Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-05-29
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE DUMAS FAMILY.

the readers attention. 1t is q pity that there is
y dash OF the charlataa about Dumas but that
ne Is substantially the author of the books which
appear under his name is proved by the fact tina,
ns cotiahoratcurs, or pretended cO!laboratcurs
have never been able to produce anything remar
kable when left 20 themselves. Destined to he q
writer Of romancos, Dumas had n romantic origin,
We take from q recent French publication an &C,
count Of the Dumas family. 1t may be remarked
by the way, that the physical energy Of the Du
mas race has something to do with the fecundity
Of the Dumas genius.
The author of Monte Christie" had for father
Alexandra Darv Dc La Pailleterie Dumas, horn at
Jeremle, st. Domingo, on the 25th. March, 1862,
the son Of the Marquis Alexandra Dairy De La
Pailleterie and at an African negress. The Mar,
quis sent his son to Bordeaux to receive a ca refuI
education but the youth, yielding to his warlikt
temper, enlisted at fourteen in the dragons Of the
Queen under the name of Dumas, which was that
VI his mother. For a long time he was only re
naarkablo for the vivacity Of his character, hi,
splendid form, and bis prOdigious strength, which
was such that he strangled a horse under him by
pressing his legs on its neck. In 1872 he had not
reached any higher rank than that Of b~rigadier,
when at the camp of Maulde he fell into an am
buscsde OF Tyrolese rif1emen, whom be intimidat.
ed by his countenance alone. lie took thirteen OF
thc,n prisoners, whom he brought to General Du'
mouriez. From that moment his rise was rapid;
shortly afterwards he was lieutenant colonel, COM
manding a body of irregular cavalry, consisting
OF mulattoes ard negroes. Always placing him
guishcd him self at M6nreaux near lila Great.
ed brieadicr general on The 3O,b. .Julv 1703 be
WIS intrusted with Tho dofenco az pnpto 40,
Marque, and with the maintenance of the c0mmu
%nications between Dcuai and Lille. With inferi.
or forces he constantly repulsed the columns
which advanced to attack him. and mer;ted and
obtained the grade of general of division on the
l3th Of Sentenher l7o3 Annointod commsndor.
in.chief of the Easterr pvrenees he left aimos,
Immediately after 70 ioin the army of tbe Aims
He carried the redoubts placed on Mount St. Ber,
pard. and which were defended NV the piedmon.
tcse. Mount Gents was attacked v;,b Tho same
vigour, ard all Tho boesaae Of Tho "nemy ,bir,v
pieces of cannon. and seyentecn bnndre3 nr;so.
ners, were the fruits of victory. lie subsequently,
commanded. but for n short time only. the armv Of
the west, In I796 he served under Bonaparte.
was employed at the siege of Mantua, beat Wurm.
ser. and drove him lack into the Mace with n
loss of seven hundred men. At the combat of
Tramin, at the moment when victory was uncer.
tain. Dumas rushed on the Austrians. seized their
batteries, and decided the success Of the day
He prssei afterwards with his black division into
Tyrol to be under the orders of ,Joubert. At tn
afnir at Brixen. seeing the enemv's cavalry ready
10 seize a bridge which il was important TO defend
Dumas gallons to the bridge. bars the MASSAGE
kills three men. wounds more. and. though severe.
" wounded himself, gives the French time to
come up and nut the enemy to flight. On the
2Sth. of March. 1897. he drove the Austrians
from the gorge of Insprunk, and pursued them
for fifteen leagues. as far as Sterling. The follow
ing year Bonaparte presented Dumas to the Exec
u,ive Directory, and said, Citizen Directors. |
have the honor to presen. to you the Horatius
Coolies of Tvrol.n After the treaty. of Gamma.
Formio. he was annointed TO the government of The
Treyiean district. In tho expedition to Epvn, he
commanded the French cavalry. and took , bril-.
liant mart in the affairs of Chebreiss and Of the
Pyramids. After n serious illness. and verv warm
ed for Europe. Forced by a temnest To land At
Tareuto, the Neapolitau government detained him
a prisoner for two Years. He ran frequently the
risk during that time of being assassinated, and
owed his life only to his cooluess and his energy.
He finally obtained his exchange, but he fell
into disgrace with the first consul. who reproach.
ed him for his republican opinions. This un.
grateful and ungenerous conduct told, perhaps,
more on the cbivalrous and intrepid Dumas than
all the tolls, priyations, and oerils he had under.
gone. After suffering three yeara from a con.
sumptiye disease. he died on tho 26tb. of Febrn.
At villers- Cotterets, in the department Of
Aisne, where his father had spent his last days,
Alexandra Dary Dumas. the famous writer. was
born on the Oath, of JULY. 1903. He has himself
given an account of his early wears and though
We must allow something for tho dramatic COLOR
of the narrative, yet we may accept it as substan,
TALLY true. lie was only two years and n half
old when he lost his father, who left to his widow,
his son, and two daughters, nothing but a name
honorably inscribed in the military annals OF
France. Madame Dumas loved her son tenderly,
who educated himself pretty much after his own
fashion. He took lessons in Latin from a good
natured Able, who did not, however, succeed in
teaching him the first four rules Of arithmetic.
Dumas, however, possessed all the physical adyan.
tages which a rural rearing gives. lie was an
accomplished borseman, was always willing to
travel q good many leagues to be present at a ball,
was acquainted with all the mysteries of sword
and pistol, and played at tennis like st. George.
to use his own word. ASS sportsman his skill
and fsats were no less notable. AT fifteen he en-
tered a lawyers Office, but did not remain long.
The pen which was destined to be SO ready in de-.
scribing deeds was extremely slow in drawing
them up. Yet a livelihood had to be thought of.
Let Dumas himself now speak
II was just twenty when my mother, entering
my room one morning, and approaching my bed,
embraced me with tears, and said to me, "my
dear, have just sold all we have to pay ouI
debts"