Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-17
WAS NEY AN AMERICANA
Another Historical Riddle by
an American.

There is always some fellow with
nothing else to do, who goes about up
setting our faith in historical characters,
and making US believe that what we used
to know was all mere nonsense and false
hood. A gentleman named Browning
has started new historical question:
Was Marshal Ney an American He
answers that he was. II this assertion
be true, we have the honor Of having
contributed to the French army the man
who stood next to Napoleon, and was,
after him. the first soldier in the world
The account given by historians of the
Marshals origin is this.
Marshal Ney was born at Sarre
Louis, small town on the Rhine in the
year 1869.
His father, who died 1926, had been
a soldier, and after the Seven Years War,
had retired to his native town, where he
! exercised the calling Of cooper.
AT an early age he evineed decided
taste for military life The trade of the
elder Ney, though considered respect
able on the banks OF the Rhine, was not
however, very lucrative, and he was
anxious his son should embrace some
other calling. NJ Yellette, a notary,
tool: MIN into his Office to study law.
[ The minutes in Ney's hand writing are
still preserved in this Office as valuable
relies.l But finding this too con6ning,
he left home and went to Metiz, and on
the lst of February, 1877, he enlisted
in the Regiment lie Colonel General,
and soon became n model soldier, and
attracted the attention of his officers.
He distinguished himself among his
comrades by his fine, soldier like ap-
pearance, his great dexterity in the use
OF weapons, and the ease and boldness
with which he rode the most dangerous
horses. On this account every regimental
affair was eonfded to him.
This is the French story. The Ameri-
can runs thus In the army of Mad An
tony Wayne was a captain named
Michael Randol phi, distinguished for his
spirits, fire and gallantry. On one Occa-
sion he challenged his general for some
real or immaginary insult was reported
! to General Washington, and stricken
/ from the rolls of the army. subsequently
Rodolph became the owner of small
| trading vessel, and carried tobacco from
his farm on Elk Greek, Maryland, to
West Indies. Unexpectedly returning
from one of his voyages, he found his
wife engaged in an intrigue. Thereupon
he cast loose, went abroad, and was no
more heard of until Mr.. Pinekney, our
Minister to the French Directory, re-
turned and reported that he had seen
Rodolph at a military review, that he
was great man in the revolutionary
army, and adjutant to Kleber. This Is
certainly rather weak foundation to
draw a historical conclusion from. But
at Ney's trial for treason before the
House of Peers, the minister who proved
himself so Jealous on the part of prose-
cution said that Ney had not even the
virtue of being q Frenchman. Ney re-
/ piled, 81 am a Frenchman." The min
lister repeated that he was not a French
man, and would sell France as readily as
he once did tobacco in his shop at Bor-
deaux.
This might have been malice on the
part of the minister, but it is remark
able that it should tally so well with
ROdolph's departure from Chesapeake
Bay. His friends in Maryland carry out
the theory of the identity of the two
men, 10y supposing that Rodolph pro-
ceeded to Bordeaux with his cargo, sold
his vessel, established a shop, and re-
tailed his tobacco; and with his daring
enterprising military taste and genius,
enlisted in the army of the Revolution
as common soldier, from which his
general superiority and the technical
knowledge acquired under General
I Wayne soon raised him.
I In the meantime Rodolph married a
second time and removed to Georgia,
settling on land granted Capt Rodolph
| by the Revolutionary government for
services in the war few years since.
Count Ney, son of the Marshal, who
was for some years French charge at
Rio de Janeiro, well known to many
OllASSIo VI Jul Ia l--f AHtlCu liiG Z ullCu
States. and set out Immediately after his
arrival in New York for the obscure
village of Brunswick, Georgia, and re-
mained several weeks in that neighbor.
hood as the guest of the Rodolph family
who where independent aud respectable
/ farmers, but not people likely to receive
visit from Count Ney bred in Paris
under any ordinary circumstances. I
am not able to say whether Ney's family
in France ever recovered any Of the for
tune of their great father, but the count
must have been wealthy, as he married
a daughter of Laftte, the wealthy banker
of Paris. No idle curisoity was likely
to carry young Ney to that remote part
of Georgia, and | shall always believe
the. foregoing account until l hear 50
unaccOuntable a visit otherwise ex-
planned
Of course the children of Mrs. Ro-
dolph born subsequent to the desertion
would not be likely to diyulge their
mothers infamy, nor could we hardly
expect the first children for the honor
of a great name on their fathers side to
proclaim their mothers infdelity.
Historical Secret.