Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-11-10
On THE s~f1IRRofHoN.
The Story of a Marine Who Guarded the
Great Napoleon.


Conyers GA Correspondence Of the Detroit
Free Press
In Fulton county, Ga, there is now
living an old man who enjoys the dis
tinction Of having guarded the great
Napoleon during his short captivity on
the Bellorophon previous to his de-
parture for St. Helena. MIR. Gregg,
for that is the name of the old man,
is now eighty-ive years Of age, but he
is still in the enjoyment of good
health, and his memory seems to be
unimpaired. In the course of a con
versation 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 n 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,
claiming the hospitality of England,
he waa assigned a cabin and one OF
the marines was always on duty at
the door. This post fell to Gregg's
lot a number Of times, and he soon
began to feel a friendly interest in the
illustrious prisoner.
"H9y did Napoleon look and act?'
| asked.
HE was the grandest looking man |
ever saw" replied Gregg. He had a
splendid head. dark brown hair, and a
face like marble. His eyes were a
light blue, and when in high spirits
his smile was the sweetest magma
bic"
HE was cheerful at all times, was
he?"
"Oh, yes; sometimeshe would speak
to me and to the common sailors as
pleasantly as you please. Hewould
utter a few words in English, and then
ask if what be said was correct, and
when We would point out his mistakes
as well as we could, he would laugh
like a boy and then he would turn
the tables by picking flaws in our
French. Oh, he was a rare one, sir l'
always in good humor, then ?"
"Well, no, sir. Sometimes he was
very blae. and then again he would
get mad, and, Lord, sir how he would
swearl'
Swear The great Napoleon
swearl'
Yes, sir; that he did He would
swear By the hour at anybody or any
thing that orossed hispa.h."
How did be poss his timer |
queried.
lie read some, and talked with the
officers a good deal, and then he was
very fond of pacing the deck. Some
times he would shut himself up in his
cabin al day, but generally he was
walking s5ORt, noticing everything.
Nothing seemed to esaapp him, andhe
was in the main very willing to talk to
anybody that came along. Sometimes
he was very unassuming. and then
again, considering his position as a
%prisones, apd all that, it did look as if
he was a little TOO naughty"
did he ever appear "a a.! c0wed p
"COwed Not a bit Of il. Wing.
sir, ha walked the deck as though be
owned the vessel and everybody on it.
He would get blae and MAD, az said
before, but he always carried himself
grandly, and everybody from the cap.
tain down, showed him the greatest
possible respect. In fact, we all took
a liking to him, and that's the truth
about IT,"
What was 4apoleon's hight, as
near as you could guess2'
We'll" replied old Gregg, medi-
tatigely. they tell me that he was a
little man. bat did not think so when
| saw him Il was because | was a
raw youth, | suppose, and the sight Of
the greatest man in the worlds history
dazzled me. But then, his manner
was always so dignifed and impressive
that we never thought Of his small
stature"
What vas the opinion Of those on
the Beller5phon Ia 4~eterence to the
Empcror's future?"
Why, sir, we all thought he would
be received as England's guest. and
by some provision in the treaty be
allowed a pension, or 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 permitted to land on English
soil-they did, sir, and oHY off GERS.
too, were a good deal ruhled-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 ia the gQrld's
history p
Il d." said Gregg, positively. 81
haye read and heard a greatdeal about
the man, sp9 more than that, | have
seen him-l knew hin, end it was
impossible to come in contact wltli
him without recognizing his greatnes.
and his unreasonable superiority over
other men whom the Yofld has. called
great
This ended tie conversation, aud il
seemed to your correspondent that tho
sight Of this old soldier, with his ami,
mated description Of old days, had the
effect o. bringing the distant past
nearer and making il more tangible
at least it made Bonaparte appeal
more like a real human figure ana'los,
like Psychological being.
sleep Walking.
Boston Courier.l
A middle-aged lady in England
Q