River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-01-13
PRIVATE BRADY.
One of NapOIeOn's Old Guards Va
grant --RecOIIectiOnS Of the Great
soldier.

few evenings ago, says the Toronto
Eceaing Telegram, tall, and erect, but
very feeble old man had to be assisted
into the prisoners dock at the police
court, to answer to the charge of va
grancy. The poor fellow admitted to
the magistrate that he had no place to
Law his head, and for the want of some
'better and suitable place he was sent
to Jail for sixty days. He said his name
was David Brady, that he was 80 years
of age, that he was pensioner, and
that he had been stationed with his
regiment at st. Helena during the
period of Napoleon's imprisonment
there. A reporter called at the Jail and
asked permission to have talk with
Brady. Gov. Green granted the neces-
sary permission without hesitation, and
as the old man was too feeble and
weak to come down stairs, the report
er followed one of the iailers to the
hospital, where Brady was found re-
clining upon the edge of his bed. He
told his story with great effort and
many pauses, owing to loss of memory
and extreme debility.
: / was born in the year 1888, and
that makes me % years old. My
native place is Fillmore, County Caven,
Ireland When | was % years old |
Joined her najesty's Goth regiment Of
the line. Why did / join? Well, |
Just took a fancy to do so, and I'd
sooner serve her majesty for a shilling
a day, any time, than carry spade or
a shovel. Why would ]? Well, if
you're killed there's no more about it;
and then you're we'll fed and clothed.
and what more does a man want?
Yes, | was in the Peninsular under the
duke, and took part in the battles of
Barossa, Toulouse, Salamanca, Bada-
joz, and half dozen more, only | for
got their names: Wounded? Look at
that hand Well, that was done at
Toulouse; French cavalry soldier rode
at me, and tried, to cut me down with
his sword; | put up my arm so, to
keep off the blow and | got that mark
YOU see. The hole in my knee / got
at Badajoz and precious hard day it
was. All | know about it was that |
got in and came out alive, and | don't
know what was done / was at Water
loo, and at Corunna under Sir John
Moore, and then | was III India when
Lord Cumbermere was cOmmander-in-
chief and | took part in the battle of
Dhinapore. 1t was a hot battle, that.
| went up with lot Of other fellows
from Poonah, and we were three weeks
before we did anything"
Il understand you were in St. Hell
ena when Napoleon was there"
II was at St. Helena with the Goth
regiment from 1918 to 1922. When
| was there there was a detachment of
the 66th regiment on the island besides
the royal artillerymen, sappers and
miners. and the St Helena regiment.
We used to stand sentry at the door of
Napoleon's residence and about the
building. No, he never spoke to us );
he used 10 shun the soldiers, and if he
saw one of us coming when he was out
walking he'd turn off into the bush
sooner than meet US. We had orders
to present arms to him, but be never
acknowledged the salute or let on ne
ever saw us, and | don't think he ever
spoke word 10 one OF us from the
time he went there till he died. | got
in the black hole once over him. How
was that? | was golngto Deadwood,
barracks 10 Longwo0d, and about a
mile and a half on the road saw Mar
shall Bertram and his lady, two OF
Napoleon's French attendants, coming
toward me in their carriage. When
they saw me they turned off to go into
the bush, and just as they did so the
carriage broke down III threw them
out. l ran up and took offmy shoulder
straps and fixed up the carriage, and
then Lady Bertram offered me her
purse. | wouldn't take it. and Napoleon
told Col. Ogilvy that one Of the
soldiers had insulted Lady