The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-07-19

wATERLOO-BEFURE AND AFTER.
We were forcibIy struck lately, isays
the Knickerbocker) in reading Dumas
Shores of the Rhiae,' by this contrasted
picture Of .Napoleon going to and return.
~ from Waterloo" The two scenes are
worthy the pencil Of DcIaroche:--
awe saw two carriages approaching,
eallcping each with six horses. They dis.
appeared for al instant in a valley, then
rose again at quarter OF a leagues dis.
tanco from 10. Then we set oil running
toward tho town, crying sL'Empcrcur!
L'Empcrerr We arrived breathess, and
only preceding the Emperor by some five
hundred PAGES. thought he would no,
stop, whatever might be the crowd awaiting
him, and 50 made for the post.housc, when
] sunk down half doad with tho running
but II any rate was there. In moment
appeared, turning the corner Of street,
tho foaming horses; then the Positions oil
covered with ribbons; then the carriages
themselves; then the people following The
carriagcs. The carriages stopped at The
post. | saw Napoleon! he was dressed
10 green coat, with little cpanlets, and
woro The officor's cross of the legion Of hon
or. | only saw his bust framed in the
square Of tho carriage window. His head
fell upon his chesi--.hat famous medalic
head of tho old Roman Emperors. Ills
forehead fell forward his features, immov-
able, wcro Of tho yeilowish color Of wax;
only his eyes appeared to be alive. Mex,
him, on his left, wns Prince Jerome, n King
without kingdom, but faithful brother.
lie was ut that period fine young man Of
six-and-twcnty or thirty years Of age, his
features regular and wel-iormed, his heard
black, his hair elegantly arranged. lie sn-
luted in place Of his brother, whose vague
glance seemed lost in the faiure-pcrhaps
in tho past. Opposite the Emperor was
Letort, his aid-de.camp aud ardent soldiers.
who seemed already TO snuff the air Of bat
tie; no was smiling too, the poor fellow, as
il he had long days 10 live! All this lasted
for about minute. Then the whip crack
Cd, the horses neighed, and il all disappear
cd like q vision.
"Threo days aicrward, toward evening,
some peopls arrived from ST. Quentin; they
said that as they came AWAY they heard
cannon. The morning Of the seventeenth
. courier arrived who scattered nll along
the road the news Of the victory. The
eighteenth nothing. The nineteenth moth.
ing; onlv vague rumors were abroad, com
ing no one knew whence. Il was sad tina,
the Emperor was at Brussels. The TWEEN
ticth. three men in rags, two wounded. aud
riding faded horses all covered with fnam
entered the town, aud were Instantly sur.
rounded by the whole population, aud push
ed Into the court yard Of the town house.
These men hardly spoke French. They
were, ! believe, wes,phalians, belonging
somehow to our army. To nil our ques-
tions they only shook their heads sadly, aud
ended by contessing that they had quilted
the field Of battle of Waterloo st eight o.
clock, and that the battle was lost when
they came away. Il was the advanced
guard Of the fngilives. We would not be
love them. We said these men were pru.-
sian spies. Napoleon could noi he beaten
That fine army which we Ind seen pass
could not be destroyed. We wanted to put
the poor fellows into prison; so quickly had
We forgotten 'l3 and IL, TO remember the |
years which had Como before! NV mother
ran to the fort, where she passed the whole
day, knowing il was there the news must
arrive, whatever il were. During this time |
looked out in the maps for Waterloo. the
namo Of which even ! could not find, and
began TO think the place was imaginary, ss
wss the mems accounts OF the hattie. Al
four o'clock, moro fugi.ives arrived, who
confirmed the news oil the first oomers.-l
These wcre French, and could give all the
details which we asked for. They repeat
Cd what the others had said, only adding
that Napoleon and his brother wcrc killed
This We would not believe: Napoleon
might not bc inyincib!e -insulnerable he
certainly was. Fresh news more terrible
and disastrous continued TO come in until
Zen o'clock At night.
AT ten o'clock Of night we heard the
Noise Of carringe. Il stopped, aud the
Postmaster went out with light. We fol-
lowed him, as he ron 10 tho door 10 ask Tor
news. Then he started step back, and
crisd, ITS the Empcror!' got on a stone
bench. and looked over my mo,hsr's shoul.
der. i was indeed Napoleon; scented in
the same corner, ia tho same uniform, his
head on his breast as before. Perhaps j,
vas bent little lower; but there WIS not
I line 10 his counlenance, not m altered
ieaturs, to mark what were The feelings of
the great gambler, who had just s,nkcd md
lost the world. Jerome and Letort were
not with him to bow a nd smile in his place.
Jerome was gathering together the rem.
nants Of the army; Letort had been Gu, in
two BY cannon ball. Napoleon lifted his
head slowly, looked round as il rouslng
from dream. and then, with his hrief, str.
lat AlNl...A - IL. 4 4