Fremont Journal, 1866-12-28

For many years there was a touching ami beautiful custom to bo witnessed in a certain regiment of French grenadiers, and which meant to commemorate the hero heroism - ism heroism of a departed comrade. When the companies assembled for pa parade - rade parade and the roll was called, there was one name to which its owner could not answer it was that of La Tour d' Auver Auver-gne. - gne. Auver-gne. ; When it was called the, eldest ser sergeant - geant sergeant stepped forward, and raising his hand to his cap, said proudly : , "Died on the field of honor." For fourteen years this custom was con continued, - tinued, continued, aud only ceased when the restored Bourbons, to please their foreign masters, forbade everything that was calculated to preserve the spirits of the soldiers of t ranee. La Tourd' Auvergne was not unworthy in life the honor thus paid him after his death. He was educated for the array, entered in 1707, and 1781 served under the Duke de Crillon at the siege of Port Malion. He served always with distinct distinction, - ion, distinction, but constantly "refused promotion, savint; that he was only fit for the com mand of a company of grenadiers; but finally, the various grenadier companies being united, he found himself in com command - mand command of a company of eight thousand men, while retaining ODly the rank of Captain. Hence he was known as the first Grena Grenadier - dier Grenadier of France. But it is of one particular exploit of his that we wish to write, more than his career iu general. When he was forty years of aoe, he went on a usit to a friend, not far from a section of the country that was soon to become the scene of a campaign While there, he was busy in acquainting himself with the features of f the country, thinking it not unlikely that this knowl edge might ba of use to him, and while here the brave grenadier was astonished to learn that the war had been rapidly shifted to this quarter, and that a regi regiment - ment regiment of Austrians was pushing on to oc occupy - cupy occupy a narrow pass about ten miles from where he was staying, and the possession which would give them an opportunity of preventing an important movement ol tbe French which was then on foot They hoped to surprise this post, and were mov moving - ing moving so rapidly upon it that they were not more than two hours distant trom trie place where he was staying, and which they would hare to pass in their march. It matters not how he heard the news. It is sufficient that he determined, at once to act upon it lie had no idea of being captured by the enemy in advance, and he at once set on for the pass, lie knew that the pass was defended by a stout tower, and a gar garrison - rison garrison of thirty men, and he hoped to be able to warn the men of their danger. He hastened on, and arriving there, found the tower iu a perfect condition. It had just been vacated by the garrison, who had heard of the Ausrians and been seized by a panic threat, and had fled, leaving their arm?, consisting of thirty ex excellent - cellent excellent muskets. La Tour d' Auvergne gnashed his teeth with rage as he discovered this. Search Searching - ing Searching in the building he found several boxes of amunition which the cowards had not destroyed. For a moment he was in de despair, - spair, despair, but then with a grim smile he began to fasten the main door, and pile against it such articles as he could nnd. When he had done this, he loaded all the guus he could find, and placed them, together with a good suply of amunition, under tbe loop holes that commanded the road by which the enemy must advance. Then he ate heartily of the provisions he had brought with him, and sat down to wait He had absolutely formed the he heroic - roic heroic resolution to defend the tower alone against the enemy. There was some things in his favor for such an undertaking. I he pass was steep and narrow, and the enemy s troops could enter it only in double files, and in doing this would be fully exposed to the fire from the tower. The original jriirrison of thirty men could easily have held it againwt a division, and now one man was about to hold it against a regiment. It was dark w hen La Tour d' Auvergue reached the tower, and he had to wait some time for the enemy. They were longer in coming than he expected, and for a while he was tempted to believe that thev had abandoned expedition. About midnight, however his practiced ear caught the tramp of feet Every mo moment - ment moment the sound came nearer, and at last he heard them entering the defile. Im Immediately - mediately Immediately he discharged a couple of mus muskets' - kets' muskets' into the darkness, .to let tbem know that he know of their presence and inten intentions - tions intentions and he heard the quick, short com commands - mands commands of the officers, and from the sound,

