LOUIS VERNON (A TALE OF THE FIRST EMPIRE.)

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1156, 24 June 1885, Page 4

LOUIS VERNON (A TALE OF THE FIRST EMPIRE.)

Bx 3?. A. J. De Condb.

Ch afieh; V ilL—Eiro of the Campaign.

The vivid images of this scene of death were seared into Louis' brain as, with a glowing ' brand' of red-hot iron. The ceaseless activity of his j aching brain was increased by this touching scene to such a degree of in- 1 tensity, that, in spite of fainting exhaustion, sleep completely left him, and he passed the remainder of that night of horrors in sleeplesß agony. An, how he envied the slumberers around him, whether in the sleep of nature or of death ! They were at least unconscious of, the groans of agony which ever and anon were borne forth upon the breeze of night to mingle with the dismal howling of the > wolves and the sighing of the dreary wind. But to him all these were in increased by the excited impressibility of his brain, which rendered that night to him one of darkness in very deed. But, like every scene of horror or pleasure, that night, too, came to an end, and day dawned upon as sad a sight as ever greeted the eye of a soldier. A mirky, gloomy, bitter morning, enwrappeclin drenching' haze borne on the wings of a cold piercing wind, which penetrated to the very vitals of the miserable relics of a. once proud army. In vain the soldiers wrapped their coats closer round them to shield their f reeziug bosoms ; in vain the living robbed the dead of their, no longer useful garments, for the ice- wind smote them to earth by hundreds and thousands. Louis cast a sad glance around him as the troops marched away from their bivouac. A cold shudder shook his frame, and the tears moistened his eyes as he took a last look at the still, white face of the noble men who lay all around, cold and frozen, sleeping their long last sleep; and their eyes, that once shone like beacons of the soul, still unclosed, and fixed and turned upward, as though still watching the ascent of the spirit freed from clay. Sad, and with a feeling of utter loneliness, poor. Louis dragged his weary frame forward. Could his nearest comrade have seen into Louis' soul then, and obtained a passing glimpse of the burning thoughts which caused hiß heart to bleed in agony, he would have wept tears of sympathy for that young tortured spirit. Terrible indeed are the horrors of a soul wrung with cruel and intensified anguish. The most excruciating bodily pain may be for a time forgotten, by the attention being closely fixed on some other object; but painful thoughts cannot thus be dismissed even temporarily, for instead of the attention being diverted, it is generally concentrated upon those very thoughts. . Though Louis was drenched to the skin, and half frozen with cold, yet he heeded it not. He was too much engrossed with cruel thought to be conscious of' the sufferings of his body. Though his lips were blue with cold, and his cheeks pale, yet now and then the blood mounted to his brow, and a fierce light glistened in his eye. He was startled from his reverie by his comrade on the right grasping his arm as he sunk to the earth. Louis Stopped and tried to animate that exhausted spark, hut in vain. A few short gasps, and then a convulsive shudder shook the dying man, and all was still for ever. Louis laid down the head which he had supported on his arm, placed his hand tenderly upon the cold brow, and said, " Alas ! my comrade, how sdon thy term of life is ended ; in the flower and pride of thy manhood thus to expire in strife with the, storm. It were an honor to fall by .the hand of the enemy, but thus to die is as the visitation of an offended Providence. That fair brow is cold over which the breeze has thrown the glossy ' hair. Those features, dear to some fond heart, must be scattered by the winds. Would that I could lay me down beside thee and repose so peacefully. But I must toil on amid those cruel horrors, and wield the sword while I can for the honor of my country and the safety of my comrades." One last look upon the peaceful face of the silent dead, and Louis then hastened to overtake his regiment. So thick the gloom, which hung around, they could not see fifty yards in advance. A strange dread crept over' the soldiers during the weary hours of this morning march. The terrible Cossacks were not hovering around them as usual, and this, their first unmolested march since the retreat. began, seemed to omen some fearful catastrophe. The constant excitement of the rapid attacks made by those children of the wilds kept their minds fully occupied, and consequently they had not time to ponder over their terrible position. , But now that the excitement was withdrawn, gloomy and boding thought crowded fast upon them. They felt as if. in the immediate vicinity of some over- whelm ling danger. So despondent had they grown, • that the fierce war cry. of the Cossacks would have been welcome. Their braye general saw their gloom and, misery, and rode along the scattered ranks and' cheered them on.

