Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-03-26
INDUSTRIOUS ExILEs.
French Imperialists Who Settled In Ala
bams In 1918.

French Imperiallsts Who Settled In Ala
bama In 1918.
Among the exiles who had sought
this far-away refuge from Bourbon per-
secutions were military chieftains who
had turned the tide of battle on some
OF the most sanguinary fields of Euro
pean valor, and courtly danes who had
figured in all the luxury and brilliancy
of the best days of the Empire. Generals
who. at the head of the superb soldiery
of France, who had done the bloody
work of their imperial master at Aus
terlitz. Jena, and Wagram did not hes
itate to grasp the AK, the pillow, and the
hoe, while brave-hearted women, who
had shone con>p;cuously in the brilliant
courts of Josephine and Marie An
tOinette, cheerfully accepted the hum
BILE. mental duties of pioneer house
wlfery. Conspicuous among the set
tiers was Count Charles Lefebre-DesnO-
nettes, who had been a Major-General
of cavalry under Napoleon. He was
in the full vigor of perfect manhood
when he came to Alabama ideal
sabreur. Erect in figure, handsome in
feature, and graceful in bearing. he
possessed a magnetism OF manner that
was irresistible in its charm. He had
followed the fortunes of Napoleon from
Marenco to Waterloo with zeal and
fidelity that on more than one occasion
won the highest encom.ums from the
Emperor. After the overthrow of the
colossal power of Napoleon, Desno-
nettes was marked for one of the vic
tins of Bourbon hate. and in the
month of May, 1916. ne was condemned
to death. without trial, by the second
court-mart al of the First military
division; but in the meantime he had
found a safe refuge in the United States
The personal relations that existed be-
tween Napoleon and Desnonettes were
of the most intimate nature. On the
retreat from Moscow they shared the
same carriage, and when Napoleon
was bidding adieu to his sor-
rowing officers at Fontainebleau,
on the eve of his departure to Elba,
he said: Il can not take leave of
nonettes in behalf of you ALL" In his
will Napoleon left him 1900 francs.
After Desnonettes had become estab-
lished in his pioneer home at DemopO-
lis. he built log cabin near his resi-
NChSS thttb IiC tStiiCb u.S ',
and in its center he placed a
bronze statue of Napoleon, while
around the room hung flags, swords.
pistols and other trophies OF battle. 1t
was his hab to repair to this retreat
at Il certain hour of each day, there.
perhaps, to live over in memory the
glorious moments when, at the head of
his charg ng squadrOns, he had strick-
en- terror to the hearts of the enemies
OF France. Among the actual settlers
on the Tombigbee Il scarcely less no.
ticeable persona GRE than Lefebre-Des-
nonettes was Colonel Nicholas Raoul,
who had accompan ed Napoleon to
Elba and had commanded the advance
guard OF two hundred grenad ers on
his return. He, too, was n the prime
of life when he came to Alabama-a
large, tlne-lOoking man. with decided
military air and bearing, energetic in
speech and action. and quick to resent
the slightest atfront. Tradition re-
counts more than one occasion when.
i'll after years, he administered merited
chastiSement to burly American set
tiers who had presumed too far upon
his forbearance His wife accompan-
led him to his pioneer home, and she
was one of the most beautiful and ac-
complished of the refugees. She was
a Neapolitan by birth, and had been
marchioness of Sinabaldi. When Murat
was King of Naples she was maid of
honor to Queen Caroline. In spite of
his energy Raoul was unsuccessful. and
he was at last forced to earn a subsist-
ence by keeping ferry on Big Prairie
Creek, about fourteen miles from Dem.
opolis. N. O. Times-Democrat.