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sesame ,
EDITED BX CHARLES P. ILSLIJY.
ONE DOL‘LAR A YEAR.
seaweeeuef. j " . i
, ‘ PUBLISHED BY N. A. POSTER, a: CO; :
PAY
ABLE IN ADVANCEXI .‘
VOL.VII[.
. bemoan TALES.
f F’rom ‘Leaflets of Memo’ry,’ an Anuual,for 1345.
.THE CAVES OEROENEDALE.
AN -EI’ISODE 0F ‘VATERLOO.
131 “mans collar! GBATTAN.
Whoever stands upon the field of Wa-
terloo and looks round its bleak extent,
must, even while his mind is filled with
'the whole panorama of the battle, image
to himself the multitude of individual
traits which composed it, and long to
revive the memory of each actor in the
scene. The thousand episodes of that
day, if they could be brought to light,
would form a rich fund for detail. One
ofthem I became acquainted with by
accident, as others havebeen from time
totime revived. Any. circumstance that
tells well for human nature ought not
to belost for want ofa narrator; and I
am, therefore,.induced to the task- of
bringing this'6ne before the public.
Florent Martigny was a sub-officer
in the cuirassicrs of theJmperial Guard;
a young man of respectable family; fill-
ed with zeal for the service of Napole-
on, uuder whom he had served some
stormy campaigns; and possessing, in
proportion to his idolatry for France, a
bitter hatred to England and all that
was Englislr.- Nothing could exceed
'his delight on coming for the first- time
into action with those detested enemies.
His bosom swelled against the cuirass
' that covered it; and he struck 'the hilt
of his long strait sword against the pom-
mel ofhis saddle, as if to fix' the wea-
pon more firmly ,in his grasp.
The position occupied by Napoleon
during the seven or eight hours’ contin-
uance of that memorable fight, is well
known. It commanded a full vieiv of
the conflict, from'right to left. It was
almost the central point of the French
line, and exactly oppoA-‘f'e-to that occu-
pied by the Duke 0'3; ’ ttmgton and his
staff, from which the valley between in-
creased its real, but. lessened its appa-
rent distance. Every movement. was
evident; every advance and repulse; all
the fluctuations of the day.' This was
u trying situation for the boiling aidour
of the curiassiers of the guard, who
formed the reserve, drawn up in squad;
was close behind the Emperor, and
who for many a tedious hour pantcd for
the order that was to send them to the
charge. The English bullets, from time
to time,came whistling over their heads,
ploughed up’ the ground under their
horses’ feet, or caused a few casualties
in their ranks. '
entMartigny had his 'eye' fixed on the
' person of Napoleon, although his anx-
I
froid, he exclaimed, f‘Sire, i
' ole of this time ‘ V V- '
During the Wh ‘ , Flor le snis, it y a one heuse. Lnbataille est. perdne
PORTLAND, SATURDdY, JANUARY 11‘, 1845.
ious gaze took in, as well, the great ob-
jects of the field. He marked every
movement,every gesture, every glance
of the hero who fought the ,last an
greatest of his battles. He was so elosr
as constantly to hear his conversatioi
with the marshals and the officers of his
staff, and particularly those parts of‘t
which related to the doubtful 'questim
of the approach of the Prussian arm].
Napoleon, who held a spy-glass of if!-
markable poweidn his hand, resisted a
long time the arguments and asser‘a-
tions of those around him, who assu‘ed
him that at length there could be no
doubt on‘ the matter, but that it wasin-
deed Bulow’s corps that deployed fum
the forest on the right;and not Grouc'y’s
as Napoleon persevered in saying it ias.
At length the impetuous and unfrrtu-
nate Labadoyere, irritated at the Empe-
ror’s obstinancy, rode away towardzithe
right, determined to see,'at the nerest
possible distance, the fact of the '1qu-
sian’s approach,and to bring back hf oc-
ular testimony to remove 'his matcr’s
scepticism. As he galloped‘ ofl', Iapo-
leou only Fedoublcd hisvdesperatc ('ders
to force the British ccntre.‘ Battllion
after battallion, squadron, after ’quad-
ron, were mq’rchcd down the heigls and
across that bloody valley,'- and Irokcn
and shattered on the bayonets 0“ their
impenetrable foe. . . . " . ‘I
Labadoyere covered 'with dist and
sweat, soon came galloping bag again;
and riding up fiercely to the emperor,
who was on foot, walking backwards
and forwards amidst a shower‘ of can;
nonballs with an air of pe'ifect song
is Insani-
ty to doubt the fact-Grouch" is no-
where to be seen. It is theQrUSSlan
army which comes on fromthe forest,
in great force.” . ' ,,
'Napoleon smiled, and, tapping" him
lightly on the shoulder wth the great-
est calmn ‘ss, . ' ‘ :
‘Tut, t , young'man, 'don’t be in a
passion. I have [known it for an hour
past. T e battle is lost, and the em-
pire with t!”"‘ 5 . 2
Look of mingled admiration and
alarm “ire exchanged in the group,
who he (1 their ruined chieftain thus
calmly renounce the sentence of his
fate. murmur of impatient despera-
tion ardle. Several voices 'were heard
togethe , muttering calls to be led on.
