The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1885-08-13


+ 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 Sey, the
trusted counselor and brayest General
# the ambitious Emperor Every stu
dent Of history remembers with feeling
OF admiration the gallant conduct OF
I Nev At the battle OF Borodino; how he
WAS told to guard the rear while the
zrny crossed the Moskva, and how he
! was the last man TO leave Russian soil
Although be was shot as traitor after
/ the defeat st Waterloo, Ney won for
himself the title. ''the brayest OF the
brave conferred upon him by Napo-
leon. and there Is no one but who
would be proud 10 claim him for q
eoautTyman-
While News 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 APP
pzreatly known. French writer's say
be WAS born az SaarloUis, France, but
give no details. showing that they do
not know very much about it. A
Lealsr reporter a few DAYS since gained
possession of information which not
ONLY goes to show that there is some
probability that he was an American,
bat that be was possibly a great-uncle
OF Mrs. Garfield. the wife Of the late
President Garfield Some time prior
to. and during the War OF the Reyola-
ton. there lived in the beautiful Shen-
audoah Valley OF Virginia family by
the name Of Randolph. In this family
were several brothers, one of whom was
the father Of Mr.. Il. 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
more than average ability. it IS said. he
soon became an officer and rose to con-
siderable prominence. When the war
was almost over and he was thinking
of returning TO his home, he received
the intelligence that his wife had proved
unfaithful. Maddened by this informa-
ton. 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 regi-
ment of French hussars. was promoted
to Sub-Leutenant His brilliant mill
tarv achievements won for him favor in
the ewes of his superiors, and in 1877
he was made BrigadIer General in tie
Army Of the Rhine. Two years later
he was made General Of Division. In
1893 he aided in the preparations for the
invasion of England, and the following
wear was made Field-Marsbal of the
army. In 1893 he was conspicuous for
his bravery, and was made Duke of
Elchingen. In 1872 he again assumed
an active position in the army, and
fought brayely during the Russian cam
paign, winning fresh laurels. The lido
then turning. Napoleon. no longer vic
torious. was deposed, and Louis XVIII,
the Bourbon King, assumed the reins
of government Ney was created
Peer of France and placed in 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 riddIed with bullets, and a mon
ument now marks the spot where the
hero fell.
Shortly after Ney's execution there
appeared in Baltimore a 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 infidelity.
he went to ireland. Remaining there
short time he went 10 France.
Quickly learning the French language.
he sank his individuality and forgot his
sorrow in the great French army by en-
listing under the name of Michael Ney,
which he retained to the day of his
death His wife's conduct may have
induced him to change his name, but
he may have had other reasons. II is
known that he married again in France,
but very little is said of his family rela-
tons. About thirty-iive years ago this
story was revived and published in
many papers in this country. Nothing
but the claim that Ney was an Ameri-
can was made prominent, however.
A Leader reporter becoming pos
sessed of the above information yester-
day called upon MIR Il. Rudolph, Mrs.
Gariield's father, at Mentor The old
gentleman, after hearing the story. said:
Eyes, had an uncle named Michael
Rudolph, and he left the country in the
manner stated Some sixty years ago,
when / was small boy. my parents
received a newspaper containing sub
stantially the same story that you have
told me- About forty years ago while
at q hotel in a Southern town, / picked
up Life Of Bonaparte' in which |
found an allusion to Ney being OF
American birth. | kept copy Of that
newspaper or clippings from it for q
long time, but have mislaid them some
where. so / cannot end them at present.
Ny father always believed that Marshal
New was his brother, but | would not
like to claim relationship 10 such dis
tinguished man without further proof. -
In conversation with friend in
which he brought up the subject, Mrs.
Garfield stated that there had been
stories in the family for many years
about Marshal Ney being a brother Of
her grandfather. bat she aeyor claimed
relationship with him. simply because
she did not know whether the story was
correct or not, and that its truth never
could be proved. and she did not pro-