Mountains

called Great and Little St. Bernard. A part of the Alps, situated in the Glacieres of Switzerland, which has been rendered famous in modern history by the pa age of the French army under Bonaparte. The following account is extracted from a French publication, and cannot fail of being interesting to the military reader, as it is told in the plain and simple language of a soldier, who was present during the whole of this astonishing campaign. On the 16th of May, 1800, the vanguard, commanded by general Lannes, climbed up the mountain: the Austrians, although greatly inferior in number, defended themselves step by step, and never disappeared till they perceived another corps of the French army descending the mountain of the Little St. Bernard, menacing their rear, and absolutely interrupting their retreat. The first division of the army, under general Watrin, followed the movement of the vanguard. Until this period of time, neither artillery nor ammunition had cro ed either eminence; the whole was collected at St. Peter, (a small village at the foot of the mountain) where the park of artillery was established. It appeared at first impo ible to transport this heavy and embarra ing ordnance acro the mountain; however it was natural to consider the question, what is an army in the present day without artillery? Its nece ity in this respect was manifest and imperious. The artillery corps immediately set about dismounting the cannons, cai ons, forges, . piecemeal. Gas send i, inspector of ordnance, gave directions for hollowing a number of the trunks of trees in the same manner that wood is hollowed for troughs. The pieces of cannon were deposited in these machines, and after having been drawn up these almost inacce ible heights, by five or six hundred men, according to the weight of metal, were left to slide down the steep declivities. The wheels were carried up on poles; and sledges made expre ly for the purpose at Auxonne, conveyed the axle trees, and the empty cai ons, and lastly, mules were loaded with ammunition in boxes made of fir. The exertion of a whole battalion was requisite for the conveyance of one field piece with its proportion of ammunition: one half of the regiment could only draw the load, while the other half was obliged to carry the knapsacks, firelocks, cartridge boxes, canteens, kettles, and more especially five days provisions, in bread, meat, salt, and biscuit. Such was the commencement of the march of the French army acro the Alps.