[ 598 ] [June, 



STAUENBACH, THE SHAKPSHOOTER. 



After the battle of Austerlitz the Austrian army was virtually dis- 

 banded. The regiments were left without pay in consequence of the 

 general breaking up of the Austrian finance ; the public spirit was ex- 

 tinguished by the result of so many unsuccessful wars ; Napoleon's 

 genius seemed to have gained the final ascendancy ; and the general 

 feeling throughout the Continent was, that all efforts for independence 

 were hopeless. 



But in the midst of this national despair there were some gallant 

 spirits left, as if to keep up the remembrance of the old national glorj^ 

 and be ready for the time of retribution. Among the disbanded troops 

 was a regiment of sharpshooters, chiefly raised among the range of the 

 Carinthian Alps. They were ordered home to their native place, and 

 some French officers, with a commissary-general, were sent to attend 

 them to Laybach, and see the measure completed. 



The country in the neighbourhood of Laybach is remarkably hilly, 

 and the regiment was compelled to scatter a good deal. The men fell 

 into groupes, and, as they became less immediately within sight of their 

 masters, murmurs arose at the journey, and the insult of being thus 

 driven home by French commissaries. As a party were thus talking at 

 a turn of the mountain road, where they had halted without much fear 

 of their officers before their eyes, the rear company of the regiment, 

 commanded by Lieutenant Stauenbach, overtook them, and the sitters- 

 down invited the others to drink. Disciphne had been nearly at an end 

 for some days before, and Stauenbach made no objection. He had 

 probably been meditating something of what followed, for, on the glass 

 being presented to him, he drank " the health of our father (the 

 Emperor), and better days to our country." The toast was received 

 with shouts. Wiat was subsequently done to rouse the sharpshooters 

 is not known, but it may be tolerably conceived, from the fact, that the 

 colonel and staff were the only pait of the regiment that entered Lay- 

 bach with the Frenchmen : what had become of Stauenbach and the 

 other officers no one could tell, Inquiry was set on foot by the French 

 authorities, who were then pervading every corner of the Austrian terri- 

 tory : but nothing could be ascertained further, than that the whole 

 regiment had anticipated Napoleon's orders, and had suddenly disap- 

 peared. 



In a few days, however, reports were brought in to Laybach of 

 occasional fires having been seen in the mountains that edge the valley 

 of the Saave ; and one moi'ning the despatches, regularly forwarded to 

 the French commissary-in-chief, did not arrive. This produced some 

 disturbance in the city, and no slight alarm among the gentlemen of the 

 French staff, who immediately despatched a courier to Moravia for an 

 additional force of French troops. The courier set out at night, to 

 prevent accidents : but his prevention was unlucky, for the next day he 

 was set down blindfold within a short distance of Laybach, with a note 

 declaring " war against the French," and informing " the French staff" 

 that if they chose to stay in Laybach they might, but that not a man of 

 them should ever retm-n to France. "This formidable document was 

 signed " the King of the Momitains." 



This billet produced singular excitement iu the city. The French 



