Connecticut western news., 1875-05-28
A FRENCH HI HERO.

sli One of the most romantic stories o1 the Franco German war . is that of M. Valentin. He was formerly an officer in the French army, but resigned and went to England. When the war broke out M. Valentin returned to France. He recognized the danger which his country was about to face he went straight to Paris, and demanded from the war minister permission to enlist as a private volunteer in the very battalion in which he had formerly held the rank of officer. His letter was not even answered doubt less the empire considered itself able to conquer Germany without the aid of re- publicans. But when the empire dashed itself to pieces against the rock of German unity, Valentin' s opportunity had arrived. He was a native of Stras- bourg. The electors of the lower Rhine had in former years chosen him as their deputy i; and 1t was as the prefect of this department that he received from the government, of the national defense au- thorization to go thither and help as best he might the heroic defense of Stras- bourg.g That, indeed, was 8 mission which some might have regarded with an ironical smile. The prefecture was in Strasbourg ,; Strasbourg was closely beset by General von Werder how was the new prefect to assert his authority Yhe new prefect resolved that he would, somehow or other,i get through the German lines into the city of his birth.
 M. Valentin wentdown to Colmar, and there he got the wife of a worthy Asa tian to sew into the lining of his coat the commission he had from the then exist ing government. The Alsatian himself accompanied him, and the two adven- turers proceeded to Mutterholz. At ten o'clock at night they passed the frontier of the department of the lower Rhine, and found themselves within the line of investment. This first attempt failed almost at the outset, for they were i'm mediately captured by body of Baden dragoons, who carried them before one of the generals. M. Valentin, who knew English perfectly, represented himself Alsatian father, and who was exceeding ly curious to witness the siege of Stras- bourg. The general was very suspicious, but at length consented to release his prisoners, warning them, however, that they must leave Alsace, and that, if they were found "mooning around" again, l. dragons kindly conducted M Valentin to the banks of the Rhine, and there sent him across to tho Baden side. It was from this side, accordingly, that his next attempt was made. He went to Offen- burg, where were. a good many Stras- bourg people who had fled; and they en- deayored to dissuade him from attempt ing an apparently hopeless feat, but all IT, Lea | went down to the banks of the Rhine, at some distance from Kehl, and there, re- cognizing the Notifications on the other side, he believed he could make his way in among his friends if only he got safely across the river. He was just about to swim the broad stream when, for the second time, the ubiquitous German horsemen bounced down upon him.
 This time 1t was small body of Uh- lans that captured him; and they forth with took him with them into Kehl. Here he gave himself up for lost. He was well known in the place. Moreover, in former days he had had warm dis cussion with the landlord of the Hotel de la Poste there, and it was in this very inn, where the commandant had his quarters, that they conducted him. For GuuaI01y, bn0 0DOuDaTOlQ0nG naQ lClgnG0Q- ed away pretty nearly all the inhabitants of the place; not even the irasclble land lord had remained to sell cognac to the soldiers. No one recognized him, and once more he was set at liberty, though his captors warned him that, if he were found anywhere within thirty leagues of the scene of operations, he would be shot without mercy Thus, then, he had failed to get into Strasbourg from the south and from the east; there now re- mained the north, by which line of ap- proach the Germans had advanced from Wissenbourg. In the north was their chief line of communications; there also were the headquarters of General von Werder. If the south and the east were impossible, the north seemed hundred times more hopeless. But NJ. Valentin resolved to enter Strasbourg from the north.
 First of all he went to Wissenbourg, where he made the acquaintance of the wife of a brewer of Schiltigheim, the village where Won Werder had his head quarters, and this brave woman said she would conduct M. Valentin and his friend Stooz (the partner of his first atte1npt) to the village in question. They set out in a carriage. At Hagenaa they fell into the hands of a patrol of cavalry, but the Alsatian woman was rao,lv 1vikh cn1,ro ppd sr1 3cieut axp1ena