The Shasta courier., 1868-09-19
SHASTA COURIER.
Marshal Ney--His Capture and Death.

What a tragedy that incident of French
history was After the battle of Waterloo,
Marshall Ney concealed himself in a chateau
near Aurilac, belonging to Mons. de Can
taloubre, his kinsman. When he quilted
Paris, he imprudently carried with him a
magnificent sabre which Napoleon had worn
in Egypt and bad given the Marshal He
one day brought it down from his chamber to
the drawing-room to show Mons. de Canta.
loubre and his family. 1t was forgotten on
the sofa of the drawing-room. Visitors from
Aurillac made their appearance while it was
living there. Its form and richness lit was
covered with precious stones) attracted their
attention. They spoke of it at Aurillac.-
An ardent royalist heard them and exclaim
ed: There are but two snch sabres in
France-one belongs to Ney, the other to
Murat. Ney must be concealed in the Cha
de Bessoins.'
He secretly organized band of volunteers,
ardent royalists as himself. The postmaster
of Aurillac, who was Mons. de Cantaloubre' S
brother, he heard the extreme royalists were
organizing in order to arrest Marshal Ney.
lie set out at once to warn them. As the
delay might be fatal, aud as it was necessary
that his movements should escape notice. he
set out on foot, and, although the night
was very dark he went across the fields to
reach the chateau the sooner. When half
the distance had been accomplished, he fell
into u broad deep ditch, and broke his leg
He could not move. There he lay during the
whole night At sunrise the next morning
the band of royalists appeared at the cha
teau. They did not know Marshal Ney lie
was alone in the yard when they made their
appearance. They asked him where was
Marshal Nev lie might easily have given
them 4 false direction and have fled. lie re-
Piled 9 You seek Marshal Ney | will
show him to you. Follow me-" lie carried
them to his chamber. Once in it, be said ::
" am Marshal Ney." They arrested him
and carried him to Aurillac. This happen
ed on the 9Th of August, 1915, one month
and nineteen days after the battle of Water
loo.
He was brought to Paris. lie reached it
on the 10 of. August. As he came up to Paris,
he and the gendarmes who guarded him
stopped for refreshments at wayside Inn
While they were refreshing themselves a
band of soldiers of the imperial army, sent
to their homes, entered the Inn. They rec
ognized Marshal Ney, and exchanged signif-
cent glauces with him, to let him know they
could deliver him from the gendarmes. The
latter themselves seemed ayerse to the duty
imposed on them The Marshal smiled and
shook his head. His wife and four children
came to meet him. They met him some miles
from Paris. The scene was heart rending,
and, despite himself the tears trickled down
the soldiers cheeks The officer who COM
manded the gendarmes said:
You weep, Marshal
New answered ~ am not weeping for
myself, sir; my tears are for that widow and
those orphans"
The day Ney reached Paris, Colonel La
bedoyere was shot. Ney was tried before
the Chamber of Peers. There were 161
peers present. He was found guilty by a
unanimous vote. Upon the question of pun
ishment 1870 peers voted for death, % for
exile. The vote was taken at half past IL
O'Clock at night, on the 9th of December,
1915. When the Secretary of the chamber
Of Peers went to acquaint the prisoner with
sentence he began thus; I" "Sentence of Mon
sieur lie Due 'dElchingen, Prince de la Mos,
kowa, Marshal of France'-Ney interrupted
him with: I" Monsieur, say Michael Ney,
and soon little dust" When the Secretary
ceased reading, Ney simply said in tone OF
command g wish to see my wife tomorrow
morning at o'clock. hope no one will
take the liberty of announcing to her my
fate. | shall do that" The following morn
ing bis wife and four children, and theil
aunt, Nine. Gomot, came. His wife was
nigh distracted with grief.
To console her, Ney said: All hope i:
not lost 90 ask my pardon from the King
he will not refuse you, | dare say" The
chamber of Peers bad not deliverd sentence
an hour when the Duke de Richelieu (ther
Minister of Foreign Afairs) asked Loui
XVIII. to pardon Ney. The King replied
"Were l weak enough to pardon Marsha
Ney, my family would never.forgive me, anC
yon yourself would be arraigned for higl
treason" The Marshal's wife went at one,
to Duke de Duras, one of the Kings frs
chamberains. The King was unable to Sc,
her. She returned few hours afterward
and was told '' The audience you solicit ha
no longer any object" 1t was in this wa,
she heard of her husbands DEATH She faint
ed. She was carried home half dead. Th
Marshal's execution was hurried. At min
o'clock i'll the morning hack came for him
Able Depierre, cure of St. Sulpice, VIII
administered consolation to him, stood asid
to give him precedence in entering the hack
Ney said +: "Get up, able. I'll be above be
fore ..you." The hack went down the cen
trail avenue of the Garden of the Luxem
bourg, and did not stop until it reached tn
Place de fObservatoire. Count de Roche
chouart was present atthe execution as Com
mander in. Chief of Paris. He was accom-
panied by two members of the Chamber 0
Peers. Ney walked boldly to the place as
signed him. lie said to the soldiers VIII
were to shoot him: Soldiers, have front
ed death on five hundred fields of battle, ant
am not afraid of it. Aim at my heart, tina
| may die without unnecessary pain"
The officer in command of the platoon wa
so overcome by emotion he could not Civ
the fatal word. One of the peers, angry a
the delay, shouted the command. Marsha
Ney fell. Six balls had entered his body
three of them were in his head. His bod,
was carried to the Founding Hospital. /
was then borne to Pere lie Chaise. The spo
where it reposes is still favorite pilgrimage
No monument marks the spot The littl
yard is covered with grass. The iron railing
which surrounds it is mantled with ivy.
\ FUNNY love story was related the othe
day to one of the Police Justices of Chicago