Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-22
Death.Bed Of Sir Charles J, Manner.


In june, 1853, he took to his couch, and for
him who throughout his life had refused to
fender allegiance to pain, this act was a con.
IessioH that, to use his own phrase, Tho had
come to the battle where all fall" He had
always n passionate love for his horses, and
when he felt himself sinking. he desired that
the Arab charger which had borne him thro'
his campaign might be brought tn his bedside,
that he might bcstow OH it his farewell cares
xes The animal started back at the novel
sight, land with n sad look and sigh Of dis.
appointment, Charles Napier turned away and
commended it to the care Of his wife and chill
Llrcn." The end was ut hand. "On the morn
ing Of August the Goth, at 8 O'clock, he en-
pircd like soldier, on naked camp be,lStcad,
the windows Of the room open, and the fresh
air Of heaven blowing on his manly face. Sur
rounded by his family aud some Of his broth
crs, he died. All his grieving servants were
present and at his feet stood two veterans Of
hs regiment, gazing with terrible emotion at
q cnuntcnancc then settling in death, which
they had first seen bcaming in the light Of bat,
tic. AS the last breath escaped Montag,, Nc.
Murdo snatcled the old colorS Of the ODD Re.
gimcnt, the cOlOrs which had been borne at
Mcanet and llydcrabad, and waved them over
the dying nero. Thus Charles Napier passed
from this world. An intrepid soldier in his
life, he died amidst trophies of battle, and his
camp-btd was his bier; the colors of thu 23d
gently wave over him, and between them the
grand picture Of Mcance leaned forward above
his pale heroic countonancc, as If to claim his
corpse, for that bloody iield'''
lie was buried in the churchyard Of tho
military chapel at Portsmouth, and sixty thou
sand persons, including, the whole of the gar.
rison, attended his funeral, drawn toscthe- by
spontaneous admiration Of the hero, who, ha;.
;,,E ss:rfsrmcd the most Curious public Scrv.
COS, was now being laid in his grave as pri-
vatc man. Great in strategy. chivalrouS ain
courage, careful Of the soldiers life, prodigal
Of his own. inflcxible in physical endurance,
nntiring In industry, spacious in government,
bcncGcent in his aim, stern in his integrity,
and strong in his affections, he presents com
bination Of which there are few such examples
in tic history Of the world. The observation
II Lord Halifax that man has rarely good
duality, but he possesses too much of it. may
now and then have been true of him, and, as
he says Of himself he may have been at times
"tOO arbitrary and violent" With n soul If
fire.. his warmth may occasionally have carried
him too Car; with In iron will, he may not al
ways have been as supple as policy required
but without that fiery soul and iron will, he
would not have been the conQueror and civill-
Ger Of Seinde; he would not have defeated the
wild BcloOch in war or tanned him in peace
His very failings were Of the heroic kind the
failings Of mind impatient Of injustice. fan.
ciel or reM-oF. opposition to designs for the
bercfk 81 mankind-of individual sclfiShnesS
prcfcrrinS personal interest to the public veal.
TO the dead fame is not even that empty sound
which it is prOverbially called: But though
it can never moro affect the departed, it is of
tho utmost Importance to the living that deeds
like those of Sir Charles Napier should be kept
blazOned before the world, that future soldiers
who have not been gifted with his genius may
yet learn from his example to what proper
tioOs hero can attain, and that no difficulty
II tU0 srdUOns, no danger too appalling, no
where humanity is to be benefited and the
nation to be servcd.-EOndOn Times.