The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-11-29
Marshal si' Arnaud.

The late commander-n -n-chief of the al
lied troops was man of unquestioned cour-
age and of considerable ability and astute-
ness. But his early career was any thing
but illustrious.
Jean Jacques Leroy-for the name of st.
Arnaud was one afterwards assumed-was
born in the year 1901, and entered the French
army as sous.lieutenant in the Guards in
1916. Charges were brought against him Of
fraud, upon which he was expelled from the
service.
After many shifts and degradations, he be-
came clerk to street letter writer, class
who gain considerable custom in Paris from
the poorer and illiterate classes. While
thus employed, he was arrested for larceny.
The evidence produced against him is still
extant. 1t is a pawnbroker's ticket, bear
ing testimony that "Madanre Decremie,
pawnbroker, II, Rue Neuve des Pettis
Champs, Paris, advanced eighteen francs on
the 7th of January, 1924, upon plaid wool.
en- shawl, two female linen chemises, and
two of cotton, to L. de st. Arnaud.''
Perhaps in consequence of this he fled
from Paris to London, where he was for
some time known as the partner of female
swindler who passed herself of upon unsus-
pecting tradesmen as the Baroness Pillay,
and a lady of high position and large for
tune. The police turning more Of their at
tentiou to M. Leroy and the Baroness than
was agreeable, they resolved to decamp to
Paris again. They did 50, but not until the
Baroness had stripped their furnished apart
rnent of their beds, chests and other move
dbles. After this, the partnership was dis
solved.
Leroy de st. Arnaud, as he now called
himself, succeeded by Legitimist influence
in getting restored to his rank in the army.
It was said by his enemies that it was on
Condition of his acting as q spy. However
this may be, he was principal instrument
in the betrayal of the Duchess de Berri-an
act which brought so much opprobrium upon
him among his brother officers that he took
service with the Foreign Legion in Algers.
He is accused of having been SO addicted to
gambling, that he was on the point of being
cashiered. But the commanding general,
Bulphreries, interposed and pardoned him.
Then comes a part Of his history that
tends somewhat to relieve these dark shades.
His courage and activity led to his being Sc
lected for various services, and he was re-
warded by captains commission. Other
promotions followed, and he returned to
France in 1851 as General st. Arnaud.-
One of his military achievements previous,
however, was marked by the extreme of bar
barity, the burning and suffocation Of five
hundred Algerines, men, women and chill
dren, in cavern.
He became very early an adherent Of LOU
is Napoleon. 1t is currently reported that
neither of them dared to trust the other, and
that st. Arnaud always retained in his pos
session the order to lombard Paris, written
in Napoleon's own hand, in order, if need
be, to use it against his master, who, on the
other hand, preserved the judicial records of
St. Arnaud's early deHnquencies, ready to
bring them up in Judgment. He knew and
respected his military abilities, however, or
Ne would not have advanced him to the i'm
portant post of Commander-in-Chief of the
French army Of the East. Death'interposed,
just as he seemed likely to attain the height
Of military glory.