Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-24
Marshal Bazaine Dead
One of the Most Notable Fig
 ures in Modern History.
A FIGHTER ON TWO CONTINENTS.
He Died in Poverty, of Heart Disease. Sketch of His Remarkable Military Ca reer on Two Contine nts-The Cause of His Downfall.

reer on Two Continents-The Cause of
 His Downfall.
 MADRID, Sept. 24.-Francois Achille Bazaine, ex-maIshal of France, died here yes terday He v years of age. Heart disease caused his death
 His exile has been spent for the most part In poverty. The little money which came to him from time to time was contributed by some of the few persons who adhered to the belief that he was victim of circumstances and the ingratitude of his country.
 BaZaine was born at Versailles in 1901. He was destined to be a soldier from the first, and was educated at the Ecole Polytech- nlque. lie entered the army in 1881, and after having seen considerable service in Africa was made lieutenant in 1S36 and received the cross of the Legion of Honor He fought in Spain against the Carlists and then in Algeria and Morocco, and at the out break of the Crimean war he was sent to the front in command Of brigade. His career was gallant one and his promotion had been rapid.
 Bazlne first became prominent in American eyes when, ill 1863, he succeeded Marshal FoVey Ill supreme command of the French forces Ill Mexico. He fought gallantly to establish Maximlian as emperor of Mexico Nnd conducted two campaigns against Presi- dent Jurez and his republican forces, with an ability worthy of what in American eyes would have been better cause To him was due the organization of barbarous system of guerilla warfare against the natives which was carried on by Col Dupin. It was during bis service in Mexico that he was made marshal
 but there were fatal misunderstanding between Maximilian and Bazaine. The lat ter was accused of secretly plotting with the enemies of the emperor. He married q rich Mexican lady whoso family sided with Juarez The drift of opinion in the United States was hostile to the empire, and there was danger of an outbreak on the border So early in 1867, after having declared Maximil- ian's position untenable, Bazaine withdrew his forces from the capital and embarked at Vera Cruz, leaving the emperor to his fate
 Bazalne was violently denounced ill France on his return, but nevertheless he was placed in command of an army corps, and on the outbreak of the Franco-German war ill 1870 he was stationed at Metz. He was then com mander-in- chief of the imperial guard On the equalization of Sedan he retired into the fortress of Metz. He attempted to retreat on Aug. II, 1870, hoping to join MacMahon and the new army he was gathering at Chalons, but the Germans worsted him at Mars-la- Tour and Gravelotte and Prince Frederick Charles shut him and his army up in Metz bazaIne endured seige of seven weeks, and then surrendered, on Oct. 7, with his entire ' forces which included three marshals, fifty generals and 173, 900 men He left France i'm mediately, for his life was in danger.
 The equalization of Metz is one of the memorable events in the history of war, and 1t has been discussed almost endlessly by military authorities. Bazaine has been wig Orously accused of both incapacity and trea- son, and as vigorously defended He was summoned from England in 1871 by the national assembly to answer charges before special commission, and as a result of their report was tried by a court martial of gen eral officers, over which the Due d'Aumale presided, on charges of military incapacity in allowing himself to be shut in Metz by a nearly equal force, and of treason in attempt ing to make himself independent of the gov crnment of national defense, which had been organized after the emperor's downfall
 No direct verdict was returned on the lat ter charge, but on the former he was con Vlcted and sentenced to death. But the court added a recommendation to mercy, and Pres ldent MacMahOn commuted the sentence to imprisonment for twenty years in the for tress This was in December, 1873
 BaZaine was accordingly dismissed from the army and sent to the Isle St. Marguerite, in the Mediterranean, off Cannes He re- mained there about nine months enjoying the society of his family and a former aide de camp. An effort to secure a modification of the sentence from imprisonment to exile failed, and then Bazaine took the modifica- tion into his hands. On the morning of Aug. 10, 1874, he was missing But a rope dangling from the parapet told the story It afterward came out that Mme Bazaine and others received him at the base of the wall and took him aboard ship which lay con veniently near.
 Bazaine then went to Italy, thence tc Cologne; afterward to England and finally settled in Madrid, where he has since lived