FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   551   552   553   554   555   556   557   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570   571   572   573   574   575  
576   577   578   579   580   581   582   583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   >>   >|  
ught out, and I gave the word to fire. The man fell, and after the execution I learned that we had shot the Due d'Enghien. Judge of my horror! . . . I knew the prisoner only by the name of the brigand of La Vendee! . . . I could no longer remain in the service--I obtained my discharge, and am about to retire to my family. Would that I had done so sooner!" The above has been related to me and other persons by Davoust's secretary, whom I shall not name. CHAPTER XXIII. 1804. General Ordener's mission--Arrest of the Due d'Enghien--Horrible night-scene---Harrel's account of the death of the Prince--Order for digging the grave--The foster-sister of the Duo d'Enghien--Reading the sentence--The lantern--General Savary--The faithful dog and the police--My visit to Malmaison--Josephine's grief-- The Duc d'Enghien's portrait and lock of hair--Savary's emotion-- M. de Chateaubriand's resignation--M. de Chateaubriand's connection with Bonaparte--Madame Bacciocchi and M. de Fontanes--Cardinal Fesch --Dedication of the second edition of the 'Genie du Christianisme' --M. de Chateaubriand's visit to the First Consul on the morning of the Due d'Enghien's death--Consequences of the Duo d'Enghien's death--Change of opinion in the provinces--The Gentry of the Chateaus--Effect of the Due d'Enghien's death on foreign Courts-- Remarkable words of Mr. Pitt--Louis XVIII. sends back the insignia of the Golden Fleece to the King of Spain. I will now narrate more fully the sanguinary scene which took place at Vincennes. General Ordener, commanding the mounted grenadiers of the Guard, received orders from the War Minister to proceed to the Rhine, to give instructions to the chiefs of the gendarmerie of New Brissac, which was placed at his disposal. General Ordener sent a detachment of gendarmerie to Ettenheim, where the Due d'Enghien was arrested on the 15th of March. He was immediately conducted to the citadel of Strasburg, where he remained till the 18th, to give time for the arrival of orders from Paris. These orders were given rapidly, and executed promptly, for the carriage which conveyed the unfortunate Prince arrived at the barrier at eleven o'clock on the morning of the 20th, where it remained for five hours, and afterwards proceeded by the exterior boulevards on the road to Vincennes, where it arrived at night. Every scene of this horrible drama was acted under the veil of night: th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   551   552   553   554   555   556   557   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570   571   572   573   574   575  
576   577   578   579   580   581   582   583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Enghien

 

General

 

Chateaubriand

 

orders

 

Ordener

 

gendarmerie

 

morning

 

Vincennes

 

arrived

 

Prince


remained

 

Savary

 

chiefs

 

received

 

proceed

 

Minister

 

instructions

 

insignia

 

foreign

 

Courts


Remarkable

 
Golden
 

Fleece

 

sanguinary

 

commanding

 

mounted

 

narrate

 

grenadiers

 

Ettenheim

 

eleven


barrier

 

promptly

 

carriage

 

conveyed

 

unfortunate

 

proceeded

 

horrible

 
exterior
 
boulevards
 

executed


rapidly

 

arrested

 

Effect

 

detachment

 

disposal

 
immediately
 
conducted
 

arrival

 

citadel

 
Strasburg