ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
515 
150 pieces of artillery pushed on ag’ainst the centre. The Russians 
had distributed a very powerful force of artillery along their front, and 
Augereau’s corps soon found itself opposite to a mass of about 70 guns. 
These ploughed his crowded columns with most deadly effect, and they 
recoiled under the fire to the left in order to gain what protection they 
might from the shelter of a detached house which stood before them. 
At the same moment a dense storm of snow came on, and soon neither 
side could see their opponents. Moreover, the melting snow so wetted 
the muskets and ammunition that they became almost useless, and the 
infantry on both sides were incapable of fire action. In the midst of 
the confusion thus engendered, and still much shaken by the unremit¬ 
ting artillery fire, Augereau’s column found itself assailed in the 
obscurity by the Russian reserve cavalry on one side and by their right 
wing on the other. Prevented by the cavalry from deploying, unable 
to use their weapons, and blinded by the snow, the French columns 
became almost helpless, and were literally torn to pieces by the battery 
before them. The whole of Augereau’s corps which went into action, 
more than 16,000 strong was destroyed, save a wretched remnant of 
1500 men that managed to crawl back to the French position. The 
remainder were all either taken or left on the field, and Augereau him¬ 
self, with his two Generals of division, Desgardens and Heudelet, was 
desperately wounded. This immense effect has caused the feat of the 
Russian guns to be justly celebrated, and as an example of what, under 
favourable conditions, a mass of guns can accomplish, it certainly 
deserves to be remembered. Napoleon himself is said to have been 
profoundly impressed by what he saw, and the terrible loss he sustained 
forcibly brought home to him the tremendous power a concentrated 
artillery can develop. The chapter of accidents, however, which 
prevented the French infantry from availing themselves of their most 
valuable weapon, and the manner in which the snowstorm favoured the 
guns seems to detract somewhat from the feat they accomplished, and 
artillery has scored triumphs where the field was fair, and neither side 
was favoured by fortune upon which we would rather build its reputation. 
This instance, therefore, of its power, although a feat of arms of which 
the arm may be justly proud, is but lightly touched upon here, and we 
pass on to another which soon followed it, which perhaps astonished 
the great Emperor even more, and which is more proudly remembered 
by gunners, because on that occasion artillery, with noble unselfish¬ 
ness, entered the lists with all the odds against it, and dared destruction 
to come to the rescue of its hard pressed comrades of the other arms. 
Senarmont’s “ bouquet de feu” at Friedland was achieved with an 
audacity so brilliant as to approach temerity, and had he not snatched 
success from the struggle, the feat would no doubt have been termed 
impossible. Let us see how his valour was justified :— 
General Senarmont, an enthusiastic artilleryman, had been appointed 
on the 21st of February, 1307, immediately, therefore, after the battle 
we have just been speaking of, to the command of the artillery of the 
1st Corps of Napoleon’s army. This corps was under the command of 
Bernadotte, Prince of Ponte Corvo, and consisted of three divisions 
under Generals Dupont, Lapisse, and Yillatte. The guns placed under 
