Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-02-03
NAP0LEON'S GENERALS.

It's not generally known that some of the
most distinguished of Bonaparte's Generals
wero at one time residents of Alabama.
From an exceedingly able address delivered
before literary society in the University of
Alabama, by Alexander q. Meek, Esq, we
\ mako the following extract:
@rho overthrow of Napoleon was followed
oy the eXpatration fmany thousands of those !
who had becn the most conspicuous maintain
'ers OF his colossal power OF these a LARGO
number came to the United States. Among |
them were Generals who had won laur- |
els IN tho proudcst fields of European valor. |
and assisted iii the dethroncment and corona
uon oil monarchs over millions of subjects
and ladies who had figured ia the voluDtuous
.drawing-rooms OF St. Cloud, and gli.,sred in
the smiles and favor Of Josephine and Marie An
tolnette With the irrepressible enthusiasm
OF the nation, they thought to ind in the auie-
tude aud peace OF our forests, an Arcaiian ex-
change Tor the arlstocratic.l establishments
ana guided saloons of Paris. They wished to
dwell together, and TO form a miniature rennb
llc OF their own, subject however, to the same
laws as the citizens OF the Union Accord
hngly, they petitoned Congress to grant them
aportion OF the public lands in the South
west This was done by an act of March the
Su, lol|, granting them four townships of
1and, to be selected by them somewhere i'm
the territory OF Alabama. The conditions of
the grant were, that the emigrants should cul-
tivate the vine upon one acre ia each Quarter
section, and the olive upon another; and at
the end OF fourteen years should pay the Cen
'erai Government two dollars an acre, for a
lee simple title to the land Among the gran
tees was Marshal Grouchy the hero of Linden.
e Wy
general Lelebre Desnouttes, Duke of Dantzc.
and Marshal and Peer Of France. who had
distinguished himself in all the great battle, of
OF M poieon; General Count clauscl, Gener-
al Count Real, the two Generals Llllainan |. and
Generals Vandammc, Lakanal, Pennicrs and
Narhier de Santes; with number of other
S"ooruiHate oihcers, whose names are amouo
the composingstars of that galaxy of greatness
which mclrcled the "Sun of the slapnless -,
Under the direction of these men, the location
'oi the colony was made upon the Tombecbee
'c.' III WHAT Is now The county of Marenro
i'cS VIC year, emiSfaats, to near the nam
oer Oh roaf hundred, arrived and took posses
sion of the soi-whch was portoneJ nn,ono
them by lottery They, however. did mn,
disPerse to any great extent through The coun.
try, but principally settled down in two villa.
geS, the one called Demopolis, upon the site
"here the village with the same name nov
stands, and the other called Eayiesyille. .;,u-
ated upon the Black Warrior river. n shnr, dc
lance above Demopolis. La this latter v;lIao
most OF the distinguished men | have named
resided. Upon the colony they bestowed the
name OF Marengo, which is still preserved 10
t'ic counry; other relics of their nomencla-
'ure-drawn similarly from battles in which
So're oi tiiein mad been Observation-Disclosures to
De found in the villages of Linden and Arcolo
In the spring, after their emigration. thew nro.
ceeded to the cultivation of the soil and wor,
soon settled down in the occupations of agr
cultural life.
"a more singular spectacle than the one
mus presented, is rarely to be found in the
leaves OIL history. Ii is true that Cincinnotus
Whe:i ne saved Rome from the irruptions -,
Her Toes, returned to the plough he had aban-
aoheu. But here we have instances of men.
who had been actors in scenes, which. in mil;
tary magnl!lccnce, far transcribed the viIJest
lmaghings OF the demonstrating from the
!healre Oh their former triImphs. and EXCHANGE
ing tne sword Tor the Ploughshave and the
spear iof the pruning hook. lin moral dignity.
indeed, the advantage is all in favor ~, tic an
cients-iof these are driven from their coun-
Try by compulsion-but in other respects the
parallel Is not unequal. Who that woul9
nave looked upon Marshal Grouchy or Cen
eral LeeoVre, as, dressed III plain rustic ha
DiiisnentS-tile straw hat, the homesI,un coat
the brogan shoes-thcy drove tie piourh in
the open field, or welded the axe in the new
ground clearing, would, if acquainted with
their history, have dreamed that those farmer
looking men had sat in the councils OF mon
aFchs, and had headed mighty armies? ~Do
you know, sir''-said citizen to traveller. in
1919, passing the road from ArcoIa to Eaoles-
vile" Do you know sir, who is that fine
looking man who just ferricd You across the
creek :" 'No-who is hep THAT, sjr,n
said the citizen, sis the officer who command
ed Napoleon's advance guard when he re-
turned from Elba -
"Oreat as is the contrast, it was perhaps
greater with the female part of the colonists.
Here, dwelling IN cabins, and engaged in hmm
bic attention to the spinning wheel, and the
loom, or handling the wec;ling-ioe and the
rake, IN their little gardens, were mairons and
maidcns, who had been bora to proud titles
and high estates, who had moved as stars of
particular alteration, amid the fashion and re-
tlnement and imperial display of the Court of
Versailles. And yet, to their honor he it sta
ted. Notwithstanding the rustic and il-propor-
TONED circumstances around thcm-:bcv did
not appear dispiritcd or miserable Nothing