Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-11-23
= CURIOUS LETTER.

Louis Napotcoas on, Story Of Els Is.
cape from the Fortress Of Ham IN 1916.
The following is u translation of a
hitherto unpublished letter written by
Louis Napoleon just after his escape
from the Fortress of Ham, to the editor
of a newspaper to which he contribut-
ed during his imprisonment. In a GER
tain poverty and awkwardness of die
ton it is faithful to the original, which
was, eYidently, not intended for publ
cation:
MY DEAR Mr.. DEGEORGE.-The de-
sire of once more seeing my father III
this life has made me attempt the bold
est undertaking that / have ever at
tempted, and for which l needed more
| firmness and courage than at StrasbuFg
and Boulogne, for 1 was resolved not to
endure the ridicule that fastens on those
who are arrested under a disguise, and
failure would have been no longer en-
durable. But to come to the particulars
Ofmy escape.
You know the fort was guarded by
four hundred men, who furnished a
OldllN SuuIu VI oAAIJ 9OANACAS1 " 1AO " u =
on duty within and without the fort;
furthermore the door of the prison was
guarded by three iailOrs, two of whom
were always on duty. 1t was necessa-
~, therefore, in the first place, to pass
before them, then to traverse all the in
ner court before the windows Ofthe Com
mandant; having reached there, 1t was
necessary to pass through the gate where
were an orderly and sergeant, a gate
keeper, q sentinel, and finally, post
of thirty men.
Not having been willing to establish
any communication, with corruptible
iailOr or So a disguise was, OF course,
necessary. Now, as several rooms OF
the building inhabited were undergo
ing repairs, it was easy to take the COS
tune of workman. My good and
faithful Charles Thelin procured a
blOuce and wooden shoes. 1 cut off my
mustache and took board on my shOul-
ders.
Monday morning 1 saw the wOrkmen
come in at 64 o'clock. When they were
at work, Charles took some drink to them
in a room, so as to get them out of my
way; he was also to call one keeper up
stairs, while Doctor was talking with
| the others.
ALGtuW4tllGJ L Ntlo AellN ny ONtI VI -
room when l was accOsted by work
man who followed me, taking me fol
one of his comrades. At the foot of the
staircase l found myself front to front
with q keeper. Luckily I put the board
before his face and reached the court,
always holding the board between my.
self and the sentinel and those whom
met.
when passing before the first senti-
mel let fall my pipe, ] stopped to pick
up the pieces Then l met the officer OF
/ the guard, but he was reading a letter
and did not notice me. The soldiers OF
the post at the gate seemed to wonder
at my dress; the drummer i'll particular
! turned several times to look.
'Mennwhile, the Orderlies opened the
door and Z found myself outside the
fortress; there l met two wOrllmen, who
were coming toward me, and looked n
me attentively. 1 then turned the bOarC
on their side, but they appeared so in
quisitive thatI thought could not es
cape them, when / heard them eXciaim
! ooh It is BerthOud.'
i Once on the outside, | walked rapid
'Ily toward the Saint Quentin road.
!, "A little later, Charles, who had en-
gagged q carriage for himself the preoed