We are now to behold Bonaparte as First Consul of France—as the
successful rival of the Carthagenian Hannibal in the prodigious exploit
of leading an army over the lofty and wintry Alps—and as the conqueror
of his old enemies the Austrians.
The time was May, 1800. At Paris, Bonaparte had formed the plan of the
most astonishing of his campaigns, with a precision so wonderful that it
pointed to the very spot on which the decisive battle should be fought.
While the intrepid Massena defended Genoa with unwearied energy, and
Moreau engaged the attention of the Austrians on the line of the Danube,
the First Consul had created a third army, caused the passes of the Alps
to be explored, determined to take that of the Great St. Bernard, and
achieved the passage as far as the vale of Aosta, where an unexpected
obstacle was found in the fortress of Bard.
The valley of Aosta is traversed by a river which receives all the
waters of the St. Bernard, and carries them into the Po, under the name
of Dora-Baltea. As it approaches Bard, the valley narrows; the road
lying between the base of the mountains and the bed of the river becomes
gradually more contracted, until at length, a rock, which seems to have
fallen from the neighboring crags into the middle of the valley, almost
entirely blocks it. The river then runs on one side of the rock, and the
road proceeds on the other. This road lined with houses composes all the
town of Bard. On the top of the rock stands a fort, impregnable by its
position, though ill-constructed, which sweeps with its fire, on the
right, the whole course of the Dora-Baltea, and on the left, the long
street forming the little town of Bard. Drawbridges close the entrance
and the outlet of this single street. A garrison, small in number, but
well commanded, occupied this fort.
The brave and persevering Lannes commanded the advanced division of the
French. He was not a man to be easily stopped. He immediately put
forward a few companies of grenadiers, who broke down the drawbridge,
and, in the face of a sweeping fire, entered Bard. The commandant of the
fort then poured a storm of shot and shell upon the town, but was soon
induced to cease, by a feeling of compassion for the inhabitants. Lannes
stationed his division out of the town and under cover; but it was
impossible to pass the materiel of the army under the fire of the fort.
He then reported to General Berthier, who, coming up, was dismayed at
the unexpected obstacle. General Marescot, the skilful engineer of the
army, was then brought forward.
He examined the fort, and declared it nearly impregnable, not on account
of its construction, which was indifferent, but from its position, which
was entirely isolated. The escarpment of the rock did not admit
escalading, and the walls, though not covered by an embankment, could
not be battered in breach, as there was no possibility of establishing a
battery in a position suitable for breaching them. Nevertheless, it was
possible, by strength of arm, to hoist a few guns of small calibre to
the top of the neighboring heights. Berthier gave orders to this end.
The soldiers, who were used to the most difficult undertakings, went to
work eagerly to hoist up two four-pounders, and even two eight-pounders.
These they in fact succeeded in elevating to the mountain of Albaredo,
which overlooks the rock and fort of Bard; and a plunging fire, suddenly
opened, greatly surprised the garrison, which, nevertheless, did not
lose courage, but replied, and soon dismounted one of the guns, which
were of too feeble a calibre to be useful.
Marescot declared that there was no hope of taking the fort, and that
some other means must be devised for overcoming this obstruction.
Berthier, in great alarm, instantly counter-ordered all the columns as
they successively came up; suspended the march of the men and the
artillery all along the line, in order to prevent them from involving
themselves further, should it be necessary, after all, to retreat. An
instant panic circulated to the rear, and all the men thought themselves
arrested in this glorious enterprise. Berthier sent courier after
courier to the First Consul, to inform him of this unexpected
disappointment.
The latter tarried still at Martigny, not meaning to pass over the St.
