Yet still, while giving the full
meed of thankful, sympathetic honor to our noble sailors, we cannot but
feel that the Golden Deed of Aboukir Bay fell to--
'That young faithful heart.'
THE SOLDIERS IN THE SNOW
1672
Few generals had ever been more loved by their soldiers than the great
Viscount de Turenne, who was Marshal of France in the time of Louis XIV.
Troops are always proud of a leader who wins victories; but Turenne was
far more loved for his generous kindness than for his successes. If he
gained a battle, he always wrote in his despatches, 'We succeeded,' so
as to give the credit to the rest of the army; but if he were defeated,
he wrote, 'I lost,' so as to take all the blame upon himself. He always
shared as much as possible in every hardship suffered by his men, and
they trusted him entirely. In the year 1672, Turenne and his army were
sent to make war upon the Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg, in
Northern Germany. It was in the depth of winter, and the marches through
the heavy roads were very trying and wearisome; but the soldiers endured
all cheerfully for his sake.
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