Tom Burke Of Ours, Volume II

by Charles James Lever

  CHAPTER XXI. THE SUMMIT OF THE LANDGRAFENBERG

  After a brief delay at Mayence, it was with sincere pleasure I receivedmy orders to push forward to the advanced posts at Wetzlar, whereGeneral d'Auvergne was with his division. Already the battalions werecrossing the Rhine, and directing their steps to different rendezvousalong the Prussian frontier; some pressing on eastwards, where the Saxonterritory joins the Prussian; others directly to the north, and takingup positions distant by a short day's march from each other. The sameurgent haste which characterized the opening of the Austrian campaigna year before, was here conspicuous; many of the corps being obliged tomarch seven and eight leagues in the day, and frequently whole companiesbeing forwarded in wagons drawn by six or eight horses, in order tocome up with the main body of their regiments. Every road eastward wascovered with some fragment of the army. Now an infantry corps of youngconscripts, glowing with enthusiasm and eager for the fray, wouldcheer the _caleche_ in which I travelled, and which, as indicating astaff-officer, was surmounted by a small flag with an eagle. Now it wasthe hoarse challenge of an outpost, some veteran of Bernadotte's army,which occupied the whole line of country from Dusseldorf to Nuremberg.Pickets of dragoons, with troops of led horses for remounts, hurried on,and long lines of wagons crammed the road.

  At last I joined General d'Auvergne, who, with all the ardor of theyoungest soldier, was preparing for the march. The hardy veteran,disdaining the use of a carriage, rode each day at the head of hiscolumn, and went through the most minute detail of regimental duty withthe colonels under his command. From whatever cause proceeding I knewnot, but it struck me as strange that he never alluded to my visit toParis, nor once spoke to me of the countess; and while this reserve onhis part slightly wounded me, I felt relieved from the embarrassmentthe mere mention of her name would cause me, and was glad when ourconversation turned on the events of the war. Nor was he, save in thisrespect, less cordial than ever, manifesting the greatest pleasure atthe prospect the war would open to my advancement, and kindly presagingfor me a success I scarcely dared to hope for.

  "Nor is the hour distant," said he to me one morning in the latter endof September, as we rode side by side; "the grand movement is begun."

  Augereau, with his powerful _corps d'armee_ of twenty thousand, pressedon from Frankfort and Mayence; Bernadotte moved up on his flank fromNuremberg and Bamberg; Davoust hastened by forced marches from theDanube; while Soult and Ney with a strong force remained in the south,and in observation on the Austrian frontier. Farther to the north,again, were the new levies and the whole Imperial Guard, strengthenedby four thousand additional men, which, together with Murat's cavalry,formed a vast line embracing the Prussian frontier on the west andsouth, and converging with giant strides towards the very heart of thekingdom. Still, mid all the thunders of marching squadrons and thedin of advancing legions, diplomatists interchanged their respectiveassurances of a peaceful issue to their differences, and politelyconveyed the most satisfactory sentiments of mutual esteem.

  On the 1st of September the Emperor left Paris; but, even then, coveringhis designs by an affected hope of peace, he was accompanied by theEmpress and her suite to Mayence, where all the splendor of a Court wassuddenly displayed amid the pomp and preparation of war. On the 6th hestarted by daybreak; relays of horses were in waiting along the roadto Wetzlar, and with all speed he hastened forward to Bamberg, where heissued his grand proclamation to the army.

  With all his accustomed eloquence he represented to the army theinsulting demands of Prussia, and called on them, as at Austerlitz, toreply to such a menace by one tremendous blow of victory, which shouldclose the campaign. "Soldiers!" said he, "you were about to return toFrance to enjoy the well-won repose after all your victories. But anenemy is in the field; the road to Paris is no longer open to you:neither you nor I can tread it save under an arch of triumph."

