Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-10-02
GROUCHY'S FAILURE.
THE REASON HE DID NOT RE-EN-
FORCE NAPOLEON AT WATERLOO.
story Told by Lieutenant Radoux, Who
Served Under Grouchy and the Emperor.
Interesting Career of a Soldier Who
: Loved and Believed In the Corsican.

Interesting Career of q Soldier Who
Loved and Believed In the Corsican.
Would Napoleon have won Waterloo if
REINFORCED by Grouchy? And why did
6rouchy fail TO re-enforce Napoleon?
This dual question has been the battle
door and shuttlecock of discussion and dis
pute by statesmen, military men and his
torical writers ever since the memorable
18TH OF June, 1915, when the great Cor
sican in the space of few hours lost Wa
terloo and the throne of France.
A most interesting and in some respects
unique interview was had only few years
ago with an officer who served under
Grouchy in that Waterloo campaign. This
was Francis Radoux, a lieutenant in Cap
tain Michals company, Seventy-fourth
regiment OF infantry; a remarkable man,
with remarkable history; veteran of
| 96 years at the time he was called on, and
| yet both physically and intellectually fine
ly preserved.
Lieutenant Radoux was born in st.
Sayan, province of Brittany, France, Sept.
., 1890. His childhood was barren of 9TH
CT than commonplace incidents, vet his
| soul was alive at an early age to the tre-
mendous events which in rapid succession
convulsed his nation. The French revo-
luton, the battle of Nalma, the execution
of Louis XVI and his queen marie An
toinette), the fall of Robespierre, the grow
ing power and influence of a certain cap
tain Of artillery, Napoleon Bonapartc by
| name; the Royalist war in La Vendee,
Lord Howo's victory over the French, the
conquest OF Holland by the French armies,
| the victories of Bonaparte, commander Of
the French army in Italy, over the Aus
trians; his Egyptian invasion and sanguin-
ary work, tho battle of the Nile and de-
struction of the French feet by Lord Mel
son, the crossing of the Alps by Bonaparte
and defeat of the Austrians at Marengo;
the renewal of war between France and
| England; Austerlitz, Trafalgar, Jena,
Nimcra and Corunna; the rapid promotion
| of the artillery captain to commander in
chief and emperor Of France-thcse had
all followed in quick succession by the
time the boy Radoux had reached the ago
of IS.
In that year, 1906, Radoux enlisted on
| a French privateer, tho Vetren, Captain
Legrand. But after short and bloodloss
experience he, with others, was captured
by British cruiser. He was transferred
to a prison ship, and for seven long,
weary years and some months he was
prisoner of war But one day he saved an
| English officer from drowning, for which
| service he was Internationally released.
RadouX at once returned to his native
| town, where he was received as one risen
from tho dead. Ere long he married his
| youthful love, Mile. Jeanette Adams, and
| settled down to domestic life, to cultivate
the arts of peace.
Napoleons escape from Elba, his mass
| ing of another large army on the Belgian
| frontier and the rallying of the allied
| forces to meet him are too familiar facts
| to need retoraton.
With the flight of the French army from
Waterloo the military career of Radoux
| ended. The next year he, with his wife
| and infant child, emigratcd to America.
| He settled in Raymond, Me, where for
| many years he carried on milling and was
| also famous dancing master and violin
| ist, the best in each role of any man in
| Maine at that time. His second wife was
| an aunt, by marriage, to Nathaniel Haw-
| thorne. 1t was at his pleasant, richly
| furnished home in Portland that l met
| him. l found him nice looking, inter
| esting polished, genial and agreeable old
gentleman. He was in q suit of black and
| wore a black velvet skullcap. was evident
| ly under feet in height, with a straight
| military figure, had full blue eyes, a
| but slightly wrinkled face, clear cut,
pronounced features, with small semi
| circle of gray locks and beard of medium
| length and white as snow.
At my request he gavo a history of his
| life connected with tho memorable days
when his commander, "the emperor" " as
no affectionately called him, to a largo cx
tent controlled the military and political
affairs of Europe.
But there is one point on which l am
eager to have your opinion" l said when
the aged veteran had finished his story.
And what is that, pleascY"
| "As you were an officer under Grouchy,
and hence had unusually good opportuni-
| ty to know the real situation of things, /
would like to learn your opinion in regard
| to tho failure of Grouchy to re-enfJTco Ma
| poleon. You know that for long tme
| afterward thcro were bitter recrimnations
between the marshal and the emperor as
to how this important duty was attempted
TO be performed, and the reasons why
| Grouchy failed, on tho day Of Waterloo to
arrest tho lateral movement of the Prus-
sian troops from Wavre toward Waterloo. "
| Yes, yes, 1 know" responded the old
| soldier, with animation. Il can assure
| you that Grouchy did the best he could I'M
der the circumstances to carry out the em-
peror's orders, bat twas wholly impractl-
cable" ="
| And he thereupon gave clear and log
! ical explanation OF she case. In substance
! he showed that Grouchy late on the 18th,
had been sent with 80, 900 men, to pursue
the Prussan army, which had been de-
| feated at Ligny, but with a force fully in
adequate to cope with the entire Prussian
| army, especially as Blucher, its command
er, in the interim had been REINFORCED by
a large division under General Bulow
| Besides, the roads, owing to the heavy
rains of the night of the 18th and morn
| ing of the 18th (Waterloo day., were very
muddy and sloughy, making the moving
of the wagons and artillery slow and diff.
| cult. Then, again, had Grouchy early
/ known that Bulow and Blucher had made
| a diversion to join Wellington, ~ miles
! distant, at Waterloo leaving Thielman,
with only II, 900 men, to hold him in
! check as best he could, he perhaps would
! have done differently. He could have