Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-20
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Daily Eagle
NAPOLEON'S HORSES.
CHARGERS WHICH HE RODE IN BAT
TIE FROM 1896 TO 1916.

Points Brought Forward in a Dispute
Over Arab Horses and English Thorough
breds-Where ''the Little Corporal Got
the Gray Mare He Rode at Waterloo.
We find it asserted by the correspondent
of contemporary that she has records of
Arabs doing 400 miles, in India, in four con-
secutive days, and 522 miles in six days, and
elghty-four miles in ten hours" He adds
that the legs of an Arab are better than those
Of a thoroughbred, and that the former are
safer on rough ground, as was well known
and understood by Napoleon the Great, 1.-The
first horseman in the world, +" who rode an
Arab named Marengo, noted for that speed,
endurance and safety in difficult places which
are the pure bred Arabs great characteris-
tics"
In truth, there are few points connected
with the history of 1.-The Little Corporal'
concerning which more errors and myths are
INDUCED in by Frenchmen than as to the
chargers which he rode in battle from 1896 TO
1915 Some of these have found their way to
this country, and are propagated uncon-
sciously by many who ought TO be better in
formed.
THE HORSESHOE SNUFF BOX.
There is, for instance, at st. James palace
q snuff box made from the hoof of Marengo,
which has again and again been handed
round after dinner among the guests of OIL
GERS belonging to the Foot guards regiments
quartered in London. On the top of the lid
are inscribed the words: "Hoof of Marengo,
Barb charger of Napoleon, ridden by him at
Marengo, AusterIitz, lena, Wagram, in the
campaign of Russia, and finally at Water
loo" Inside the lid are the words: "Pre-
sented April s, 1910, by H W. Angerstein,
captain Grenadier guards and lieutenant
colonel, to his brother officers in the House
hold brigade" Round the hoof runs the in
scribed legend, 'Marengo was wounded in
the near hip at Waterloo when his great
master was on him in the hollow road in
advance of the French position. He had been
frequently wounded before in other battles. u
Now, with all due respect to Capt. Anger
stein, we doubt whether Napoleon rode Ma
rengo at any of the above named battles, ex-
cept that from which the horse took hi7
name 1t is quite certain that at AusterlitZ
Napoleon was on the back of an iron gray
Arab stallion to whom he gave the name Of
Austerlitz, and of whom Lord ROseberry has
an excellent picture at his house in Berkeley
square This gray stallion was, we believe,
& present sent to Napoleon from Egypt dur
ing the short peace which followed the treaty
Of Amiens in 1902.
Again, We know from "The Conscript of
1S13n-a work which, although cast in the
form of romance has an historical accuracy
in every fact and detail for which all the
writings of MN. Erckman-C hat-ian are
justly celebrated-that at the battle of Lut-
zen and Bautzen Napoleon was mounted on a
gray Finally, nothing is more individually
established than that at Waterloo Napoleon
had for his charger a gray or white mare,
whom he called Marie, after his second wife,
Marie Louise, and who is invariably spoken
OF in this country as Maria. There is at this
moment in the possession of Mr.. Walter Gil
bey picture painted by the elder Herring
not long after Waterloo in which Copenha-
gen, the chestnut charger of the Duke of
Wellington, and Marie, the gray charger of
Napoleon, are portrayed on the same canvas.
THE FAMOUS WHITE HORSE.
Within the last few months some addition
vi light has been thrown on the origin Of the
famous white mare bestridden by Napoleon
ut Waterloo, and also, we believe, at LutZen
and BautZen and in the campaign of 1914. 1t
vas on Marie or Maria that Napoleon was
often painted by Meissonier, and one of these
pictures is SO well known in this country,
through engravings of it scattered all over
the land, that the myth promulgated by the
Marengo snuff box ought long ago to have
been dissipated.
We now learn from Mr. Schallehn, n Ger
man gentleman who has resided III England
for many years, that Marie was bred at
Ivenach, in Mecklenburg-Sch by Baron
Plessen. Mr.. Schallehn believes that in 1918
Napoleon was advancing into Germany
shortly before Lutzep and Bautzen, and that
his quick eve caught sight OF Baron Plessen's
stud, which was full Of English thorough
breds. Side by side with the stud of Baron
Plessen was another that belonged to Mr..
Schallehn's father. The mighty Corsican'
made a clean sweep of both studs, and among
the young stock belonging TO Baron Plossen,
a white mare-the famous Maria--waS in
cluded.
MIR. Schallehn adds that after Waterloo
Maria fell into the hands of the PrusSians,
who restored her to her breeder, Baron Pies
gen, in whose family her skeleton, covered
with the white skin 50 well known TO Ma
poleons soldiers, Is preserved to this day.
Certain it is that no one knew and valued
English thoroughbreds more than Napoleon
the Great. Maria was the daughter of Hero
dotus, or Herodote, an English stallion I'M
ported into Germany with King Herod's
blood in his veins.
Copenhagen, whom the Duke of Yelling
ton rode at Waterloo, and also in the con-
GLIDING year OF the Peninsular war, was a
grandson of Eclipse. 1t is well known that
but for the fieetneSs of Copenhagen the duke
\ ,y.l Ira If
Sorauren, when he narrowly escaped being
surprised and cut off by the French cavalry.
As he cantered up the hill, glancing back
over his shoulder land ho1y pursued by the
most impetuouS of his followers, he was loud
IL cheered by his own troops when he re-
Joined them. To pretend that any Arab that
was ever foaled could have oeen more valu-
able as n charger than Copenhagen and
Maria would indeed be an abSurdity. The
truth is that the experiment has again and
again been tried, and always with the same
result-London Telegraph.
Al xriIuI DOG.
Speaking of dogs, said Il gentleman from
Avondale, discussing some of the recent dog
stories told by the delegate, there is a little
fox terrier owned by one of my acQualnt-
ances His mistress thought so much of him
that when he was pup she used TO battle
i'm every day. First she would battle the
:, then the dog would be given his douSe
~ water But she never used the CASTLE
II which was reserved exclusively for the
49,, N the dog He, poor animal, had 10
+ -ent with ivory soap. This diScrimina-
|. sidently annoyed the terrier. The
lay his mistress saw him so upstairs a
bafo,.a tho hour for the hath