The Cecil Whig., 1877-02-03

he lDatter beCan" currently known III
and around Philadelphia about that period,
and the statement to this effect, and from
which we borrow this portion Of our facts,
is from a highly respected citizen of that
place. Other facts are to be taken in con-
necion with this. Lallemond, among other
particulars, said that when spoken Of by
his enemies i'll the army of Napoleon, Ney
was commonly called "the foreign tobacco
merchant That Ney understood and
spoke the English language tluently there
is no sort of doubt.
The portrait of Ney, as published 10y his
family, presents us with a face which is
anything but French in style and express
sion; it belongs to the Saxon cast, and
would be recognized as such all the world
over.
1t was highly desirable to submit this
portrait to such Americans as had known
Rudulph; but the number remaining when
this counterfeit preSentment' reached us
was small. But we have the words of one,
who though boy only when Rudulph was
in America, had learned to watch his coun
tenance with admiration. Before my
God." is the language of the venerable Mr..
Spalding, 81 think the upper part of the
face, III the engraving you have sent me.
might be such as Michael Rudulph's S would
have been, at the distance of time that has
lntetvened between the periods. \ nephew
of Rudulph's commands the revenue cutter
on the Georgia station. | think the upper
part of his face bears some shade of re
semblance to the portrait, &C. And such
was the opinion of other gentlemen Of
character who examined the engraved por
trait of Marshal Ney. We have now given
a hasty glance at the general presumptives
upon which the opinion is founded, in por.
tions of the United States, that Ney and
Rudulph were one aud the same person.
1t is not merely that Ney spoke bad
French, but that be spoke good English;
that he concealed his English when with
Americans, though he was known among
the French to be familiar with the language
That he was pronounced a foreigner among
the French, sneered at as a I" tobacco
trader" believed by some of his most dis
tinguiShed associates to be an American,
and possessed qualities of intellect, charac
ter and person corresponding with all thar
is known of Michael Rudulph, the Ameri
can.
We do not say that we are satisfied with
the story, but we think it case that de
serves inquiry.
Such, with some other articles in the
Southern Literary Messenger of 1S47, &c.
were the theory and facts as given by the
writer quoted, and they are manifestly OF
curious interest to us, especially in this
centennial year of our existence as a nation
The undersigned would add to these
curious speculations what he knows and
remembers to have heard i'll this connection.
First, with regard to the striking like
ness of Ney to Rudulph, he remembers to
have heard the late J. b, of Baltimore,
who married a niece of Michael Rudolph,
several times say: "Thas General Rewbell
who was one of the Directory of France,
and who accompanied Jerome Bonaparte
when he visited Baltimore and when the
latter married Miss Patterson here |, that
during hunting trip, snlpe shooting at OF
near Elkton, Cecil county, Marylan he
was reported to have seen picture OF
Michael Rudulph, in the hands of some OF
his family residing there probably, and at
once pronounced il the very Dicturp oi
Marshal Ney. who was well known to him.
General RewbelD. The members Of his
family who possessed this picture long since
removed to Tennessee, and may still possess
it.
Then as to the family likeness alluded to
between the revenue cutter nephew and
Rudulph Cor Ney.) The daughter of the
late J. b above alluded to, and who is a
grand niece Of Michael Rudulph, now OF
Baltimore bears striking likeness to the
picture of Marshal Ney, as published by
Headley in his " Napoleon and his Mar,
$ lals," and, singularly enough, as a family
trait, she writes hand the precise counter
part of Major John Rudulph's.
Whatever there may be in the story OF
identity between Rudulph and Ney, this
recital may otherwise be of interest enough
10 the public, in that it may rescue from
Oblivion the gallant deeds of two Iif not
more as brave and heroic men as Mary
land ever gave to the nation.
THE END.