The Generals

The head of the column lurched forward and La

‘Good luck, Colonel.You’ll need it.’

Napoleon walked with them a short distance, until he reached the small rise that gave out on to the open ground. Then he stopped to watch the attack, all the while conscious of the column held up on the track behind him. Even now, a messenger would be riding towards the Austrian commander to alert him to the force that had appeared behind the rearguard. When the column was halfway across the open ground La

Napoleon cursed. The moment a charge went to ground it was over. La

Napoleon ran forward towards La

‘Over here!’ Napoleon called out to two grenadiers passing by. The men paused for a moment, still numbed by the horror they had endured on the bridge, then hurried to their general’s side.

‘Get the colonel to the rear and find him a surgeon.’

The men nodded and led La

Turning round, he approached General Augereau and the colour party of the next battalion in the column. Napoleon gestured towards the sergeant holding the tricolour standard.

‘Give me that!’

Augereau cleared his throat anxiously. ‘Sir, what are you doing?’

‘What every general should do,’ Napoleon replied quietly, trying not to show the excitement and fear that gripped his body. ‘I’m going to lead from the front. Have this battalion ready to advance. Packs down and bayonets fixed. Do it now!’

‘But, sir.’ Augereau looked horrified. ‘What if you are killed?’

‘Then, if this attack fails, you will need to lead the next charge. And you will stick to the plan.We have to cross the river. Understand?’

Augereau nodded reluctantly and turned away to issue the commands. The sergeant handed Napoleon the standard.

‘Sir?’

Napoleon turned round and saw that Major Muiron had stepped forward. At his shoulder stood Marmont and Louis.

‘What is it, Muiron?’

‘We request permission to go with you.’

‘No,’ Napoleon replied in a harsh tone, and at once relented. It was hardly fair to men who had offered to risk their lives alongside his. He forced himself to smile and he clasped Muiron’s shoulder with his spare hand. ‘I would not want to be the cause of your deaths, my friends. Stay here, and then join me on the far bank when it’s all over.’

Muiron shook his head. ‘Sir, with respect, we know the dangers, and we know our duty is to be at your side. If we stay here while our general goes forward we shall be shamed for ever.’

‘Nevertheless it is my order.’

‘Sir, your order would dishonour us. What have we done to deserve that?’

‘Nothing.’ Napoleon smiled. ‘But you have served me well enough not to deserve death on that bridge.’

Muiron shrugged. ‘Death comes for us all, sir. I would sooner face it today at your side than die an old man, made infamous by remaining behind whilst his commander went into battle.’

Napoleon felt a flush of irritation.There was no time for this. He had given an order and the man should obey it. But then, there was truth in what Muiron said, and he knew he would make the same request for the same reasons if their positions had been reversed. So he nodded. ‘Very well then. If this is the day, then there are no men I would be more proud to have at my side. Let’s go.’

Raising the standard aloft where all the men of the battalion - and the Austrians - could see it, Napoleon walked steadily forward. Behind him the sergeants of the following battalion bellowed out the order to advance and the second attack headed towards the bridge. Major Muiron stepped into position to Napoleon’s left and Louis and Marmont fell in on his right as the four officers reached the open ground and unconsciously quickened their pace. Then they passed the first of the bodies, a young lieutenant sprawled on his front with half his head blown off by grapeshot. They were in range of the Austrian ca

‘Advance . . . at the double!’

The French broke into a trot, buckles chinking as boots pounded across the open ground. As before, the Austrians held their fire until the attackers had passed well within killing range to maximise the effect of the first blast.Time seemed to slow and Napoleon found that he was seeing every detail in its full intensity of colour and form as he rushed on. He saw the Austrian artillery officer raise his arm, readying his gun crews for the first discharge, and his racing mind tried to calculate the chances of being hit by the cone of fire blasting from the muzzle of a ca