  The day which succeeded the issue of this proclamation, a cavalry affairoccurred at the advanced posts, in which the Prussians were somewhat thevictors. Two days later, a courier arrived at the imperial headquarterswith the account of another and more important action, between thegrenadiers of Lannes and a part of Suchet's corps, against the advancedguard of Prince Hohenlohe, commanded by the most daring general in thePrussian service,--Prince Louis. A cavalry combat, which lasted for nearan hour, closed this brief but bloody encounter with the death of thebrave prince, who, refusing to surrender, was run through the body bythe sabre of a quartermaster of the Tenth Hussars.

  General d'Auvergne's brigade had no share in this memorable action, foron the 9th we were marched to Rudolstadt, some miles to the left of thescene of the encounter; but having made a demonstration in that quarter,were speedily recalled, and ordered with all haste to cross the Saale,and move on to the eastward.

  It was now that Napoleon's manoeuvres became apparent. The same intriguewhich succeeded at Ulm was again to be employed here: the enemy's flankwas to be turned, the communication with his reinforcements cut off, anda battle engaged, in which defeat must prove annihilation. Such, then,was the complete success of the Emperor's movements, that on the 12ththe French army was posted with the rear upon the Elbe, while thePrussians occupied a line between them and the Rhine. This masterlymovement at once compelled the enemy to fall back and concentratehis troops around Jena and Weimar, which, from that instant, Napoleonpronounced must be the scene of a great battle.

  All this detail I have been obliged to force on my reader, and now againreturn to my story.

  On the morning of the 13th, Murat appeared for the first time at ourheadquarters, below Jena; and after a short consultation with the staff,our squadrons were formed and ordered to push on with haste towardsJena.

  Everything now showed that the decisive hour could not be distant:couriers passed and repassed; messengers and orderlies met us at everystep; while, as is ever the case, the most contradictory rumors werecirculated about the number and position of the enemy. As we nearedLausnitz, however, we learned that the whole Prussian army occupied theplateau of Jena, save a corps of twenty thousand men which werestationed at Auerstadt. From the elevated spot we occupied, the columnsof Marshal Berna-dotte's division could be seen marching to theeastward. A halt was now commanded, and the troops prepared theirbivouacs; when, as night was falling, a staff-officer rode up, withorders from the Emperor himself to push on without delay for Jena.

  The road was much cut up by the passage of cavalry and wagons, and asthe night was dark, our pace was occasionally impeded. I was riding withone of the leading squadrons, when General d'Auvergne directed me totake an orderly with me, and proceed in advance to make arrangements forthe quarters of the men at Jena. Selecting a German soldier as my guide,I dashed forwards, and soon left the squadron out of hearing. We had notgone far, when I remarked, from the tramp of the horses, that we wereupon an earthen road, and not on the pavement. I questioned my orderly,but he was positive there had been no turning since we started. I paidno more attention to the circumstance, but rode on, hard as ever. Atlast the clay became deeper and heavier, the sides of the way closer,and all the appearance, as well as the gloom would allow us to guess,rather those of a byroad than the regular _chaussee_. To return wouldhave been hopeless; the darkness gave no prospect of detecting at whatprecise spot we had left the main road, and so I determined to make myway straight onwards at all hazards.

  After about an hour's fast trotting, the orderly, who rode some pacesin advance, called out, "A light!" and then, the moment after, he cried,"There are several lights yonder!"

  I reined in my horse at once, for the thought struck me that we hadcome down upon the Prussian lines. Giving my horse to the soldier, withorders to follow me noiselessly at a little distance, I walked on forabove a mile, my eyes steadily fixed upon the lights, which moved fromplace to place, and showed, by their taper glare, that they were notwatchfires. At length I gained a little ridge of the ground, andcould distinctly see that it was a line of guns and artillery wagons,endeavoring to force th
eir way through a narrow ravine; a few minutesafter, I heard the sounds of French, and relieved of all apprehensions,I mounted my horse and soon came up with them.