he supposed the troops were retiring from the pass. Until the morning he was un undisturbed. - disturbed. undisturbed. The Austrian commander, feeling assured that the garrison had been informed of his movements, and was pre. pared to receive him, saw that he could not surprise the post as he had hoped to do, and deemed it prudent to wait till day daylight - light daylight before making his attack. At sunrise he summoned the garrison to surrender. A grenadier answered the summons. 'Say to your commander," he said,- in reply to the messenger, "thatt his garrison will defend ' this pass to the last extre extremity." - mity." extremity." The officer who had borne the flag of truce retired, and iu about ten minutes a piece of artillery was brought into the pass, and opened on the tower. But to effect this, the piece had to be placed directly in front of the tower, and within easy musket range of it They had scarcely got the gun in position, when a rapid fire opened upon it from the tower, and continued with such marked effect that the piece was withdrawn after the second discharge with the loss of five men. This was a bad beginning, so half an hour after the gun was withdrawn, the Austrian Colonel ordered an assault As the troops entered the defile, they were received with a rapid and accurate fire, so that when they had passed over half the distance they had to traverse, they had lost fifteen men. Disheartened by this they returned to the mouth of the de defile. - file. defile. Three more assaults were repulsed in this manner, and the enemy at sunset had lost forty-five men, of whom ten were kill killed. - ed. killed. The firing from the tower had been rapid and accurate, but the Austrian com commander - mander commander had noticed this peculiarity about it every shot seemed to come from the same place, For a while this perplexed him, but at last he came to the conclusion that there were a number of loopholes close together in the tower, so constructed as to command the ravine perfectly. . At sunset the last assault was made and repulsed, and at dusk the Austrian com commander - mander commander sent a second summons to the gar garrison. - rison. garrison. This time the answer was favorable. The garrison offered to surrender at sun sunrise - rise sunrise the next morning, if allowed to march out with with their arms and return to the army unmolested. After some hesitntion the terms were accepted. Meantime La Tour d' Auvergne had passed an anxious day in the tower. He had opened the fight with an armament of thirty loaded muskets, but Dad not been able to discharge them all He had fired with surprising rapidity, but with surpris ing accuracy, tor it was well known in the army that he never threw away a shot He had determined to stand to his post until he had accompb'shed his end, which was to hold the place twenty-four hours, in or order - der order to allow the French army time to complete its manuver. After that he knew the pass would be of no consequence to the enemy. When the demand for a surrender came to him after the last assault, he consented to it upon the conditions named. The next day at sunrise, the Austrian troops lined the pass in two files extending from tbe mouth to the tower, leaving a space between them for the garrison to pass out The heavy door of the tower opened slowly, and in a few minutes a bronzed and scarred grenadier, literally loaded down with muskets, came out and passed down the line of troops. He walked with hef.vy load. - To the surprise of the Austrians, no one followed him from the tower. In astonishment the Austrian Coloael rode np to him, and asked in French why the garrison did not come out "1 am the garrison Colonel, " said the soldier proudly. 'What!" exclaimed the Colonel, "you do not mean to tell me thrt you alone have held that tower against me ! "I have that honor, Colonel," was the reply. " ' ' ; "What -possessed you to make such an attempt, grenadier? - "The honor of France was at stake." The Colonel gazed at him for a moment iu undisguised admiration. Then, raising his cap he said, warmly : "Grenadier, I salute you. You have proved yourself the bravest of the brave,. The officer caused all the arms which La Tour d' Auvergne could not carry to be collected, and sent them all, with the grenadier, into the French lines, together with a note, relating tbe whole affair. When the knowledge of it came to tbe ears of Napoleon, he offered to promote La Tour d' Auvergne, but the latter de declined - clined declined to accept the promotion, saying that he preferred to remain where he was. The brave' soldier met his death in an action at Aberhausen, in June, 1800, and the simple and inpressive scene at roll-call in his regiment, was commenced and con tinued by the express command of the hinperor himself.

