The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-05

the letters cast their uncertain and imperfect light
over the events Of his career.
The most ignominous acts ascribed TO the
Marshal were those connected with his watch
and ward over the Duchess de Berry. IL is
asserted, and has not been disproved, that he
eye close 70 gimlet hole, % detect the secrets
ascertain whether the affair would not assume bet
ter aspect after the publication Of this correspo-
dence. Up to the time Of the Russian war, no
doubt the fame Of st. Armand was that of noto-
rous adventurer, who had carved out fortune with
The edge of o mercenary sword. Still, his public
acts had been those Of soldier Elaughtering Afri-
cans and French citizens with equal alacrity, for
rank and pay. But it would be pleasant TO relieve
our own army from the suspicion that their late
companion in arms was not detective who had
seen that which he should not have seen, through
q stratagem which he should not have employed.
Yet the letters from Baye though they give no de-
tails, confirm, even BY their reserve the popular
The first allusion is written from Parthenay, on
he 30th Of November, 1867
On Sunday the I'd ofDecember, your -sarred brother
leaves with his battalion What to dor To keep guard
ever the Duchess de Berry Instead Of hunter Of NAL
contents, behold me jailerl
The next letter dates from the Citadel Of
Blaye, in January Of the next year.. step OF
promotion stimulates his zeal, and he writes
to his brother for certain martial ornaments TO
suit the holiness OF his new position. But
Blaye was dull retreat, and Leroy st. Armand soon
wearied OF it,
tced them and they gone with the family that gave
them We reduced to oursevesthat is to zero, or
below it. am forced to play at chess with an artillery
officer
In this epistle, addressed to his sister, several
blanks occur-the elipses, probably, conceal some
delicate information conveyed by the lieutenant Of
Duchess had Officially avowed'' her condition.
which St. Arnaud is said to have detected
by secret and infamous means. "She pre-
tends to hve s% r. bv S nse Se
individual" Five physicians, commissioned
by the government, came to obtain inior-
nation. !" She received them with noble
told them that her friends need not blush for her,
since she had been married and would speedily pro-
duce her proofs" Again, we read, DIR. Meniere
"sees the Duchess every day. often several times q
The character of the French officer who enacted
this singular part in the prison Of the Duchess as
well as the nature Of his occupation is illustrated in
sentences like the following
shall say no of her, for all now learn is conf
dental, so that cannot communicate it. But in few
MONTHS possibly sooner shall entertain you with some
pquant facts.
To the unhappy lady herself he affected all imagi-
nable courtesy-sang to her, tinkled his guitar to
her, and watched her. until the birth of MarieAnne
Resale took place.
Translated to the African service, st. Arnaud
found himself in congenial field. He breathed
the fumes Of battle, and snued the approach OF war;
az horse snufs his pasture from distance After
the first victory, near Blidah, tribe was burned"
Then came the expedition against the city OF Con-
stantine. The music Of fusillade" enlivened the
maud feared neither the enemy nor the chance Of
famine. Writing ut the end Of September, 1887, he
SAYS
The Kabyes brave soldiers; but they number only
six or eight thousand men, and they resist the
will win the game In five days shall be before Con-
stantnctwo days in the trenches one day bombarding,
and then the assault. What country, my brother !
Admira BILE up to this time: but just all horror and
prvation. We shall at last be without waterthe most
horrible Of all prospects But If God will remain neutral
the enemy is lost
We may guess from passages like this, combined
with others we have quoted from his Crimean let
tiers, how ST. Armand would have carried on the Eats
ern campaign. He dashed upon the Russians at the
Alma at Sebastopol would it not also have been
"two days in the trenches, one days bombardment,
and then the assault Z" At Constantine, at all
events, he went through the storm without
scratch -
An admirable resstance-nen who had to be killed
twce-a city taken with the bayonet, under murder
FIRE, house by house. street by street. and the
continuing both sides for three hours You
may imagine what blood shed. As for myself, what
hall sayr brought my men to the bayonet charge
en- times under fire. broke into the houses and rushed
through the blasts Of shot and missiles with that fury
would die distinguish myself told you wanted to
gain the Cross. don't know whether shall have it
but rewarded already for my officers and comrades
II, in the Homeric phrase, small things may be
compared with large, the state Of the French before
Constantine resembled in some points the former
state Of the Allies before Sebastopo:-
Their horses dying Of hunger and fatigue the few
that left instead Of serving them in case of
treat would simply have embarrassed their movements
The soldiers fed always in the mud and rain, without
sleep without rest became the prey Of disease Dysen
tory and terrible to than to the Arabs
But the word ASSAULT cured every one.
The assault is vigorously described
After climbing the breach, loud cries of Forward"
arose; and the French, momentarily driven back
up fsmoriciere with achievements and he arrived
just the assailants were once more upon the
wall, with the Turks flying before s 50 close that we
ders fell another pemell, with their officers
and fearful disorder followed Lamoriciere sprang up
sabre In hand We reached the summit of the breach
Destiny wiled IL that company should be in before
mine AT that instant terrible explosion took place.
The silence Of death succeeded Those who remained
their sct startled by the shock sought to lean
another their swords, against the walls. All
who nearest the mine had their eyes filled with
dust and powder and momentarily suocated. But
then .Dsued the most horrible The wreches who
retained their limbs, and who could emerge from the
ruins, came running down the beach, exclaiming Save
yourselves, ficnds-we all lostthe whole place is
minec-sdyance no further, but save yourselves"
whcn ! remember those scorched fgures-those
heads without hair, without skin, and drip
ping with blood-thosc flaming garments drop
ping away with the victims Hesh-when recall those
miserable cries am asionished that the entire column
cd not recuil from the breach
In few moments, however, order was restored:-
with 'one accord the soldiers waved their weapons
in the AR, shouting Forward forward ~ That shout
NY brother Iireechoed 10 them: cried to my soldiers
Ton with me, legion with me- bayonets J 1t is
nothing. IL u only matrce forward forward % and
nune myself into the gulf In which, my conscience
expected another explosion.
When the breach was passed, il was found that
every building was q separate fertilization. In one
street, says -. Arnaud, we marched up 10 the
knees through blood aud dead bodies" Not a
cry escaped the dying. They gave and received
which closes the teeth, and brings ejacu
latons from the bottom OF the SOUL Some
ruppIessIons In this CHASTITY narrative after the
word .-chamters,n suggest the worst atrocities Of
war bat 81 Armand wrote with the frenzy of the
battle upon him, and to have confessed all his
achievements sp ZopA1rs.
Again and again he returns TO the incidents of
that bloody day. At Algiers splendid festival did
honor 10 the heroes OF Constantine -
And then I 81, what II TO live, and rejoced IN
h-ug Afiican soldier. Al how one can fight, with
ths brilance st tesmins him Of those sweet eyes
~heh m.t ones own In an instant and seem TO follow