The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-08-16
REAL MAN IN FRANCE.
De Gallifet, New War Minister, is
Fearless and Just.
LAST OF THE FAMOUS MUSK
ETEERS.

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
One French minister of war has been
found who will do his duty. He is
General de Gallifet. With this man at
the helm in the beginning the Dreyfus
affair would never have become the
scandal of Europe. With the Marquise
de Gallifet as minister of war the ia
mouse bordereau would never have
been forged. Now, within few weeks,
he has wrought order out of chaos in
the Dreyfus case. And yet no soldier
has loved the "honor" of the army
more bravely or fought more bravely
to defend it than De iallifet.
De Gallifet was retired in 1895 at 81
years of age. He fslt the blow very
much. "The army was my family,
my work, my only satisfaction; now
the sooner / die the better" he ex-
claimed. He did not dream that his
greatest work was yet to come with the
appointment as minister Of war.
Fate has delighted in providing OPP
portunities for GalIifet. He fought in
France, in Russia, in Italy, in Mexico.
He was one of the figures of the second
empire. the most brilliant general of
the third republic; when his career
finds its historian the writer will un-
fold long recital of fabulous feats, Of
extraordinary love affairs, wild wagers,
insane duels, incredibly senseless chal-
lenges to death.
1t is said of De Gillifet that his phys
ieal existence is to-day a work Of art
Thirty-fye years ago he came to Mex
leo to fight for Macmillan. In bat
tie at Puebla, De Gallifet's abdomen
was torn open with shell. Calmly
pressing his hat into the terrible wound
be made his way to the ambulance.
The gallant general came back to
France with silver door on that side
of him which was never turned away
from a foe-the famous silver shield
made necessary by his wound. "Sil-
ver-bellied Gallifet" has been his nick
name ever since.
But he went on dueling and fighting
as ever. During one of his engage
ments a spent ball ratified against his
silver shield.
They'll have to use armor-piercing
shells if they want TO kill me-" be
laughed to an officer who stood neal
by.
One year later, at an official dinner
in Paris, Napoleon III was saying that
silver was getting cheaper and cheaper
when Gallifet exclaimed:
"Ah, that's why our prime minister
is 40 sad. He lent rae some money re
Gently, and he knows that my plaque
is his only security"
DUEL WITH CAPTAIN LoURDEY.
AS a boy Gallifet wanted to entel
st. Cyr, the West Point of France. His
marquis father protested. The young
man, not to be balked of his career, Ell
tered the First Hussars private. d.
GalIifet the lieutenant-promOtion came
auiekly-one night scaled the walls o
his barracks to play Romeo to som'
Juliet of his garrison town. The bal
cony was on the third story, but Ro
meo, by the aid of vines, eornices, anC
a friendly lightning rod above all, b.
dint of previous praetice--reached j
safely.
His captain was there, Captain Lour
dey. The name is remembered only a
the name of man killed by Gallifet
The horrible duel they fought with cav
airy swords has remained legendary
Gallifet was almost hacked to pieces
They carried him away with an arm
cut to the bone, his right flank open
and with another murderous cash from
his left shoulder to his right side Bu
he had killed his man.
Noble exploits were Gallifet's in tn
rather ignoble Crimean war. Said a
English colonel to him: 9Th re is nc
a man in our army who does not wis
you were at the head of one of our res
iments.n
II was Gallifet who led the histories
assault on the Green hill, and won b
his gallant conduct a decoration upo
the battlefield
"We're lost ! Now, Gallifet, la
effort for the honor of our armsp' erie
General Duerot at Sedan.
Anything you order, general" " r.
piled Gallifet, wiping his bloody swor
on his sleeve. Colonel Gallifet led Il
terrible charge, drawing cries Of adm
ration from Bismarck, the king
Prussia, and the German military stat
In the melee he lost his cap. As |
galloped back with what remained
the Third Light cavalry, Gallifet wit
the point of his sword picked up fro
! the field a generals KEPT, which
planted on his head, saying to Ducre
Il deserve ii, don't ?''
A few days after he sent a request T
l an interview with the imperial pri
, oner and signed it 'General de Gal
E fet." Napoleon III wrote opposi
a that daring signature, Granted" :"
But the republic had already be'
proclaimed, and Gallifet had to win 4
t title a second time.
: EXPERIENCE WITH THE COMMUNE
Z From captivity in Germany Gsllil
( went home to command part of {
e army of Versailles-to fight Frenc
a men. The Paris commune, backed
T the rough element of a great eli
s defied the national power. One moi
: ing President Thiers said to Gallif
n "Take four squadrons to the bridge
> the Bergeries. You can capture The
e three or four hundred national guar
It they do not expect attack so soon.n
AS the general drew near the Berg
les, instead of three or four hundred
found three or four thousand soldi
waiting. He could not withdraw.
But he kept moving forward; a
J, suddenly came the saving idea
stopped his troop aud called to his a
de-camp, Lieutenant d Harcourt, 'F
low me-"
a Quite alone, they advanced at le
urely trnt. The insurgents deploy
r in half-circle 10 capture Them And
:. captive lived. Lieutenant d Harce
!. lit a cigarette and said: General, hs