The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-14
FRANCES AGED HERO
Points from the Career of Grand
Old Man" Marshal MacMahOn.
A Descendant of Irish Kings Who Gained
Fame on the Battle Field and Be-
came President of Republic.
New York Herald.

New YORK Herald.
Marshal MacMahon. ex-President Of the
French republic, whose serious illness has
been announced. is eighty-five years of age.
But little has been heard of him since he
retired from the presidency Jan. 30 1879.
1t said at the time that when he got
home to his own house in the Rue de Belle
chase, and he had read the account OF his
upset in the evening papers he had the
first sound nights rest he had enjoyed since
his accession to power From the moment
he returned to the station in life for which
nature and habit had fitted him. certain
grace and even grandeur gathered round
his retreat. He had left the palace where
he had dwelt as lord of French taxes with
clean hands. Afterward he returned TO his
life of other days-hunting, shooting and
travelling. Round his table he gathered
many of his old companions in arms, to
whom the new government had showed de-
cided hostility, and became content to be
simple spectator of the troubles Of the new
born republic, while his wife returned TO
her priedieu and her works Of charity, with
no regret for her past grandeur and no
wish to be called from her poverty to
life that had been at all times distasteful
to her simple habits
1t was with surprise and sorrow that
Paris saw soon after his retirement from
the presidency large printed posters an
nouncing that part of the very home of
the old general, the magnificent hotel in the
Rue Bellechasse, was to be sold at auction.
Immense yellow posters covered the walls
Of the mansion, announcing a sale Of half
the extensive property at reserve price
of $4,000 francs. The beautiful grounds sur
rounding the hotel were thronged with
curious sightseers, and the salons halls and
galleries, rich with paintings, statuary, fur
niture OF every age, from the days OF
Henri " down to the present time. and
other. evidences of a liberal taste, had
crowd of eager visitors. The house was the
ancient hotel of the Due De Castries, Min
lister of War under Louis XVI. 1t was
sacked by the mob in 1883. the Minister
Kings troops to Paris to massacre the peo-
pie. Nine. MacMahon. who is still alive,
has the title Of Duchess of Castries
FROM A FIGHTING STOCK.
The MacMahons were always a fighting
race, and the name is prominent in French
military annals, sharing in glory and in dis
aster One of his ancestors was at Water
loo, and the story is told that when the bat
tie was lost and 1t was necessary to make
a desperate effort to cover the retreat of
the shattered army, Charge; keep charging
boys" MacMahon shouted to the Third
CuirasSiers. Marshal" said the colonel
we are so cut ur it is certain death for
70 c9 9a;ra You know it." Embrace me-
And then the two gallant soldiers led for
ward the regiment which made those three
terrible charges that are recorded among
the great deeds of the French army. Only
lvs men of its number remained, and of
these all but eight We're wounded
"A recent biographer, speaking of Marshal
MacMahon's irish descent, says that he
was a direct descendant of Brian Boru the
famous Irish king who conquered the
wi
the story of the settlement of the Irish
MacMahons in France. Away back in the
seventeenth century, 1t is told, one Terence
AlacMahon was retainer of the famous
house Of Sarsfeld. He owned a farm at
Leadmore. County Clare, which belonged to
ms ancestors Tor many years. But he was
fallen in fortune and was glad to serve the
great SarSfieldS. He had son named Ter
ence and this son married Anne Clarke a
waiting maid who had served the Castle
maines and had been brought 20 Ireland by
Lord Tyrconnell. This couple went back to
only one. john, lived to grow up, and as a
companion for him they adopted nephew,
John Baptist MacMahon.
These two lads were sent to France to
be educated physicians. They got on
uncommonly Well, and after graduation
were appointed to fine positions in the pub
their friend and patron and helped them
nightly. John went with Lord Tyrconnel
to Berlin, where the latter was French en-
bassador and the former physician to the
embassy. There he spent twenty years, and
was a close friend of Voltaire He left one
son, Patrick MacMahon, who won the IA
vor OF Napoleon Bonaparte, and was IL
brarian to the faculty of medicine in Paris
for many years"
AS for John Baptist McMahon, he was
even more successful. Being a stalwart,
handsome fellow, with a fine touch of blair
ney, he was prime favorite among the
got him place at the head of great hos
pital at Autun and introduced him 70
crippled old woman there who was worth
NM he .<d rnn al
woman until she died, and then found him.
self heir to all her fortune. Then he mar
r r, a , great lady one Charlotte lie Belin
bleman, daughter of another and niece and
heir of a third. John Baptist MacMahon
married her In 1854, and they had seven
children. Some of these took high-soundins
titles belonging to their mothers family,
such as Marquis de Viange, Comte de Char
ney and Baron Sully. The second son, who
bore the last two titles named. fed to Brus-
sells during the French revolution and mar
ried a lady Of the great Caraman-Chimay
family, niece also Of Mirabeau. Their
third son was named Marie Edmond Pa
trice Maurice MacMahon. He was born at
Autun in 1905 and became the Grand Old
Man of France.
THE MARSHALS MEMOIRS.
On July 20, 1882, the cable reported that
Marshal MacMahon had completed his me-
moirs, but that he would not allow them
to be published until after his death. They
tween the Algerian campaign and the es-
adjustment off the French republic. Nine.
la Marechale MacMahon will have charge
of their publication Madame la MARKETABLE
was never very popular at the ElySee. She
was strong legitintst and exceedingly
devout, and French wits said of her: THE
Marshal governs France-Mme. de Mac
Mahon governs the Marshal and the cure
of Ste Clotilde governs Madame de Mac
Mahon."' She is said to have wept bitterly
when she quilted the Elysee. But she was
a good wife and mothe~ IL an unpleasant
lady presidentess. They told story about
her illustrative of her devotion to her nus
band. When the French army was engaged
In the italian campaign Nine. de MacMQ
hon happened one day to be with the En-
press Eugene when the kilograms
neuncing the victory of Magenta were re-
ceived. The Empress began TO read the
dispatch from her husband aloud 1t gave
sad list of the generals who had been
killed and wounded, winding up with the
words: And General MacMahon-." There
upon Nine. de MacMahon uttered a Shrek
| OF despair and sank back half fainting, but
was instantly revived by the concluding
words of the phrase, has been created
Marshal of France and Duke of Magenta"
1t was in the campaign of 1852 in Lom-
hardy, thai Mcmahon made hi, fame and
obtained his title to the Duke Of Magenta.
| the campaign against Austria. On one
memorable day he wrested victory from
| the very jaws of threatening defeat and
received his title and his rank of marshal
on the field of battle. He was one of the
| dozen heroes OF the period when he made
| his triumphal entry into Milan. Mr..
Browning has paid graceful tribute to