Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-09-26
NAPOLEON AND THE VETERAN.

While in this city, there occul red one of
those rare incidents IN the progress of Prince
Napoleon's tour through the United States
which will not soon be forgotten by our
| illustrious visitor, albeit the tender recolec.
tions thereof may not be of long duration
with one of the parties interested, whose
clammy dews of death.
Lorenzo Harte, relic of the Grand Army
of the First Napoleon, now an inmate of the
Cook County Poor House, and had an inter
view with Prince Napoleon. County Agent
Hansen, learning the wish of the old sold er
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 presence.
The Prince arose to receive his remarka-
BILE guest. There they stood for moment
looking each other in the face-the second
heir to the French crown and the SCARED
and bronzed veteran of a score of battles
Advancing, the Prince grasped the old man s
hand, and conducting him to a seat, spoke
to him so kindly that the veterans heart
overhowed and he burst into tears.
70 those at all acquainted with the histo-
ry of the Napoleomc dynasty, neither the
kindness of the Prince nor the emotion of
the ole veteran will be wondered at. All
such well know the remarkable power that
the First Napoleon held upon the affections
Of his soldiers, as well as the wild and un-
controllabie idolatry manifested by the lat
ter toward the former on all occasions, weth.
er in victory or defeat.
In that interview the veteran & fought his
battles DER again" The Prince questioned
him and listened with glistening eye to the
recital of those thrilling incidents which
ever had as their hero Napoleon.
The quick eye of the Prince noticed the
absence of three fingers from one of the sol
dier's hands. g Where did you loss your
fingers %
I'm the retreat from Moscow. I was at
tached to the cavalry, and in one of the
charges of those villanous Cossacks stroke
from lance deprived me of three of my fin
gers. But, and the old veteran eye shone
with the old battle light, ''mv sabre finish>
&c him, sire. All, those Cossacks were the
most splendid horsemen | ever saw, but
they were ofraid Of Murat's cavalry afte
all" And the old soldiers mind wandered
back to that terrible retreat from the burn
ing capital of the Russians, surrounded by
the inAexible rigors of Russian winter, and
harrassed day and night by those furious
onsets of Cossack cavalry-those wild and
daring children of the plains.
This, sire, was done at Lodi" exhibit
ing terrible scar upon his left shoulder.
made by grape shot 6 And this" barring
the calf of his left leg, showing the track of
a bnllet through and through it, g was done
at Arcola." G This sabre cut on my head
was received at Austerlitz, and SO was this
sire," tendelly holding up the the Cross of
the Legion of Honor bestowed upon him by
Napoleon for special services on that bloody
field.
And thus the old battle-scared veteran
whiled away two pleasant hours-hours
fraught with proud and tender recollections
to both Prince and soldier and when the
veteran arose to go, he blessed the munif.
cence Of the Prince which had pressed a
well filled purse into his hand and gave him
assurance that la belle France had not for
gotten her veterans, and that liberal pen
sion should be provided for him. Chicago
Journal.