Arizona republican., 1893-12-12
MARSHAL IMAGINATION.
The Grand Record Of the Famous
French Soldier.
The Part He Took In the Crimean, Ital-
ian and Franco-Prussian Wars+As
President He Was Not Much
of Success.

! of a Success.
Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de Mac
Mahon, due de Magenta, marshal of
France and ex-president of the French
republic, who died October II. was
born at Sully, July 10, 1903. He derives
his descent from an Irish family who
risked and lost all for the last of the
Stuart kings.
The MacMahons. carrying their ma
tional traditions, ancestral pride and
historic name to France, mingled their
blood by marriage with the old nobil-
ity of their adopted country. This
member of the family entered the mil
itary service of France in 1925, at the
school of St. Cyr; was sent to the AL
gerian wars in 1880; while acting as
aide-de-camp to Gen. Achard took part
in the expedition to Antwerp in 1889;
attained the rank of captain in 1888,
and, after holding the post of aide-de-
camp to several African generals and
taking part in the assault of Constan-
tine, was nominated major of Foot
Chasseurs in 1910, lieutenant colonel of
the foreign legion in 1912, colonel of
the Forty-first of the Line in 1915 and
general of brigade in 1S4S.
When, in 1855, Gen. Canrobert left
the Crimea, Gen. MacMahon, then in
France, was selected by the emperor to
succeed him in the command of di-
vision; and when the chiefs of the al
lied armies resolved on assaulting Sc
pastopol, September s, they assigned
to Gen. MacMahon the perilous post of
carrying the works of the Malakoff.
For his brilliant success on this occa-
sion he was given the grand cross of
the Legion of Honor, and in 1856 was
nominated knight grand cross of the
Bath.
Gen. MacMahon, who took conspic-
uous part in the Italian campaign of
1859, received the baton of marshal
and was created duke of Magenta in
commentator OF that victory. He
represented France at the coronation
of William III. of Prussia in Novem-
Der, 1851, was nominated to the COM
mand of the Third corps d'armee Oc-
tober IA, 1862, and was nominated gov
ernor general of Algeria by decree
September 1, 1864. On the breaking
out of the war with Prussia Marshal
MacMahon was intrusted with the
command of the First army corps,
whose headquarters were at Strasburg.
nv, Avn fha
of Prussia attacked the united army
corps of Gems. MacMahon, Failly and
Canrobert, drawn up in position at
Woerth. MacMahon had under him
$4,000 men in alFand occupied strong
defensive position on the slopes of the
Vosges river, but the French line was
turned by the Prussians at two points
and their left and center broken. not
withstanding desperate charge of
cavalry which was ordered by Mac
Mahon as a last resort. MacMahon re-
tired on the following day to Saverne.
next to Toul (13th), Rheims (21st) and
Rethel (22d). On the 30th his forces
were again defeated by the Prussians,
being driven back from Beaumont be-
yond the Meuse, near Mouzon. He was
chief in command at the battle of
Sedan September y, but received a
severe wound in the thigh at the com
mencement of the engagement, where
upon the command devolved on Gen.
Wimpffen, who signed the capitula-
ton. MacMahon was made prisoner
of war and conveyed to Germany.
Having recovered from the wound,
he left Weisbaden for France March
10, 1871, and was nominated in the fol-
lowing month commander in chief of
the army at Versailles. He successful
ly conducted the seige of Paris against
the commune, and ably assisted NJ.
Theirs in recognizing the army. In
December, 1871, he was requested by
the Partisan press union to become a
candidate to represent Paris in the
national assembly, but he refused to
accept the nomination.
On M. Theirs resigning the presi-
dency of the republic May "a, 1878, he
was elected to the vacant Office by the
assembly. Of the 1922 members who
voted 800 voted for Marshal MacMahon
who Immediately afterward accepted
the headship of the executive, his con
sent being carried back to the assem-
bly,, couched in letter which was a
model of manly straightforwardness
and modesty. "a heavy RESPONSE
blllty," he wrote, lis thrust upon my
patriotism, but, with the aid of God
the devotion of the army. which viii
always be the army of the law and the
support of all honest men, we will con
tinue together the work of iberatiue
the territory and restoring moral ordel
throughout the country, we will main
tain internal peace and the principle.
on which society is based. That thi
shall be done I pledge my word as al
honest man and soldier" Heresignet
the presidency in 1879.
A LITTLE AVRlETY.
TIE little too ic caid 70 ha dico ,,,,aor