‘All is riot lost,’ cried a voice, ‘let the
cuirassiers charge !’ The Emperor
looked found. A forcstof broadswords
glittered on high, as they were fiercely
flourished by the infuriated guard.
H'- l ,
" IPaix,jeune hommo-ne vous fachez pus! Je
et L' Empire avec,'- Napoleon's. expression,
vrbnuma, . .r ‘ -
i
l ' ‘Let their charge !’ cried Napoleon;
:-and in an instant the whole of the
'reserve, their helms and cuirasses
gleaming in the setting sun, were im-
pelled headlong down the heights, and
were soon in close contact with the
heavy dragoons of the British force. One
of the foremost and most active in the
shock was Floreut Mnrtigny. Amid
the elangour and smoke ofthe melee, he
struck fiercely round, fighting like his
comrades, in desperation and almost in
despair; till ablow from a sabre, inflict-
cd by what hand he knew not, cut him
across the side, just under his cuirass,
and he sank to the earth, stunrled by
the wound and the fall.
When Florent recovered- his senses,
he. found himselfas it were in a new
existence. The whole turmoil ofthe
battle-field had disappeared, Indicu
of the alarms, the shouts, the clash of
conflict, all 'was calm and still. The
groans of the wounded, and-the con-
fused murmur of those occupied in re-
moving them, alone‘were heard, The
moon slionglirighdy, ' . ' '-'u'
firES of the English army gleamed a-
round ; and nothing was to be seen. but
enemies. Florcnt was surrounded by
a group that he at once recognized for
English. A surgeon was in the act of
binding his wounds. 'Two or three sol-
NO. 40. ,
la young Frenchman stalked into. the
lroom. He wore the uniform ‘ of
l the Imperial Guard, and he looked pale
[from the united effects of illness and
passion. He stopped near the doorway
and with clenched fist and gnashing
teeth, he exclaimed, ‘I could eat the '
heart ofan Englishman‘.’ - ' V
The player suspended his stroke;-
the Britons looked at each' other with
various feelings. Butoneof them, with
more presence ofmind, and more ready-
witted than the rest, politely bowed to
tlfe intruder, and, said in excellent
French, ‘And pray, sir, how would you.
like it dressed?’ ,
The effect of a repartee on a French-
man. is always prodigious. In the pres-
ent instance itwas completely so.‘ Flo-
rent (for it was lie,who,wandcring about,
had been hurried into this intemperancc
by his rage at seeing his victors happily ‘
enjoying thernsclves,) felt at once over-
whelmed by the simple answer to his '
outrage. He was faint from mental and
bodilycxciternent, 'and he sanlj
., m, .‘iignsn unions at 1,341“
around him; 'und'sceing ’in a memcht .
the truth ofhis situation and his feel- .
ings, they did all they could to soothe
and relieve him. ' They offered him
wine, which he drank mechanically;
and when he was recovered, one ofthem
.min
diers were preparing a handalitter to
carry him away. ‘. '
- "A prisoner-41nd to the English !
The battle is lost-and the empire with
it!’ Such were’ the tliouglitstliatrosc
to Floie‘nt’s lips, and were-quickly dis-
tilled into words of bitter utterance.-
Rage and regret agonizcd him togeth-
er, but he said no more. He was soon
placed in one of the farm-houses that
line .the road from the battle-field to the
village of ‘Yaterloo, all converted into
hospitals, where the wounded French
were mingled, indiscriminately with
those of their conquerers‘, and treated
with‘ equal care. ‘Florcnt felt a fresh
access of rage and hatred at every new
proof of English humanity. He would
have rather died, than be saved by it.
But his fate was otherwise-his wound
was not dangerous. It was seen almost
healed, and in a few days he was: able
and atliberty to walk freely into the
Open air. . ' '
A detachment of English were in
charge of the wounded and invalided
men. The oflicersdid all that is usual
to kill time in such a situation. The
several billiard-tables in the different
aubergcs were occupied by them from
morning till night. One evening some
half dozen of them were playing as us-
ual, the doors and windows wide open,
admitting the summer air, Suddenly
x.
addressed him. .
‘Sir,’ said be, ‘we have been ene-
mies-“we are so no longer; it is the fate
of warthat we should be friends, for
the blood of many of us has floivcd in
the same channels. My companions
and myself are resolved that you shall
join usin a pledge of good fellowship.
We must play a pool at billiards togeth-
er, for a Napoleon each.’ '
Florent,astonishcd at this eittraordi-
nary method ofccmenting a new friend-
ship, attributcd it to English barbarism,
or to a design upon his purse., He de- .
clined, protestid’he was a bad.p‘.ayer;
and would have added that he had but
one Napoleon in the world, had shame
allowed the confession. The oflicers
would hear of no .cxcuse.‘ They put'
their money down; they placed a one
in his hands;‘ in short he was mortified,
confused, indignant-he had no' power
of resistance. A few strokes were play- '
ed for form’s sake by his opponents-L
Theylost every time. , In a few mine-i
tes Florent was winner of the pool; and
it was only when the whole of the stakes
were placcdin his hands by the liberal
losers, that he saiv they had‘ adopted -
this delicate means of forcing their gen- '
crosuy upon him. The English otiicers
retired, one only remaining to conduct
Florent to his quarters.‘IIc soon excus.
ed himself from the attendance ofhthis . i.
V
