El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-31

vices in fighting for the self-imposed
emperor Of Mexico.
The late Jean de Server descended
from a long line of French military
ancestors, the majority Of whom haYe
been killed on the French battle fields.
He was born in 1915 at Lyons, France,
and when young was quite a military
aspirant, and later attended the French
military school at St Cyr, France, and
graduated with the rank of captain.
In MaximiIian's Service.
In this commission he served his
government in the war with Italy and
in Algeria, where he was instrumental
in subduing the general revolt of the
Kalylis. In the next few years he was
sent TO Mexico during Maximilian's
reign, and distinguished himself in sew
eral instances as captain of the French
zouaves, under Gen. Bazaile. He per-
sona1ly led the triumphant charge on
Puebla and here his command captured
the penitentiary, where the federals
made their last stand. but his own dar-
ing bomb throwing set fire to the
large prison, where the remainder of
the federal garrison was horribly
roasted to death The capture of the
town took several days.
One day later, the zouaves under
Jean de Server had entrenched back
and forth across the streets, seeking
shelter behind the adobe houses. The
MeXicans had their guns pointed from
hundreds Of loop holes, when de Ser
vier, after capturing a large building
climbed to the roof to give orders to his
men behind the sand bags. Suddenly
a large shell demolished the building
killing several Of his men; he jumped
to the ground and, amid the hottest
fire Of the battle from the surround
ing loop holes. held his ground and
miraculously escaped being killed,
charged the federals and took the pen
itentiary.
Promoted for Bravery.
For this he was promoted to higher
rank and was placed in charge OF the
"contre guerilla warfare along with
suffered in subduing these bands of
men. They had to do their marching
at night and hide in the daytime till
the proper time to attack.
Jean de Server being a champion
swimmer always swan the rivers they
had to cross. and located a shallow
depth for the troops to wade. While
doing this, once he narrowly escaped
death, for while he and two other sol
diers were trying to locate a ford
flood came down and swept along his
two comrades. while battered and
bruised he finally got out.
Hero of Siege of Paris.
After Macmillan was deposed de
Server went back to France with the
French troops in 1857 In 1869 he mar
ried and retired from the army, and,
although ne was in command of the
French commissary during the German
siege Of Paris, he did no active fight
ing He, however, furnished the money
with which to buy the cannon to be
used against the Prussians, but when
the treaty of peace was declared the
Prussians demanded the cannon. These
the Parisians refused to surrender
The French government decided to
forcibly take them. and it sent an
army, resulting in the famous( French
commune lasting over two months,
during which time 10000 people were
killed. De Servier was in command
of the arsenal and commissary.
Jean de SERVER in several other in
stances showed his supreme military
genius, and undaunted bravery, and. al
though he suffered paralysis of the
brain for several years, his death is
mourned by the nation as a whole.