Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-10-08

yap0leon's Narshals.

From an interesting article in the Au-
gust number of Temple Bar on Napoleon's
Marshals, these extracts are taken:
Nicolas Oudinot, Due de Reggie. sur
named the Modern Bayard. He was
wounded thirty two times in action. but so
little OF braggart that in going among
the old pensioners Of the lnvaiides ne was
never heard to allude to his own scars.
At Friedland bullet went through both
his cheeks. breaking two molars. 'Ces
denttstes russes ne sdreHt pas arracher,"
was his only remark as his wound was
being dressed. Ii was to him that an old
soldier, applying for decoration. adj
dressed letter beginning thus: Mar
shal under the Empire | received two
wounds, which are The ornament OF INV
life. one in the left leg. the other in the
campaign of jena" He was the most
disinterested Of men. Alter Friedland he
received with the title OF Count grant Of
fi0, 900, and he began to distribute money
at such a rate among his poor relations
that the Emperor demonstrated with him.
You keep the lead for yourself aud give
the gold away said His Majesty, in al =
fusion to two bullets which remained 10
the Marshal's body.
Jourdan's fingers were generally smear
ed with ink. which made Murat say that
he fought all his battles on paper. which
was true in manner for he was a first
rate military administrator, and never
went into action without having thought
OF all the minutin of war. There Is "A
story of his going the round of The caniin-
ieres' carts before the battle of Fieurus.
and vexing the souls of those ladies by his
inquisition into their barrels and bottles.
One OF them thought 10 molly him by
uncorking a bottle Of chamberl,n in his
honor: but he waved the insidious beyer
age away, and improved the occasion by
delivering an Interminabie harangue
against luxury. saying that general
ought to drink no better wine than his
soldiers. When he had finished q tall
drum major raised laugh by ex-
claiming: WHO is TO drink the
good wine them Hand me the bottle"
There Is "A story of General Wolfe din
ing with Pitt before he set out for Canada.
Alter dinner. being excited by wine, he
drew he sword and stamped about the
room sporting in snch iIomeric style that
Pitt was d,smayed, and began to doubt
whether he was til to hold an important
command. Marshal Augereau's talk and
manner, when he had to deal with civil
commissioners, deputies and such people,
were even more exuberant than those OF
IIomer's heroes but during the revolu-
tionarv period Frenchmens minds were
attuned to brag and tor long time
Augereau's valuation OF himself was ac-
copied without discount. Nine. Fallen
used to say that, with the exception Of
Mural, none OF the new generals could
march into a drawing room with such an
air of victorious seli-poSsession as
Augereau.
Augereau was an inveterate looter. Re-
turning from Spain, he brought with him
robe, all encrusted with diamonds and
rubes. which had been stripped from ii
statue OF the Blessed Virgin in Biscayan
church Rolling up this precious gar
ment under his cloak. he went with it by
night To the house of his favorte Jew re.
ceiver in the Rue Quincampoix. The jew
was out but his wife sat at the receipt of
custom, and she at once pronounced the
Jewels on the robe II sham. ''Ah J.! ces
brTqands dc pretres :" exclaimed the dis
gusted general. Il will allow you ten
louis for the lace" continued the .Jewess.
and bargain was concluded on those
terme: but some months afterwards
Augereau ascertained beyond doubt that
the Jewels had been genuine, and he went
of in haste to make the Jewess disgorge :;
she did nothing of the sort, but looking
hard at him said. well have the Jewels
appraised in y court of justice, if you
like" The hero went out in that state Of
mind. defined by La Fontaine "Honteuc
CONNIE an renars gu'une poule auratt
pris."
Massena was dubbed by Napoleon 1.-The
Darling of Victory" after Rivoli, but it
was curious that his talent only came out
on the battlefield. Usually he was a dull
dog. with no faculty for expressing his
ideas and he wore morose look. Napo
leon said that 1.-The noise ofcannon cleared
his mind
The din of war had Just the contary
effect on Bruno. He suffered tortures in
his first battles, for the noise of cannonad-
ing and the sight OF blood made him sick
Every time field piece was discharged
near him he felt a shock in the pit of hi.
stomach which would have made him
bend double with pain if he had not stiff
ened his legs in the stirrups and thrown
his body rigidly back. To do this. how
ever, it required such an amount of merry
Gus tension that sometimes that his mus
cles remained rs if paralyzed for hours.
At the battle of Arcola. where his master
" command of division helped to win
the day, the rebound of cannon ball
threw clod of earth into his face and
knocked him. blinded, eff his horse His
sword got snapped as he fell but he con-
tinued TO grasp the hilt so tightly that his
fingers seemed to be clamped round it.
For more than half an honr they would
not relax, and all this time. while the
mud was being washed out of his eyes.
his teeth was set as in lock jaw. These
symptoms of physical distress. like Mel
sons tendency to sea-sickness, were never
quite overcome. but in time Bruno was
able to conceal the outward signs of them.
Leiebyre's speech was not so uncouth
as his wife's for he was naturally tanci-
turn; but he was a man of very simple
tastes. who could never accommodate
himself comfortably to the luxuries of a
high position. Nine. Recamier said he
smelt horribly of garlic. At the Emper-
or's coronation. having to wait for about
an hour in the cathedral before the court
arrived. he drew hunk of bread with a
slice of cheese from the pocket OF his gold