The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-03-24

Soon after, as he was riding with his
suite in rapid trot along the road, a can
| hon-oaii smote tree beside him, and
| giancIng, struck Gen. Kirgener dead, and
| tore out the entrails of Duroc
Napoleon was ahead at the time. and his
suite, four abreast behind him. The
cloud OF dust their rapid movement raised
around them, prevented him from knowing
| at hrst who was struck. But when it was
/ told HIM that Krgener was killed and
! Duroc wounded, he dismounted, and gaZed
i long and Sternly on the battery from which
| the shot had been fired: then turned
towards the cottage into which the wounded
Marshal had been carried.
DurOc was Grand Marshal OF The Palace,
| and bosom friend of the Emperor. OF
noble and generous character, of mistaken
| integrity and patriotism, and firm as steel
In the hour OF danger, he was beloved by
| all who knew him. There was a gentle
ness about him and a purity of feeling the
| life OF a camp could never destroy Ma
poleon loved him-for through all the
| changes OF his tumultuOus life he had ever
| found his affection and truth the same
| and it was with anxious heart and sad
| countenance he entered the lowly cottage
where he lay. His eyes were filed with
tears, as he asked if there was hope
| When told there was none he advanced to
| the bedside without saying Il word
| The dying Marshal seized him by the
hand and said, MY whole life has been
| consecrated to your service and now my
| only regret is, that | can no longer be use
| full 10 you"
| 'DurOcl" replied Napoleon, with a voice
| choked with grief, ''there is another life
| there you will await me, and we shall
meet again"
eyes, Sire" replied the faintinc sufferer.
"but 30 years shall first pass away, when
you will have triumphed over your enemies
| and realized all the hopes OF our country.
| have endeavored to be an honest man;
l have nothing with which to reproach
myself" He then added with falterng !
voice, 81 have a daughter; your Majesty
will be father to her"
Napoleon grasped his right hand, and
sitting down by the bedside, and leaning |
his head on his left hand, remained with |
closed eyes, a quarter OF an hour, in pro- |
found silence. DurOc first spoke Seeing |
how deeply BOnaparte was moved, he ex-
claimed:
"Ahl Sire, leave me; this spectacle pains /
your
The stricken Emperor rose, and leaning
on the arms OF his equeny and Marshal
SouIt, left the apartment, saying, in heart
breaking tones, as he went:
Farewell, then, my friendp'
The hot pursuit he had directed a mo-
ment before was forgotten-victory, tro-
phies, prisoners and all, sunk into utter
wOrthlessness, and as at the battle of
Aspern when Lannes was brought to him
mortality wounded, he forgot even his army
and the great interests at stake. He or
dered his tent to be pitched near the cot
tage in which his friend was dying, and,
entering it, passed the night all alone in
inconsolable grief. The next morning a
little after sunrise, Duroc died. When the
news was brought to Napoleon,
he did not utter word, but put into the
hands OF Berthier a paper directing a
monument to be raised on the spot where
4
"Here the General Duroc, Duke of Friuli,
Grand Marshal of the Palace of the En-
'eror Napoleon, gloriously fell, and died
n the arms OF the Emperor, his friend"
He left 200 NapOleoHS in the hands OF the )
wner of the house and the clergyman of
he parish, TO defray the expenses. But .
he monument was never erected, for after
he defeats which soon followed, the allies
nth meanness unparalleled in the his
Dry of civilized warfare, claimed this
honey as part of the spoilS of war.
Three months subsequent to this, Oudi-
OF was beaten in Bohemia, at Gross
eeren, by Bernadotte, after a severe
truggle. The news of this defeat, coming,
$ it did, in the midst OF other losses,
ritated Napoleon, who was in that criti-
al position where he must have a sue
esslon of victories or be lost, and he I'M -
lstly ordered Nay to SuperSede him. The
sgraced Marshal, however did not refuse
fight under Ney, who was soon after
In the October that followed at Leipsic,
2 commanded two divisions of the Young
uard, and helped TO stem the tide of that
saStrOuS battle, till Napoleon ordered q
treat and continued to struggle bravely
r France and the Empire to the last
At Brienne, Nangis, MOntereau, Barsur
Ibe, and other fields of fame. and side by -
de with Napoleon during all that fierce w
ruggle to force the allies back from Paris, WI
) exhibited his accustomed valOr and
triotiSm. 4
On the abdicatiOn of the Emperor, he m
We in his adherence to Louis XVIII, by III
lom he was made Colonel General of the "
enadiers, and Governor of Metz. He
hered to the royal cause during the 81
inbred days of Napoleon's reign, after his
urn from Elba. On the second reStOra-
n he was made Peer Of France, Minister
State, and given the command of the
itional Guard of Paris. Z
IN 1923, he served under the Duke of
lgOuleme in the invasion of Spain, and
IS appointed Governor of Madrid. In 1890
gave in his adhesion to Louis Philippe, e
d was appointed by him Governor of
? InvalideS.
)udinot was brave even to rashness- c.
dden and terrible in a charge, and a n
ID General in the field of battle | -
needed, however, the oversight of Ma n
con, and erred when left to himself. He ss
S neither avarlciOuS nor cruel, and 81
ough long and tempestuOus life SuS- u
ned the honor of the arms of France, II
struggled nobly for her freedom He A
5 careless of his person in battle, and NJ
e on his body the scars of 20 wounds -
eived in the different engagements m
ough which he passed.
ITO be continued) n
DITORIAL NOTE-The varied military U