Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-10-10
TR0UvILLE'S TREASURE.
Dazzling Diamonds. "Rubies
Red and Pearls that a
Peri Might Have
Kept

r Kept
} Lie Buried in the Precincts Of Clarksyll
A gentleman who is one of 4
most reliable and best known citize
/ OF Clarksville, has handed us the il
lowing to be published. He does n
think it necessary that his name
given and prefers that his identity r
main a secret.
To the CHRoNIcLE:
/ have recently had a letter from !
Jean De Trouville, whose residence
in the rue st. Myr, Paris. He el
closes copy of manuscript foun
among the papers OF his great CRANE
father, the Chevalier Trochu De Trol
vile, who was an attache OF the coul
OF Louis XVI and favorite OF Mari
Antoinette. 1t is strange to relate, bu
never the less true, that this Chevahe
De Trouville was also ut one time
resident OF Clarksville, that he was th
hero of love adventure here and
what is more interesting, he left som
where in the precincts of this city
buried treasure, the value of which
if it could be found, would be almos
beyond computation.
How all these things happened i
related in the manuscript to which
have referred. The letter / had from
NJ. Jean De Trouville and the manu-
script OF his great grandfather are
both written in French, they were
translated for me orally, and shall
only give their substance in this com
munication.
The letter is explanatory of the fact
that the manuscript had only recently
been found among some old family
papers. The writer inquiries il
any discovery of the hidden treasure
has ever been made and if a trip to
America to search for it, would be
likely to prove successful.
/ can give verbatim only one OF his
sentances and l probably memorized
that because of the pride l take in
Clarksville. 1t is not germane to
the point in this narrative. He re-
ferries to our cityas "un marcbe en- gros
de tobac, ct te vile plus important
sur le Cumberland That Clarks-
vile is known so far away as Paris,
as great tobacco market and the
most important city on the Cum
berland, must be taken as conclusive
of the fact, whatsoever acaptious Nash
william might urge TO the contrary.
THE MANUSCRIPT.
The copy of the manuscript sent
me is quite lengthy, and written in
the quaint and courtly style. indicative
of French gentleman prior to the
revolution. 1t is an autobiographic
account of the adventures of the
Chevalier Trochu De TrouviIle. That
gentleman, have already stated, fire.
quented the court of the unfortunate
Louis and was on intimate terms with
that monarch's queen. He was, no
doubt, fine type of the gay, daring,
frivolous and bold French noblcman
Of his era. am forced to conclude
that he was fond of adventure and
though there is no description Of his
in his manuscript know
he must have been strikingly hand
some with manners at once winning
and debonair.
Shortly before the arrest of the
royal family in France, Marie Antoin-
ette gave into De Trouvilie's keeping
l small iron box containing the jewels
which she most priced. One Was
Droache which her mother the En-
press Maria Theresa had worn on the
OF memorial meeting with
he great Frederick of Prussia
was diamond necklace
which had been a present from her
brother Joseph OF Austria A wedding
yift from Louis, and many valuable
'elics of both the Capet and Haps-
ourg families filled the box, and there
VAS solid gold cross set with dia-
nonds that had heen given the Dau-
1hin on the occasion of his christen-
ng.
With this precious charge in his
leeping De Trouville made his way
,ut of the distracted kingdom and
allied for New Orleans. He remained
here until after the elimination OF
hose tragedies in Paris, which so
hooked the civilized world and by
which his royal patrons lost their lives.
Fearing detection and arrest if he
'emained in a French colony he
tarted with party of six emigre who
lad accompanied him from France,
n sailing boat up the Mississippi,
loping to make their way to Canada.
The party was unfortunate from the
,utset. They suffered from the mala-
ious climate and were attacked by |
hostile Indians. When they reached |
point which think must have been |
bout where Randolph in this State
low is, only too of their number sur
lived. These two were without pro-
'isions and unable to work the boat.
they determined to go across the
ountry in search OF the frontier set
lements OF "ie etat de Caroline du
Nord," as the manuscript has it. After
journey OF two weeks De Trouville
cached Clarksville, weary, foot sore
nd alone. His companion had died
n the way, unable to undergo the
itigue and deprivations which the
entailed.
ClarksviIle, it may be well imagined,
1as rough place in those days. 1t
7as the typical frontier settlement
nth block house, stockade and few
1g cabins. Life in such place must
ave been in strange contr asst with
nat the hero OF this adventure had
pent at a glittering court in the gay
st capital in Europe.
Notwithstanding this fact, pioneer