The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-14
A Remarkable Woman.


One of the few surviving veterans oi
the First Empire has just passed away in
he person of Monsieur lie Commandant
Duchemin, at the ripe age of eighty-five.
Constantly on active service throughout
the campaigns of Napoleon, and fire.
quently wounded, he fought his way up
from the ranks, and on the occupation OF
Paris by the Allies, rendered himself
famous as duelist, and boasted of hav.
ing killed or wounded score of the
"Odious foreigners" Oh the field Of honor
For the last twenty years he frequented
the same cafe at the same hour daily to
play his game of cards and take his
absintbe. He lived almost entirely in the
past, and gave vent to his feelings in
maledictions against Wellington,
Blucher, Grouchy, and the rest, "qui
auraient fait mourir son Empereur."
His principal delight, however, was in
Iecounting the history of his mother,
Marie, whose career was indeed re-
markable one. The daughter of an old
soldier, and vivandiere she was from
her earliest years the pet of the regiment,
and at the age of fifteen married the
fencing-master Of the regiment of the
Gardes- Franchises, who, after taking
part in the destruction of the Bastile,
was killed in an attempt to save the life
of colder of the Swiss Guard, leaving
his young widow with an infant son.
When the great Revolution broke out
Marie felt the hereditary military in
stinct too strong to be resisted, and with
out hesitation sacrificed the locks go dear
to her sex, and, disguised in male attire,
was one of the first to enroll herself as a
volunteer, under the name of Joseph
Duchemin, which was also that of her
grandfather.
OF iron constitution and the build of
grenadier, measuring nearly thirty-six
inches across the shoulders, she had little
difficulty in concealing her sex. although
she was wounded at the siege of TOulOn.
Two months af erward, when fighting in
the war of La Vendee, she was engaged
in the battle of Chollet. Here she re-
ceived two severe wounds; but in spite of
the loss of blood her courage sustained
her until the cloee cf the day, when she
fired the very last shot, then fell ex-
hausted. Only on dressing her wounds
was it discovered by the ,surgeons that
Corporal Duchemin { for she had gained
her stripes) was woman. She at once
became the hero, or rather heroine of the
day, and was personally complimented
by the General, who asked permission
from the War Minister to keep her name
on the muster roll of the regiment, and
Marie remained inscribed as Corporal in
the Forty-second Foot. She afterward
fought st Lodi, Arcola, and Rivoli, where
she captured flag, at the Pyramids,
Mont Tbabor, AbOukir, and other en-
gagements. She was then taken prisoner
by the English, and sent to the hulks of
Plymouth, but managed to escape, with
three of her comrades. by killing the
sentinel on duty, ard got safely back to
Paris.
Five days afterward she rejoined her
regiment and made her last campaign,
for she lost her right leg by cannon
bali ut Marengo. She was then admitted
as a pensOner into the Invalids, and it
was proud day for herself and son when
they went together in 1857 TO the Palace
of the Legion of Honor to receive each
theSt. Helena medal. General Surrurier,
Governor of the Invalids, applied for the
Cross of the Legion of Honor for her, but
before the authorities had decided on
such an awful departure from precedent
as to confer this distinction OH woman,
she died in 1862. In relating this ex-
traordinary career the old commandant
used to say, "She was only woman,
but" with forcible but untranslatable
French expletive)" what a soldier"