The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-11-24
some Flnuer, of Hi,torr.

Beyle (SteBdh) who was with the French
army during the whole Of the Russian cam
paign Of 1872, ridiculcs the notion Of speeches
on battlefelds, and declares that he once saw
a French colonel lead gallant charge with a
piece Of ribaldry, that it answered the pur-
pose perfectly well. 1t is certain that most Of
those reported by historians were never made
at ALL ''The Duke of Wellington did not say
"Up Guards and at iheml at Waterloo; he
never took refuge in a square, and bis "What
Will they say in England If we are heaten?'
was addressed TO some officers of his staff, not
to 4 shattered regiment. The best of his bio
grapbers, the Chaplain General, relates that,
in the battle Of the Nivelle November 1879
the duke rode up to the s5th regiment and
said IN Lis THE subaltern's) hearing, "You
must keep your ground, my lads, for there is
nothing behind you"
'Follow my white plume" the traditional
rallyirg cry Of Henry ", is quite consist
ent with Brantome's description of him at
Coutras, "With long aud great plumes."
Yoltaire makes Condo throw bis baton Of
command over the enemy's palisades at Fri
boHrg. Other accounts say chs MARSHALL
baton" He was not marshal; he did not
carry baton; and what he threw was his
cane. A fne trait ia told of Douglas, who,
en- his way to the Holy Land with Bruce's
| heart, took part in a war between the Span
iards the Moors, and lost his life in Skin
m.sh:-
"Wben he found the enemy press thick round
him, be took from las neck the Bruce's heart,
and speaking to it as he would have done to
the king had he been alive, he said, Pass
/ first in hgbt as thou vert won't to do, and
and Douglas will follow thee or die" He
then threw the kings heart among the enemy,
and rushing forward TO the place where it fell
was slain. His body was found lying above
the silver case"
For more than a century the authenticity Of
the pitby Dialogue between the spokesman Of
the French and English guards at Fouteney
was generally allowed, Lord Charles Hay, hal
in hand, steps forwar and says, with bow,
Gentlemen Of the French Guards, fire." NJ
d'Auteroche advances TO meet him, and salut-
ing him with the sword, says, Monsieur, we
never FIRE first, do yon fire." Unfortunately
for this story, letter (6rst brought TO light
by Mr.. Carlyle) from Lord Charles Hay to bis
brother, Lord Tweeddale, written or dictated
less than three weeks after the battle, has
been preserved, in which he says, at was
our regiment that attacked the French Guards,
and when We came within twenty or thirty
f-NIs u ANGAif AANauIEu NGlOIG OUT feel-
meni, drank To- them, and told them we were
The English Guards, and hoped they would
stand still until we came up to them, and not
swim The Scheld as they did the Mayu at Det-
tingen. Upon which imme lately turned
about to cur own regiment, speeched them,
and made them buzzsh-I hope with a will.
An officer (d'Auteruche) came out Of the
ranks, and tried to make his men huzzah;
however, there we're not above three or four
IN their brigade that did, This certainly
puts different complexion upon the matter,
by converting a chivalrOus intercourse Of
courtesy into ''chsff"
Lord Macaulay tells an anccdote of Michael
Godfrey, the deputy-governor uf the Bank Of
England, who was standing near King Will
liam and under FIRE at the siege of NamuT
Mr.. Godfrey" said William, "you ought no,
10 run these hazards; you are not a soldier;
you can lie Of no use to Us here" "Sir,' an
sWered Godfrey, ~ run no more hazard than
yonr Majesty" Not So" said William; 81
am where it is NV duty to be, and may
without presumption commit nv life to Gods
keeping; but you-" While they were
talking, cannon-ball from the ramparts laid
Godfrey dead at the kings feet.
Napoleon stated at ST. Helena that pesai1
fell dead at Marengo without a word Theirs
makes him say 10 Bondet, his chief Of divi-
sion: "Hide my death, for il might dishearten
the troop" dying order Of the Constable
Bourbon a, the taking Of Rome The speech
ordinarily given to Desaix, and inscribed on
his monument, is coufessedly fiction What
passed between him and Napoleou, when they
first met upon the field, has been differently
related, One version is that Desaix exclaim-
ed-''The battle is lost" and that Napoleon
| rcr11a4-ftk0 =. r-.--tr.-
That Of N. Theirs is, that circle was hastily
formed round the two generals, and council
Of war held, IN which the majority were for
reireating- The First Coasul was not Of this
opinion, and earnestly pressed Desaix for bis,
who then, locking al his watch, said-srFes,
the battle is lost; but il is only three o'clock;
there Is still time enough to gain one" For
this again parallel may be found. The
Baron de SirOi, who commanded the French
reserve al Rocroy, was told that the battle
was lost. ''No, mol" be exclaimed, at il not
lost; for Sirot and his companions have. not
JET foughs.h Desaiz, il viii be Remembered,