Litchfield enquirer., 1861-11-28
WHOLE NO. 1904

FRINGE NAPOLEON AND THE OLD SOLDIER Last evening there occurred one of these rare incidents in the progress of Prince Napoleon's tour through the United States which will not | soon De forgotten by our ilustrious visitor, al- peit the tender recollections thereof may not be long duration with one of the parties interest ed, whose gray hairs will ere long be moistened by the clammy dews of death. Lorenz Harte, relic of the grand army of the First Napoleon, now an inmate of the Cook County poor house, had an interview with Prince Napoleon. Couu- tyagent Hanson, learning the wish of the old soldier, kindly conveyed him to the Fremont His card was sent to the Princes apartments and the old man, bowed down with the weight of eighty years was ushered into the august pre- sence. The Prince arose to receive his remark able guest. There they stood for moment look ing each other in the face-the second heir to the French crown and the scared and bronzed veteran of score of battles. Advancing, the Prince grasped the old mans hand, and conduct Ing him to seat, spoke so kindly that the ve- terans heart overaowed, and he burst into tears. To those at all acquainted with the history of the Napoeonic dynasty, neither the kindness of the Prince nor the emotion of the old soldier would be wondered at. All such we'll know IL remarkable power that the first Napole, upon the affections of his soldiers, as we'll wild and uncomfortable idolatry manifes the latter toward the former upon all occs whether in victory or defeat In that inte yesterday, the veteran fought his battle again. The Prince questioned hin., and | ed with glistening eye to the recital of thrilling incidents which ever had as their a Napoleon. The quick eye of the Prince ced the absence of three fingers from one of soldiers hands.
 Where did you lose your fingers?"
 In the retreat from Moscow, l was attached to the cavalry, and in one of the charges of those vlllalnous Cossacks, a stroke from a lance de. prived me of my fingers. But" and the old ve- terans eye shone with the old battle light, "my saber finished him, sire An, those Cossacks were the most splendid horsemen that I ever saw, but they were afraid of Murat's cavalry af. ter all." And the old soldiers mind wandered back to that terrible retreat from the burning capital ot the Russians, surrounded by the in- flexible rgors of a Russian winter, and harrassed day and night by those furious onsets of the Cossacks-those wild and daring children of the plains.
 "This, sire was done at Lodi," exhibiting a terrible scar upon his left shoulder, made by0 grape shot.
 'And this,' barring the calf of his left leg, showing the track of a bullet through and through it, was done at Arcula"
 This saber cut on my head was received at Austerliz, and so was this, sre,' tenderly hold ing up the Cross of the Legion of Honor bestow- ed upon him by Napoleon for special service on that bloody field.
 And thus the old battlescarred, whiled away two pleasant hours-hours proud and tender recollections t. .. and soldier and when the vetert he blessed the munifcence of fh had pressed wellflled purse in ,... given him assurance that La belle forgotten her veterans, and that should be provided for him.,