Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-05-25
GENERAL BOELINGER.
"TmE MAN oN HuESEHACK' VINO JUST SOW
LOOMS JP uN the FRENCH POLITICAL no
RlZuN.

''TiIE MAN oN HuRSEHACK' WHO JUST NuW
LOOMS ~ oN THE FRENCH POLITICAL no
RIZuN.
From Iarls.rs Weekly
The Frrnchman of our day who is talked
about and thought about more than any
other il General Bouanger. Born IN 1881.
the son uf IA French lawyer at Rrnnrs,
who had married a young English woman,
and had become inspector of "a Nantes in
surance company, he was educated at St.
Cvr, and appointed sub lieutenant in the
First Algerian Tiraileurs. Under Random,
ia 1857, he took part in the Kabyle expedi
tiun and the attack on the lrdietes Heights
The Italian campaign followed, aud on June
g. 1888 at the Turbigo skirmish, he was
shot through the chest, the wound and his
| bravery bringing him the Cross of the lie
| gion Of Honor and u Sandman decoration.
! Promoted to be lieutenant, he went with
his company, in 1861, to Cochin China, and
there was wounded in the thigh 10y AN An
nam lance at Traidan. The next year he
was promoted to be captain, and in 1866
served as drill instructor at st. -Cyr By
that time he had married and had two
daughters, Yvonne and Mimi The war
with Germany in 1870 gave him the grade
of major, quickly followed by that of lieu
tenant colonel but he was in garrison at
| Nantes. and not until after Sedan was he
ordered to Paris, just before the siege.
| There. as lieutenant colonel of the ll4th IN
| fantrv, he was engaged at Champigny, and
wounded in the shoulder. The January
| following. as colonel of his regiment, he re
ceived IA bullet in the elbow, and was men
toned for bravery, and made commander
Of the Legion of Honor In the reorgani
latun after the war he was made euten
ant.culumcl of the l00th infantry. was
color el in 1874, aud brgadier general in
1850, commanding IA cavalry brigade at Ly
ons in the fourteenth corps 1t was with
| this rank that he came TO the United States
| with the French mission at the Yorktown
centenary.
We are now prepared To see that it is Il
| combination of traits and circumstances
that has gained General Boulanger his pres
ent celebrity The disasters of the war
with Germany had eclpsed many reputa
tons, and with few exceptions IL was t.
the rising generation of her general officer,
that France looked. One Of these was
Buulanger, and his record for wounds and
gallantry was exceptionally creditable, ST.
that when in 1882 an officer was wante,
for duty at the ministry of war as director
| of infantry under General Campenun, Bnu
LANCER was among the most available. lin
/
ergy and industry and having ON one ui
two occasions to represent General Campo
non in visiting the pupils of seminarics, hi'
feryid addresses attracted attention Nhel
the Brissun cabinet went out, and the u,
Freycinet cabinet came in, Boulanger wa
taken into the new cabinet as minister u
war As war minister, Boulangers 5 admin
istratiVe ability, already noticed, found
full scope What distinguished Boulanger'
administration was first, the great variety
and real importance of his army reforms
and secondly, his avowal of preparation
for possible war. These two facts made hi
part in the cabinet the centre of attention
The Freycinet ministry was succeeded
by the Goblet, and the fall of the latte
carried Buulauger out of office to take com
mand of the thirteenth corps at Clermont
Ferrant hut his departure from Paris wa
made the occasion of II great popular dem
onstratiom. For many months he had bee
spoken of rs the man ON horseback VII
might one day rule France, and even Ger
many was excited 10y the stir his caree
was causing. Presently the scandal as /
the sale of Legion of Honor decoration
startled France, nul his enemies sought /
connect him with il. the resulting popula
reaction hring in his favor. Ills endeavo
10 fight duel with Ferry, enhanced hl
popularity Early during the present yea
his adherrnts began to vote for him as del
uty to the corps legislalir although he wa
ineligible aud refused the use of his name
But the government collected evidence tina
he was in completely with these politica
movements, aud had visited Paris in di'
guse. Boulanger denied the disguise, an
declared that the journey had been under
taken 10 see his sick wife but he was pun
) ished by being placed on the retired list
+ Here apnin circumstances favored him, fo
this severe penalty left him free, as Il mild