DEAD ON THE FIELD OF HONOR
During the campaigns of Napoleon it was most necessary that a certain pass should be kept and the Austrians held in check for twenty-four hours. A battery commanded the entrance to the pass; one by one the men behind the guns in the battery fell, but still the fiery fusillade continued, and the pass was held for twenty-four hours. At length a signal appeared about the battery, which said, “We will now surrender if you will permit us to go forth with our guns.” The firing ceased, and the garrison marched forth—it consisted of one man, a brave grenadier. The Austrians expressed great surprise that one man had so long held the pass alone. For hours he had himself manned those guns. When Napoleon heard it he sent for the brave grenadier and offered him any promotion he wished. His reply was: “Sire, I want to remain a simple grenadier and your faithful servant.”
A few weeks later in another engagement the faithful soldier was mortally wounded and shortly died. Napoleon gave the order that the name of Dead the“ faithful grenadier should never be removed from the muster roll, and that, when the name of D’Auverque was called, someone from the ranks should step out and respond, “Dead on the field of honor!” Faithful unto life, faithful unto death!
“Enter thou into the joy of the Lord!’
—Rev.Phil. Baird, D.D. (1921)