"Companions in arms and comrades in glory," he said "the safety of the Army, of the Empire (depends upon you. Dangers and difficulties crowd thick and fast upon us, but we will all be (brave for the honor of France. Two or three days at most will bring us relief , and rest and plenty. Will you follow if I lead?" ■ "To death !" was the eager reply. They were marching along in better spirits, cheered by the words of their brave leader, when a momentary uplifting of the mist revealed to them whatjtbey little expected to see. They

were marching towards the, ravine, of Losmina, through which they hoped to > paas unchallenged. Ney calculated that from the difficult nature of the pass the Russian would not expect him 1 to attempt its passage. Well he, knew that a small number of men jcould. hold it against an army. But for this very reason he chose the pass, because he thought the Russians would never! prepare to meet, him there. He felt convinced they would be looking for him on less difficult ground. But to his dismay he saw the defile manned throughout with troops, and commanded, by a , long line of batteries deliberately arranged. A Bussian officer rode up .to the French lines,, and summoned Ney to surrender. The proud ' Frenchman replied, " Tell your commander that a Marshal of France never surrenders."

No sooner was the brave answer communicated to the Russians than the batteries, only 250 yards distant, poured a deadly storm of grape upon the remnant of Ney's braves. Stung to the quick by the rapid and cruel attack, the French commander ordered a charge. The French soldiers plunged into the ravine in the face of the whole Russian force, and cut their,- way through them to the guns and cut down the gunners. But, alas !in vain they fought thus bravely ; they were overwhelmed by superior numbers, and repulsed with, fearful slaughter. Again and again, with the courage of despair, they vainly attempted to hew an avenue through that solid mass. The soldiers fought hand to hand, closely crowded together in one wrathful, surging sea of ruin. In the very centre of the Russian host, surrounded on all sides by the enemy, with reeking blades aloft, and fighting like incarnate demons, was a little band of heroes led by Louis Vernon, For a moment they seemed to quail, but a single word from Louis, and a single glance from his terribl eye, inspired them with the courage o* fiends. But in vain, alas ! in vain, did those veterans strain to cut a pathway through that terrible avenue of death. Overpowered by sheer force of numbers, and torn" and shattered by the point-blank, fire of those deadly batteries, a gallant remnant of brave men fought tbeir way back to their Marshal's standard. While hewing out a pathway of blood back to their comrades, the brave grenadiers were subjected to a fearful storm of shot. A cannon ball cut down two of Louis' companions and tore up the ground at his feet. While leading his comrades, and cheering them on with sword on high, Louis' sword was shivered to atoms in his grasp by a cannon ball. But nothing daunted he tore a bloody sword from a hand which held it with the death-clasp and fought on. Ever and anon the bullets whistled in his ear, a,nd almost grazed his head, but harmed him not. And from that reeking, seething tide of death he emerged unwounded, as though his path were illumined and surrounded by a sacred halo, which death could not enter. Thus- the. brave man may pass unscathed through the .fiercest raging of the billows of death, while the cowaid will scarce live to see the struggle begun. Wearied and bleeding and utterly broken, the scattered ranks of the French gathered themselves together, and hope died within their hearts, But night descended, with kindly wings of covering pity, and shut out the terrors which surrounded them. Never before in all that weary retreat had the deep gloom of night been welcomed as it was at the close of that dark day. The brave and gallant Marshal Ney gathered his bleeding columns together, and under cover of darkness led them away by another route, and thus, by a masterly hand, extricated them from certain captivity. The unanswerving bravery and undying hopefulness of Marshal Key could not be crushed even by such a terrible defeat. Deep was the gloom of the night, but deeper far was the depth of woe that descended upon that reeling, fainting, bleeding fragment of the Grand Army, as in solemn silence and with measured tread the soldiers dragged their wearied frames onward, unconscious of everything but the instinct of self-preserva-tion. Slowly and sadly they crept forward, till dawn assured them that they were out of the immediate vicinity of the enemy. Then, and not till then, did they halt to partake of a little food and to rest. Many sank to rest never to wake again. Heart-sick with disappointment,' and driyeii to desperation by oft-baffled hope, the gallant Ney broke up the bivouac at midnight, and marched^ forward under , cover of the thick darkness. Ah ! who could imagine the feelings of this crushed, heart-broken army ; strangers in a strange land, beset with indescribable woes'; and wearied even unto death; no guide to lead them by hidden paths and byeways to escape the implacable foe. Surrounded by overwhelming numbers, who were supplied by afull commissariat and mounted on powerful horses, while they — the last fainting relic of departed greatness— were starving for food and shivering in the cold. Th6y had done' all 1 that men could do, and now they, found, to , join their vanguard, they, had to force .their way through a powerful and fully-equipped* army. Not a word was heard along the lines as the ominious signal " forward " was given, but they set theirteeth tightly asmen aboutto "suffer inartydom, and doggedly marched on. But these men were chosen men every one, and their leader knew that he could depend upon them* while their hearts continued to beat. Wandering they knew not whither in the darkness, th&J Raffle upon a stream of consider*

