The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-26

a high degree to the reputation Of Wellington and
the downfall of Napoleon, whom nc deserted at
last. His father was knight.
glorious contrast TO this man was Lefebve,
the son of a miller, who shed lustre upon the
title of Duke of Dantzig conferred upon him by
NAPOLEON. His wife was said to be the daughter
Of q laundress.
Kellermann was an able general, and was created
Duke of Valmy for his hereism at that battle. He
died in 1920, aged IS years. He left son more
celebrated than himself, the general who made the
decisive charge at Marengo, and distinguished him
self in Spain and at Waterloo.
NEY.
Ney was the son Of cooper. At the head Of
his hussars he was like the winged Lightning. He
gained his greatest fame at Elchingen, on the 14th
Of October, 1914. From this he was created Duke
of Echingen, and the honor has been perpetuated
in his family. For his bravery at Borodina, on the
Moskowa, he received the title Of Prince of the
Moskowa. It was this great battle in Russia which
opened the road to Moscow. At the close of
that disastrous campaign he entrusted with the
command of the vanguard of the Grand Army
which entered Russia upwards of 100000 strong,
retreat are without an example in history.
But with it the immortal days of Michael
Ney begin. He had at first two thousand
men, then 1000, then 500, and finally CO., when at
last at Eve, he found himself alone. During his
march for five days there was no intelligence of
him, and all thought he was lost When Napoleon
heard that he reappeared, he eapt for JOY and ex-
claimed, ~ would have given three hundred mil
lions from my treasury sooner than have lost such
q man." By his heroic exert0ns 1000 men of the
wreck of that army threw themselves into the gar
risOns of Prussia. He was the last man out of Rus
sa and he left it alone. He marched into the house
of General Dumas, in town Of Prussia, wrapped
in large cloak, with long beard, half burned by
fire, and his face begrimed with gunpowder. "Who
are your" cried Dumas. 81 am the rear guard of
the Grand Army" replied the uncouth stranger; 81
am Marshal Neyw At Waterloo he performed un-
availing pr0digies of valor, but two days before
committed blunder which had the worst effect on
that action, next to the conduct of Grouchy. 1t
will ever be blot on the escutcheon Of Yelling
ton and on the national honor of England, that he
permitted this hero to be shot in cold blood at
Paris. He died like soldier, with his hat in his
left hand, and his right on his heart. He said to
rades fire on me-" He fell pierced by ten bullets.
GROUCHY.
Grouchy was the son of marquis, and served
with considerable distinction in the wars of Napo
leon. He fought heroically when under the imme-
date guidance of Napoleon or some other able
general; when left to himself he was feeble and
helpless In 1909 he gained great reputation at the
hail nofD Do ole rhnro ha 10
a terrible column of Hungarian cavalry, 1000
strong. At Wagram his valor was conspicuous
At the battle of Borodino, says Segur, +" Grouchy
ON his side by sanguinary and repeated charges on
the left of the great redoubt secured the victory
and secured the plain" On the retreat from Mos
COW all the officers of the cavalry, amounting to
500, who were around Napoleon's person, and
when he called his sacred squadron, were COM
manded by Grouchy and Sebastian. His name is
most associated with the defeat of Waterloo, and
his conduct on that great occasion has given
rise to much discussion. He has been &C.
cused not only of laundering, but even of trea-
cherry, and he has not been without able
defenders who have acquitted him of both. Napo-
leon having routed Butcher and his Prussians at
Lgny, sent Grouchy after him to keep the enemy in
check with 81 900 men, and prevent his uniting with
Wellington. Grouchy observed his instructions in
the letter; but Butcher, by an arrangement with
Wellington, gave him the slip. The Prussian gene
raj had his whole army of $4,000 at Wavres on the
night Of the 18th of June. Grouchy advanced
there, and intended to engage them next morning.
He did engage them; but instead of $4,000 there
were only $4,000; and two corps of 10000 each,
one under Bulow and the other under Butcher,
marched early in the morning to Waterloo to
unite with Wellington, who had fallen back from
Quatre- Bras both to enable Butcher to effect
junction and to have his choice of q battle
field. Grouchy believed he had the whole Prussian
force still before him, and if that were indeed
so, he was right to keep his ground. But he was
deceived, and nothing could induce him to move.
He attacked the corps left behind to deceive him,
and drove it back, imagining he had routed the
whole Prussian army. The cannonade at Water
loo, only distance of two hours march, was
plainly heard, but Grouchy persisted, as he said,
in obeying orders. 1t appears several des-
never reached him. In these messages he was
urged to come at once to Waterloo. Had he either
come before the battle was lost, or kept the Prus
slams from coming the fate of the day would have
been changed. While Wellington wished that night
or Butcher might come, Napoleon wished that he
had the power Of Joshua to make the sun stand
still. But when Butcher and Bulow appeared, then
Bonaparte prayed that night or Grouchy might
come. 1t was perhaps risking too much for Napo-
loen to detach so large a portion of his troops
from the main body, which was already too
small for the enemy-seventy thousand against one
hundred and forty thousand. The sixty thousand
fresh Prussans turned the scale of battle after
it had inclined in favor of Napoleon. But
the battle was virtually lost by Ney, who, on
the night of the 18th, not only failed to obey. his
order to secure Quatre Bras, but deceived Napo-
leon by sending him word that he had done so,
whereas he was only near it, and lay down to rest,
while Wellington, by forced nights march from