The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-20
SOLDIERS FROM WATERLOO.
,rrIJN0 Ar THE COMMUETON TABLB
M BROORLTH CHURCH

HWn
-. Arrr The Great Bn,tIc-rhc Two
n..,rtbtuH Bnttics they Helped to Fight.
A, tho close Of the communion service In
49, ,t,r.y Avenue Baptist Church In Brooklyn
,o nret Sunday in November. the Rev Dr.
p'ui.o.t n nv. tho pastor. called together two
III u,n who had rcvcrcntly joined In the
,,sbip for the flrst time. and said to ;nem;
"yal shot At each o,ncr on the hcld nj Water
,...eahc hands together Low. aftor having
rL,n thc communion tog thcr."
rl..t two veteran eol'>crs grHspcd each others
l.ufs warmly. aut seemed surprised that after
,,.n.lr,c ycg.@ had uasscd they should meet
,su,mhers of the same church in foreign
hu1 Ca WIS Augustus Lcccro. French
tr, who lnu.lt under Napoleon at Watcrloo
,be other was Robert Stewart n Scotchman
vLofonght under Wellington in the Same baltic
Augustus lFcicra was found In his home.
whose ,.nc-cn lowered porch marks II from n
Lo,e row ~ frame hosscs In Lexington avo-
nm, Brooklyn. Although SO years Of ngc. he is
,ae4ury luio Frcnchman. full OF life and
,pmor. Int s0 devoted to his mother tongue
h.tuW.s in one sense misfortune to arouse
h.r.,olIrciiana u the Napolconic wars. for he
famed .n'o enthusiasm. and burst into rapid
ruu.h. and having exhausted his sentences.
,slclrrprutanty IN fair ENGLISH: Can you
mak.e.t olty' IT, Ia short and thick set. His
h.aI.- not unlike tho common prints Of Napo-
oon-. hui 10 s lacking in the great Emperor's
appearance Of intellectually. Ills crop Of hair
IL w. vigorous as that Of youth. and to de-
mon,,rate tar strength Of his eyes he read nno
mint. threaded a needle and proved that pair
Of src,u,,los could not bc found in his room.
Odagc. however. showed itself in the SILVER
which seemed to como from chronic chill in
blswrinklci tacc. anl when he spoke Of his
history. in his cloudcd memory. lie seemed
glad to nnd ouo ready to hear him talk Of the
gr4t NAPOLEON. but first he insisted on show
inga cheap chrome OF Napoleon Ill reviewing
DIS troops at S,lforino. Xat is not my Napo-
Icon-" said hc Then turning over the leaves
OF astrap book pasted with pictures OF kings
and queens he stopped Mt ono pagc on which
WIS pasted by itself an extract from THE Sun
hcal.d "Napocon's old Soldier dead" and he
said pathctcally: "Xat is yer beautiful" 1t
was a sketch Of Major Pullman. who died few
weeks ago
Mr.. Lcrlcre was born in Sale. France. his
father being farmer with nine children. five
sons and four daughters. He joined the First
lancicrs In Paris. n division OF cavdlrymen
armed with long spears and carbincs with flint
we suffered much from the cold in going to
l0n the army said Mr.. Leclcre. Many a
Hi ,.a S'S n, ctrr WIZ erIsiini W. had n1mpsr
Of cnsagcmens with the Russ iaus, Tut they
wore Mt important. How dreaded those
C-sacks-blg ugly. fierce fellows. In hghi
IN the last OF March. | don't know the name OF
To- battle now. our regiment was cut TO pieces.
Seventeen Were killHd 31t 81 thG twsniy,hye
Tie Cossarss. however. dashed upoudls. and
one big fellow ran his spear int? my riSht hin
An oil soldier by NV side killed him. chung
10 my saddle and fell 10 the rear. Tho surgeon
found that my wound was 50 rugged AMI bad
that could not return to the front. and | was
yer gnd. didn't want 10 see any more oil
those COSsarks.