I able, .sipe,, JTbejr , commander t con1 siaered'that.fey; following its course he, would come to the Dnieper. They came ito the river, but alas ! how were they to cross it?,/' The .thin cohering of ice indeed, 'formed, a £ rail bridge, and. the jdark' waters ( ti6 invite them unto death 1 . ..8ut' noi* they, had grown desperate; and death was preferable to, prolonged .agony.',. In single files they "stepped ripon the' treacherous, ice,, .^hich, bent 'and cracked beneath jthejr 'fe.ei; J at 'every step. The soldiers pn foot reached' the other side, but not so tie waggons laden with the sick and 'y^ourided , and . the heavy guns. ,' They attempted the' passage ,at ..many different places, and' one after another went down', amid, the wild despairing cries of the dying and the groans of the on-lookers. When the last waggon had sunk beneath the icy. waters, and the drowning shrieks of the helpless victims had died away!, the soldiers continued their march,' prepared for any fate that might befall them. They escaped the vigilence of the Russians, anfl Marshal Ney was enabled to accomplish his great object, and J join the main army, after having done what another would scarce have dared to try. Long shall the 1 gallant deeds performed' by this noble band of heroes live in the pages of history; and long shall the name of their intrepid leader be venerated by the people of France.

But what need to detail any further the horrible disasters that befell the miserable relics of Napoleon's army ? Each day was but an aggravated repetition of that which preceded it, and,' as if to fill the vials of Divine wrath, those horrors culminated in the terrible and disastrous' passage, of the Beresina.

Louis succeeded in gaining the safe side of the river, and there gazed upon a sight which all through life' was seared intd his brain and never could be effaced. Iri the gloomiest recedes of remotest ends, 1 when no humane being was near ; beneath the burning tropics, ol? at the icy pole ; calmly sleeping oh the bosom of the peaceful^ocdan, or rudely tossed on its white-crested waves ; surrounded by the piofuse luxuriance of eternal verdure, oorr r on the arid desert ; fanned by the cool sea-breeze, or appalled ! by the fierce wrath of the hurricane ; by night by day, sleeping or walking, the terrible shrieks of despair whioh burst forth from tens of thousands of men and women as they sank to rise no more; would ring in his ears. Never could he iri fancy look back across that dreary plain, where the bones of half a million of his countrymen lay bleaching in the snow, attesting to Heaven the terrible price of despot sway, without uttering groans which seemed to rend his very breast.

Faithfully Louis served the army of the Emperor till the despot had fallen from his throne, and left fair? France to squander her noblest blood no more on unhallowed fields of fight, and to chain his fiery spirit on a small and lonely. isle. If utterly desolate was the heart of the proud and haughty autocrat, born to rule, as he vainly chafed at the inexorable power of the British, who kept him within Buch narrow bounds, equally so that- of our young Tiero now that 'the continual excitement of battle was over. His fiery spirit chafed and galled him till he was nearly driven to madness ; the leisure of unemployed peace was unendurable, and he got no rest, by night or by day.