CHARACTER AND MANNERS OF THE TYROLESB. ISY 



of these, a son of Speckbacher, a boy of ten years, followed his 

 father into the battle, and continued by his side in the hottest of 

 the fire. He was several times desired by his father to retire ; at 

 length, when he was obHged to obey, he ascended a little rising 

 ground, where the balls from the French army struck, and gath- 

 ering them in his hat, carried them to such of his countrymen as 

 he understood were in want of ammunition. 



The action was long and severely contested from morning till 

 night. The French and Bavarians advanced to the attack with 

 the greatest resolution ; while the Tyrolese were stationed on a 

 succession of knolls, covered with fir, with their line extending 

 across the little valleys that lay between them. In these valleys 

 they had hastily constructed field-works, consisting of fir trees, 

 felled and laid one above another, on which they stationed the 

 bravest of their combatants. It was impossible not to admire the 

 firmness with which the French grenadiers advanced to the at- 

 tack of these entrenchments, and the ardent and enthusiastic 

 valour with which they were defended —columns after columns 

 pressed on in admirable order, and with an unfaltering step ; and 

 column after column was swept off by the unceasing rolling fire 

 which the peasantry kept up. Some of these brave men even 

 reached the foot of the barriers which had been constructed, and 

 were beat down by the muskets of the Tyrolese, while struggling 

 to penetrate through them. Nor was the valour displayed in the 

 defence less eminently conspicuous. As the foremost of the pea- 

 santry were swept off by the tirailleurs, or the grape-shot of the 

 Bavarians, their place was supplied by new combatants, eager to 

 prolong the contest. The sons mounted the breach which their 

 fathers had lately held, and, while weeping for the death of those 

 most dear to theiii, resolutely and manfully continued the fight. 

 Immediately in the rear were stationed the wives and daughters 

 of those who were engaged, and, like their ancestors in the time 

 of the Romans, relieved the sufferings of those who were wound- 

 ed, and ceased not to animate the courage of those who survived, 

 by their example and their tears. 



The war in this great battle accordingly assumed a character 

 unknown in the warfare of modern times. Placed in the very 

 centre of their country, and fighting for the defence of their 

 homes, and in the midst of their native villages, the pathetic inci- 

 dents of individual distress were mingled with the cries, and tu- 

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