished to learn that
the war had rapidly shifted to this quar-
ter, that a regiment of Austrians were
pushing on to occupy narrow pass
about ten miles from where he was stay
ing, and the possession of which would
give them an opportunity to prevent an
important movement of the French which
was then on foot. They hoped to sur
prise this post, and were moving so rap
than two hours distant from the place
where he was staying, and which they
would have to pass in their march. 1t
uidotCio hot HOW uC HcdTu Juc ucWSs L
is sufficient to say that he determined at
| once to act upon it.


He had no idea of being captured by
the enemy in their advance, and he ut
once set off for the pass. He knew that
the pass was defended by stout tower,
and garrison of thirty men, and he
hoped to be able to warn the men Ol
their danger.


He hastened on, and arriving there
found the tower in perfect condition. 1t
had just been vacated by the garrison
who had heard of the approach of the
Austrians, and had been seized with q
panic thereat, and had fled, leaving their
| arms, consisting of thirty excellent mus
kets.


La Tour d'Auvergne gnashed hi:
teeth with rage as he discovered this
Searching in the building, he found sew.
eral boxes of ammuni, ion which the cow
ards had destroyed. For a moment he
was in despair, but then with a grim
smile he began to fssten the main door
and pile against 1t such articles as ht
could find. When he had done this ht
loaded all the guns he could find, ant
placed them, together with good sup
ply of ammunition, under the lOOpholes
that commanded the road by which the
enemy must advance.


Then he ate heartily of the provisions
he bad brought with him, and sat down
to wait. He had absolutely formed the
heroic resolution to defend the towe;
alone against the enemy.


There were some things In his favor
in such an undertaking. The pass wa:
steep and narrow, and the enemy:
troops could enter it only in double
files, and in doing this would be fully
exposed to the fire from the tower. The
original garrison of thirty men could
easily have held it against a division
and now one man was about to attempt
to hold it against regiment.


1t was dark when La Tour d'Auvergne
reached the tower, and he had TO wait
for the enemy. They were longer in
coming than he had expected, and for g
while he was tempted to believe that
they had abandoned the expedition.


About midnight, however, his prac.
ticed ear caught the tramp OF feet. Every
momept the sound came nearer, and al
last he heard them entering the defile
Immediately he discharged a couple ol
muskets into the darkness to let theu
krow that he knew of their presence and
Intentions, and he heard the quick, short
commands of the officers, and, from the
sounds, he supposed that the troops were
retiring from the pass. Until the morn
ing he was undisturbed. The Austrian
commander, feeling assured that the gar
rison had been Informed of his move
ments, and was prepared to receive him
saw that he could not surprise the post
as lie had hoped to do, and deemed il
prudent to wait until daylight before
making his attack.


cat sunrise he summoned the garri
son to surrender. A grenadier answered
| the summons.


"Say to your COMMANDER" he said, II
reply to the messenger, "tha9 this garri
son will defend this post to the last ex'
| tremity'"


The officer who had borne the flag Ol
| truce retired, and in about ten minutes
| piece of artillery was brought into thu
pass. and opened on the tower. But Il
effect this the piece had to be placet
directly in front of the tower and within
easy musket range of 1t. They hat
scarcelv got the gun in position. when
rapid fire was opened on 1t from tn
tower, and continued with such marke,
effect that the piece was withdrawn af
ter the second discharge, with loss o
five men.


This was bad beginning, SO half al
hour after the gun was withdrawn, tn
Austrian colonel ordered an assault. A
| the troops entered the defile, they wer
received with rapid and accurate Ire