Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-06-27
To RESCUE NAPOLEON
A Bold Plan That Was Matured
In This Country.
IT WAS A DARING SCHEME.
The Enterprise Was Known to the Exc
lie of St. Helena, but Just as the
Preparations Were About Complete
the Fallen Emperor Died.

lie of ST. Helena, put JUST DO wv
Preparations Were About Complete
the Fallen Emperor Died.
Even in "the last phase our coun'
try sustained a 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
neighboring island of Ascension, ayow-
edly to prevent it falling into the hands
of Yankee raiders The feeling In the
United States against England was at
that time quite bitter. Napoleons
landing at st. Helena followed the bat
tie Of New Orleans only about seven
months. and the downfall Of the reyo-
lutionary monarch aroused deep SYM
pathy throughout the country.
But the actual grounds for believing
in the existence Of a rescue party and
rescue plans in the United States rest
upon the movements Of General Lalle-
mand and his associates. This officers
military record, from the revolutionary
DAYS to Waterloo, had been distin-
gulshed by notable feats of daring.
/ His devotion to the emperor was
loyal and persistent; he had followed
him until his embarkation from the
shores of France and had tried in vain
70 accompany him to st. Helena. lie
was condemned to death by the reac-
tionary tribunals Of 1915, but had sue
ceeded in escaping and joining his
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 their
conduct toward the Bourbons during
the hundred days.
The Lallemands proceeded ostenslpiy
70 unite O number Of these veterans
into a military colony which they
called the Field of Asylum.
Our government granted them 1OO,-
600 acres on the banks Of the Tombig-
bee but as their own project required
their establishment near the sea they
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 Baron
Rigaud. whose kindly feelings toward
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 by
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 Bor-
deaux blacksmith, had killed his love
rival in duel, had become a noted
corsair, the terror Of the Antillean
seas. had been the effective ally OF
General Jackson in repulsing the Brit
ish at New Orleans and at the time Of
the French settlement Of old guards
men In his vicinity was established at
Galveston.
This narrative does not require a de-
tailed statement Of the affairs Of the
, 400 grenadiers, of the attacks Of the
Mexicans on their camp, Of their final
removal to New Orleans.
All the circumstances indicate that it
: 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 most
= favorable for the scheme, being near
the sea in an unsettled country where
l their movements would not be watched
r and, above all, being in proximity to
] Lafitte, who commanded the required
: ships. Besides these desirable vessels
4 one. a model Of swiftness, was con
i structed at Charleston and equipped
for its purpose in the most complete
$ manner.
b An intrepid captain named Boissiere
: who navigated for pleasure, had ac
:, cepted its command, and this was tht
: ship destined to carry away Napoleon
Bonaparte, while Lafitte would lant
the guardsmen and engage the atten
: ton of the English cruisers.
d The enterprise was known to thu
j. captives, as shown by Bertrand's dis
8 closures. But when the preparation
n were about complete the news arrived
n of the emperor's death. .,,
~