Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-04
ESTABLISHED 1866
THE VICTOR OF NANCY
General De CaStelnau a Great Sol.
dief
PROVED TOO MUCH FOR GERMANS

Authentic Sketch of Man Who Ranks
High Among the Splendid Fighters
Who Bore the Brunt of the Early
Fighting.
The inhabitants Of Colmar who saw
General de Castelnau, clad in the red
and black uniform Of 1870 pass in re-
view of the French troops entering the
old Alsatian city writes Paris cor
respondent, did not, perhaps, realize
that they were looking at the glorious
descendant of one Of the greatest fam
lilies Of the military aristocracy in
France. The Castelnau motto sums
up the character of the various men,
bers of the heroic family; Currens
post Gloriam semper. In truth this
device has been believed by any Of the
Castelnaus, from that Jacques de Cas-
telnau, the victor Of the Battle Of the
Dunes, who, in 1858, was by order Of
the king" created marshal Of France,
to the present Gen. Edouard Curieres
de Castelnau, chief of
the armies Of Lorraine, and victor of the
Grand Couronne Of Nancy.
Amongst the ancestors of General de
Castelnau, there are found many
knights who accompanied st. Louis
on his crusade to Egypt. His great
grand father, the above mentioned
marshal of France, was one Of the he
roes of the wars Of Louis XIII and
Louis XIV. One of his great grand
uncles was an intrepid navigator,
whose daring exploits, are still cele-
brated. Courage, heroism, and faith
have always been the traditional at
tributes of the Castelnaus.
A native Of St Antique in the De-
partment of Aveyron, his father, the
Marquis Curieres de Castelnau, was
lawyer and mayor of the little town.
The future general was the youngest
of the three sons, who were all edu-
Gated at the colleges Of the Jesuits IN
their native city. The three Castelnau
brothers each entered upon a partic-
ularly brilliant career, largely no
doubt owing to the care their father
who was a great scholar-took to
direct them intellectually and NOR
ally, sparing no pains to discover their
true vocations and to inculcate in them
a love for work.
Having left the college Of st. At
frique, Edouard Curieres de Castelpau
came to Paris where he entered the
the school Of the Jesuits in the Rue
des Postes. There he passed the pre-
paratory examinations for st. Cyr
being admitted to this college in 1869,
a few months after the first German
aggression. Promoted lieutenant in
Au;,ust 1870, he took part in the bat
tie of Orleans, and witnessed both the
capture and the liberation of the town
He also participated in the battles
of st. Maximin and Chambord, ano
became captain at the early age OF
10! When peace was signed owinF
to the revision of the grades IN 1871
he once again became simple lieu
tenant. However he soon regained his
rank and entered the School Of wal
with an elite of young officers who
were anxious to learn all the militar!
science which (as they had discovered
by bitter experience) their chiefs hat
lacked in the war 1870! Leaving tn
School of War in 1870, Edouard de Cas-
telnau was appointed to the staff OF Tho
Seventeenth army corps and from
then onward he embarked on a re-
markably fine career. He was pro-
NOTED commandant in 1889 and In
1896 left Toulouse for Paris, where ho
was appointed lieutenant-colonel or
the Etat- Major de PArmee. In 800
he became colonel of the Thirty-sev-
enth Regiment of infantry, and soor
Joined the superior command of Bel
fort.
In 1906 Edouard de Castelnau was
made general and was successive!A
auartered at Sedan and at scissors.
In 1909 NJ. Millerand placed him at
the head of the staff Of the Ministr!
of War where many attacks were nat
urally made upon him. Certain particu-
larly militant politicians Of anti-cleri-
cal views regarded his presence at the
head of the army as a serious danger
for the republic. In their eyes, Gen
eral de Castelnau represented mill
tary clericalism and they deemed him
quite capable of favoring, at giver
moment, the aspirations of some pre-
tender or other. Their want OF un.
derstanding was soon evident. For
if General de Castelnau has never
troubled to conceal his religious con-
yictions, he has always served France
with the utmost devotion; and this
aristocrat has never been guilty OF the
slightest gesture of animosity towart
the republic. Already In 1913, Cen
eral Joffre recognized his remarkable
military qualities by appointing him
second-in- command Of the General
staff of the army, and by treating him
as his faithful and wise counselor
At the beginning of the world war
General de Castelnau was at the heat
of the second army OF Lorraine.
Thanks to his ability and indomitablf
energy, Nancy, though so near to tho
German lines, was never desecratec
by the barbarians, although In nigh
places it was generally admitted that
the capital Of Lorraine would be the
first large city to fall. His victor!
of the Grand Couronne of Nancy In
September, 1914, was one of the most
decisive episodes of the battle OF the
Marne, and Joffre sent him telegram
of congratulations in the following
terms:
For more than month the army
under your command has been fighting
nearly every day, and is revealing re-
markable qualities of endurance ten
acity, and bravery. However difficult
the circumstances to be overcome you
have succeeded in keeping hold OF the