  They were four troops of Lannes's artillery, which, by a mistake similarto my own, had left the highroad and entered one of the field-tracks,which thus led them astray; and here they were, jammed up in a narrowgorge, unable to get back or forward. The officer in command was ayoung colonel, who was completely overwhelmed by his misfortune; for heinformed me that the whole artillery of the division was following him,and would inevitably be involved in the same mishap. The poor fellow,who doubtless would have faced the enemy without a particle of fear, wasnow so horrified by the event, that he ran wildly from place to place,ordering and counter-ordering every instant, and actually increasingthe confusion by his own excitement. Some of the leading trains wereunharnessed, and efforts made to withdraw the guns from their position;but the axles were, on both sides, embedded in the rock, and seemed todefy every effort to disengage them.

  At this moment, when the confusion had reached its height, and thehorses were unharnessed from the guns, the men standing in groups aroundor shouting wildly to one another, a sullen silence spread itself overthe whole, and a loud, stern voice called out,--

  "Who commands this division?"

  "General Latour," was the answer.

  "Where is he?" said the first speaker, so close to my ear that I startedround, and saw the short square figure of a man in a great coat, holdinga heavy whip in his hand.

  "With the main body at the rear."

  "Cannoneers, dismount!" said the other. "Bring the torches to thefront."

  Scarcely was the order obeyed, when the light of the firewood fell uponhis features, and I saw it was the Emperor himself. In an instant thewhole scene was changed. The park tools were taken out, working partiesformed, and the ravine began to echo to the strong blows of the brawnyarms; while Napoleon, with a blazing torch in his hand, stood by tolight their labors. Giving directions to the under-officers and the men,he never deigned a word to the officers, who now stood trembling aroundhim, and were gradually joined by several more, who came up with theremainder of the train.

  I think still I can see that pale, unmoved face, which, as the lightflickered upon it, gazed steadily at the working party. Not a syllableescaped him, save once, when he muttered half to himself, "And this wasthe first battery to open its fire to-morrow!"

  General Savary stood at his side, but never dared to address him. Toowell he knew that his deepest anger showed itself by silence. By degreesthe granite wall gave way, the axles once more became free, and thehorses were again harnessed; the gun-carriages moved slowly through theravine. Nor did the Emperor quit the spot before the greater part ofthe train passed; then mounting his horse, he turned towards Jena, andnotwithstanding the utter darkness of the night he rode at full speed.Following the clatter of the horse's hoofs, I rode on, and in less thanan hour reached a small cluster of houses, where a cavalry picket wasplaced, and several large fires were lighted, beside which, at smalltables, sat above a dozen staff-officers busily writing despatches. TheEmperor halted but for a second or two, and then dashed forward again;and I soon perceived we were ascending a steep hill, covered with fernsand brushwood. We had not gone far, when a single aide-de-camp whoaccompanied him turned his horse's head and rode rapidly down themountain again.

  Napoleon was now alone, some fifty paces in front. I could see the faintoutline through the darkness, my sight guided by my hearing to the spot.His pace, wherever the ground permitted, was rapid; but constantly hewas obliged to hold in, and pick his steps among the stones and dwarfwood that covered the mountain. Never shall I cease to remember thestrange sensations I felt as I followed him up that steep ascent.There was he, the greatest monarch of the universe, alone, wending hissolitary way in darkness, his thoughts bent on the great event beforehim,--the tremendous conflict in which thousands must fall. There was asense of awe in the thought of being so near to one on whose slightestword the destiny of nations seemed to hang; and I could not look on thedark object before me without a superstitious feeling, deeper than fearitself, for that mightiest of men.

