[2banana]

The distance from Boulogne to the Rhine is 450 miles, and each soldier covered it on foot, carrying his knapsack and musket, a total of 65 to 75 pounds. The price was high. Jean Roch Coignet, a private in the Foot Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard, recalled: "Never was there such a terrible march. We had not a moment for sleep, marching by platoon all day and all night, and at last holding onto each other to prevent falling. Those who fell could not be awakened. Some fell into the ditches. Blows with the flat of the sabre had no effect upon them. The music played, the drums beat a charge; nothing got the better of sleep...."

We rushed on the artillery, which was taken. The cavalry, who awaited us, was repulsed by the same shock; they fled in disorder, and we, as well as the enemy, trampled over the bodies of our troops, whose squares had been penetrated…all was confusion; we fought man to man. Finally, the intrepidity of our troops triumphed over every obstacle." Although wounded twice, Rapp himself captured Prince Nikolai G. Repnin-Volkonsky, colonel of the Russian Chevalier-gardes.

It is hard ti imagine that the very recent decendants of these Frenchman are afriad of some muslim youth torching his car. What 80 years of socialism will do to a country and a people...

[nightdriver]

"It is hard ti imagine that the very recent decendants of these Frenchman are afriad of some muslim youth torching his car."

Yes, but remember that Napoleon lost 3, count 'em, THREE armies - one in Russia, one in Egypt and one at Waterloo.

That burned up a lot of testosterone producers in the French gene pool. I've often wondered if the stature of the French man is not noticeably smaller than average because of it.