Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-27
NAPOLEON BOlgAPARTE.
STORY OF A MAN WHO GUARDED THE GREAT
NAPOLEON.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
STORY OF MAN WHO GUARDED THE GREAT
NAPOLEON.
In Fulton county, Ga., there is now living
an old man who enjoys the distinction Of hav.
ing guarded Napoleon during his short cap.
tivity on the Bellorophon previous to his
departure for St. Helena. Mr.. Gregg, for
that is the name of the old man, is now eighty
five years of age, but he is still in the enjoy
ment of good health, and his memory seems
to be unimpaired. In the course ofa conver.
sation with the veteran some time ago, a few
facts were elected which will doubtless be OF
interest to the many admirers Of the French
emperor.
Gregg, according to his statement, was one
of the British marines on the Bellorophon.
After the Emperor Napoleon, or General
Bonaparte as he was studiously called by the
officers of the vessel, came on board and sur
rendered himself to Captain Maitland, claim
ing the hospitality Of England, he was as
signed cabin and one of the marines was
always on duty at the door. This post fell to
Gregg's lot number of times, and he soon
began to feel friendly interest in the Illus
trious prisoner.
"How did Napoleon look and act?" asked.
"He was the grandest looking man ever
saw" replied Gregg. "He had splendid
head, dark brown hair, and a face like mar
BILE. His eyes were light blue, and when
in high spirits his smile was the sweetest i'm
aginable"'
"He was cheerful at all times, was he?'
"Oh, yes; sometimes he would speak to me
and to the common sailors as pleasantly as
you please. He would utter a few words in
English, and then ask if what he said was cor
rect, and when we would point out his mis-
takes as well as we could, he would laugh
like boy and then he would turn the tables
by picking flaws in our French. Oh, he was
rare one, sir2
"Always in good humor, then?"
"Well, no, sir. Sometimes he was very
blue, and then again he would get mad, and,
Lord, sir ! how he would swear!'
Swear" The great Napoleon swear"
eyes, sir; that he did He would swear
by the hour at anybody or anything that
crossed his path"
"How did he pass his time ?" I queried.
"He read some, and talked with the officers
good deal, and then he was very fond OF
pacing the deck. Sometimes he would shut
himself up in his cabin all day, but generally
he was walking about, noticing everything.
Nothing seemed to escape him, and be was
in the main very willing to talk to anybody
that came along. Sometimes he was very un
assuming, and then again considering his po-
sition as prisoner, and all that, it did look
as if he was little too haug ghty."
"Did he ever appear at all cowed p
"Cowed Not a bit of it. Why, sir, he
walked the deck as though he owned the ves-
sci and everybody on it. He would get blue
and mad, as said before, but he always car
ried himself grandly, and everybody, from
the captain down, showed him the greatest
possible respect In fact, we all took liking
to him, and that's the truth about it."
"What was Napoleon's height, as near as
you could guessS"
"Well," replied old Gregg, meditatively,
"they tell me that he was little man, but l
did not think so when I saw him. 1t was be.
cause I was raw youth, l suppose, and the
sight of the greatest man in the worlds histo-
ry dazzled me. But then his manner was al
ways so dignifed and impressive that We nev.
er thought of his small stature"
"What was the opinion of those on the
Bellerophon in reference to the Emperor 8
future ?"
"Why, sir, we all thought he would be re-
ceived as England's guest, and by some pro-
vision in the treaty be allowed pension, on
condition of not again taking up arms. We
had no idea of anything else, and, sir, our
men shed tears Of humiliation when they
learned that Bonaparte was not to be permit
ted to land on En- glish soil-they did, sir, and
our officers, too, were good deal ruffied-
they felt that the British government was
doing something that Was mean, petty and
malicious"
"And you think that your prisoner was the
greatest man in the worlds history?''.
81 do," said Gregg, positively. 81 have
read and heard great deal about the man,
and more than that, have seen him-l
knew him, and it was impossible to come IN
contact with him without recognizing bis
immeasurable superiority over other men
whom the world has called great"
This ended the conversation, and it seemed
to your correspondent that the sight of this
old soldier, with his animated description OF
old days, had the effect of bringing the dis
tant past nearer and making it more tangi.
BILE at least it made Bonaparte appear more
like real human figure and less like my
biological .-Conyers (Ga.,) correspon-
dence Of the Detroit Free Press.
P1UTEs SHOPPING IN DENvER.-I was Gu
rious enough to watch a party of Utes 60
shopping few days ago. They had been to
photographers, and each one carried tin
type Of villainous looking Indian, at which
he proudly gazed and grunted, "that me-"
When the purchases had been made, the
braves majeslically gave orders to the squaws
to go packing; so tugging away at the bags