cannon-balls at us, one of which shattered the back of poor young
Pertelay.

However, our attack on the Austrian battery and its outcome had
been seen by the French generals who moved the line forward. The
enemy drew back, which allowed the remnants of the 1st Hussars to
revisit the area where our unfortunate comrades had fallen. Almost a
third of the detachment were killed or wounded. There were five
sergeants at the beginning of the action; three had perished; there
remained only Pertelay the elder and myself. The poor fellow was
wounded but suffered almost more mentally, for he adored his
brother, whom we all bitterly regretted. While we were paying him
our last respects and picking up the wounded, General Championet
arrived with General Suchet, his chief-of-staff. The
commander-in-chief had witnessed the actions of the platoon. He
gathered us round the six guns which we had just captured, and after
praising the courage with which we had rid the French army of a
battery which was causing them the most grievous losses, he added
that to reward us for having saved the lives of so many of our
comrades, and contributed to the day's success, he intended to use
the power which a recent decree of the First Consul had given him to
award "Armes d'honneur" and that he would award three sabres of
honour and one promotion to sous-lieutenant to the detachment, who
should decide amongst themselves who the recipients should be. We
then regretted even more keenly the loss of young Pertelay, who would
have made such a fine officer.

The elder Pertelay, a corporal and a Hussar were awarded the
sabres of honour, which, three years later gave the right to the
Cross of the Legion of Honour. It remained to be decided which of us