Our regiment arrived on the field OF Water.
the great battle. Both armies were in position
and we saw Napoleon with his stan, gallopinl
to and fro along the lines. He was on dark
seemed very serious. We were put into actor
early IN the fight. and were made 10 chafe'
uTuu the English. We could not break thos'
square platoOns Wellington had formed. Tn
shot poured upon US. and men dropped drat
AL around. The cannons which, were insidl
the squares shot over the hends OF the Engllsi
aud into the French lines. The small bullet
whisiled about our heads. and tho cannon oall'
W close 10 the English until We could see tn
red coats. and then We fired our cnrhincs. W.
rnlloprd back reloaded and charged again
We we're sent al along tho lines. charging %
every point that we got orders, Ihe Jay grew
darker rs the battle progressed. suppose be-
cause OF the smoke. Along toward oven inE "
heard the trumpet OF the Russians rs Bluchc
approached.
Napoleon was a YER selfish man, and hi
ambition was for himself and not for his fellow
men. ! think that the old soldiers after the war
did not love him so much. That WINS bad VIVA
he did in Egypt, and his blowing up that hrldg
at Leipsic was also bad. II WIS foolish for hin
g. 20 10 Russia. and So kill SO many ot his sol
diers n the marching ! cannot give mn
good character. because think he WIS all tQ
himself think he wanted 10 rule the English
and that troubled him great. o-,.-
Our regiment was disb1nded inprleans. an
W. were sent home on furloughs ,t6rcport agni
IN three months To organize as n royal army 10
Louis xviii; but was SO tired 81 those war
that deserted and came 10 America where.
and I.aclere dropped all Disguise OF his accent
enshoyed de lie
Il WIS afraid might get into trouble If m
documcpts were found on me, so burn"
sixteen years. and thcn had little farm Il
NV jersey. married Virginia girl, an
alter she died married my present wife II
pointed To his mothery companion with pride
She said: " Lrclere. don't forget TO tell abou
hat French girl You fell In love with. when yo
An" said the Old soldier, with a chuckle
hai been in loaf many times. and ven va
In De vars ! stole lots of tings."
Mr. IT, Clere has been for two years n mem
bor Of the Marcy Avenue Baptist Church. AM
wien he was admitted at the age OF 81 he wa
Immersed. He submitted TO tho dlscomtor
trayoy, saying that he had been baptized b
nre whom lie was n boy and that he could no
eompla.n II water in his old age. Since he ha
earnod Of the presence Of another Waterlo
veteran in the congregation. he has hetraye'
much anxiety to see him. and talk over the war
lneirnt energy and after the writer had me
Robert stewart and called second tlmo on Le
,l"r". the Fronchman asked carefully abou
bin, and said that he would like 10 know hin
better. n Mr.. Stewart did not object.
hr Robert stewart. who fought under Wei
ungtDn. is past - years 81 age, He is ~
erect -oldicrY and brave in his bearing
lhere are many who know and esteem mir
Who douot know his history and when skcic
Of MS life WIS sought boy tho writer Il needg
nuch persuasion TO overcome his modesy ii
IA magnetic old man, Of tall. slender frame
crowned with long. snow-white hair, His lace
lghied hy expressive blue eyes and beneVo
fht smile, would be remembered from among
thousand. Three months ago he cut set q
hohlar"li type punches. work requiring pre-
eise touch, Keen sight and steady nerve, an
u.- j. al Illustration Of tho preservation OF ~
laculi rs. He has survived his thirteen broth
" ana sisters, his own seven children. ana III
WE. and rs now living at 2O9 Macon stree
Itookiyu. with his grandch lldren. whom b
taught tho business Of typemaking and VIII
now conduct the type foundry u Kemp Broth
81 Ia his 'ty. Two silver medals attest n
NJ soldiers presence IN the battles fought b
mrun5ton N spain and in the GROWING struR
geW waterloo. one ribboned medal bears
I@ure otthe IA. Uulpy face q George; Prime
MErHl aud II Inscribed. Waterloo, June II
sio' while about tho odge Of tho medal is Gu
AA9oert Slowart. 1T Bait. 9lst Reg. Foot"
,,in' othrr medal bestowed by the Queen, 1
W. bears beneath the inscription Regin
'Ia STAMP OF tho pretty young Quoe
r.. X cor0Iet upon the head Of the knec
aug aug Wellington. the nose OF the latter beln
l'u"ua IN silver. Tho opposite side ~ N
- NHal