Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-21
FRENCH GENERAL
DIXIE GARDENER
President Finley of Southern
Pr. Writes of BonapartiStS'
Colony in Alabama.

DISTINCTION, Jan. 21,-President w.
=. t,irIey. of the Southern railway, has
..r.,,. time from his duties as railroad
.va-ltiye to write an interesting histort-
10, study of an attempt to colonize Ala
,..-,s Inv few hundred of Napoleon's
.....r.ns after the downfall of the Bona
artist empire in 1915.
The location of this colony was in what
/. now the fertile and prosperous region
r.. ..,,++hyyest Alabama of which the thriv-
49, o;,,, If Demopolis is the center.
Far pioneer romance, hardship and mis-
,,rtlrne which later gave place to cui-
r,5 and wealthy ante ellum civiliza-
!.r and nresent-day prosperity ana de-
,.,,,oment, that region enjoys historic
interest unique in American annals.
i, tho early history of this country
.,an dense forest and wild canebrakes-
s.o woven the names of men and women
-b, have played conspicuous parts in the
,,,o,-ast drama of war and nations the
I'D has ever seen. Men who had led
,,.,,,ia. in conflicts the result of which had
t,rgad the map of Europe, and women
~ had adorned the imperial court of
r,~arca took up the life of pioneers in
tho endeavor to found, in the primeval
sr.st a colony to cultivate the vine and
Tho olive The story of their misfortunes
and trials in the rude life of the frontier
and the final utter failure of the venture
is one full of interest.
Live in Backwoods.
The officer who had commanded Napo-
Icons advance guard on the march to
paris after the return from Elba, Colonel
Nicholas Raoul, became a famous back
uoodsman. and his wife, marchioness
who had been maid of honor at court
cooked his meals over the open fire in
cabfn home. Colonel Clubs, who had once
had the captured King Ferdinand of Spain
in his custody became the keeper of a
tavern in Greensboro.
General Count Bertrand CIausel, an Of
6cer Of merit who commanded at Bor-
aeaux during the hundred days, raised
vegetables on a little farm and haWked
rhem through the streets of Mobile. lie
aftprward returned to France, became
marshal and governor of Algiers.
Count Lefebvre Desnouttes, a cavalry
officer with the rank of lieutenant gen
eraI. who had fought with honor in Spain
and Russia, had ridden in the carriage
with Napoleon on the disastrous retreat
from Moscow, and whom the emperor had
embraced for all his officers on bidding
them farewell at Fontainebleu, was
one of those who shared in the hardships
in the wilderness. He was lost at sea at
tempting to return to France
Henry rAllemandee, a lieutenant gem
eral; NJ. Peners, a member of the French
national assembly, who had voted for the
death of Louis XVI, and a son of the cele-
brated Marshal Grouchy, whole failure
to arrive at Waterloo sealed the fate of
the French empire, were among other dis
tnguished persons who made up the I'M
fortunate colony.
coIonsts Are Unfortunate.
The colony was founded by between 300
and 400 followers. of Napoleon who had
been exiled by the Bourbons after their
restoration. On March 4, 1917, congress
gave the exes, then gathered in Phila-
delphia, grant of four townships at 81
per acre on fourteen years time, on con-
dition that they cultivate the vine and
the olive
From the outset the colony seemed
doomed to misfortune. The ship on which
they sailed from Philadelphia ran aground
in Mobile bay, but all on board reached
shore. The colonists were totally unpre-
pared for the work of clearing the wilder
ness and the difficulties of pioneer life.
They lacked teams and wagons and
knew nothing of agriculture and the pro-
vision that they must cultivate the vine
and olive proved a great hardship, since
the country was not suitable. Misunder-
standings as to the location of the land
granted them caused much distress, as
many colonists cleared and improved land
only to find that they must abandon it.
INSCRIPTIONS squatters added to the
troubles Of the colony. and in two or three
Years 1t began to disintegrate, as many as
could TpturninU tn E~ro,ca