Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-11-10

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opposite our lines. The morning after
our cncampmcnt we saw some flags of
truce in advance of Napoleon's army,
and 1t was then that the men first be-
gan to suspect Ncy's plans, but tho sus-
picions were not even whispered.
Soon the flags disappeared, and Ney
gave orders to prepare for an attack.
We were prepared TO attack and
marched on to the bridge. When we
reached the opposite side of the bridge
We noticed about dozen men adj
vancing from Napoleon's army on
horseback bearing flags of truce. Our
army which, all told, did not exceed
twenty thousand men, came to halt.
The men on horseback advanced and
the center one of the group proved to
be Napoleon himself. At sight of him
Ncy and his staff dismounted. Napo-
leon also dismounted and was warmly
embraced by Ney and his officers. OF
course shout in honor of Napoleon
went up from our ranks. Well,
history has recorded the rest. We
were forced 10 combine with Napo-
Icons army OF boys between the ages
Of eighteen and twenty years and go
on to Waterloo and defeat"
Were you taken prisoner at Water
LOOP"
"Ycs, although might have escaped
had not stopped in my fight TO at
tend tho wound of an officer to whom
/ was much attached, General Pupuno.
As | was dashing along on my horse,
lodging storm of bullets, | saw the
General stretched upon the ground,
bleeding from fatal wound in the
shoulder. | dismounted to dress the
wound, and while | was doing SO a
squad of Prussians came upon me and
captured me. They stripped me of
nearly all my clothing and what money
| had and turned me over to the En-
glish army, where there was lack of
surgeons, nearly all the English sur
geons having deserted their posts.
General Lawton was the commander of
tho division to which ! was assigned,
and was treated by him and his army
with the utmost Kindness and gentle
manly courtesy. The General allowed
me stipend. and put none of the
usual restrictions of prisoners of war
upon mo. When was takon to Paris
by the English, l found myself a COM
pick prisoner, SO to speak. was u
prisoner of Louis XVIII. because l
was in Ncy's deserving army, and u
prisoner of the English because | was
taken while fighting them. However,
the French Minister of War knew that
| was with Napoleon against my will,
and he forthwith assigned me to
duty rs Surgcon-in-Chic TO the
first regiment of artillery. went to
report this assignment to the English
General, and he positively refused to
surrender me. He said, with a good
naturcd laugh: No, Neyron, you arc
our prisoner, ard we need prisoners of
your profession, badly, just now.
Therefore, will change the programme.
J hereby order you sent 10 minister to
the surgical wants of the army at Calais
and Dunkirk.' 1t is needless to say
that the order was carried out. In fact
| never saw the French Minister of
War again. The English allowed me
double pay, from the time of my invol-
untary assignment until l was dis
charged as prisoner.
"How did it happen that you be-
came a pyest?"
''Wcll, TO begin with, | was sol
der against my will, but at the conclu-
sion Of the war, made up my mind
that 1 would either be an officer in the
regular army, or what was left of the
regular army, or a priest. After due
consideration / choose the priesthood
and entered the seminary of Lyons,
and after studying theology for three
years / was ordained a priest for the
diocese of Bellay in the spring Of 1928"
How did you happen to join the
American missionP"
I'm the year 1885, Bishop Brute, of
Nincennes, Ind, sent an appeal to the
young priests of France, asking such
of them as had the apostolic spirit to
volunteer for the Western missions. |
recognized the appeal as voice call
ing me from home 10 do the work of
my Master in foreign land. So did a
young friend of mine, Father Shafer.
We obtained leave from our Bishop to
join the American mission, and forth.
with started to join Bishop Brute.
liked Bishop Brute, because like my
self, he had been physician and sur
gcon before becoming priest. In the
early spring of 1886 Father Shafer and
myself arrived at Vincennes and were
welcomed by tho Bishop. Father Sha-
for was forthwith sent to Chicago and
myself to New Albany, Ind.
But in one year. during 1886. had
been on missionary duty in nearly
every part of Illinois, Indiana and part
Of Kentucky. The ravages of the chol-
era in Kentucky rendered my services
necessary thorc, and many poor VIC
Tins died in my arms while I was ad-
ministering the last sacramcnts to
them. In 1887 Father Shafcr died and
was buried somewhere in the village of
Chicago. Bishop Brute sent me TO sue
coed him, with the understanding that
as soon as Bishop Rosati, of st. Louis.
sent priest TO Chicago, was to
report back at Vinccnncs. l was sta
toned at Chicago not quito five weeks
when Father st. Cyr, of st. Lonis. ar
rived there. having been sent 10 take
charge of the mission by Bishop Rosati
Thus, you sec, was the second pastor
OF tic present great Catholic COM
munity of Chica0o not for n lone firnc