Bernard, until he had seen, with his own eyes, the last of the artillery
sent forward. But this announcement of an obstacle, considered
insurmountable at first, made a terrible impression on him; but he
recovered quickly, and refused positively to admit the possibility of a
retreat. Nothing in the world should reduce him to such an extremity. He
thought that, if one of the loftiest mountains in the world had failed
to arrest his progress, a secondary rock could not be capable of
vanquishing his courage and his genius. The fort, said he to himself,
might be taken by bold courage; if it could not be taken, it still could
be turned. Besides, if the infantry and the cavalry could pass by it,
with but a few four-pounders, they could then proceed to Ivrea at the
mouth of the gorge, and wait until their heavy guns could follow them.
And if the heavy guns could not pass by the obstacle which had arisen;
and if, in order to get any, that of the enemy must be taken, the French
infantry were brave and numerous enough to assail the Austrians and take
their cannon. Moreover, he studied his maps again and again, questioned
a number of Italian officers; and learning from these that many other
roads led from Aosta to the neighboring valleys, he wrote letter after
letter to Berthier, forbidding him to stop the progress of the army, and
pointing out to him, with wonderful precision, what reconnoissances
should be made around the fort of Bard. He would not allow himself to
see any serious danger, except from the arrival of a hostile corps,
shutting up the debouch of Ivrea; he instructed Berthier to send Lannes
as far as Ivrea, by the path of Albaredo, and make him take a stronger
position there, which should be safe from the Austrian artillery and
cavalry. When Lannes guards the entrance of the valley, added the First
Consul, whatever may happen, it is of little consequence, the only
result may be a loss of time. We have enough provisions to subsist
ourselves awhile, and one way or other we shall succeed in avoiding or
overcoming the obstacles which now delay us.
These instructions having been sent to Berthier, he addressed his last
orders to General Moncey, who should debouch by the St. Gothard; to
General Chabran, who should come down by the Little St. Bernard,
directly in front of the fort of Bard; and then, at last, resolved to
cross the Alps in person. Before he set forth, he received news from the
Var, informing him that on the 14th of May—the 24th of Floreal—the Baron
de Melas was still at Nice. As it was now the 20th of May, it could not
reasonably be supposed, that the Austrian general, in the space of six
days, could have marched from Nice to Ivrea. It was then on the 20th of
May, before daylight, that he set out to pass the defile. His
aid-de-camp Duroc, and his secretary Bourrienne, accompanied him.
Behold him now ascending the rugged and difficult St. Bernard, the rocks
and precipices around him, and above, the towering summits of perpetual
snow! He is mounted on a mule, conducted by a young, hardy mountaineer.
The grey great coat, which he always wore during his campaigns of
sleepless activity, is buttoned closely around him. His cheeks are
fuller than when we saw him in Egypt; but he has the same pale, olive
complexion, the same firm-set mouth, the same steady, piercing eyes, and
the same air of constant thought. Occasionally he turns to address a
remark to Duroc or Bourrienne; and he has many questions to ask of those
officers he meets upon the road. But, strange to say, he converses the
longest with that simple-hearted mountaineer who leads his mule. The
young guide unrolls his little catalogue of troubles, to which the First
Consul listens as he would to a pastoral romance. The great man learns
that the mountaineer is much grieved, because, for want of a little
money, he is unable to marry one of the maidens of the valley who has
won his heart. Thus proceeding, the party at length arrived at the
monastery of St. Bernard, where the benevolent monks displayed much
pleasure at seeing the illustrious general. He alighted; but before he
partook of any refreshment, he wrote a brief note, which he handed to
his guide, and told him to give it without delay to the administrator of
the army, who had remained on the other side of the St. Bernard. In the
evening, when the young mountaineer reached St. Pierre, he learned how
great a person he had conducted, and also that the First Consul had
given him a house and a field, as the means of marrying the girl of his
heart. A delightful pastoral episode in the great warrior’s stormy
career.
Bonaparte halted a short time with the monks, thanked them for the care
shown to his troops, made them a noble gift, and then pursued his route.
The descent of St. Bernard was made very rapidly, the First Consul
descending on a sledge, which glided down the glacier with almost
fearful swiftness. The party arrived the same evening at Etroubles. The
following morning, having spent some time in examining the park of
artillery and the provisions, he started for Aosta and Bard.