Why is a selfish friend like the letter P 1 Because, though he is the first in pity, he is the last in help. . The men who jump at conclusions sel seldom - dom seldom reach any that are worth having. These must be got by climbing. As the quickest way to make a fortune, acotemporary suggests marrying a fashion fashionable - able fashionable young lady and selling her clothes. A precept of the Hindoo law says, "Strike not even with a blossom, a wife, though she be guilty of a hundred faults." If a sense of the ridiculous is all there is in a man, he had better have been an ape at once, and so have stood at the head of his profession. A western poet is the author of these epigramic lines : "The old dog Tray'a ever faithful, they aay; cut a oog mat is tailbful can never be Tray. An exchange says that a fashionable lady in Pittsfield wore her new bonnet to church last Sunday the wrong side before, but does not state how the error was dis discovered. - covered. discovered. Somebody has said that men are fre quently like tea the real strength and goodness are not drawn out and apprecia appreciated - ted appreciated till they have been a short time in hot water. Subjects for conundrums being nearly exhausted, one desperate joker has gone back, to our first parents, and inquires, Why was live not afraid of the measles! Because she'd Adam." The Boston Post asks! Is not the In- daian a man and a brother t Is he not so worm in his regard for our race that in the West he never lets an opportunity pass to secureja lock of our hair as a mem memento - ento memento to be hung in his wigwam ! A man died last week in Shrewsbury, who had become so advanced in his sec ond childhood, that for some months he had presisted in carrying to bed with him each night a rag doll which belonged to one of his grandchildren. ''I thiuk," said a wife who could not agree with her husband "I think, Mr. Jibbs, we had better divide the house. i ou shall live on one side and I on the other." "Very well, my dear," replied he; "vou take the outside and 1 11 have the in inside." - side." inside." A clergyman was lately depicting before a deeply interested audience the alarm alarming - ing alarming increase of intemperance, when he as astonished - tonished astonished his hearers by exclaiming: "A young man in my neighborhood, died very suddenly last Sabbath, while I was preaching the gospel in a state of intoxica intoxication. - tion. intoxication. Henry Ward. Beecher's house was rob robbed - bed robbed of wearing appaarel, but that divine says the thieves did not steal even one of his old sermons, and thereupon Mr. B. ad ad-"vises - "vises ad-"vises thieves never to enter a clergyman's "houte without carrying off all his old "sermons, and thus causing the gratitude "of his congregation." Old lady (to a hack man) "But these hacks are dangerous. You never know who rides in them. We might get the small pox." Coachy 'You' re no cause to be afeared of my coaeh, mum, for I've 'ad the hind wheels waccinated, and it took beautiful" Some writer has said that a fixed idea is a sort of gimblet; every year gives it another turn ; to pull it out by the first year is like picking out the hair by the roots ; in the second year, like tearing the skin ; in the third, like breaking the bones ; and in the fourth, like removing the very brain itself. At a table of one of the New York ho hotels, - tels, hotels, lately, a rough spun individual was annoyed by the voracity of his nearest neighbor, who monopolized all the good thiugs he could reach. After witnessing his operations for some time the blunt cus customer - tomer customer ' tapped the gormandizer on the shoulder, and said : "Look a here, old fellow I wouldn't ad advise - vise advise you to go to Ohio right a way." "Why not?" "Because they've got the hog cholera out there I"

