Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-03
AN HISTORICAL JEAN VALEAH.
The Ill Luck that Pursued Francois
Dubois, Hero and Convict, for
Forty Years.

This is the story of FRANCOIS Dubois,
hero and galley slave, as it is written in the
police archives, the army records and
the Gazette dCS 1ribUnalr
Toward the close Of 1918 he presented
himself to the commandant of Wesel,
Prussia, baggard and in rags, saying
that he belonged to the chasseurs, and
had been dismounted during the retreat
and compelled to skulk slowly after the
army, and asked to be forwarded to his
regiment. In those terrible days men
were precious, and officers were not sur
prised to discover veterans in rag-clad
skeletons. Dubois was sent to the hus-
sar regiment attached to the Marshal
Martiers army, where he soon became
the talk of the corps. He never was
known to laugh, spoke but rarely, and
fought with reckless daring uncommon
even i'll those times. At Bar-sur-Aube,
when the hussars charged the battery at
the bridge of Bout-de-Lain, he YVES the
first to reach the guns, and, falling with
Berserkir rage on the cannoneers of one
piece, killed, wounded and dispersed
them, and had taken the gun single
handed before the squadron could seize
the others. The marshal had seen the
battery carried, and sending for Dubois
praised him highly and promised him
the cross.
Not long after, the marshal had occa-
sion to send a dispatch from Troyes to
the emperor, then at Pine, on the
Brienne road, and selected the hussar as
his messenger. The country was thick
with hnCtIla INInlyafS o,,1 l.
fired upon several times, but by good
luck and good management, now fight
ing, now running, now hiding, he made
his way in safety to Marmont's outposts,
and was conducted to the emperor.
Napoleon gave him brief written re-
ply, instructing him, in the presence OF
his staff, to conceal it in his bootleg.
Dubois had made his way back as far as
the mill of Sanciere, near la Belle.
Epine, when he found himself hemmed
in on all sides by a squad of Cossacks.
He rode resolutely ut the thinnest part
of the line and tried to cut his way
through, but, after desperate fight, was
unhorsed disarmed and led to the head
quarters of the Russian emperor.
"What orders were you carrying 2
asked the chief of staff.
"Verbal orders"
"That's lie. Search the lining OF
his left boot, replied the Russian. The
guard did so--who had betrayed the EN-
peror from his own headquarters ?-ant
the paper was found. Dubois was lock
ed up, prisoner, with Lieutenant Au
ger, of the lancers of the guard, ant
Auguste Bernard, one of the emperor
couriers. Two days later, at st. Mare
he and Anger escaped and reioined tn,
French army The Duke de Trevis
welcomed him warmly and rewarded
him for his services. At Berger Duboi
was severely wounded while fighting
with his headlong bravery. Napoleon
was forced back on Paris, stubborn,
though he resisted. March 27, 1914, a
Bondy, Dubois, his wounds not yet heal
ed, but attached to the commissaria
staff, was just about to enter the head
quarters of Count Millot, who had Pre-
posed his name for the cross, when thrs
OF Vldocq's agents arrested him rs fu
gitive galley slave!
At the police office he was identified an
ordered aside to be returned to the ga1
iOyc' liz GdfO up W tlle pOllc6 II SUI
of 1000 francs belonging to the reg
mental chest, with which he had bee
intrusted to make some purchases {
Bondy. Brincart, the colonel Of h
regiment, made the most earnest attempt
to secure his release, but all in vain
The mighty fabric of the first empire WI
falling to pieces, and officials had SOM
thing more important to think about tha
the case of a private soldier--an escape
convict.
Dubois was born at Prauthoy.
Upper Marne; he was sent to the scho
OF Brienne at the age of twelve: in II!
his father placed him among the studen
of Mars. After Robespierres downfall
Dubois was returning homeward whet
at Bar-sur-Seine, he fell in with soldi
of the Fourteenth Dragons. They b
came friends, visited the different plac
of the town together, and dined wi
much iollity at the Grown, a publ
house kept by one Chevrelat. At dim
the dragoon stole three silver spoon
which, couple of days later, as th,
We're about to separate, he sold to Dubc
at low price, saying they were his ow
Meanwhile, the landlord, missing Il
sllverware, suspected them and follow
them to st. Mare, where they were q
rested. The dragoon escaped from d
gendarmes; the spoons were found
Dubois, aRd he, then being only TWEEN
years Of age, was sentenced 10 Gig
wears hard lBi1or ~ an accessory 10