paign was one of the most characteristic of Napoleon's campaigns. THE VICTOR OF MARENGO Napoleon was sitting in his tent and before him lay the map of Italy. He took four pins and stuck them up, measured, moved the pins and measured again. "Now," said he, “I shall capture him there." "Who, sire?" asked an officer. "Melais, the old fox of Austria. He will retire from Genoa, pass through Turin, and fall back on Alexandria. I shall cross the river Po, force him to fight on the plains beyond, and capture him there"; and the finger of the Child of Destiny pointed to Marengo. Two months later the memorable campaign of 1800 had begun. So far all had gone well with Napoleon. He had forced the Austrians to take the position he desired, and had caused their army to be reduced from 120,000 to 40,000 men. He now moved forward with his army to reap the results of his masterly plan. But God thwarted his purpose. In the narrow gorges of the Alps a few drops of rain had fallen and the river Po could not be crossed in time. Napoleon reached the field to find his advance beaten and in full retreat. Old Melais poured his Austrian phalanx upon Marengo until even the corps Old Guard gave way, and the well-planned victory of Napoleon was a terrible defeat. Just as the day was lost, Desais, the boy general, PAUL DELAROCHE'S NAPOLEON sweeping across the field at the head of his cavalry, halted near the place where Napoleon stood. There was in the corps a drummer-boy, a gamin, whom Desais had picked up on the streets of Paris, and who had followed the victorious eagles of France in the campaigns of Egypt and Germany. As the line halted Napoleon shouted to the drummer-boy, "Beat a retreat!" The boy did not stir. Again he shouted, "Gamin, beat a retreat!" The boy stepped forward, grasped his drumsticks and said, "Sire, I do not know how. Desais has never taught me that. But I can beat a charge. Oh! I can beat a charge that will make the very dead fall into line. I beat that charge at the Pyramids once. I beat it at Mount Tabor, and I beat it again at the Bridge of Lodi. May I beat it here?" Napoleon turned to Desais. what shall we do?" "We are beaten; "Do? Beat them. It is only three o'clock, and there is time to win a victory yet. Up, gamin, beat the charge, the old charge of Mount Tabor and of Lodi." A moment later and the corps, following the sword-gleam of Desais, and keeping step to the furious roll of the gamin's drum, swept upon the host of Austrians, piled the first line back upon the second, the second upon the third, and there they died. Desais fell at the first volley from the enemy's guns, but the line never halted. As the smoke cleared away, the gamin was seen at the head of the line rushing right on and still beating the furious charge. Over the dead and wounded, over breastworks and ditches, over cannon and battery men, he led the way to victory; and the fifteen days in Italy were ended. To-day men praise the power and foresight that so skillfully planned the battle, but they forget that Napoleon failed; they forget that he was defeated; they forget how a general but thirty years of age made a victory out of the Corsican's defeat, and that a gamin of Paris put to shame the Child of Destiny. From the French. NOTES 1. Study carefully the accompanying map of northern Italy, so that you can locate carefully every place mentioned in this story. 2. In any good school history look up the campaign in northern Italy. 3. Melais. The commander of the Austrian army. 4. Desais. One of Napoleon's youngest marshals, familiarly known as the boy general. 5. Old guard. The specially trained troops comprising Napoleon's most faithful veterans, and forming a body guard to the Emperor. 6. Pyramids. Mount Tabor, Bridge of Lodi. Famous battle-grounds in previous campaigns of Napoleon. See story of Napoleon in any school history. 7. Corsican. Napoleon was called the Corsican because he was born in the island of Corsica. 8. Be prepared to give the meanings of the following words and expressions: memorable, thwarted, corps, phalanx, cavalry, gamin, eagles of France, campaigns, furious roll, furious charge, skillfully, child of destiny. EXERCISES 1. What was to be decided by this battle? 2. At what places in his map do you think Napoleon stuck the pins? 3. How did Napoleon regard Melais as a commander? 4. Just what plan did Napoleon make to trap Melais? 5. How were Napoleon's plans thwarted? 6. In what condition did he find his troops when he arrived upon the scene of the battle? 7. What is a gamin? 8. Explain "eagles of France." 9. What was Napoleon's command to the drummer boy? 10. Why did not the boy stir? 1 Pronounced de-za'. 11. What is the usual punishment for a soldier's disobedience in the time of battle? 12. Why did Napoleon want him to beat a retreat? 13. Did the boy really not know how to beat a retreat? 14. What did he mean by saying “Desais has never taught me that"? 15. Why should he mention the place where he had beaten charges? 16. Why did Napoleon now turn to Desais in despair? 17. What caused Desais to answer Napoleon so boldly? 18. Why was the roll of the drum said to be so furious? 19. What was the nature of the battle? 20. Just who was responsible for this victory, Desais or the gamin? ADDITIONAL READINGS TENNYSON: Charge of the Light Brigade. ROPES: The First Napoleon. JOMINI: Life of Napoleon. SMILES: Duty. HAY: Little Breeches. MOORE: The Minstrel Boy. BROWNING: Incident of a French Camp. CARLYLE: The Up-Shot of War. THE ROAD TO LAUGHTERTOWN Would ye learn the road to Laughtertown, O ye who have lost the way? Would ye have young hearts though your hair be gray? Go learn from a little child each day, - Katherine D. Blake. |