FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1882   1883   1884   1885   1886   1887   1888   1889   1890   1891   1892   1893   1894   1895   1896   1897   1898   1899   1900   1901   1902   1903   1904   1905   1906  
1907   1908   1909   1910   1911   1912   1913   1914   1915   1916   1917   1918   1919   1920   1921   1922   1923   1924   1925   1926   1927   1928   1929   1930   1931   >>   >|  
unate general. Fouche paid him a visit in prison the day before his death, and offered him "Bonaparte's commission as a Field-marshal, and a diploma as a grand officer of the Legion of Honour, provided he would turn informer against Moreau, of whose treachery against himself in 1797 he was reminded. On the other hand, he was informed that, in consequence of his former denials, if he persisted in his refractory conduct, he should never more appear before any judge, but that the affairs of State and the safety of the country required that he should be privately despatched in his gaol." "So," answered this virtuous and indignant warrior, "you will spare my life only upon condition that I prove myself unworthy to live. As this is the case, my choice is made without hesitation; I am prepared to become your victim, but I will never be numbered among your accomplices. Call in your executioners; I am ready to die as I have lived, a man of honour, and an irreproachable citizen." Within twenty-four hours after this answer, Pichegru was no more. That the Duc d'Enghien was shot on the night of the 21st of March, 1804, in the wood or in the ditch of the castle at Vincennes, is admitted even by Government; but who really were his assassins is still unknown. Some assert that he was shot by the grenadiers of Bonaparte's Italian guard; others say, by a detachment of the Gendarmes d'Elite; and others again, that the men of both these corps refused to fire, and that General Murat, hearing the troops murmur, and fearing their mutiny, was himself the executioner of this young and innocent Prince of the House of Bourbon, by riding up to him and blowing out his brains with a pistol. Certain it is that Murat was the first, and Louis Bonaparte the second in command, on this dreadful occasion. LETTER V. PARIS, August, 1805. MY LORD:--Thanks to Talleyrand's political emigration, our Government has never been in ignorance of the characters and foibles of the leading members among the emigrants in England. Otto, however, finished their picture, but added, some new groups to those delineated by his predecessor. It was according to his plan that the expedition of Mehee de la Touche was undertaken, and it was in following his instructions that the campaign of this traitor succeeded so well in Great Britain. Under the Ministry of Vergennes, of Montmorin, and of Delessart, Mehee had been employed as a spy in Russia, Sweden, an
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1882   1883   1884   1885   1886   1887   1888   1889   1890   1891   1892   1893   1894   1895   1896   1897   1898   1899   1900   1901   1902   1903   1904   1905   1906  
1907   1908   1909   1910   1911   1912   1913   1914   1915   1916   1917   1918   1919   1920   1921   1922   1923   1924   1925   1926   1927   1928   1929   1930   1931   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Bonaparte

 

Government

 
command
 

Prince

 

Sweden

 

Bourbon

 

riding

 

blowing

 

Certain

 

pistol


innocent

 
brains
 
troops
 

detachment

 
Gendarmes
 
Italian
 

grenadiers

 

assassins

 

unknown

 

assert


murmur

 

dreadful

 

fearing

 

mutiny

 

executioner

 

hearing

 

General

 

refused

 

expedition

 
undertaken

Touche

 

Russia

 
delineated
 

predecessor

 

employed

 
Britain
 

Ministry

 
Delessart
 

Vergennes

 
campaign

instructions

 

traitor

 

succeeded

 
groups
 

Talleyrand

 

Thanks

 
political
 

emigration

 

Montmorin

 
LETTER