The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-07
NAPOLEON AND THE POTATO.
a CONTROVERSY BY THE ROAD
SIDE WITH a GRENADIER.
Interesting ADecdOte Found Among
the Literary Remains of star
Omcer Once Professor in Geneva
Now Hobart College.
From the Now York Times.


From the New York Times.
Geneva, N. Y.-An interesting anecdote
of Napoleon Bonaparte has been found
among the literary remains of a brave Of
ficer of his staff, Gen. II. L. V. Ducudroy
Hostein, who after the downfall OF Ma
poleon came to America and was for sew
eral years a professor in Geneva, now IIo-
bart college, at this place. 1t is the story
OF an accidental meeting by the roadside
of Napoleon with a grenadier who refused
to divide his meal of one potato with the
famous general until the general told him
he would invite him to dine with him in
the evening if he would do So
The story of the meeting and of the in
dependent manner in which the grenadier
enforced Napoleon to live up to mis- agree
ment is told most entertainingly in the
manuscript of Gen. Holstein just found,
which, in full, is as follows:
1T was after the battle of jena the en-
peror entered the capital of the Prussian
dominions in triumph In a short time he
left Berlin with his staff of which l was
then a member to meet the Russian army,
which was advancing against US Several
attachments of the French were already
in advance and other regiments were in
fun march. so that the road from Berlin
to Konigsberg was crowded with soldiers,
wagons, artillery. and a baggage train.
The emperor as was his custom, took the
by-roads and Travelled so fast that but few
could keep up with him. The soldiers who
saw him pass by. accompanied by only
two or three officers, gave him the name
Of the Petit Corporal
I
managed to keep pace with him, and thus
had an opportunity of remarking that he
sometimes looked behind to know who
was following, and he could not help smh-
ing when he remarked how few there were
in his train. The heavy rains, however,
impeded our march, and it was with some
difficulty that we were able to advance at
all in some places.
IAN at once the emperor refined up his
horse to look at a gfenadier of%noble ig-
ure. with black mustache and whiskers,
sitting under tree, his musket, KNAPP
sack, and large cap laid by his side, who
was busily engaged in roasting potato
on some ashes which were yet burning.
He was so intent on his occupation that
he neither saw the emperor nor the troops
marching by him. After watching him
some minutes, the emperor said: Hello,
grenadier What are you doing thereE
That's pretty question: answered
the grenadier, with a broad GaScOn &C.
cent; "a man must be blind not to see that
l am roasting a potato on the point of
my knife
That's true replied Napoleon. Hero,
give il 10 me. l am hungry
"'Ahi All. That's good! Give It TO youl
l am not such "A fool as that! I'm roasting
IL for myself, and not for others / am
hungry and ne initiated the emperors
voice so well that we could not help laugh
ing.
Come, here's a gold piece give me the
half OF It,
~ don't want your gold. Can l eat IT?
VIII Il satisfy my hunger?
"Bonaparte was much astonished at
this refusal, and asked the greuadier au-
thortatively Il he knew to whom he was
addressing himself The other stgli seat
ed, and very busily occupied in turning
his potato looked up at him and replied :
"'Humph DO l know to whom ] am
speaking? To a man, l hope not TO a god
or a devil
"'But. ] inquire n you know me, n YOU
are aware to whom you are speaking
who you arc2 Yes. No doubt i know
you well. You are our Petit Corporal"
and "A good fellow-but you sha'r,t have
my potato. for I'm hungry
80 saying he drew Il deliberately from
the ashes, and added a. the same quiet
and easy manner. Egad, think II will
soon be donei