  My thoughts permitted my taking no note of time, and I know not how longit was before we reached the crest of the hill, over whose bleak surfacea cold, cutting wind was blowing. It seemed as if a great tablelandextended now for some distance on every side, over which the Emperortook his way, as though accustomed to the ground. While I was wonderingat the certainty with which he appeared to determine on his road, Iremarked the feeble flickering of a light far away towards the horizon,and by which it was evident he guided his steps. As we rode on, severalwatchfires could be seen towards the northwest, stretching away to agreat distance, and throwing a yellowish glare in the dark sky abovethem. Suddenly I perceived the Emperor halt and dismount, and asspeedily again he was in the saddle; but now his path took a differentdirection, and diverged considerably to the southward. Curious to learnwhat might have caused his change of direction, I rode up to thespot, and got off. It was the embers of a watchfire; they were almostextinguished, but still, as the horse's hoof struck the wood, a fewsparks were emitted. It was this, then, which altered his course; andonce more he pressed his horse to speed.

  A steep ascent of some hundred yards lay before us now. But on gainingthe top, a brilliant spectacle of a thousand watchfires met the eye: soclose did they seem, it looked like one great volcanic crater blazingon the mountain top; while above, the lurid glow reddened the black sky,and melted away into the darkness in clouds of faint yellowish hue. Far,very far away, and to the north, stretched another much longer line offires, but at great intervals apart, and occupying, as well as I mightguess, about two leagues in extent. Several smaller fires dotted theplain, marking the outpost positions; and it was not difficult to tracethe different lines of either army even by these indications.

  While I yet looked, the Emperor had gained a short distance in advanceof me; and suddenly I heard the hoarse challenge of a sentry, callingout, "Qui vive?" Buried in his own thoughts,--perhaps far too deeplylost in meditation to hear the cry,--Napoleon never replied norslackened his speed. "Qui vive?" shouted the voice again: and beforeI could advance, the sharp bang of a musket-shot rang out; another andanother followed; and then a roll of fire swept along the plain, happilynot in the direction of the Emperor. But already he had thrown himselffrom his horse, and lay flat upon the ground.

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  Not a moment was now to be lost. I dashed my spurs into my jaded horse,and rode forwards, calling aloud, at the top of my voice, "The Emperor!the Emperor!" Still, the panic overbore my words, and another dischargewas given: with one bullet I was struck in the shoulder, another killedmy horse; but springing to my legs in an instant, I rushed on, repeatingmy cry. Before I could do more than point to the spot, Napoleoncame forward, leading his horse by the bridle. His step was slow andmeasured, and his face--for many a torchlight was now gathered to theplace--was calm and tranquil.

  "Ye are well upon the alert, _mes enfant!_" said he, with a smile; "seethat ye be as ready with your fire to-morrow!" A wild cheer answeredthese words, while he continued: "These are the new levies, Lieutenant;the Guards would have had more patience. Where is the officer whofollowed me?"

  "Here, Sire," said I, endeavoring to conceal the appearance of beingwounded.

  "Mount, sir, and accompany me to headquarters."

  "My horse is killed, Sire."

  "Yes, _parbleu!_" said a young soldier, who had not learned much respectbefore his superiors; "and he has a ball in his neck himself."

  "Are you wounded?" said the Emperor, with a quickness in his manner.

  "A mere flesh-wound in the arm,--of no consequence, Sire."

  "Let the surgeon of the detachment see to this at once, Lieutenant,"said he to the officer of the party; "and do you come to headquarterswhen you are able."

  With this, the Emperor mounted again, and in a few seconds more was lostto our sight.

&nb
sp; "_Ventrebleu!_" said the old lieutenant, who had served withoutpromotion from the first battles of the Republic, "you'll be a colonelfor that scratch on your epaulette, if we only beat the Prussiansto-morrow; and here am I, with eight wounds from lead and steel, andthe Petit Caporal never bade me visit him at his bivouac. Come, come! Idon't wish to be unfriendly; it's not _your_ fault, it's only _my_ badfortune. And here comes the surgeon."

  The lieutenant was right,--the epaulette had the worst of the adventure;and, in half an hour I proceeded on my way to headquarters.