french generals.—desaix.—ney.—lasnes.—soult.—suchet.—augereau.—berthier.—rapp.—macdonald.—beauharnois.—maret.—jourdan.—grouchey.—vandamme.—bertrand.—gourgaud.—junot.—massena.—davoust.—moreau.—lefebre.—marmont.—mortier.—dupont.—victor.—oudinot.—bernadotte.—murat.—soldiers of the army of italy.—battle of marengo.—the napoleon pillar.
“what say you, boys, shall i give you a few anecdotes of french generals, as france has long been considered the first nation in the world in 294a military point of view? not that french soldiers are superior to english soldiers, for he who would say that, must altogether mistake the matter; but they have had so much to do in warfare with the countries around them, and their armies have been so successful, that their fame has spread all over the world. the battle of waterloo sadly humbled their pride, but for all that we must not undervalue the intrepidity of a brave people.”
“the more anecdotes you give us the better. tell us of all the generals that you can remember.”
“i have spent much of my time in reading of military characters, and could, therefore, tell you of a great number. many a day has passed since i slept in the camp, and mingled in the stormy fight, but old habits cling to us closely, and there is hardly a day of my life but i take up a book on naval or military subjects. i read of admirals and sea captains, of generals and distinguished commanders, and then i think of my earlier days, and of the wild scenes of war. many of my old comrades, though living, are dead to me, for they are scattered about the world, and many who are really dead are alive in my remembrance. you shall have a few anecdotes of some of the french generals. whatever may have been their failings, no one can call in question their personal bravery; and a true soldier will never cover the name of an enemy with the slime of slander, but rather speak the truth, be it good or evil.”
295“please to begin about the french generals.”
“general desaix was called by the germans, ‘the good desaix,’ for though he was among them as a conqueror, he treated them with humanity. the arabs called him the ‘just sultan.’ he feared no danger when in the field, and met the death of a soldier bravely. at the battle of marengo he was fatally struck by a ball, at the first charge of his division. ‘tell the first consul,’ said he, ‘that i only regret having done nothing for posterity.’ the day before the battle, he observed to one of his aides-de-camp, ‘it is a long while since i fought in europe, something will happen, for the bullets will not know me again.’ buonaparte, though in the hottest of the engagement, when he heard of his death was much affected, and one of his earliest commands after the fight was, that a splendid monument should be erected on the top of mont st. bernard to the memory of his fallen general.”
“poor desaix! he was not so cruel as many conquerors have been. who was the very bravest of buonaparte’s generals?”
“marshal ney was one of the most daring of buonaparte’s generals, and indeed, the emperor called him ‘the bravest of the brave.’ when retreating from smolensko, under the most disastrous circumstances, he found himself almost on the edge of a ravine manned by russians, with a line of batteries on the opposite bank, before he 296was aware of his situation. it was almost a hopeless position, and a russian officer appeared and summoned him to capitulate, when his answer was, ‘a mareschal of france never surrenders.’ though the batteries opened on him a tremendous fire, he fearlessly plunged into the ravine, cleared a passage over the stream in spite of all opposition, and attacked his enemies at their guns. none but a soldier can estimate his danger and his daring. again and again he was beaten back, but all in vain, for in the face of the whole army of his foes he maintained his position, disdaining to surrender or retire.”
“if buonaparte had not had such generals he could never have won so many victories.”
“that is very true. the french general lasnes, duke of montebello, distinguished himself much in fighting against the austrians. he headed the storming party in the attack on ratisbonne, crying out, ‘soldiers, your general has not forgotten that he was once a grenadier.’ at the battle of asperge a cannon shot took away both his legs, and when the surgeons told him his wounds were mortal, he broke out into furious imprecations, crying out for the emperor. when buonaparte came to him, it was only to hear him blaspheme heaven and earth, because he could not live to see the end of the campaign. he was called the roland of the camp, on account of his enthusiastic valour.”
297“he might be brave, but he must have been a very bad man to blaspheme in that manner.”
