44 Traits of Military Bravery and Generosity. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Traits of Mitirary Bravery. and 
Generosity, during the CAMPAIGNS 
of the Russtans in the ApRiati¢e and 
in the ARCHIPELAGO, in the. years 
1805, 6, 7 and. 8, under the Vice- 
Admiral SsENJAWIN ; with some Ac- 
count of the MonTENEGRINS, 
ve lho: pages of history are written in 
blood: war and desolation are the 
main facts they record, and every thing 
besides appears tame and unprofitable 
to the mass of readers, who, like uncul- 
tivated savages, admire no pictures, ex- 
cept those painted with glaring colours. 
Yet, even for the thinking mind, bravery 
has its attractions: there. is something 
sublime in the: contempt of death, espe- 
cially when a man displays it in cold 
blood; and we are compelled to yield an 
involuntary homage to the being who 
has succeeded in conquering one of the 
most universal frailties of man—the love 
of life. But there is another trait in the 
character of a noble warrior, which cap- 
tivates us still more, and turns our 
homage into veneration: and that is, 
generosity.. The wars which have ra- 
vaged the world during the last forty 
years, furnish abundance of instances of 
the one and the other kind ; and every 
one of our readers must be in possession 
of some facts, more or less honourable 
to human nature, that have grown out 
of the horrors of war. Nevertheless, 
we venture to hope, that the series of 
well-authenticated anecdotes we are 
about to give, will be found acceptable, 
especially as they relate to campaigns 
carried on on a- comparatively small 
scale, and, as it were, in a corner of 
Europe, and which, in the great con- 
tests that were pursued during the same 
period in the central parts of Europe, 
are more likely to have been overlooked 
in their details. 
During the retreat of the Russians to 
Castel-nuovo, on the 15th September 
1806, a lieutenant named Arbenew, be- 
ing completely exhausted by fatigue, 
left behind, by his companions, in one 
of the defiles, and taken prisoner by a 
_ French colonel, who compelled him to 
follow him. They met with a wounded 
Russian grenadier, and Arbenew com- 
manded him, by order of the French. 
man, to throw away his musket; but, 
instead of obeying, he fired at his enemy, 
and killed him, Arbenew ran to his 
deliverer, and offered him the use of his 
horse, which, however, the -heroic sol- 
dier positively refused, alleging that his 
wound being mortal, it was labour lost 
to attempt to save him. Arbenew left 
f Feb. , 
him; and having with great difficulty 
reached the Russian van-guard, he col- 
lected fourteen volunteers, with whom 
he returned, in the midst of a hail of 
musketry and canister-shot, to the spot 
where he had left his liberator. The 
brave fellow had, in the mean time, 
received a second wound, and lay, appa- 
rently lifeless, in his own gore. Arbe- 
new, nevertheless, having wrapped him 
in his cloak, laid him on his horse, and 
succeeded in carrying him to the Rus- 
sian quarters. Here he took him to his 
dwelling, and, by dint of care and atten- 
tion, succeeded in restoring him to life 
and health. 
On one occasion, fourteen soldiers: 
were pushed forward, as a forlorn hope, 
in order to conceal from the enemy the 
retreat of the Russian army. These 
brave men, having thrown themselves 
into a strong tower, defended themselves 
for two days with the most obstinate 
courage, determined rather to be starved 
to death than to surrender, General 
Marmont, who commanded the French 
troops, was so struck with this act of 
heroism, that he granted them a capitu- 
lation, by which they were permitted to 
return, with their arms, to their country- 
men. When they had left the tower, 
Marmont received them into his house; 
whence, after having partaken of the re- 
freshments that were offered to them, they 
were dismissed with the following note 
of Marmont’s to the Russian comman- 
der :—“ General, I congratulate you for 
having under your command the best 
soldiers in the world. It is with plea- 
sure I have saved the lives of these 
brave men, and granted them a capitu- 
lation,”’ &c. : 
The Montemegrins, a hearty race of 
savage mountaineers, were the allies of 
the Russians during this war. They 
profess the Greek religion, and speak 
the Sclavo-Illyric language, which the 
Russians easily understand. They are 
under-the command of a metropolitan, 
who is, at the same time, their legislator, 
general and high-priest, and, in these 
united capacities, maintains an unbound- 
ed sway over his rude subjects. Their 
mode of warfare is something like that 
of the Scythians of old, or the Cossacks 
of the present day,—they fight singly, 
and in retreating, unexpectedly ap- 
pear in the rear or flank of the enemy, 
destroying or carrying away whatever 
comes within their reach. They never 
gave quarter to a Frenchman; and al- 
though-the French did not always reta- 
liate, and took many of them alive, it is 
: a fact, 
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