The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-02-07
Marshal Ney an American.


Moscow there was one who shared with
the great leader the credit due for the
safe return of what was left of the proud
and gigantic army that less than year
before invaded Russian territory. That
man was Marshal Michel Ney, the
trusted counselor and bravest General
of the ambitious Emperor. Every stu
dent of history remembers with feeling
of admiration the gallant conduct of
Ney at the battle of Borodino; how he
was told to guard the rear while the
army crossed the Moskva, and how he
was the last man to leave Russian soil.
Although he was shot as traitor after
the defeat at Waterloo, Ney won for
himself the title, ..the bravest of the
brave" conferred upon him by Napo-
leon, and there is no one but who
would be proud to claim him for a
countryman.
While Ney's biographers have re-
counted in glowing language his deeds
of daring on the battlefield, they pay
but little attention to his birth and
early history, of which very little is ap-
parently known. French writer's say
he was born at Saarlouis, France, but
give no details, showing that they do
not know very much about it. A
Leader reporter few days since gained
possession of information which not
only goes to show that there is some
| probability that he was an American,
but that he was possibly great-uncle
of Mrs. Garfield, the wife of the late
President Garfield. Some time prior
to, and during the War of the Revolu-
| ton, there lived in the beautiful Shen-
andoah Valley of Virginia family by
the name of Rudolph. In this family
were several brothers, one of whom was
the father of Mr.. u. Rudolph,
of Mentor, the father of Mrs.
| Garfield. Another brother named
Michael, during the War of the
Revolution. left his young wife at home
and Joined the Colonial army. Of
=aore than average ability, it is said, he
soon became an officer and rose to con-
Sderable prominence. When the war
,vas almost over and he was thinking
"a returning to his home, he received
The intelligence that his wife had proved
unfaithful Maddened by this informa-
,s:on, he at once left the army and quit
the country, and was never heard from
thereafter Some eight or ten years
later Michael Ney, serving in a regi-
ment of French hussars, was promoted
to Sub-Lieutenant. His brilliant mill
tary achievements won for him favor in
the ewes of his superiors, and in 1897
he was made Brigadier General in the
Army of the Rhine Two years later
he was made General of Division. In
1903 he aided in the preparations for the
invasion of England, and the following
wear was made Field-Marshal of the
army. In 1905 he was conspicuous for
his bravery, and was made Duke OF
Elchingen. In 1912 he again assumed
an active position in the army, and
fought bravely during the Russian cam
paign, winning fresh laurels. The tide
then turning, Napoleon, no longer vic
ttReg tReoBs B6dFb56 Ha5 feRRsa aRa hspf f2e MH
of government. Ney was created a
Peer of France and placedfn command
of nearly the entire cavalry force.
When Napoleon returned from Elba in
1915 Ney again espoused his cause, and
followed him to the field of Waterloo,
where he fought with his accustomed
bravery Defeat came, and Ney was
condemned to death In the Garden of
the Luxembourg he was shot, his body
being riddled with bullets, and a mon
ument now marks the spot where the
hero fell.
Shortly after Ney's execution there
appeared in Baltimore q Frenchmen
who made inquiries after the Rudolph
family, stating that among the dead
soldiers private effects there had been
found short autobiography, in which
he said that he was not Frenchmen,
! as had been supposed, but an Ameri
can. He said that his name was
} Michael Rudolph, and that he was
: born in Maryland. After leaving this
country because of his wife's infdelity
, he went to Ireland Remaining there
i short time he went to France
! Quickly learning the French language
he sank his individuality and forgot hi:
, sorrow in the great French army by en-
listing under the name of Michael Ney
: which he retained to the day of hi:
5 death. His wife's conduct may have
induced him to change his name, bu
> he may have had other reasons. 1t i:
Q known that he married again in France
3 but very little is said of his family rela
s tions. About thirty-fiVe years ago thi
9 story was revived and published il
many papers in this country. Nothin!
8 but the claim that Ney was an Ameri
a A Leader reporter becoming pos
h sessed of the above information yester
day called upon Mr.. Il. Rudolph, Mrs
n Garfield's father, at Mentor. The oil
4 gentleman, after hearing the story, said
Z E'Yes, had an uncle named Michae
:. Rudolph, and he left the country in tn
: manner stated. Some sixty years ago
d when l was small boy, my parent
y received newspaper containing sub
\ stantially the same story that you hav
e told me. About forty years ago Will
d at hotel in Southern town, pickle
up Life of Bonaparte' in which
e found an allusion to Ney being c
e American birth. kept copy of tha
S. newspaper or clippings from it for
% long time, but have mislaid them some
II where. so | cannot find them ut present
le NY father always believed that Marshs
IT Ney was his brother, but 1 would nt
s. like to claim relationship to such q di.
g. tinguished man without further proof.
d. In conversation with. friend
IN which he brought up the subject, Mr.
stories in the family for many yeal
her grandfather, but she never elaine
+. relationship with him. simply becau:
is she did not know whether the story w:
ID correct or not, and that its truth nevC
could be proved, and she did not pr
be pose to bother herself about it.--Clec
nd Ldlad Leader.
ng
The throne of England, so splend
on when covered with silk, velvet and gol
in is, in fact. only an ''old oak chair,
er over ooo Years III ''7e ioi INC S"ilie P''
pose. Its existence has been trace
-, back to the days of Edward |. III
ass wood is very hard and solid; the bac
a. and sides were formerly painted in val
"a Gus colors, and the seat is made of
NO slab of rough-looking sandston
,w twenty-five inches in length, sevente'
" inches in breadth and nineteen and on
half in thickness, and in this stone Ii
at t,nn rrrnrd ,,acnlia n ritz of the chair