“you are right. the bravery of a soldier will never excuse his blasphemies. soult was a very brave and able soldier; he is held in high estimation in france at the present time by king louis philippe. suchet, augereau, berthier, rapp, macdonald, and beauharnois, were all generals of high reputation, as well as maret, jourdan, grouchey, and vandamme. generals bertrand and gourgaud accompanied buonaparte when he was exiled to st. helena.”
“well, they did right in not forsaking him in his misfortunes.”
“junot was one of the generals in the french army under buonaparte. during the siege of toulon, junot was only a sergeant. buonaparte, while constructing a battery under the enemy’s fire, had occasion to prepare a dispatch, and called aloud for some one who could use his pen. junot leaped forward; but while he was leaning on the breastwork, writing down what buonaparte dictated, a shot struck the ground and scattered the dust all over him. ‘good!’ said junot, laughing, ‘this time we shall spare our sand?’ buonaparte was so much pleased by the cool intrepidity and gaiety of the sergeant that he kept his eye on him afterwards. in course of time junot became marshal of france and duke of abrantes.”
298“a bold man was sure to be taken notice of by buonaparte.”
“massena and davoust were able generals, but very, very cruel: it would be hard to say which were the greater, the atrocities practised by junot and massena in portugal, or those perpetrated by davoust on the banks of the elbe. courage is a noble quality, but it will never atone for cold-hearted cruelty.”
“if they had come over to england they would have served us in just the same manner.”
“the celebrated moreau, who fought on the side of the russians against his countrymen the french, was wounded amid a group of reconnoitring officers. buonaparte seeing these officers together, ordered half-a-dozen cannons to be fired at them, when a commotion took place as though one had been wounded. in the evening a peasant brought a greyhound and a bloody boot to the camp; on the collar of the greyhound was graven the name of moreau. they belonged, he said, to a great man, who had fallen.”
“ah! no doubt it was moreau!”
“yes it was. a shot had taken away both his legs; yet such was his firmness that he smoked a cigar while undergoing amputation, in the presence of the emperor alexander. he died shortly after.”
“what dreadful things soldiers go through, and yet they hardly seem to care for them.”
“when general lefebre besieged saragossa, 299the place was defended by don jose palafox, a young nobleman of moderate talents. but men and women fought side by side among the spaniards, and became irresistible.”
“how they must have hated the french, for the women to fight.”
“they must indeed! the old moorish walls and monastic buildings in the suburbs of the place, were manned with determined men. disease came and famine came among them, but for all this, when the french general, who had taken the convent st. engracia, sent to palafox this short summons, ‘head-quarters, santa engracia—capitulation,’ he received this short answer: ‘head-quarters, saragossa—war to the knife.’ the french were compelled to retreat.”
“the boasting of the french general did no good, after all.”
“marmont, mortier, dupont, victor, and oudinot, were all famous generals, as well as bernadotte and murat. victor, having failed to dislodge the enemy at montereau, fell under the displeasure of buonaparte, who broke out into a furious passion, and dismissed him the service. victor then declared, while the tears streamed down his face, that though he had ceased to be an officer he would still be a soldier, and that, as he had risen from the ranks, he would again enter them as a private soldier. this melted buonaparte, who gave him his hand, and told him that, though he 300could not give him the command of his corps, for it had been assigned to another, he was welcome to place himself at the head of a brigade of the guard.”
“then, he did not serve as a common soldier?”
“no. his determination to do so rather than to quit the army, softened the heart of buonaparte, and made him relent. it is related, that on one occasion, when a desperate attack was led on by soult, there occurred a circumstance, as honourable as it was characteristic of the spirit which animated the french. the soldiers of two regiments, or demi-brigades of the army of italy, namely, the twenty-fifth, light, and the twenty-fourth of the line, had sworn eternal enmity against one another, because that previously to the opening of the campaign, when desertion, and all the evils of insubordination prevailed in that army, disorganized by suffering, the former, in which discipline had been maintained, was employed to disarm the latter. the utmost care had been taken to keep them separate; but it happened that these two corps found themselves one day made rivals, as it were, in valour, the one before the eyes of the other. the same dangers, the same thirst of glory, the same eagerness to maintain themselves, at once renewed in all hearts generous sentiments; the soldiers became instantly intermingled; they embraced in the midst of the fire, and one half of the one corps passing into the 301ranks of the other, they renewed the combat after the exchange, with double ardour.”
