The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
DEATH OF MADAME BAzAINE.
Demise in Mexico of Widow of the
French Marshal.
From the Chicago Chronicle.


French Marshal.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
The recent death in Mexico Of Josephine
De Pena Barragan, widow of the late
Marshal Bazaine of France. recalls to pub
lie memory the triumph and the fall Of
that momentous General of the army of
the Second Empire, whose name is indis-
solubly connected with the bitter disgrace
of the surrender of Metz and the ultimate
reversion of the Rhine provinces to Ger
many. The death of Nine. Bazane re-
calls as well the life in that centuries-old
City of Mexico under the rule of Maximil-
ian; recalls the hapless fate of the doomed
Emperor and the tragic story of happy
hearted Carlotta, still living out in the
misery of a shattered intelligence the pitt
ful existence that began so sunniiy in the
provinces of Austria, only to share the
doom of general devastation which fol-
lowed the royal chariot wheels of Ma
poleon the Little and his thoughtless con-
sort. Eugene.
The name of Marshal Bazaine is written
in large letters on many a world battle
field His title finds its way into the mill
tary history of a number of widely di
verse countries. He began his soldierly
apprenticeship after failure at the Ecole
Polytechnique with service of seven
years under the tropical sun of Africa, re-
turning again to it's southern climate af-
ter few months of change in France to
fight with distinction in the Crimea. From
Africa he followed the fortunes of war in
the Orient, revisiting again the old posses
sions of the Pharaohs until the time ar
rived for the moment of Napoleon's sue
cessful triumph in the campaign in Italy;
that triumph which inflated the volatile
mind of France with the corrosive ether
of its absolute invincibility.
From the hurrahs of Solferino and the
| cheers of all Italy Bazaine Travelled across
the broad Western ocean TO Mexico TO
assert the dignity of the unstable mon
archy of Macmillan and for five years 10
uphold with the sword the lettering for
tunes of Napoleon's Inflated proteges.
Three months before the shooting of Max
imillan the last remnant of the regiments
OF France. headed by Marshal Bazaine, en-
barked at Vera Cruz for Toulon. Three
years later chronology marks for Paris
The fatal date of 1870, the date of the par
| till eclipse of her ascendency, the dawn
| of the Prussian triumph, the final sever
| ing of the close relationship with bleeding
Alsacc and Lorraine,
1t was in 1870 that Marshal Bazaine was
| placed in command of that army of France
| so sadly misnamed as the ARMY of the
| Rhine" 1t was in 1870 that he opened the
| gates of the city of Metz, opened them for
| ever to the possession of Prussian Prov
ess to the conquering soldiers of triumph
ant Germany the men who guarded 50
| well the Rhine of their fatherland thai
| not only were the shores of the beautiful
stream left intact in possession of Ger
| many, but the old provinces of the older
| Prussia were torn away from the bleeding
| grasp of france, the tricolor of their love
| snatched from their sobbing bosoms and
| the eagle of a new imperial sway placed
| in triumph on their sullen shoulders. The
downfall of Metz tolled the knell for the
downfall of France, and Alsace and LoT-
raine nave good reason to remember the
name of Marshal Bazaine
Born at Versailles.
Francois-Achine Bazaine, the celebrated
marshal of later days and later tribulation
was born on Feb. 10, 1911, a Versailles.
department of the Seine-et-Oise. He was
the son Of Dominique and of Marie-Mad-
eleine VasseUr, and from mis- earlier years
was filled with a great love Of the great
| Napoleon and a great longing for the ser
vice of the army. Accordingly. when he
| reached the proper age, he entered the
| Ecole Polytechnique, but failed 10 pass ia
| necessary examinations. subsequent
| however in 1881 he entered the Thirty
seventh Regiment of line infantry and two
| years later departed for Africa, in which
| torrid climate he passed most of the time
| until the year 1880 bearing his share in a
| service which had advanced him for capa-
bic performance Of duty from the rank OF
Sc cond lieutenant to the title and dignity
! of colonel
After the long and active years passed
on the continent of Africa Bazaine return
ed to France and enjoyed some months o
rest But he was first and foremost {
soldier and in 1851 he returned to Africa
for a supplementary service of an add
tonal three years From Africa he wa!
ordered eastward to the Orient, where h
was named general of brigade and wa
appointed military commander of th'
| fortress of Seba stopol. BaZaine served hi
country with distinction through all thu
horrors of the Crimea. After brief re
| turn TO Africa the General of the Arm!
| of the Orient again added honor to hi
military successes by participation in th'
Italian campaign, taking part in the bat
tie of Solferino.
When Italy had bowed to Victor EN-
, manuel, Bazaine returned to France, an'
for two years replaced active service il
the field with the duties of military su
general of infantry, position of great re
sponsibility, which he retained until tn
order of the Emperor reached him whicl
sent him across the sea to bring the mill
tary strength of the army of Imperia
| France TO the support of the tottering su
premacy of Macmillan and poor Carlotta
1t was in 1862 that Gen. Bazaine lef
France at the head of the imperial arm.
and crossed the Atlantic to the far-dis
tant territory of Mexico. The new com
mander-in-c assumed the reins of of
flee at very critical time. The Juaris
factions were forming in the interior o
the country, bandits infested the roadway
and approaches 10 the capital and tn,
clerical party had aroused the suspicion
of the masses of the lay populace. But Ba
zaine was equal to the emergency. BY
campaign described as "a campaign en-
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