, 1862-08-07
The Story of the Old Guard once mOre

Victor Hugo'e episode OF Waterloo In the
second part Of Les Aisera6tes has created
great commotiou, and the. French Papers are
filled with controversial arguments concern
iug the retort Of CaHlhronne- a curious doc
ument has appeared in The Paris papers, pur-
rort1pg to be pToces rerbat drawn up BY the
Prefeet of Lille, certifying that an old soldier
named Deleau made the following explanation
before him under oath:
"Iwas at Waterloo in: the square of the
Guard, and, in consequence OF my saH stature,
in the first rank. I belonged to the Young
Guard, being only twenty three years Of age;
but as it is well known, the Young Guard had
been then cslled upon to ti!l up the ranks Of
us Gown, and We we're replying at each dis
change BY yollcys of muskerry less and less
well sustained. Between TWO discharges the
English general cried out to us, " "Grenadiers
eu1reEder!" General Cambronne replied e
heard him perfectly vel, as we'll as all my
su,renderl'' Fire /" was the answer Of the
Erglish general, We close up the square,
aid replied with our muskets. " "Grenadfers
surrender! Tou shaN be treated as the first
soldiers in the wo,id!" repeated the Engl:sh
general. 1.-THE Guard dies, and does not sur.
along the line the officers and soldiers repeat
ed with him, s'The Guard dies and does not
surrender!'' I remember perfectly we'll hsv-
ing said it; like the rest. We received fresh
volley, and replied by our OVID: "surrsnder,
grenadlers-su rrender +, cries in mass the
| English, who surrounded Us On sill sides. CAM
brorne replied to this ..1ast summons by q.
| movement Of anger, accompanied By words
| which did not hear, a. at that moment
| ball carried away my btarsk1n hat, knocking
! me on heap Of dead. thus declare TO hare
b, ard repeated twice by Camoronne the
words, ssThe Guard dies, and does not sur-
npder!" and not to hare heard him say any
| thing else"
This. declaration il Witnessed by no less q
| parsonage than Marshal McMahon, Duke or
| Magenta, together with Gen. Massiet and Col.
Bo1e1. MarShal sou1s repeatedly declared thst
| the phrase put into the mouth OF Cambronne
was purely imaginary; tb4t 8 son Of General
Mltahel (writing from AnE0pleme under date
| o. the LIT instantly oEersets the marshal and
| Deleau together NJ producing the folio wing
! memorandum from General BERTRAND, written
on a stone from the tomb OF Napoleon at st..
| Helena:
t>To the Countess Mitchell, widow Of Gen:
Mitchell, killed ut Waterloo, where be replied
tn he summons Of the enemy by those sub
line words: The g1crd dies and does not
snrreLGtr.' BERTRAND"
There is still another version given By II.
Thtodcre Anne, writer in the farls Union,
WHO says:
II may add, in conclusion, that, under the
restoration, Il man declared himself tbs iuven-
tor Of the popular legend, which ne had, ne
|
Cambronne. This vas de Rougsmont, the
vaudeville writer. Actu1ding to him-and
have heard him repeat It many umes-thfs po.
etc exclamation dated from fa1ls afttf the
conclusion Of affairs, and not from Waser2oo-" !"
4 correspondent Of the B41tim ore A0ae'1can,
writing from Washington, endeaTors to put q
quietus on the whole ttory, thus:
"This boa7not, which has become celebra
ted, belongs to M. Arnanlt, Of the Academy
Of Sciences, an esattufof the Main .auae. tYel:
law Dwarf G paper published at that period,
He Vas, like myself, refugee az bFuSeAes
and one day observed to me:
"tHas not my tosa-faos The Gusfd dies, nnl
does not tsurTender-b POPULAR coulo
= not hare done better than put II INTO she
mouth of the brave Cambronue'. M- Harel
q writer IN The same paper: has many tlmeE
assured me Of the truth Of this assertion.
"Is is true that General Cambronne refused
to surrender when summoned TO 40 SO, o1'
| he replied In energetic and mora soldiefi1
!; terms. .... , -.
The copies Of the Main Jasne PROVE thss'
tacts. ... :,
for Wellington, tUn Guards, and st them,
| aud yet tie duke never ceased to deny having
used those words.
t.The old man, formerly in the Old Guard
:. who Is given as the authority Tor me Can
| bronze story, proIesees TO- nave aea14 U
summons to surrender and the reply. Iass
prepoater0ps. a., =:
nance that it has now become reality =
: not separate the falss from the true. atstor
is mostly emhellished By similar exags'erAt1on
, | and ingentioua.a :.
: This H. the state Of the case as It stands
1 There Is much evidence on both Sides, hu
8 the reader must be his Own Judge