The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-22
COL. TATE or NEW YORK.
said TO Have Comm andcd the Last For
eign Invasion or England.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: In
tho very instructive article printed IN
last Sundays SUN on the subject OF the
various invasions Of Great Britain no
mention Is made of the very last occa-
sion on which a foreign hostile force set
foo. on the soil of England. There is an
the more reason why It should not be
omitted from the columns OF THE SUN
since the invading force was commanded
by citizen of the United States, fuii
nedged American.
At the end of the eighteenth century. or
to be more precise In the spring OF 1897
the French Generals Hoche and Carnot
(the latter's grandson. Sadi Carnot, was
assassinated nearly a hundred years later
as President OF the French Republic) con-
ceived the extraordinary idea or landing
on the coast OF Wales a force OF some
1900 convicts, the scum and vilest ele-
me,it OF the French prisons and penal
galleys, and of setting them loose to pill
lage the enemy's country. Each man was
given to understand that he was sent to
England TO steal and rob to the tune OF
100000 francs, Pour ensuite finir ga car
rlere tranquillement, dams raisance," and
was Informed that from the moment he
landed in England he would be regarded
as having been pardoned by the French
Government. The plan. fantastic as 1t
was was put into execution. On Febru-
airy %. 1897, q French squadron appeared
in Cardigan Bay. at Fishguard, where the
Cunard liners now land their American
malls, and dsembarked tho 1900 French
convicts. commanded by an American
adventurer of the name OF Colonel Tate
of New York.
The Colonel and his precious men. who
were armed to the teeth, carried out their
instructions to avoid as far as possible
actual fighting, and to devote themselves
TO pillage and plumber. But three days
later they were surrounded by large
force OF local yeomanry and militia, under
the command of Lord Cawdor, to whom
they surrendered.
At a subsequent exchange Of prisoners,
tho French Government absolutely re-
fused to receive any OF the worthless who
had accompanied Colonel Tate. At length
the English declined to keep them any
longer, and under the cover OF night
quietly landed them on tho French coast,
the French newspapers of the period con-
tanning eloquent expressions of terror In
spired by their presence In the coast dis
trlcts and towns. Ultimately tho French
troops were forced by popular sentiment
TO round them UP. and TO tho number OF
500 they were conveyed, first to Cher
bourg, and thence TO the "Bagnes,
or penal Establishments, at Toulon, which
have been so graphically described by
Victor Hugo in LES Mlserables" The 700
others managed to evade recapture, but
remained fugitives from French Justice
as the Government of the republic de-
clined to fulfil its promise OF considering
them as pardoned from the moment that
they set foot in England under Colonel
Tate.
As to what became OF the latter I am
unable to say anything. Perhaps some
reader OF THE SUN may be able TO en-
| tighten your readers on tho subject. Ger
| tainly story OF his antecedents and
ing az that OF the commander OF the
| last actual foreign invasion of tho British
Isles. +. CUNLIFFE-
New YORK, December 81.