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187 pages

English

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American author Cyrus Townsend Brady made a name for himself with gripping accounts of historical battles, ranging from the Revolutionary War to skirmishes with Native American tribes. In this thrilling novel, Brady turns his attention to the 1815 conflict that pitted French forces against a combined regiment of English and Prussian soldiers.

Sujets

Historical fiction

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 mai 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776589654
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0134€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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THE EAGLE OF THE EMPIRE
A STORY OF WATERLOO
* * *
CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY

*
The Eagle of the Empire A Story of Waterloo First published in 1915 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-965-4 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-966-1 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Dedication Preface Prologue - Vive l'Empereur BOOK I - THE EMPEROR AT BAY Chapter I - Bearers of Evil Tidings Chapter II - The Emperor Dreams Chapter III - The Army Marches Away Chapter IV - Marteau and Bal-Arrêt Ride Chapter V - When the Cossacks Passed Chapter VI - Marteau Bargains for the Woman Chapter VII - A Rescue and a Siege Chapter VIII - A Trial of Allegiance Chapter IX - The Emperor Eats and Rides Chapter X - How Marteau Won the Cross Chapter XI - An Emperor and a Gentleman Chapter XII - An Alliance Declined Chapter XIII - The Thunderbolt Stroke Chapter XIV - The Hammer of the War God BOOK II - THE EAGLE'S FLIGHT Chapter XV - The Bridge at Arcis Chapter XVI - The Gate in the Wall Chapter XVII - A Veteran of the Army of Italy Chapter XVIII - Almost a Gentleman Chapter XIX - The Great Honor Roll Chapter XX - When the Violets Bloom Again Chapter XXI - Like a Thief in the Night Chapter XXII - In the Countess Laure's Bed-Chamber Chapter XXIII - The Marquis Grants an Interview Chapter XXIV - On the Whole Death May Be Better than Life Chapter XXV - Not Even Love Can Find a Way Chapter XXVI - They Meet a Lion in the Way Chapter XXVII - Comrade! General! Emperor! BOOK III - THE LAST TRY Chapter XXVIII - At the Stamp of the Emperor's Foot Chapter XXIX - Waterloo—The Final Review Chapter XXX - Waterloo—The Charge of D'Erlon Chapter XXXI - Waterloo—The Last of the Guard Chapter XXXII - At Last the Eagle and the Woman
Dedication
*
Dedications have gone out of vogue save with the old fashioned. Theancient idea of an appeal to a patron has been eliminated from modernliterature. If a man now inscribes a book to any one it is that he mayassociate with his work the names of friends he loves and delights tohonor. There is always a certain amount of assurance in any suchdedication, the assurance lying in the assumption that there is honorto the recipient in the association with the book. Well, there is nomistaking the purpose anyway.
One of my best friends, and that friendship has been proved in war andpeace, at home and abroad, is a Bank! The Bank is like Mercy in moreways than one, but particularly in that it is twice blessed; it isblessed in what it receives, I hope, and in what it gives, I know.From the standpoint of the depositor sometimes it is better to receivethan to give. It has been so in my case and I have been able topersuade the Bank to that way of thinking.
Therefore, in grateful acknowledgment of the very present help it hasbeen to me in time of need and in public recognition of many courtesiesfrom its officers and directors, and as some evidence of my deepappreciation of its many kindnesses to me, I dedicate this book to
THE MOUNT VERNON TRUST COMPANY
of
MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK
Preface
*
The Battle of Waterloo, which was fought just one hundred years ago andwith which the story in this book ends, is popularly regarded as one ofthe decisive battles of the world, particularly with reference to thecareer of the greatest of all Captains. Personally some study has ledme to believe that Bautzen was really the decisive battle of theNapoleonic wars. If the Emperor had there won the overwhelming victoryto which his combinations and the fortunes of war entitled him he wouldstill have retained his Empire. Whether he would have been satisfiedor not is another question; and anyway as I am practically alone amongstudents and critics in my opinions about Bautzen they can bedismissed. And that he lost that battle was his own fault anyway!
However Napoleon's genius cannot be denied any more than his failure.In this book I have sought to show him at his best and also almost athis worst. For sheer brilliance, military and mental, the campaigningin France in 1814 could not be surpassed. He is there with his rawrecruits, his beardless boys, his old guard, his tactical andstrategical ability, his furious energy, his headlong celerity and hismarvelous power of inspiration; just as he was in Italy when herevolutionized the art of war and electrified the world. Many of thesequalities are in evidence in the days before Waterloo, but during theactual battle upon which his fate and the fate of the world turned, thetired, broken, ill man is drowsily nodding before a farmhouse by theroad, while Ney, whose superb and headlong courage was not accompaniedby any corresponding military ability, wrecks the last grand army.
