Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-07-12
MARSHAL Ney.

GU All army south OF frauCe, reJoiueu
his old General. In doing this he was
more the follower than the leader of the
movement for his army had no sooner
heard of the approach of Napolean than
they clamored tojoin the host gathering g
round him. Ney, nothing 10th, obeyeG
the impulse and served Napoleon during
the hundred days with all his former
zeal and lion-like courage" the BRAY
est of the brave" At Waterloo, seven
times dismounted, black with bruises and
covered with mud, he still fought at the
head of the Imperial Guard, when eve
ry other corps in the vicinity was mac
tive from the failure of ammunition.
After Waterloo, believing that the
cause OF the Emperor was lost, he re-
turned to Paris, and going to the House
of Peers, he said, in his frank, soldier
like way:
Nothing remains for us, gentlemen,
but to negotiate for peace. The Bour-
bons must be restored and as for my
self, am bound for the United States. ("
This too frank avowal gave great of
fense TO the ministers, who, at the end of
the session, reproached him warmly for
his indiscretion,
"Ah, gentlemen" he replied, :" / am
not one of those who think Of their in
terest at all times and above all things.
What shall | gain by it If Louis the
Eighteenth returns, he will have me shot
but my duty is to think of my country 3
welfare"
In few weeks, as every one knows,
Napoleon surrendered, and the Bour-
bon king reigned in his stead. Ney fled
from Paris, intending to seek a momen-
tary refuge in Switzerland but, on the,
way he received letter from his wife,
informing him that he was one of the
nineteen generals exempted by name
from the amnesty proclaimed by the king
and strongly urging him not to attempt
TO get out of the country at present, but
to direct his course toward chateau in
the south of France, near the Pyrenees,
belonging to one of her relations. The
roads to Switzerland, she said, were SO
closely watched that he would be likely
to be taken if he attempted to cross the
| frontiers.
This advice, which he adopted proved
fatal to him. Arriving safely at the
chateau, he remained concealed for sew
eral days. Almost the only article OF
value which he had brought with him in
his flight was curious and splendid sa.
bre which General Bonaparte had given
him, many years before, in Egypt, re-
questing him to wear it whenever he went
into action. One day he carelessly left
this snowy weapon lying upon a sofa in
the great drawing-room of the chateau.
While it lay there, lady of the neigh.
borhood called at the chateau, and her
attention, on entering the drawing
was attracted to this sword, which she
examined. The next day, while visiting
another lady, she spoke of it, and de.
scribed it. Itwas well known in France
that, during his Egyptian campaigns
Napoleon had presented to each of his
favorite officers, such as Dessaix, Kleber
Murat, Ney and others, one of the sa.
bres captured from the Mamelukes, ac.
eompanying the gift with the request to
wear it on days of battle. Hence, il
was generally known that few of the
oldest generals of the Emperor possessed
such sabres.
Suspicion was aroused. The tidings
brought by the lady from the chateau
found their way to the ears of the Prefect
who dispatched fourteen soldiers to ar.
rest the owner of the Egyptian sabre,
whoever, he might be. At the moment
of their arrival in the courtyard, Ney
happened to be walking about IN it, and
it was to him that the officer in COM
mand first spoke. Fourteen days after
he was in prison at Paris, awaiting his
trial for treason. His wife hastened to
meet him, and when they met, the war
rior, to the astonishment of the guards,
burst into tears.
"Do not be surprised" said he, :" ]
have no courage when my wife and chill
| dren are concerned"
Three months after he was summoned
FOR trial before military commission,
composed of distinguished marshaIs and
generals, several of whom had served
under Napoleon. Unfortunately, Mar
shall Ney declined to be tried by this tri-
bunal, and asserted his right, as a peer
of France, to be tried by the House of
Peers. There is no question that the
military court would have dealt with
him most leniently probably would
have deprived him of his commission,
and sentenced him to some trifiug, for
NAL punishment. The peers were of a
different temper, and he had already Civ