The night of the 23d of May was clear, bright and cold, in the valley of
Aosta. Just beyond the town of Bard—a long, narrow line of old,
picturesque houses—were encamped the troops of Lannes’s division, the
line of the encampment being indicated by the watch-fires. In front of
the large tent which had been erected as the quarters of the First
Consul, stood Bonaparte, Berthier, Marescot, Lannes, Duroc, and
Bourrienne. Marescot stood next to the illustrious commander-in-chief,
who was examining the fort and its surroundings with a glass.
“The report was perfectly correct; that is a serious obstacle,” said the
First Consul. “But I have no doubt that we, who surmounted the
difficulties of the St. Bernard, will conquer this rocky position,
either by taking or turning it.”
“The only hope of capturing the fort, is by an escalade, on the outer
ramparts, as you will perceive,” remarked Marescot.
“True, we can place a battery on the heights of Albaredo; but that will
produce but little effect,” replied Bonaparte.
“The fire of the fort sweeps the whole course of the river, and that
long street of the town,” observed Berthier.
“We have made reconnoissances to the left, along the sinuous flanks of
the Albaredo mountain, and found a path, which through vast dangers,
more terrible than those of the St. Bernard, rejoins the great road
below the fort at St. Donaz,” said Marescot.
“Can it be made practicable for infantry, cavalry, and a few light
guns?” quickly inquired Bonaparte.
“I think it can. With about fifteen hundred workmen, it could soon be
greatly altered,” replied Marescot.
“Enough; you shall have the workmen, and the infantry, cavalry, and
four-pounders shall be sent by that road,” said the First Consul,
decisively.
“The artillery horses may be sent by the same road, and the only
remaining difficulty will be to get the heavy guns along beyond this
fort,” remarked Duroc.
A short time previous, the officers of the advanced division had been
appalled by an unexpected obstruction. But difficulties of all kinds
seemed to vanish before the First Consul’s burning faith in possibility.
No thought of retreat was now entertained.
“Come in, Marescot, and Bourrienne. Generals, you shall hear from me
either in the course of the night, or at dawn,” said Bonaparte, and he
entered his tent, followed by Marescot and Bourrienne. Lannes and Duroc
followed General Berthier to his tent, where they were soon seated and
engaged in conversation.
“Come, Lannes, as this is the first time we have met since we were at
Dijon, let us know the particulars of your march over Mount St.
Bernard,” said Duroc.
Lannes was much better fitted for doing a great thing than giving an
account of it, and it required a short period of hard thinking to bring
his ideas to the proper point. However, he commenced.
“The march was no exploit of which an officer should boast. You saw that
I had under my command six regiments of excellent troops—there are none
better in the army. To them belongs all the glory; for they were heavily
laden with provisions and ammunition, and their task was one of great
difficulty and hardship. We started from St. Pierre, about midnight, in
order to get over the mountain before the period of danger from tumbling
avalanches. We calculated it would require eight hours to reach the
summit of the pass, and two hours to descend to St. Remy. The troops
went to their work in high spirits. Burdened as they were, they scaled
the craggy paths, singing among the precipices, and talking gaily, as if
they were certain they were marching to new victories in Italy. The
labor of the foot soldiers was not near so great as that of the cavalry.
The horsemen marched on foot, leading their animals. In this, there was
no danger while ascending; but when they came to the descent, the
narrowness of the paths obliged each man to walk before his horse, so
that each was exposed at each tumble of his animal to be dragged
headlong down a precipice.”
“Did any of the men perish in that way?” inquired Duroc.
