The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-06
TIE RETURN FROM ELR,1.
One Of tho Most Striking Incidents In Nh.
poieon's Career.

the principal inhabitants of the island
or Elba. With great secrecy Napoleon
had made preparations to leave the is
land and return TO France. a small
DrlS was at anchor in the ofling, and
three small merchant vessels. i'm these
four vessels, during the night, u thous-
ana troops were embarked. not one.
not even their officers, knowing where
they were bound. At midday, under
salute OF cannon, the emperor went
on board the brig, and the little fleet
set sail for the invasion Of France, and
for the overthrow ofthc throne of the
Bourbons, sustained by the immense
standing army of France and all the nj
lied armies of Europe.
When the vessels were out of SIGHT
OF land, Napoleon gathering around
him the whole ships company of the
brig, four hundred in number said TO
them:
"Wc arc going to France-to Paris. !"
The cXultatiOn was bOundlcss, for,
notwithstanding past rcvcrscs, every.
! soldier had unlimited confidence in thc
fortunes Of tho Emperor. The second
day OF their voyage Il Bourbon man-of-
war bore down upon them. The SOL
dicrs were concealed below, while M
polcon stood by tic side of thc captain
on the quarter deck. After tho cx-
change of few words, tho man-of-
war inquired after the Emperor of
Elba. Napoleon seized the trumpct
and shouted over the waters:
"flc is mavclously we'll"
Toward evening of the third day the
blue hills of France were seen i'm the
splendor of tho setting sun. In the
| early twilight Of the next mornin"
| they had reached tho shore in the Gulf
of Juan, and the Emperor Immediate
ly landed his followers on the lonely
beach, and bivouacEcd in the olive
grove near the shore. Pointing TO
an olive leaf, he said:
'it is the symbol Of peace. It is q
lucky omen, and it will be rcaizcd."
lie only took men enough with him,
as he said, to prevent his being "collar-
cd by the police"
| Most Of the day was spcnt in land
| ing the troops and stores. and at eleven
o'clock at night the little army, now
six hundred in number, with small
| pieces or cannon commenced their
march of seven hundred miles for the
conquest Of tho capital Of France.
Eortrcsscs on their line of march.
which the labor Of ages had strength
cncd, and which were garrisoncd by
two hundred thousand troops, thc;y
were first to subduc.
The moon shonc brilliantly in q
cloudlcss sky. Travelling rapidly at
.ght and tho next day, toward eve
ming they reached without opposition
tho little town Of Grassc, about fifty
miles distant. Here the peasants
crowded around the Emperor 50 en-
Enthusiastically that he aitcrward said.
81 could easily have taken two mil
lions OF those peasants with me to
paris.'
The next :wo days they advanced
sixty miles to DigEc, still encounter
ing no foe. The next day they reach
cd Cap. thirty miles further on their
way. The enthusiasm was now so IN
tense and universal That Napoleon
needed no guard.
The next day they wcro approacb-
ing Grcnoblc. ~ strong garrison was
stationed there. The commander
posted his troops, six thousand in num-
Der, III u dctiln tlankct by mountain
ana lake. Napoleon, with his rcti-
me, approached and rode calmly
along upon gentle trot until within
hundred PAGES Of the impossible wall
OF bayoncts glcaming before him.
Then dlSmounting, and folding his
arms, nc advanced alone to within ten
PAGES of the troops. Every eye was
liked upon him, and there was silence
rs of death. There he stood. with the
cooked hat and gray coat-thc HiiIc
corporal. ''Fircw shouted the com
mandant. Not trigger was pulled.
| lad there bcon one single man amonr
those six thousand willing to shoot, he
would have received boundlcss re-
wards from the Bourbons, and the
dcstinics of Europe would have been
changed. Napoleon spread open the
lapel of his coat, mcovcrinw his
breast and said, "Soldicrs, if there is
one among you who would kill his En-
peror, let him do il. Here am"
After moments silence, one voice
shouted out, "Vivc pEmpcrcur!" 1t
was tho signal for a general burst of
acclaim from soldiers and peasants,
and for Il scene of enthusiasm such as
no other man on earth ever excited.
The troops rushed in indiscribablc tu-
mutt around the Emperor, each one
cagcr to grasp his hand, and tears of
JOY flowed freely. The Bourbon COM
mandcr put spurs to his horse and dis
appeared.
II have co"c," said Napoleon, "be-
cause rely upon the people and upon
you. The throne Oft tho Bourbons is
illegitiniatc; it is not raised bv the
voice OF the nation. The people are
threatened with the renewal of the
tcudal abuses from which your yicto-
rics had delivered them"
| Grcnoblc was one Of the most i'm
portant fortified cities of France. 1t
was midnight as Napoleon approached
the walls. Tho commandments locked
the gates and concealed the KEYS.
They were powcrlcss. The soldiers
and people rose as one man, and, tear
ing the gates from their hinges, in q
countless crowd, dclirious with joy,
rushed out to meet the Emperor.
| With torches and illuminations, and
the ringing Of bells and frantic shouts,
they conducted him to his quarters.
Napoleon allowed his little band
twenty-fo,r hours for rest at Grcnoblc
and then continued his journey toward
Lyons. His path was thrOngcd with