The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-06-09
TO RESCUE NAPOLEON
A Bold Plan That Was Maturec
In This Country.
1T WAS A DARING SCHEME

The Enterprise Was Known to the Elk
lie of ST. Helena, but Just as the
Preparations Were About Complete
the Fallen Emperor Died.
Even in 1.-THE last phase" our coun
try sustained certain association
with the captive of st. Helena. says &
writer in the Magazine Of History.
The English felt that any danger OF
rescue would originate upon the west
ern shore of the Atlantic.
Admiral Cockburn occupied the
neighhoring island Of Ascension, avow
edly to prevent it falling into the hands
Of Yankee raiders The feeling in the
United States against England was a.
that time quite bitter Napoleon'E
landing at St Helena followed the bat
tie of New Orleans only about sever
months, and the downfall of the revo
lutionary monarch aroused deep sym
patty throughout the country.
But the actual grounds for believing
in the existence of a rescue party anC
rescue plans in the United States res
upon the movements Of General Lalle
mand and his associates. This officers
military record, from the revolutionary
days to Waterloo. had been distin
guished by notable featszof daring.
His devotion to the emperor was
loyal and persistent; be had followed
him until his embarkation from thu
shores of France and had tried in vail
| to accompany him to St Helena. HI
was condemned to death by the reac
tionary tribunals of 1916, but had sue
| ceeded in escaping and joining biz
brother at Philadelphia.
At this time our country was literal
! ~ swarming with French military ref
ugees, many Of whom, like Lallemand
were under capital sentence for thei
conduct toward the Bourbons during
the hundred days.
The Lallemands proceeded ostensibll
to unite number of these veterans
into a military colony which the!
called the Field of Asylum.
Our government granted them 100.
coo acres on the banks of the Tombig
bee. but as their own project required
their establishment near the sea the.
sold the lands and with the proceeds
settled on the Trinity river, in Texas
about fifteen miles from its mouth.
/ The second in command was Barol
Rigaud, whose kindly feelings towarC
the ancient regime had been illustrated
by publicly stamping the cross of st
Louis under his feet. Needless to say
he was also under sentence of death b,
Louis XVIII's court martial
But the best known OF all this de
voted band was the famous pirate La
fitte, who had begun life as a Dor
deaux blacksmith, had killed his low
rival in a duel, had become a noteC
corsair, the terror of the Antilleal
seas, had been the effective ally o
General Jackson in repulsing the Brit
ish at New Orleans and at the time o
the French settlement of old guards
men in his vicinity was established a
Galveston.
This narrative does not require a de
tailed statement of the affairs of tn,
| tOO SIGll1ulcIo, VI tu6 dIldChS VI III
Mexicans Oh their camp, of their fina
removal to New Orleans
All the circumstances indicate that
was not the intention of the Lalle
mands to found an agricultural colony
but to unite about 1000 old soldiers
for the deliverance of the great pris
oner
The location of their camp was mos
! favorable for the scheme, being nea
| the sea in an unsettled country wher,
their movements would not be watched
and, above all. being in proximity t,
Lafitte, who commanded the required
ships. Besides these desirable vessels
one, model of swiftness, was con
structed at Charleston and equipped
for its purpose in the most complete
manner.
An intrepid captain named Boissiere
who navigated for pleasure. had &C
cepted its command. and this was the
ship destined to carry away Napoleon
Bonaparte. while Lafitte would lane
the guardsmen and engage the atten
ton of the English cruisers.
The enterprise was known to the
captives, as shown by Bertrand's dis
closures. But when the preparation:
were about complete the news arrived
of the emperor's death.