The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-02-26

elements of the drill, fencing, rea,
ing and writing as soon as possibl
So and then enter the regimental scho
the only way to promotion. FL
wonder, the wild young Corsica
appreciated the wisdom of sue
:, counsel; his heart swelled viii
ambition. He longed to learn no
to read and wIite, and above all, b
,p was anxious to get rid OF the intole
able daily drilling. In few month
ne had sufficiently distinguished hin
:: self in the latter to rise from mer
conscript to regular soldier, aud {
be admitted to the regimental schoo
, He threw himself now with renewe
ardor into the elementary studies
and acquired some knowledge @
history and geography bat it wa
in the fencing school that he earne,
the greatest distinction, thanks to hi
admirable physique and early train
= ing.
+, A few months later his regimen
was ordered to the South of France
and the battalion to which he belong
ed was sent to garrison the little
town of Rodez. 1t was here that hi
remarkable adventures began with ,
= sad tragedy.
The Quartermaster of his company
- was taken sick, and GriscellI wa:
ordered to fill his place during the
march. 1t became his duty to rise
at three in the morning and TO go
on with the vanguard, so as IL
be in the towns OF villages where the
troops halted. The position was
pheasant enough, as il gave the lucky
holder the right to sell billets, to
provide himself with the best OF
quarters, and to be exempt from the
irksome duties Of others. He arriv-
ed, in company with another Quar-
termaster, at ten O'Clock in the town
OF Rodez, received from the officer
of the Fifth regiment, whose place
their own regiment took, the list OF
billets, went to a cafe, where they
proposed to wait till the troops
should enter. 1t SO happened that
the cafe was crowded, and in trying
to find seat the two soldiers had to
put several persons seated in the
front of the shop to some trouble.
One of the citizens of the place, see
ing the other Quartermaster pass
near his little table, said, pointing
at him {: "Look at that young fel-
low; lie looks as ifhe had swallowed
ramrod" The words were no
sooner said than his face turned red
and swelled in an instant from a
tremendous box on the ears which
he had received. AS soon as Girls
celli heard the blow, his hot Corsican
blood began To boil, and he raised a
chair to knock down the thOughtless
aggressor. Immediately cry arose
for the watch. The citizens ran in
all directions, and the two soldiers
remained masters of the position.
The next day, however, two men,
apparently two OF the innocent coffee
drinkers s-presented themselves,with
sharp oils at the gate Of thebarFscIss
and inquired for the Quartermasters
The young hot-blooded soldiers ask
ed for no explanations, but followed
their visitors to the bank of the river,
which then formed the frontier be
tween France and Piedmont. Here
the insulted man pulled off his coat
and challenged Griscelli's friend.
AS soon as the two cOmbatants
engaged, it became evident that the
apparent citizen was in reality an
accomplished swordsman, and per-
haps a practiced duelist. Griscelli
Immediately tried to put his comrade
on his guard, and called to him,
"Be careful or the game is lost ~
But the young soldier listened only
to his courage, and made bold
lunge his adversary Immediately
took advantage of the opening, en-
gagged his foil and whirled it to a
distance of ten feet behind hiE /; then
lowering his own foil, he said con
temptuously to the Quartermaster,
"You can pick up your weapon, con-
script
The word "conscript," a term of
contempt in the army, reused the
widest fury in Griscelli's heart, and
without saying a word he threw down
his coat, seized the foil of his friend
and confronted the victorious citizen
with the words--"Here is another
eonscript for you.'' His adversary
at once consented to the second duel,
but after few passes be became
aware of the difference in strength
and skill between his new antagonist
and the former one. He attempted
the same maneuver, but was unsuc-
cessful, and in the next instant had
six inches of cold steel right under
the fifth rib. The blood poured in a
stream from his mouth, and two of
his friends carried him to the hospi-
tai.
The CorsIcan and his friends re-
turned to the barracks, but although
they proposed to keep the affair a
profound secret, the duel was NOT
allowed to pass unnoticed. Two
days afterward the two Quartermas-
tiers were summoned before the
commanding officer; here they found
the General surrounded by his Staff
and all the officers of the little gar
rison, and began to tremble tor their
fate. The General asked them which
of the two had murdered peaceful
citizen. At the word "murder' al
murmur of Indignation was heard in
the assembly. Some one behind
Griscelli exclaimed, "That is not
surprising-they are Corsicans.
Furious at the insult, and forgetting
entirely where he was, Griscelli
exclaimed, "Killed in regular duel
duel before witnesses-yes, General;
but murdered, no!"
"WelI, then, tell us how it happen
ed,' said a gentleman in citizens
dress, who was seated at table
The young Corsican then told the
whole story truthfully, from the scene
at the cafe to the torrent of blood.
When he had finished, the General
asked the lawyer if this account
agreed with the official report; and
when he was assured that this was
the case, he said to the successful
duelisl "Very well, my son here,
take these twenty francs. The man
whom you have killed was bully,
whom they had sent over from Afri-
ca, and %ho has played the same
trick on many poor fellows of the
Fifth regiment; but you taught him