"Good day, father Hollenthe. How do you do r ' "Very well, 1 thank you, fit-pat rouj rouj-trie." - trie." rouj-trie." "May I marry your daughter V "Oh yes! if the mother Malcho (Milk (Milk-cow,) - cow,) (Milk-cow,) the brother Hohenstolx (High and Mighty,) the sister Kasetraut (Cheese (Cheese-maker,) - maker,) (Cheese-maker,) and the fair Catherine are willing, it may be so." "Where is, then, the mother Malcho V "In the stable, milking the cow.n "Good-day, mother Malcho. How do you do!" "Very well, I thank you, Pif-paf Pol trie." . "May I marry your daughter P Oh yes! if the father Hollenthe, the brother Hohenstolz, the sister Kasetraut, and the fair Catharine are willing, it may be so." "Where is, then, the brother Hohen Hohenstolz" - stolz" Hohenstolz" "In the yard, chopping up the wood." "Good-day, brother Hohenstolx. How are you V ; "Very well, I thank yon, Pif-paf Pol Pol-trie." - trie." Pol-trie." "May I marry your sister f "Oh yes! if the father Hollenthe, the mother Malcho, the sister Kasetraut, and the fair Catherine are willing, it may be so." "Where is, then, the sister Kasetraut P "In the garden, cutting the cabbages." "Good-day, sister Kasetraut How do you do !" "Very well I thank, you, Pif-paf Pol- tne." "May I marry your sister P "Oh yes! if the father Hollenthe, the mother Malcho, the brother Hohenstolx, and the fair Catharine are willing, it may be so." "Where is. then, the fair Catherine P "In her chamber, counting out her pen pen-nies." - nies." pen-nies." "Good-day, fair Catherine.' How do you do!" "Very well, I thank you, Pif-paf Pol trie." ..... .'Will trmi Ka ,nw Kriilaf . "Oh yes! if the father Hollenthe, the mother Malcho, the brother Hohenstolz, and the sister Kasetraut are willing, so am 1. '.. "How much money have you, fair Cath Catherine - erine Catherine P "Fourteen pennies in bare money, two and a half farthings owing to me, half a pound dried apples, a handful of prunes, and a handful of roots; and dont you call that a capital dowry !" "Pif-paf Poltrie, what trade are you t are you a tailor P Better still." "A shoemaker!" "Better still :" "A ploughman P "Better still!" "A joiner P "Better still !" "A smith P "Better still !" "Perhaps a broom-binder P "Yes, so am I; now, is not that a pret pretty - ty pretty trade P

The Gazette de France is the oldest newspaper extant It is now in its two hun dred and thirty-sixth year,and was already already-mature - mature already-mature before the revolution of 1688. The rare spectacle of six water spouts was recently witnessed on tbe St Chads river, near its junction with the St Law Lawrence. - rence. Lawrence. . The most astounding fish story yet told is the statement, by Prof. Agassiz, that in Brazil they have a species of fish which can climb trees 1 There is a story of a famous French preacher, who delivering a sermon on the duty of wives, said! "I see a woman pre present - sent present who has been disobedient to her hus husband, - band, husband, and in order to point her out io uni universal - versal universal condemnation, I will fling this bre breviary - viary breviary at her head." He lifted the book, and every female present ducked and dived. "Alas!" said the preacher, "the multitude of offenders necessitates a gen general - eral general amnesity." On the London, Chatham i Dover Railroad, England, three trains are run in into - to into London between four and six o'clock every morning, br the convenience of those who work in the city, but reside out of town. For stations not more than five or six miles out, a weekly ticket, entitling the holder to go in every morning and re return - turn return every evening, costs one . shilling (twenty-four cents), an average of two cents for each journey. On the Metropol Metropolitan - itan Metropolitan Road, on which early trains are also run, no weekly tickets are issued, but the fare is the same by the single trip, two cents. A French capitalist offered to pay '320, '320,-000 - 000 '320,-000 for the admission fees to tbe grand ex exhibition - hibition exhibition in Pans next year, one-half at once, the other on the eve of the opening. The following notice was posted up in tue county of Keut, England : "Notice is hereby given that the Marquis of Camden (on account of the backwardness of the harvest) will not shoot himself nor any of his tenants till the 14th of September." Artemus Ward has given his first lec ture in London, aud with a success that renders more visionary the announcement of his programme that "Mr Ward kindly offers to call on the citizens of Loudon and explain any jokes in his narrative which they may not understand. Artemus pro proposes - poses proposes to appear every night, except Satur Saturday, - day, Saturday, at eight, and on Saturday morning at three, if his health, which is delicate, will permit him."