The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-11-19
Peter New.
From the warrenton IN. CO. Indicator.

i
the County of Rowan, who, he says, always
claimed to be the veritable Michael Ney, one of
Napoleon greatest Marshals:
His own accouat was, that he was sentenced
| to death, but that through the interference Of
| friends at Court the execution was shamJ He
, was put into coffin; instead of being buried,
he was taken to the coast, thence to America,
and that ne sought the interior for privacy.
Certain it is, they say, he was martialfgure,
a fine French scholar He taught school in
Rowan, and always maintained that he was tho
genuine Marshal Ney.
We heard often about this very remarkable
| character and purpose to lay before our readers
what friend twenty years ago told us about him.
When at the University of n. O., gentleman
well known for ability and varied accomplish
ments, was our intimate friend. On several oc-
casions he entertained us with some pleasing re-
miniscenees concerning the strange schoolmaster
to whom he went in his younger days. The
Frenchman then teaching (if we remember
| aright,) in the county of Cabarrus some six
miles from Concord. He boarded in the family
of Mr. H, brothcr-in-law Of our friend
His name, he always wrote it, was Peter Ney
He came to North Carolina about the year 1914
He was an accomplished and able man with some
striking peculiarities. He was for long years
regular contributor to the National Intelligencer,
the only paper he read, His articles bore the
impress of gifted and cultivated mind He
was noble looking man. his figure and features
being alike imposing. He would never receive
but certain sum for teaching If his school
brought in more than the regular amount no
was willing to receive, you could not induce him
to avail himself of it. He was good teacher,
frst-rate disciplnarian, but expected his boys to
turn him out" once year. If they accom-
plished this feat with skill and courage, he
seemed well satisfied; if however, they betrayed
timidity and awkwardness in their attempt, he
took offence. Another feature in his govern
ment was his promptness to fog boy if he was
known to tamely accept an insult He admired
boldness and intrepidity of spirit. Now and
then. once or twice year, he indulgcd himself
in drink He lived to green old age. and just
before his death, burned every paper that was of
any interest or could throw light upon his mys-
tcrious antecedcnts. He was worshippcr Of
the great Napoleon, and when the news came
that his son was dead the old school-master went
to bed and grieved for week. He was in con-
stant correspondence with distinguished person
ages in France, the letters he received always
being sealed with wax and stamped with court
of-arms indicating rank. He had a magnificent
gold pencil case surniounted with huge head,
the cngravings and seal Of which proved it to
have once been the property Of some royal or
other person eminent for rank. He acknowl-
edged that he had been a soldier of Napoleon,
and was in the fatal retreat from Moscow. He
was thoroughly familiar with all OF Napoleon's
campaigns. On one occasion, he drew plan Of
the battle of Waterloo upon the smooth sand
bank of a stream recently at freshet, and being
under the influence of liqnor, pointed out where
his command was, saying that he was Marshal
Ney. He infinitely described the action and
pointed out the mistakes of the English histo-
rians in their accounts of that decisive battle.
He afterwards told the two gentlemen, to whom
he made the confession, to forget what he had
said This, according to our recollection, our
informant said. was the only time he ever set up
any claim of being the brilliant Marshal of the
Empire We will mention one other eircum-
stance connected with this uncommon character.
When bent with age he overheard an IrishmaR
abusing Napoleon. He fired up at once, and
Strengthening himself to his full height, with
quivering lip and flashing eye he asked the
Irishman if he knew anything about the quarter
staff. An affirmative reply being given, he and
the offender were soon hard at it, and after few
passes licks. the Irishman fell sprawliDg un-
der heavy blow from the fiery Frenchman's
staff. Our friend did not know how to regard
his old school-master Whether he was the
genuine Marshal Ney not, he could not say
but that he was a very remarkable character
there could not be any doubt.
One word more as to Marshal Neys death.
Our friend once relating the particulars of Pc
ter Ney's life in Y. G. to Colonel Lauranouski,
a Pole, who fought under Napoleon with dis
tinction. but afterwards Lutheran preacher in
the United States, found in him an exceedingly
attentive listener. The Colonel was clearly Of
the opinion that Marshal Ney was never shot,
but escaped after mock death, to this country.
lie was anxious to zee Peter Ney, and felt salts
fed that he could easily identify him, if really
he were the great Marshal. But they never
met The schoolmaster died, and the mystery
connected with his life lies buried with him.
There is now none to make it plain.
Ne have written after twenty years have
passed since we first heard the particulars given
above We have tried to be accurate In our ne
collection, but may, in some particulars, have
varied from the story as we heard it. Pliny
Miles, Traveller from the North, visited Wes-
tern North Carolina once, for the purpose of In
vestigating all the circumstances and particulars
connected with Peter Ncy. We met him after
wards, and he told us that there was great deal
of evidence to establish the identity Of Peter
Ney with Michael Ncy, the Marshal of France.
At Blountsville, Tenn, suit against the
Southern Express Company was tried, in which
the plaintiff claims damages for goods destroyed
by the Federal troops an Express in Virginia
The EXPRESS CO. held that their bills provided