Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-08-20

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only at times, seemed to settle down
upon him and resistedhis every effort
to Danish tit was visible even inhis
smiles. He still rode on at the head
of the remains of our regiment; but
his eyes were ever wandering with an
anxious and unquiet expression over
the crowd of ragged and half starved
spectres which accompanied our
march, like flock of birds of ill
omen.
Il can't see him among the skele-
TONS said he to me one day as rode
beside him.
See whom, commandment Ireplied.
Whom? Parbleau! Our Internal
cu,ute, to be sure, Dumanetr
Dumanet, or the curatc, as ourc COM
mander called him; was originally a
Norman divinity student, who, in
punishment for some foolish compli-
ment in verse to the Pope, which he
had written and published, had been
sent by M. de Due do Rovigo to serve
as a private in our regiment of Ian
GERS; and, in despite Of his many good
qualities, he was the butt of his com
rades down to the last received III.
script, while in the Commandant Ros-
signol he had ever found most inn
placable prosecutor. This old Pan
dour of the republic, who was a cap
tain at the battle of Jemmasses, had
seen those of his rank then rise to be
generals, marshals, and even kings,
while he, inferior in valor to none,
had only arrived to be second i'm the
command of a regiment: Ribands
and crosses had fallen to his lot, while
the grades and titles were awarded to
others. This had, in measure,
soured his temper, and, although de-
voted to his Emperor, he still cherish
ed some "reminiscences of the repub-
lie among which were his earrings
n la Dumouricz, and an implicable
hatred of priests. Heaven knows
that the shoulders of poor Dumanet
bore ample testimony to the strength
of the latter's antipathy, which the
commandant was accustomed to in
dulge upon every practicable occa-
sion, by the application of the fiat of
his sabre on the back of the curate.
'Ah! rascal he would exclaim, 'they
don't hang such cattle as you any
longer, as they did under the republic,
but I'll pay you off, Dumanet bore
all this with the most exemplary pa
tience, he performed his own duty
faithfully and well, and often that of
others. On the disastrous day of
Leipsic he behaved with distinguish
ed gallantry; but when the remnant
of the regiment was mustered for the
retreat, he was among the missing,
and we had seen nothing Of him
since.
ooh, we shall see him! we shall see
him again. continued Rossignol, as
we rode along. He'll come back
the black crow! I'm not rid of him
yet
The dead never come back re-
piled; and he is dead, most undoubt-
edly.'
Pm not so sure of that rejoined
the commandant; and if he was dead
he would come back to bring me ill
luck
Soon after this, on the Goth of Oc-
tober, while we were bivouacked
around a good fire the Commandant
Rossignol was sitting with his clothes
opened to admit the warmth, appa-
rantly lost in renection-his chest
bare, and exhibiting series of tat
toed pictures, which might have an
swered for regimental museum
Here was soldier presenting rose
to his mistress-there a trophy of
arms; in one place a pair of small
swords crossed-in another the red
cap of liberty, and high above all the
eagle of the empire. About his neck
was a chain of gold, to which was
attached the miniature of woman,
the charms of whose bold but hand
some countenance were enhanced by
a robust development of the breasts,
which were supported by a tricolored
scarf.
'Ah, Juliar exclaimed the comman-
dant, apostrophizing the picture, you
see what we have come to! A poor
set of devils we have got to be. Our
colonel killed, our eagle lost, more
than half the regiment cut to pieces
and in full retreat. This all comes
of putting priests in the army Gem
tleman,' he continued, addressing
himself to US, do you see that woman
She would have been my wife if she
had lived long enough; but she was
woman above vulgar prejudices,
and followed me through the Italian
campaigns. She accompanied me to
st. Domingo. We were to have been
on our return, Unluckly,
she fell into the hands of the negroes,
together with the baggage of the re-
giment.'
A bad business commandant! So
pretty a woman deserved a better fate.
Did she not? returned Rossignol,
pointing to the miniature. "Were
such charms as these ever intended to
be devoured by negroes? But such
was her fate, and such my luck ever
since. What! firing is that!' he ex-
claimed, as scattering volley of
musket was heard somewhat in ad-
vance.
The baggage guards repulsing the
trlcoteurs, probably observed one.
Or perhaps the Cassocks have got
ahead of US said another. More