“Yes, several,” replied Lannes, “and about a dozen horses. The horse is
not a sure-footed animal. Near daybreak, we arrived at the hospital,
where the First Consul had ordered the monks to provide an agreeable
surprise for the troops, in the shape of refreshment. Every soldier
received a ration of bread, cheese, and wine. We did not stop longer
than was required to dispatch this breakfast, and pursuing our march, we
reached St. Remy, without any other accidents than those I have
mentioned. While the other divisions of the army were advancing, I
received orders from the First Consul to push forward to Aosta, then to
Ivrea, and by taking that town, secure the entrance to the plains of
Piedmont. On the 16th and 17th, I marched upon Aosta. There I found some
Croatians, whom I drove down the valley. I reached Chatillon on the
18th, and routed a battalion of the enemy found there, capturing a
goodly number of them. I then marched on down the valley, thinking that
I would soon be upon the fertile plains of Italy, when this confounded
fort suddenly appeared, and checked my march.”
“We have had a difficult task upon the other side of the mountain,” said
Duroc. “You know that it was arranged that each day one division of the
army should pass over. The materiel had to be transported with each
division. The provisions and the ammunition were easily sent forward,
for they could be divided into small packages. But the heavier articles
which could not be divided and reduced, caused us a vast amount of
trouble. In spite of the liberal expenditure of money, a sufficient
number of mules could not be obtained. The transportation of the
artillery was the most difficult task of all.
“The gun-carriages and caissons had been dismounted, and loaded on the
backs of mules. The cannon themselves yet remained. For the twelve
pounders and howitzers, the difficulty was much greater than was at
first supposed. The sledges with rollers, which had been constructed in
the arsenals, were wholly useless. Another mode was suggested, and
immediately adopted; and it proved successful. This was to split pine
trunks into two parts, hollow them out, secure a gun between them, and
drag the pieces thus protected along the slippery ravines. Thanks to
wise precautions, no shock could occur to injure them. Mules were
attached to these strange loads, and succeeded in bringing a few pieces
to the top of the defile. But the descent was more difficult: it was
only to be achieved by manual exertion, and by incurring imminent risk;
as the pieces had to be restrained and checked from rolling down the
precipices. Unfortunately, at this juncture, the mules began to fail;
the muleteers, too, who were now required in great numbers, became
exhausted, and in consequence fresh means must be resorted to. A price
as high as a thousand francs was offered to the neighboring peasants,
for dragging a gun from St. Pierre to St. Remy. One hundred men were
required for one cannon, one day to bring it up, and one day to let it
down. Several hundred peasants presented themselves, and, under the
direction of artillerists, transported a few pieces.
“But not even the allurement of such gain could induce them to maintain
this effort. All disappeared ere long, and although officers were sent
out to seek them, lavishing money, so as to bring them back, it was in
vain; and it became necessary to call on the soldiers of the several
divisions to drag their own artillery themselves. It seemed that nothing
could be asked, too arduous, of these devoted soldiers. The money which
the exhausted peasants would no longer earn, was offered as a stimulus;
but they refused it to a man, exclaiming that it was a point of honor
for all troops to save their cannon; and they took charge of the
abandoned pieces. Parties, each of a hundred men, leaving the ranks
successively, dragged them, each in their turn. Their bands struck up
lively tunes in the more difficult defiles, and animated them to
surmount these novel obstacles. Arrived at the mountain top, they found
refreshments prepared for them by the monks, and took some brief repose,
as a preparation for greater and more perilous efforts to be exerted in
descending. Thus the divisions of Chambarlhac and Monnier were seen
toiling at their own artillery; and as the advanced hour of the day did
not permit them to descend, they preferred bivouacking in the snow, to
abandoning their cannon. Fortunately the sky was clear; nor had they to
endure bad weather, in addition to the hard toils of the way.”
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[Illustration: BONAPARTE AS FIRST CONSUL.]
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“I am aware of much that you have been telling us,” said Berthier,
“having been unceasingly employed in receiving the stores, and
superintending the artillery mounted again. The troops have fully
communicated their toils and sufferings, but they have borne up under
them with astonishing courage and fortitude. Their faithful performance
of duty has enabled the First Consul to execute a grand campaign, which
places him above all the generals of antiquity.”
