The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-23
A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE.
Death Of Col. John Frederick Won Werder
Some Time an Officer Under Napoleon |.

Napoleon saw what ne believed TO % inc mead
Of Grouchy's column moving forward to at
tack the British left, by the farm-houses Of
La Haye and Papelotte, he was confident OF
victory but d little later, when he discovered
that the column was not Irouchy 8 but BLU
cher's, that 50 far from attacking the British
left the advancing forces were attacking his
own right, he realized tho certainty of his
defeat. Then 1t was that no uttered the mem
| orabe words: All Is lost! IL is the Prus-
slams who are coming" 1t is n full sixty.
three years since that June day when the
First Empire was wrecked ut Waterloo, but
only row has died one Of the Prussians who
helped to turn the French victory into de-
feat-Gol. John Frederick Won Werder.. And
| OF all the daredevil soldiers who fought with
the first Napoleon at a time when the world
has lived u more adventurous life or has
served under more flags than has this old
fellow, who died on Sunday night, In Balti-
more, an inmate Of the Aged Mems Home,
and lacking but SIX weeks OF being q hum
drcd years old.
| This hard-hlttlng soldier, who was hitting
his hardest IN the days when our grandfathers
were young, was born under the lee of Berlin,
January l. 1880. Fighting blood was In his
veins, and when he WAS sixteen years old he
was gaSetted an ensign In tho Prussian SER
vice. At that furious epoch, indeed, fighting
was the quickest, almost the only, road to
worldly promotion. So he fought his way up
to q lieutenantcy, and then to u captninry.
Austerlltz had been fought, and just then
there was peace In Europe, the Peace Of Pres
burg. But In tho following September Capt.
Won Werder had . chance to smell powder
Prusslan war began that grew out OF
the dispute over the Grand Ducly of
Berg. Perhaps 1t was at Jena. perhaps
only In some insignificant skirmish-
but In one Of the engagements of this cam
paign Capt. Won Werdor fell into tho hands
the enemy. Fascinated by tho brilliant gem
eralship Of Napoleon ma many better man
was fascinated before and after him this
born soldier OF fortune felt his allegiance to
Prussia rest lightly upon him, and readily
soldiers Of France In short, he deserted his
coIors and was rewarded by being made u
captain Ia tho French cavalry. With that
tnCt which Napoleon constantly manifested
In dealing with his renegade recruits, Capt.
Won Werder was not required to fight against
his own couItrymen. Lie was sent to cross
swords with soldiers on the Peninsula; and
ha and his companions did their work SO well
that toward the end Of the next year the
Paris lfOnifcD made tho curt announcement:
"Iho House Of Rragan2a has ceased to
reign;" an announcement that was followed
within six months by the abdcation OF
tho Spanish King. SO Capt. Won Wer-
der had no hand In EylaU and Fried
without him. It should be mentioned that he
improved the shining hours while in Spain
by marrying this Senoiita Mariana Gracia,
daughter OF Don Alfonso Eelasquez, n grandes
of the kingdom. When tho war with Austria
began-havng meanwhile been promoted
successfully to be ma or and colonel his
regiment was recalled and marched across
Europe TO the Danube. He took part In the
defeats Of Aspern and Eslingen. but the
memory Of these was lost when he was one
among tie vctors at Wagram He distin-
guished himself IN this battle, the climax of
the campaign, and for his galiantry WINS
made first aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen.
Murat While holding this position he was
present n year later, when the Emperor we'd
ded the Archduchess Marie Louise. This was
the eliminating point Of his masters career.
but not OF his own. He marched into Russia.
serving on the staff of Marshal Ney. and
fighting with tho best OF them, and he suf-
fored with the worst of them during the re-
treat AT the memorable crossing Of tho
Beresina he was tWice wounded, aud he just
contrlved to struggle on unit, nc found HIM
self safe and In d hospital,
While he recovered from his wounds he also
recovered from his infatuaton with Napo-
leon, doubtless perceivng that that hero's
days were numbered; and so 1t was that
when he got we'll again he was as much
Prussan as at the beginning OF his career
And like the lucky prodigal that he was the
Prussan King welcomed him home again
and made him colonel Of regiment, Of horse:
During the remainder of the war he fought
on tho other SIDE right pluckily, too, and
with the allies entered Pals In the year 1914.
Then came the short campaign after the es-
cape from Elba, ending with Waterloo. And
50, having fought right vaanty under two
flags, the gallant colonel was In ut the death
and on the winning side actually being one
OF the Prussians who came up under Butcher
and wrung from Napoleon the cry, "All ls
lost"
When the fighting was over he grew tired
of the service, and betook himself to travel
ing. Somewhere in the Levant he fell In with
Lord Byron and was induced to join the
Greek insurreCtion. For seven years he fought
with the Greeks until came freedom and
peace. Then he went over to Africa and en-
tered the French army once more. and for
nine years fought the Arabs But he was
growing an oldish man NOVELTY seven, or
thereabonts- and SO at last he sheathed his
sword. He went into Germany, and. Of course,
he got mixed up In the affairs OF '4S. For his
countrys good he left his country and came
to America. His life here has been one Of ad
venture, but his fights have not been against
men. 1t has been mere struggle for bread
and butter. commonplace, prosalc. More
over, he has been defeated. Poor old fellow!
What an inglorious ending for hero OF
Wagram and Waterloo-dead, In an Aged
Mems Homel"