The Irish standard., 1901-10-05
BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.
Interesting Sketch Of Marshal Ney
Of France.

Interesting Sketch Of Marshal Ney
Of France.
Marshal Ney started in at the bottom
Of the ladder and fought his way to
the top against odds like those which
battle the American regular who at
tempts to rise from the ranks, says
George L. Kilmer. Ney was the son
of cooper and at II enlisted in the
hussars. He had no influence to back
him up, nothing but his courage and
bearing. AS is always the rule in old
organizations, there was no end Of of
ficers in the army, but leaders of men
were scarce. Young Ney became the
favorite of his comrades, not through
making a good fellow of himself, but
by being a model soldier. On one oc-
casion his regiment selected him to
wage a combat with the fencing mas
ter of another regiment to avenge an
insult. The duelists were seized by the
authorities just as they were about to
cross swords, and safely locked up,
but finally fought in secret, and the
young hussar came out victorious. 1t
took six years to win commission for
bravery and skill. At the age of "a
Ney was captain of a company, and
Kleber put him at the head of an inde-
pendent corps Of rangers who fought
without pay and lived on plunder. The
duty Of the rangers was the most des-
perate that soldiers are asked to per-
form. They went out us scouts, raided
small detachments of the enemy, often
fighting hand to hand for their lives.
1t was Ney's chance for glory, and he
made the most of it. Once he took
1000 prisoners with only 100 rangers.
On another occasion he led his men
straight into Il river and in the face OF
line of cannon captured the heights
beyond. For these exploits, after he
had led the rangers three years, he
was put at the head Of brigade of
troops.
In his first battle as general Ney
was borne to the ground and held there
by his falling horse. In this dilemma
six dragons attacked him, and he dis
abled them all by fighting with his
sword. The sword broke in the en-
counter, and then band of 80 horse
men rode up and captured him
After his exchange Ney was made
general Of a division, but years of
peace followed, and he saw no flghtina
until the campaign of 1790 The allies
lay across the Rhine in the city of
Mannheim, which was strongly garri-
soned. The post was key to the Ger
man position, and the French were
bent upon attack, however desperate.
Ney disguised himself rs a peasant and
went into the city to study it's weak
points With n band of $50 men as
brave as himself he crossed the Rhine
in the night, rushed the outposts and
then repulsed a sally of the garrison.
After desperate fight in the streets
the town was captured. In every bat
tie on the Rhine Ney won new glories
and, returning to Paris, married one
of the intimates of Hortense Beauhar-
nais, stepdaughter of Napoleon. Bona
parte lonored the nuptials by mag
nihcent present to the gallant soldier,
appointed him minister to Switzerland
and bestowed upon him the baton OF
a marshal.
1t was often said Of Ney that he
seemed to court death by the boldness
with which he exposed himself under
the hottest fire. The army named him
"the bravest of the brave" but that
was not tribute to mere recklessness,
Napoleon said, ''Ney was the bravest
man ever saw" His courage was
not the kind that despises danger or
is blind to it, but that of soul soar.
ing above the Thought of danger and
absorbed with the mighty game of
war. Courage with Ney never missed
fire, for his judgment was as sound as
his courage was high. Asked if he
felt no fear when carnage rolled red
around him, he said, II never have
time" He fought to win, not to show
courage-victory the end, courage the
means.
Napoleon appreciated Ney and often
risked his army and his throne in the
keeping Of the ex-hussar The marshal
often differed with the emperor as to
the policy Of battles, campaigns and
conquests, but where Ney struck Ma,
poleons knew victory was as good as