The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-24
NAPOLEON'S WAREHOUSES;.
shings Not Generally Known About Ma
rengo and Others.


The most celebrated warhorse of the
preseD, century is unquestionably Napo-
Icons Marengo In view of the many
hundred biographies of the great captain,
it is certainly surprising that so little
should be known with any degree of GER
tainty concerning this world famous
charger.
To an American visitor TO the dethroned
Bonaparte at Chiselhurst in June, 1872,
Louis Napoleon, in u conversation about
his own horses and the war steeds of the
most illustrious of modern soldiers, saidi
"The emperor's favorite charger was
Marengo, an Arab of good size and style
and almost white. He rode him in his
last battle of Mount st. Jean, where Ma
rengo received his seventh wound. once
mounted him when a youth and but a
short time before the steed died az the age
of 80. Another favorite warhorse was
named Maria and was used by the empcr-
or i'm many of his hundred battles. Her
skeleton is now TO bc seen i'm the ancient
castle of Ivenach on the Rhine, the prop
erty of the Won Plessen family. OF the
other go or 20 horses owned by Napoleon
and used in battle, perhaps the most IA
nous were Ali, Austcrlitz, Styrie and
Jaffa He had 10 chargers killed under
him"
The American visitor might have added,
but did not, that Marshal Blucher had 90
shot in battle, while Generals Custer and
Forrest are believed to have each lost al
most as many in the brief period of four
years. Maria, or Marie, is thus described
! by Victor Hugo in the words of IA French
| veteran:
"On tho day when Napoleon gave me
Al. Y l. hnagt II ho1 its
ears very far apart, deep saddle, "a fine
| head, marked with black star, a very
long neck, prominent knees, projecting
| TANKS, oblique shoulders and strong
| crupper She was little above 10 hands
| high"
The Hon. Francis Lawley of London
| POSSESSES the picture of a white Arab stall
| lion, the history of which is well known,
| with the inscription in French, "Ali, bat
| tie charger of Napoleon. F" He was cap
| tured from the mamelukes and presented
| to the great captain. On Napoleon 5 down
| fall French gentleman purchased Jaffa
| and Marengo and conveyed them to his
| etsatc in England. The tombstone of the
| former is TO be seen at glastonbury in
| Kent with this inscription: Under this
| stone lies Jaffa, the celebrated charger of
| Napoleon.
The last trumpet call sounded for Ma
rengo in September, 1929, just as he had
| completed 36 years. After his death his
| bones received an honorable place in the
| Military institute, as already mentioned.
| Another souvenir of the famous steed is
| one of the hoofs made into snuffbox,
| which makes its daily round after dinner
| Mt the Queens guard, in st. James palace,
| London. On the silver lid is the legend {:
"Hoof of Marengo, barb charger of Napo-
| leon, ridden by him at Marengo, Auster-
| lltz Jena Wagram, in the Russian cam
| paign and at Waterloo, " and round the sill
| yer shoe the legend continues, 'Marengo
| was wounded in the rear hip at Waterloo,
| when his great master was on him in the
| hollow road i'm advance of the French po-
sition. He had been frequently wounded
before In other battles. Our Animal
| Friends