Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-18
A ROMANTIC STORY.
\ Russian Princess Who Found a Ref
uge In Louisiana.


1 The colonies which now form the United
| States OF America, and many incidents
| relating to the lives Of the primitive set
| tiers have been brought TO light and given
1 TO the perusal Of those who at one time
/ were content to remember only that Sill
1 Walter Raleigh planted the first of~these
/ colonies, in Virginia, and that the ''PiI
! grim Fathers" landed ut Plymouth Rock
| The trails to be faced by those who made
| new homes, so far from their native land
/ prove these pioneers TO have had stout
! hearts, for not only were they divided by
4 an ocean from the countries whence they
/ might hope to recruit their scant numbers
4 and draw supplies, but also they had t.
4 brave the dangers of the climate and the
! formidable hostility of crafty, treacher
/ Gus saYages. Many sought refuge on
! these shores from the intolerable burdens
4 laid upon them in their own country By
/ political or religious enemies, and some
! came t0escape from the woes of private
/ life.
If we turn to the pages Of an old book
4 entitled travels in Western America
/ by Capt. B0ssu, cheyalier Of the Order o
4 st. Louis, we will find the following mar
/ ratiye of the life of a princess, who fec
( 10 Louisiana many years ago, Preterrlng
/ Punishment and the hardship of a new
4 settlement, along with peace of mind, t
& =
/ Russian court.
/ The Prince Of Wolfenbuttle had two
4 daughters. The eldest married the EN-
/ perOr Charles W.; the younger,th CZarO
/ WITT Alexis, son of Peter the Great, q
i brutal barbarian. This accomplished
/ charming and gentle woman made every
/ effort TO win the regard of her ferOciOus
/ wicked husband, but met with no return
/ except insult and cruel il-treatment
i hn af MT n
and her life was only saved by receiving
I prompt assistance from her attendants
There was no one who could protect heI
from his hatred. as Peter the Great was
far away, studying in different parts Of
Europe methods by which he might raise
his empire nearer to the level Of the
civilization Of the other great powers OF
the continent.
The Princess was expecting to become
a mother, when one day her husband got
so furious with anger that he kicked her
repeatedly, end her ladies-in-waiting
found her in a lifeless sWOon upon the
i0or, all bathed in blood. They were 90
Mortified that they determined TO rescue
her from the dominion Of her inhuman
tyrant. They bribed the servants, and
wrote to the Prince that she was dead.
He sent a courier at once with an order
that she should be buried privately, with
to keep from the public the knowledge OF
his infamous conduct.
The Countess Of COnigsmark, mother OF
Maurice, Comte de SAKE, Field Marshal
Of France, aud victor of FOntenoy,
helped her to escape from the palace, ana
gave her as guide a confidential old Ger
man servant, who spoke French and Eng
lish, as well as his own tongue. She
departed incognitO, taking with her
only a scant supply Of money and few
valuable jewels.
All the courts Of Europe went into
mourning for the log of wood which was
buried in the coffin, supposed to be hers.
The Princess reached Paris safely, but
dreading recognition, went at once 30
Aarseilles. the port from whence all the
ships Of the great ndia Company sailed
TO Louisiana, which at that time was also
called u ississippi. che crossed the ocean
in company with 500 German emigranta,
who eventually settled in the present
parishes Of st. John the Baptist and St.
Charles, then known al Ia cote des Ale
msnds, and at last she arrived at this
much-longed for haven Of rest. Her
faithful attendent had assumed the title
of father, and was almost as devoted As a
parent could have been, and no sooner
had she landed at New Orleans than she
attracted the warm admiration Of all who
met her. The most ardent OF her admir-
ers vas the Chevalier d'Auband, a distin-
guished French officer, who had visited
the court Of st. Petersburg. Having ire
quently seen the Princess in Russia. he
knew her at once, although he could
hardly believe the evidence of his senses
at first, and it was only after careful
observation, that he became thoroughly
convinced that this lady was indeed the
unfortunate wife of the terrible Czaro-
witt, whose brutal violence and savage
ferocity were well known. With the wise
| and commendable prudence of a man-0f
the-World, the Chevalier d'Auband kept
/ this discovery to himself, but the old Ger
man soon perceived that he
was aware of his mistress
true rank, and taking him into
his confidence gave him a detailed account
of their flight, and asked him how he had
best invest the money, which had been
obtained by the sale of her jewels. Mon
sieur d'Auband at once took charge of
/ these funds, and adding sum of his own
to the amount bought a plantation in
| partnership with the Princess. He lost
| no opportunity Of eYincing his zeal and
| attachment to her service, and when alone
with her, on one occasion, he could not
refrain from falling at her feet and avOw-
ing his acquaintance with the story OF
| her life. She was terribly agitated by this
unexpected communication; entreated
him not to betray her, and swore him to
! secrecy.
Not long after these events European
newspapers brought to New Orleans in
I formation of dark tragedy which had
occurred at st. Petersburg, where Peter
| the Great had caused his eldest son,
! Alexis, to be put to death because ne op-
posed his fathers innovations and i'm
| proyements, and declared loudly that as
| soon as he reigned in his stead Russia
| should returned to her former condition o.
| barbarism.
| The remembrance Of all her past suffer
| ings caused the Princess inclinations to
| turn toward the joys of private life, rath
/ er than the giddy heights of regal gran
| deur. She was counted among the dead
| by the world, and now lost her faithful
| Old attendant, whose death she
truly deplored, and thus, BY
| was drawn still closer to the CheYaliel
d'Auband. In the lonely desolation of hei
| life he was her only friend and contidant
| ard it was but natural that her hear
! should open to him, and that, putting
! aside the great difference in their sOcial
rank, she should have rewarded his tideli
1 ty and love by becoming the wife of d
/ Captain of infantry, and have found fan
| greater happiness with him, in foreign
! country, chiefly inhabited by savages
| than she ever enjoyed in the royal pal
| aces of st. Petersburg, or, perchance
| than her sister kne W upon the throne o.
| the C9sars.
| Some years later, in consequence of q
/ severe illness, the Chevalier dAuband
/ was obliged to sell his plantation and &c
! to Paris to consult a physician. Nine
| d'Auband went with him and nursed him
with tender care through this trying or
/ deal. A daughter had been porn of this
! union, who had learned German from heI
| mothers lips. One day, when they were
/ walking in the garden Of the Tuileries,
| the Comte de Sake passed by them, and
/ being attracted by the sound of his moth
/ er-tOngue, looked back at them. Words
I cannot express his establishment when
! he reco4 nlzed the Princess, who earnest
/ ly besOught him not to divulge the secret
/ he bad thus accidentally acquired. She
related to him the particulars of her
/ flight from st. Petersburg, and told him
what assistance his mother, the Countess
/ Of COningsmark, had given her at that
/ time. The Comte de SAKE informed her
! that he would be obliged to notify the
/ King that she was in Paris, and asked for
permission to call upon her. She per-
/ suaded him to promise her that he would
! not announce her presence to the King t0l
/ the space OF three months, and readily
! consented to receive his visits If be would
/ come at night and unattended.
Meanwhile, the Chevalier d Auband, who
saw that the money they had brought
A frI