“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 them 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 the 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?”