The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-06-15
fnformation.
Dead Lions.

More than half century has elapsed since
the British legions, commanded by Wellington,
battled with the French veterans under Marshal
Soult, for possession of the ancient town of
Toulouse. The field was stubbornly contested
the Gauls stood maniully to their eagles, but the
fates were against them. After long and
bloody struggle, Beresford's infantry succeeded
in stormng the redonbts, Pictons men surmount-
ed the fosse. Hills Highlanders carried the for
tifcations of ST. Cyprien, Ponsonbys horse thun-
dered through the retreating squares. and the
shout of victory ran along the British line. Sue
cess was dearly purchased, however; Wellington
paid Tor his victory by burying thousands of his
best men on the field they had conquered. Few
and greatly distinguished were those whose re-
mains were carried from the field and sepulchred
within the walls of the city.
Last year, an English traveller, whilst enjoying
q summer rambe through the southern provinces
of IL belle France, paid visit to the resting
place of his gallant countrymcn, who fell i'll the
great battle of Toulouse. Now, although Shaks-
peare's clown warrants the houses made by
grave-dggers to last till doomsday, we would
remark that the narrow tenements of the dead,
like the habtations of the living, require little
facing and pointing every once in a while to
keep them in anything like respectable condi-
ton. The meddling hand of Time does con-
siderable amount of mischief in the course of
fifty years-the wandering Briton found the
graves of his countrymen SO dilapidated that the
chance of their lasting till doomst,ay seemed
somewhat doubtful
On his return to England, our traveller set
about making arrangements for having the ne
cessary repairs executed, but his pious labors
were cut short in q most unexpected manner
Somehow or other the French Emperor heard of
his intentions, and one fine morning he received
letter under the Imperial hand and seal, of
which the following is translation
PALACE OF THE TUILERlEs, Jan. 30, 1867.
Sir-I learn with regret that the tombs of the
English officers killed at the battle of Toulouse
are in state of dilalhdation. Soldiers who fall
upon a foreign soil the property of that
country and it is the duty of all to honor their
memory. | take upon myself the PREPARATION of
those tombs at my own expense. Receive the
assurance of my regards. NAPOLEON.
Taking into consideration the deep reverence
which the present ruler of France processes for
the memory of his illustrious uncle, and the
jealousy with which he guards all that pertains
to the glory of the First Empire, it will be gen-
orally accorded that in thus claiming as a priv.
lege the task of preserving the ashes of British
foemen who fell upon French SOIL Napoleon III.
has displayed the magnarimity of true soldier.
The tombs OF Toulouse commemorate the time
when British army stood encamped in the
heart of France, with the ''hao of twenty victo-
ries playing round their bayonets' The crumb.
ling stones of those monuments tell of the long
line of disasters which fell upon the French arms
from that bright May morning of fatal 1913
when wellington, commander-in-chief of the
British army, and generalssmo of the Spanish
forces, crossed the Douro a. the head of his
!egions, driving King Joseph and his 10000
french Veterans in precipitate retreat, before
him. The Englishmen who found bloody graves
at Toulouse Were survivors of Vittora-that
fearful blow which destroyed the efficiency of
the French army, swept the invaders from
Spanish soil, and crushed Josephs mushroom
monarchy to dust.
There never was greater fallacy than that
dead men tell no tales" These dead men of
Toulouse evidence that in the space of a few
months the British army destroyed Joseph's
kingdom-that vast fabric which Napoleon con-
structed at the cost of five wears of toll and
bloodshed; and they tell how the armies of
France which, so long in the pride of irresistible
strength had oppressed the Peninsula were
driven like chat before the wind into their own
territories, as plainly the sea-shels indicate
how far the storIn-vexed waves encroached upon
the shore
These braves who are now sleeping the long
sleep could tell how Ross charged at Sauroren |
how awful was the slaughter when the famous
light brigade trapped Relies division in the
detiles OF Echallar: how the forlorn hope forded |
the crimsoned Urunea to assault the grim walls |
of st. Sebastian; how the passage of the Biados-
sa was forced how the dizzy heights of La
Rhuno and Bayonettc were stormed. and finally, |
how in u six weeks campaign Soult was driven
from Bayonne to Toulouse and Wellington had
the whole country between the
Pyrenees and the Garonne
There is no more glorious page in British his
tory than that inscribed with the records of the
Peninsular campaign: on the other hand there
are few which occasion more unpleasant reminis-
cences to those who have the glory of France at
heart and yet Napoleon III. can afford to say
SOLDIERS who fall upon foreign soil are the
property of that country, and it is the duty of
all to honor their memory