“The campaign is not yet decided. We must fight at least one great
battle, and the prospect is not favorable to our getting near the
Austrians in time to take them by surprise,” said Lannes.
“I think not,” replied Duroc. “The First Consul will either take or turn
this fort within a few days at the farthest. I have no doubt of it—and
the Austrians will be as much astonished as if we had dropped from the
clouds. The campaign will cover us with glory.”
Here Bourrienne entered the tent, and communicated to the generals the
plan which the First Consul had formed, which was as follows:
He resolved to make his infantry, cavalry, and the four-pounders,
proceed by the path of Albaredo, which would be possible, after repairs.
All the troops should be sent to take possession of the outlets of the
mountains before Ivrea; and the First Consul, meanwhile, would attempt
an attack on the fort, or find some means of avoiding its obstruction,
by sending his artillery through one of the neighboring defiles. He
ordered General Lecchi, commanding the Italians, to proceed on the left,
advancing by the road to Grassoney in the valley of the Sesia, which
extended to the Simplon and the Lago Maggiore. This movement was
intended to clear the road of the Simplon, to form a junction with the
detachment which was coming down it, and lastly to examine all the paths
practicable to wheeled carriages.
After some further conversation, the generals separated for the night.
The next day, it was apparent that the conqueror of Italy was present,
and among the French. All was activity and resolution. The First Consul
directed his mind to the fort of Bard.
The single street, which composed this town, was in possession of the
French, but only passable, if passable at all, under such a storm of
fire as would make it impossible to move artillery that way, even if the
distance had been only five or six hundred yards. The commandant was
summoned; but replied, with the firmness of a man who appreciated fully
the importance of the post intrusted to his courage. Force, therefore,
alone, could make them masters of the passage. The artillery, which had
been placed in battery on the heights of Albaredo, produced no great
effect; an escalade was attempted on the outer ramparts of the fort; but
some brave grenadiers and an excellent officer, Dufour, were killed or
wounded to no purpose. At this time the troops were defiling by the path
of Albaredo; for fifteen hundred workmen had wrought the necessary
repairs on it. Places that were too narrow they had enlarged by mounds
of the earth; declivities too sudden they had eased, by cutting steps
for the feet; trunks of trees they had thrown across other places, to
form bridges over ravines, which were too broad to be leaped.
The army defiled man by man in succession, the cavaliers leading their
horses by the bridles. The Austrian officer commanding in the fort of
Bard, seeing the columns thus march past, was in despair that he could
not stop their progress; he, therefore, sent a message to M. de Melas,
informing him that he had seen the passage of a whole army of infantry
and cavalry, without having any means to prevent it; but pledged his
head that they should arrive without a single piece of cannon. During
this time, the artillerymen made one of the boldest of attempts. This
was, under the cloud of night, to carry a piece of cannon under the very
fire of the fort. Unfortunately, the enemy, aroused by the noise, threw
down fire-pots, which made the whole road light as day, enabling him by
that means to sweep it with a hail-storm of deadly missiles. Out of
thirteen gunners who had run the risk of taking this piece forward,
seven were killed or wounded. There was in that enough to discourage
hardy spirits; yet it was not long ere another way, ingenious, but still
very perilous, was devised. The street was strewn with straw and litter;
tow was fastened around all the cannon, to prevent the slightest
resonance of those huge metallic masses on their carriages; the horses
were taken out, and the bold artillerists, dragging them with their own
hands, were so daring as to carry them under the batteries of the fort,
along the street of Bard. These means succeeded to perfection. The
enemy, who occasionally fired as a precaution, wounded a few of the
gunners; but soon, in spite of this fire, all the heavy artillery was
transported through the defile; and this formidable obstruction, which
had given the First Consul more anxiety than the St. Bernard itself, was
now entirely overcome.
The Alps were passed, and victory already hovered over the banner of
Bonaparte.
[Illustration]
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[Illustration]