And there is no more dramatic an incident in all history, I believe,than Napoleon's advance on the Fifth-of-the-line drawn up on theGrenoble Road on the return from Elba.
Nor do the Roman Eagles themselves seem to have made such romanticappeal or to have won such undying devotion as the Eagles of the Empire.
This story was written just before the outbreak of the present Europeanwar and is published while it is in full course. Modern commanderswield forces beside which even the great Army of the Nations thatinvaded Russia is scarcely more than a detachment, and battles last fordays, weeks, even months—Waterloo was decided in an afternoon!—yetwar is the same. If there be any difference it simply grows morehorrible. The old principles, however, are unchanged, and over thefields upon which Napoleon marched and fought, armies are marching andfighting in practically the same way to-day. And great Captains arestill studying Frederick, Wellington and Bonaparte as they have everdone.
The author modestly hopes that this book may not only entertain by thelove story, the tragic yet happily ended romance within its pages—forthere is romance here aside from the great Captain and hisexploits—but that in a small way it may serve to set forth not so muchthe brilliance and splendor and glory of war as the horror of it.
We are frightfully fascinated by war, even the most peaceable andpeace-loving of us. May this story help to convey to the reader someof the other side of it; the hunger, the cold, the weariness, thesuffering, the disaster, the despair of the soldier; as well as thelove and the joy and the final happiness of the beautiful Laure and thebrave Marteau to say nothing of redoubtable old Bal-Arrêt, theBullet-Stopper—whose fates were determined on the battlefield amid theclash of arms.
CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY.
THE HEMLOCKS, EDGECLIFF TERRACE, PARK-HILL-ON-HUDSON. YONKERS, N. Y.
EPIPHANY-TIDE, 1915.
Prologue - Vive l'Empereur
*
The weatherworn Château d'Aumenier stands in the midst of a noble parkof trees forming part of an extensive domain not far to the northwestof the little town of Sézanne, in the once famous county of Champagne,in France. The principal room of the castle is a great hall in theoldest part of the venerable pile which dates back for eight hundredyears, or to the tenth century and the times of the famous Count Eudeshimself, for whom it was held by one of his greatest vassals.
The vast apartment is filled with rare and interesting mementos of itsdistinguished owners, including spoils of war and trophies of thechase, acquired in one way or another in the long course of theirhistory, and bespeaking the courage, the power, the ruthlessness, and,sometimes, the unscrupulousness of the hard-hearted, heavy-handed line.Every country in Europe and every age, apparently, has been levied uponto adorn this great hall, with its long mullioned windows, its enormousfireplace, its huge carved stone mantel, its dark oak paneled walls andbeamed ceiling. But, the most interesting, the most precious of allthe wonderful things therein has a place of honor to itself at the endfarthest from the main entrance.
Fixed against this wall is a broken staff, or pole, surmounted by asmall metallic figure. The staff is fastened to the wall by clamps oftempered steel which are further secured by delicate locks of skillfuland intricate workmanship. The pole is topped by the gilded effigy ofan eagle.
In dimensions the eagle is eight inches high, from head to feet, andnine and a half inches wide, from wing tip to wing tip. Heraldically," Un Aigle Éployé " it would be called. That is, an eagle in the actof taking flight—in the vernacular, a "spread eagle." The eagle looksto the left, with its wings half expanded. In its talons it grasps athunderbolt, as in the old Roman standard. Those who have everwandered into the Monastery of the Certosa, at Milan, have seen justsuch an eagle on one of the tombs of the great Visconti family. For,in truth, this emblem has been modeled after that one.
Below the thunderbolt is a tablet of brass, three inches square, onwhich is a raised number. In this instance, the number is five. Thecopper of which the eagle is molded was originally gilded, but in itspresent battered condition much of the gilt has been worn off, or shotoff, and the original material is plainly discernible. If it could belifted its weight would be found to be about three and a half pounds.
Around the neck of the eagle hangs a wreath of pure gold. There is aninscription on the back of it, which says that the wreath was presentedto the regiment by the loyal city of Paris after the wonderful Ulmcampaign.
One of the claws of the eagle has been shot away. The gold laurelwreath has also been struck by a bullet, and som