Year: 1866

On the Oath of October, 1872, the first
corps of the French army having received
an order to evacuate Moscow, arrived at
Malo iaroslavetz in time to share in the glori-
Gus engagement in which Prince Eugene, ct
the head of the 4th corps. proved victorious
over the concentrated forces of the enemy =
The battle was obstinate and bloody tad
the little town was vigorously and gallantly
times taken and retaken before the close cf
the day, when the French ultimately secured
possession.


Colonel Koblinski, one of the aides-de
camp Of Marshal Davoust, while galloping
along the line to deliver an order, was struck
by a cannon shot, fell from his horse, and
was supposed to have been killed but as
the marshal was riding slowly over the field,
a man covered with blood suddenly raised
himself upon his elbow in the midst of heap
of dead, and family exclaimed:


What comrades. will you leave me
here to perish without help?''


1t was Colonel Kobilinski, who, it was
generally believed, should he have escaped
with life, must have fallen into the hands Of
enemy. A litter was hastily constructed by
the men of the escort, and the sufferer was
soon under the hands of a surgeon. His
wound was, however, of so frightful ma
ture, that when had been carefully exam
ined. the surgeon exchanged with Davoust
a glance which betrayed that he had no hope
Of saving his patient. Nevertheless, by de
sire of the marshal, with whom the gallant
young Pole was an especial favorite, it was
resolved that his wounded leg should he am
putated at the hip; but the agony of the op-
operation proved so intense that Kobilinski
having. as last farewell, convulsively
pressed the hand of his general, once more
became unconscious.


On the following day an order arrived for
Davoust Immediately to quit the Kalouga
road, and to fall back upon that of wilma,
from which point the retreat was to be eff
fected and the troops were already in the
act of commencing their march, when an
officer whom the marshal had sent to inquire
into the state of his aide. de camp, returned
with the information that contrary to all
expectations of the surgeon, he still lived
Davoust, resolved that the unfortunate man
should not be abandoned in his last hours to
the vengeance of the Russians. was still
unable to devise any meaas of transport
which would secure bis safety The hospi-
tai wagons had been left in the rear; all
the baggage was burnt; what was to be
dome? Suddenly thought struck him
and halting company IF grenadiers who
were at the moment defling before him, he
said impressively:


"Soldiers my aid de-camp, Colonel
K"bilinski, has had his thigh shattered by a
ball. He is as you all know, Pole; and
he must not be allowed to fall into the hands
of the Interest enemies of his country He
has served France well and bravelv; and it is
but fitting that Frenchmen should show how
they can repay the debt. | confi1e him to
the care of your company. 1t will be ser
vice of danger; as, thus burdened, you will
be unable to keep up with your comrades on
forced march but know that you will do
your duty when | tell you to guard him as
sacredly as you would guard your colors"


A murmur of assent ran along the line.
The grenadiers fell back in order that the
troops by whom they had hitherto been fol
lowed, might advance and then, having
laid Kobilinski as commodiously as they
were able to do upon his litter, they placed
him in the centre of the company, and fol
lowed the retpograde movement of the army.
With the tenderness of women rather than
roughness of war beaten veterans, they bore
the wounded man along occasionally stop
ping to change his bearers. or tn deprive
themselves of some portion of their clothing
to protect him still more from the piercing
cold.


Meanwhile the sufferer-grateful for the
care of his jealous companions, exulting in
the unhoped for kindness of his beloved
commander, by whom, manned and helpless
as he was, he had been so generously cared
for, and grateful to Providence on find
ing himself thus surrounded by familiar and
friendly faces-appeared despite the anguish
produced by the motion of the litter, to
awaken to renewed hope; and at intervals
he expressed his conviction that the skill of
the French surgeons would not only cure his
wound, but even enable him once more to
take the field.


am young, comrades" he said, cheer.
fully; g and youth has strong hold on life.
Who knows? | may yet have glorious
career before me. | cannot surely die when
my task is but just commenced"


True, Monsieur, true :" was on one of
these occasions the sympathizing reply j;
/" our marshal cannot spare you yet. Only
let us carry you safe to wilma, and all will
soon be right with you again. Why, here is
Jacques Dufour, who has more scars upon
his body than he has teeth in his head and
vet Il he chances to have sick comrade he
can eat his rations for him as we'll as his
own. Take pull, Monsieur, at the bottle
which the doctor said was to help you over
and keep up your heart. Reste! A man is
never fairly gone until be cannot tell Russ
from Frenchman."


Thus passed several days of the toilsome
and weary march of the gallant little band,
but soon the sense of solitude in that desert
and snow covered wilderness began to depress
the stoutestspirts nor was this the only moral
evil against which they had to contend, as
they gradually became conscious that the
retreat which had commenced in so orderly
and hopeful manner had. under the inces-
SAINT intensity of the cold, degenerated into .
disorganized march. Arms, military equip
ments, and dead horses were scattered at in
tervals along the road but still the grena
diers pressed forward, seeking to conceal
from their wounded charge the terrible evi-
dences of ruin about them.


Nor were they even permitted to struggle
on in peace for in few hours after they
had reached these landmarks of misery they
were on several occasions attacked BY bands