“what a very odd thing! it shows that soldiers can forgive one another, however!”
“the battle of marengo, fought between the french and the austrians, shows us, that without good tactics a field may be lost almost in the moment of victory. the austrians, under melas, were full forty thousand strong, while the french, under buonaparte, in the absence of their reserve, could hardly be more than half that number.”
“two to one—that was a terrible difference.”
“the french advance-troops were under gardanne. victor led on the first line; lannes the second; and napoleon buonaparte the third. the austrian heavy infantry were formed into two lines; the first was commanded by general haddick, the second by melas, who had also general zach with him, while general elsnitz commanded the light infantry and cavalry.”
“what a trampling and clashing there must be when one army meets another in battle!”
“on came the austrians, and back fell gardanne, to strengthen victor. a furious cannonading took place along the whole front of that position, on the edge of a ravine, the muskets of either party almost touching each other. marengo was taken and retaken several times. the french, at last, were beaten back, for general elsnitz, with his splendid cavalry, had outflanked 302them on the right, and the retreating columns of lannes had to sustain the squadrons that were poured upon him. the retreat became general.”
“what did buonaparte think of it then? he could not much like to fly before the austrians.”
“just as the austrian cavalry were rushing on, desaix, the french general, with the reserve, appeared on the field. ‘i think this is a lost battle,’ said he to buonaparte. ‘and i think it is a battle won,’ replied napoleon. ‘push on, and i will rally behind you.’”
“buonaparte never gives up while there is any hope of obtaining a victory.”
“now, had general melas pursued his advantage there can be little doubt that he would have obtained a complete victory. he drew back, however, to the rear, making sure of the battle, and left general zach to pursue the fugitives. this was an error, for which he dearly paid.”
“why did he not go on, when he was conquering? that was the worst time in the world to fall back to the rear.”
“the old general was then eighty-four years old, and therefore we can hardly wonder at it. desaix led on his troops, and fell dead at the first fire, but general kellerman, with the french cavalry, made such a desperate charge that the austrians could not sustain it. post after post was taken by the french, and the austrians by whole troops surrendered, being unable to cross 303the river. kellerman and desaix, no doubt, won the victory, but the battle was lost by the error committed by general melas, and by the rashness with which the austrians advanced in all the confidence of success. the way to go through life, boys, is neither to be too much cast down by adversity nor too much elated with prosperity. when mr. pitt, the british minister, read the bulletin of marengo, he had so little hope of withstanding the french, on the continent, that he said, ‘fold up that map,’ the map of europe, ‘it will not be wanted for these twenty years.’ buonaparte prided himself much on the battle of marengo, it is one of the victories commemorated on the napoleon pillar in paris.”
“please to tell us of the napoleon pillar?”
“this pillar stands in the place vendome. it is a hundred and thirty feet high, and entirely covered with brass, furnished by the pieces of cannon taken in many victories from the austrians. it is one of the most beautiful works of art, of the kind, to be seen anywhere. the different victories gained by buonaparte are represented in spiral compartments, after the manner of the famous trajan’s pillar, at rome. the figure of buonaparte some years ago was placed at the top of the napoleon pillar.”
“there is one battle in which buonaparte fought that will never be represented on the napoleon pillar.”
304“and what battle is that, boys?”
“why, waterloo! if that was put at the top or bottom of all the rest, it would take away a great deal of the glory of napoleon.”
“there is but little danger of waterloo being added to the battles on the pillar in the place vendome; but let us not give our minds to boasting. the french are a brave nation, though they have too frequently forgotten, in their successes, that mercy and magnanimity which ought to be extended to the conquered. some people say ‘the french will win, the english cannot lose,’—meaning thereby that the french are intrepid in their attacks, but that the cool courage and persevering fortitude of the english are not to be overcome.”
