The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-15
Described to Hero Of Waterloo
BY a Richmond Man
Years Ago.
FRENCHMAN's ENTHUSIASM
Waterloo in No Way Compared
With Some Of Fights in
Virginia.
Of The Times-Dispatch:

veteran, who made his last fight when
his emperor ran away from Waterloo and
left him with tho badly wounded, where
the intrepid valor of the "Old Guard"
made the last stand on that disastrous
field; an English surgeon could not 40
less for him than amputnte his left leg
i1,st above a shattered knee; cut away
two nutilated fingers of his right hand,
and dress m ugly scalp wound. He he
roically stood all the operations. thanked
tho surgeon who was kind and tender
in his professional way. At this time
he was hale, robust, hearty, with MS
twenty years OF active, hopeful IRE;
therefore lie somewhat deiantly re-
marked that he would still live three
score and ten years, rounding up the
life Of a nonngenarIan. This proved a
Waterloo prophecy-he died In his nine
tieth year. met and talked with him
dozen times, more or less, IN the last
three months of his long life. am
glad to assert OIL my honor, that MS
death was In no way connected with my
acquaintance with him, for 1t Is barely
reasonable to claim that mans lltc,
from any cause. prenlaturely ENDS WIN
four score and ten years. Although u 10
very possible at times our talks were
Quite animated and excitnble, perhaps
naturally exhausting his lingering vitality.
He was Jealous and excited In discussing
his beloved his great emperor. and then,
when he was in more quiet mood, nc
would praise General r. L. Lee. and
question mo about the great battles of our
Civil War, 1S61-'G5. All the high appre-
citation he expressed for our great Lee.
and the sympathy he avowed for our
Lost Cause" was true and honest; II
came direct from his brave French lleart-
that old heart that still beat warm and
kindly in that old breast, on which ne
over proudly. wore his emperor's medal
1t was my habit to visit the old fellow
at least once in each week during our
acquaintance lie had long been an In
mate of the Hotel Des Invalides, only a
stones throw from the grand tomb OF
his much beloved emperor, who, ne as
serted. was the greatest soldier since
Hannibal often gave him pressing In
vitatons to visit me in the Hotel Del
Unlvcrs, Rue de Chalons. but he ever IN
sisted the distance was too great-aDout
two 1niles-even comfortably riding, and
his fceblencss Of body prevented SO great
a pleasure Next to his greatest enjoy
ment in talking about Napoleon was the
vigorous smoking of short stem pipe,
so that every visit made him | was
glad to take a pound of good, strong
tobacco that he liked, and which he
shared with several old comrades. THESE
few worn and battered relics OF the Ma
poleonic era Of France quietly sat about
smoking their pipes (ppcs Of age and
peace or discussing the glorious achieve
ments of their great leader In the first
quarter Of the century,; they still lived
and awaited the inevitable, proud to be
near that grand tomb holding the mortal
remains of their worshipped hero, whose
fortunes they once followed and shared.
NV old friends knew enough of the Eng
lish language, and with special effort
controlled sufficient French; this allowed
us to get along understandingly and
pleasantly In our conversations | am
reminded Of an episode that really verged
on the climacteric, and while climaXes
may be reached by methods either real
or meretrlc!ous, the one In question was
entirely natural and real. true to life
and the circumstances about it. ! recall
his most vivid and most pathetic descr!p-
ton of that memorable event that so
stirred and thrilled and sobered all the
great heart Of Paris in December, 1S41,
when the body of the famous soldier was
brought from st. Helena and so grandly
re-entombed beneath the gilded dome Of
Des Invalides, on the banks Of the Seine.
This greatest and grandest of sad and
pathetic and imposing pageants. mindful
enough Of departed, vanished glory but
also with every human assurance Of i'm
perlshabe fame. In the telling of this
memorable event, the dark, sparkling eyes
Of the old hero dimmed with loving tears,
his valiant old tongue trembled with emo
ton In his excitement he hastily rose
from his seat quite forgetting his ever
faithful crutches; he fell limp and help
less In my arms. and there VIC were she'd
ding tears together, in full sympathy. the
one with the other-the ono loving, tho
other ndmlring. Under any great human
emotion men of different nations may
feel and think alike: there Is common
bond Of sympathy causing human hearts
TO throb alike the wide world over,
whether it be in time of peace or war,
the conditions and environments are not
ut all considered or coldly calculated.
Several times we stood together above the
grand tomb beneath the gilded dome, and
as We looked down upon It, the ono tear
full, the other thoughtful, tho old veteran
would often whisper to me In his I'M
pressivc, fragmcntary way about the
greatness OF lempcreur. II touched me
very tcndcrly MS ] noticed his husky
voice, his fearful eyes. his sadly bowed
head Then each time after making our
brief visits we would quietly leave this
most impressive and notable place, where
so many men have INDUCED In almost
limitlcss thought on tho wonderful career
and end of such earthly greatness as IS
here presented with all It's superb sur
roundings. Here all Is quiet, subdued.
the broodng spirit Of fame seems to
hover about the emperors grandly i'm
posing tomb, and the marble cffigies of
his favorte marshals. There are few
such places so we'll calculated to arouse
wide range OF human thought and re-
inn m mn tterS terrestrial. ....ar
In one of our talks, when ! told him
about Malvern Hill. Cold IInrbor, Fred
erIckshurg, Sharpsburg, charlottesville
and other great battles, he excltedly
called up his old comrades and repeated
to them what I was saying, He also told
them with voluble tongue and animated
gestures about our great Ice ana Jack
son, and the glorious battles they had
fought and won, and then the old chap
would embrace me with all the vigor of
his feeble arms permitted, lie would
| make his comrades grasp my hand time
| and again during any wnkike recital
| that fully interested and aroused him
| Perhaps n glass of absinthe | once In
| dulged encouraged reminiscent mood
| tr,e AI,Nt I, tl,.,.