New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-21
PlONTK0WSKI
A Humble Follower of Napoleon
in Adversely.

4 POLISH EMILE WITH NAP,O - 5;ort.
Embodying the letters Of Captain 5iont-
kowski 10 General Sir Robert WILSON,
and many documents from the Lowe
papers. the Colonial Once recordsi ~. ~
Wilson manuscripts the the t Fapetb and
Genevese archives hitherto unpuoilfS,I ',s
BY c. l.. de 81. NJ Watson. il.tie
trated Svo. PIP. xi, SOt. Boston L''''''
Brown & co.
Charles Frederick Jules PiontkowsN'
the Polish cavalry officer who follower
Napoleon into exile to Elba' tnTousn
the Hundred Days. and finally 10 81
Helena. remains, according 10 Lord
Posebcry. "a figure Of mystery whose
appearance and career at Longwooo
still require calculation VI. freueric
Mason, the most minute and Nolum'
nous OF the Emperor's bioSraphers' us
misses him CURLY as an "adVenturer'
Piontkowski's obituary by Capah!'
published in the "Necrologe UNIVERSE
i. pronounced both inaccurate ana
Gambovant by his present biographer'
who. in his attempt 10 ciucidate TINS
minor mystery OF tho Napoleonic era
has drawn chiefly upon the ohIclal ana
confidential reports Of Sir HUDSON
Lowe while governor Of ST. Helena,
and on the letters written by Plont-
kowski TO General Sir Robert Wilson
on his arrival In London, in 1911.
Piontkowski was born in Bladowek'
in the province Of Poland on May -"
1856. Nothing is known Of his child
hood or youth beyond Cabanys as
sertion that FOR time he was page
~ The Saxon court. From 1909 to lSi3
he served in the imperial armies. but
whether in the Hussars. the Lancers
or the Life Guards is not known. lie
y.ou the grade Of first lieutenant IN
1872. was wounded and taken captive
Al Dresden. and in 1914 went 10 Eide
where. dropping his rank he enlis'eu
* private I'm the deposed Emperor
email body Of Imperial Guards. Dur
ing the Hundred Days he vas pro
NOTED to Captaincy. II was owing 10
his Passionate appeals that he was per
mittcd by the British government 40
loin his idol on 81. Helena. on the eve
Of his departure he married Mile. Ne
lsnie Despout a public singer leaving
her after four days to sail on the Cor
lnorant which reached its destination
Al the end OF December 1919. His; an
sver 10 The Declaration winch sly
Hudson Lowe required all members %
Napoleons fonow!ns to sign. TO tire
effect that they were ready 20 submit
20 all tho restrictions imposed upon
their master. served 10 make him q
marked man. what looks like a clumsy
attempt 20 induce returning British
officer to carry knowingly or unsus-
pcctingly. certain reports OF Napoieon's
treatment 90 England sealed his fate.
lie was placed aboard transport late
IN 1916 and on his arrival IN London
carly IN Tho following year entered
into relations with tho Wing opposi-
ton and The English sympathigers Of
Napoleon. The Wilson letters resulted.
Sis months later the Pole now an IN
,crnatlono' suspect went 70 Italy
where no was arr stod and handed
over 20 The Austrian authorities. who
nrompuy Imprisoned him and kept him
until 1870. lie died IN 1870 a. Eegens-
burg In German
Mr.. Watson makes no attempt 10 give
Pl5ntkowsh q fictitious historical inn
portanco. lie places him In his proper.
decidedly secondary place-if even that
among the nsurcs ~ the Last
Phase" lie explicitly states that the
Pole was not free from tho "fsnfarou-
uado" Of the military man. and that he
decidedly ovorestimatcd his own politi-
cal Importance while in London. The
book is I'm essence. and throughout. still
another condemnation, amply docu-
mcntcd. Of Sir Hudson loves treat
ment of his llus,rioUs captive
The words quoted from tho great
man himself arc not, on the whole,
numerous. but, such az they are thcy
arc worth having. once he requisite
Pioutkovski TO repeat 10 him all that
he had heard related OF him, whether
sood or evil. They who conceal from
me the evil spoken Of me- he said, do
me no service at all hence. speak
with perfect candor he made 70
good listener. not losing patience.
Sometimes he would exclaim. no. no"