NAPOLEON THE FOURTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 7 (Supplement)

NAPOLEON THE FOURTH.

STORY OF HIS DEATH.

AW AMBUSH IN ZULULAJTD.

EIGHTEEN ASSEGAI WOUNDS.

111-natured attacks upon a neighbour usually carry their own condemnation. That has been the faie «f M. Maurice Rostand's attempt to show in his play Napoleon the Fourth, that the grand nephew of the first Napoleon, was killed as the result of English treachery. The play fell flat, and its author was roundly condemned for his wilful jp is treating of a tragedy, the facts of which are beyond dispute. Maurice Kostand is a sou of the famous Edmund, author of "'Cyranc de Bergerac," but he has not the qualities of his great father. The Prince Imperial was a boy of'lE when his father, Napoleon HI., surrendered to the King of Prussia at Sedan in IS7O, and after the revolt in Paris which resulted in the establishment of the Commune, and subsequently of the third Republic, he escaped with his mother, the Empress Eugenie, to England. Napoleon 111. was a nephew of the First Emperor Napoleon, being the son of the Emperor's younger brother Louis who married Hortense, the daughter ol the Empress Josephine by her first marriage to Viscount de Beauhamais. Atcer the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian war the deposed Napoleon IEL was released by the Prussians, and joined his wife and son in exile ;n England. He died less than two years later, on January !>, IST-'?. The Prince Imperial went through a course of military training at Woolwich as an artillery cadet. He was regarded by the Bonapartists in France as their leader, and as the legitimate heir to the French throne, but it was realised that his prospects of regaining the throne would be enhanced if he won a :eputation as a soldier. Therefore when the Zulu war broke out in IS7S he begged tc be allowed to accompany the British military expedition. His mother, whc idolised him, resisted his entreaties for a time, but eventually consented. By special arrangement with the War Office he went to South Africa attached to the staff of Lord Chelmsford, who was in eommand of the British forces, but was given no official rank. He was to be regarded as a spectator, and not as a British officer. t On Outpost Duty. The story of the death of the Prince Imperial was retold in the "Nineteenth Century" of June last by Lieut.-Colonel P. E. Whitton.' Lord Chelmsford, yielding to the importunities of the young Prince, who was then 23 years old allowed him to take part in some hazardous reconnaissances, in which the Prince displayed considerable recklessness, as well as bravery. In order tc restrain his impetuosity Lord Chelmsford attached him to the QuartermasterGeneral's branch, and gave instructions that he was not to be permitted to take part in any distant reconnaissance, and that when employed on survey work near a camp, his party was always tc be provided with an escort, and to be accompanied by an officer. Colcnei Harrison, of the Royal Engineers, whc held the position of assistant adjutant and Quartermaster-General, was told tc act as bear leader to the Prince. But he did not adhere to his instructions, and allowed the Prince to take part in the work of selecting a camping ground tc be occupied by the main British column under General Newdigate. The proposed camp was eight miles ahead of the nearest British reinforcements on Itelezf Hill.

An escort of six white troops and six mounted Basutos was ordered for the Prince, and he was accompanied by Lieut. J. B. Carey, of the 98th Foot, who was attached to the Quartermaster-General's staff. For some reason that has never been explained Carey regarded the Pnnce as his senior in military rank, and therefore in charge of the party sent out to select a camping ground. The Prince and Carey set out accompanied by a friendly Zulu guide and six white troopers. Word was left that the six mounted Basutos, who were to complete the escort, should follow rapidly, and overtake the party; but thi* they failed to 'c. Overruled by the Prince.

The Prince and his party reached Ite lezi TTill and there met some of the British cavalry who had gone ahead of the main column. They then rode on in advance along a ridge, for seven or eight miles. Half an hour after noon they reached the summit of a flat-topped hill, where they dismounted, while the Prince ■mada a rough sketch of the surrounding country. They stayed for an hour, and the Prince, who regarded himself as in command of the party, told Lieutenant Carey that they would descend the hill to some huts near a river, where the men would be able to get wood and water and cook something. Carey demurred to this proposal, but, regarding the Prince as his senior officer, allowed himself to be overruled.

"Not a sign of a Zulu had so far been seen," writes Lieut.-Colonel Whitton, "but as a matter of fact the little party had been under observation by Zulu scouts. They reached the kraal about 3 o'clock. The huts were empty, but on the ground there were fresh remains of Zuln food. But this fact did not awaken the Prince or Carey to the need for caution. The Prince gave orders for the escort to off-raddle and to knee-halter the horses and allow them to graze. The Zulu guide went down to the river for water. No precautions were taken against a surpri e attack; the ground round the kraal was not patrolled.

About 3.35 p.m. the native guide reported that he had seen a Zulu come over the brow of the hill, and an order to saddle up was immediately given. As some of the horses had strayed, it was about ten minutes before they were collected and saddled. Carey mounted h'« horse, and halted, facing the long grass. The men stood to their horses, and the Prince gave in succession the routine commands, "Prepare to mount!" and "Mount!" At tie first command each man, with the exception of Trooper Eogers. who had not caught his Vrse. placed his foot in the near stirrup. As they swung themselves into the saddle at the word "Mount!" a volley was fired "rom the long grass, arl v loud yells thirty of forty Zulus rushed the kraaL Discipline Went by Board.

Every horse bolted, and discipline and command went by the board. The men had not been safely seated in the saddle when their mounts stampeded, and they had difficulty in clinging on. According to the "Official History of the Zulu War" the Prince failed to mount, and then attempted to vault into the saddle, bat a strap or holster gave way and his bone escaped, leaving the Prince to fight on foot inside the kraaL Trooper

Rogers, after firing a shot from his carbine, was killed before he could mount his horse. This was the only shot fired by the escort.

For the others it was a case of sauve qui peut. Carey did not turn his head until he was out of danger. The Zulus had no horses, and therefore did not pursue the riders far. The last Carey saw of the Prince was when the latter was preparing to mount. He knew the Prince was an excellent horseman, and thought he had got safely away from the kraaL But when some of the others overtook him beyond the donga he learned the truth.

Trooper Le Tock, who had dropped his carbine inside the kraal, and had hurriedly dismounted to recover it, saw the Prince struggling to mount, and called out to him to be quick about it. Corporal Grubb, on being overtaken by Le Tock before they reached the donga, was told by the latter "The Prince is down," and glancing back he saw the Prince "hanging on to something, but below his horse, the stirrup leather or the wallet, 1 * and the horse seemed to trample on him." Carey, who from first to last displayed an entire lack of military qualities, has been condemned by military critics for not rallying his little force and fighting his way back to the Prince. But the strength of the escort had been reduced to four men, and two of them would have had to stay behind and hold the horses. It is said that on his way back to headquarters, which he reached about 7.30 pjn., he was met by General Wood, in command of one of the British Columns, and General Buller, to whom he told the story of the attack; and that General Buller, after closely questioning him, said, "You deserve to be shot, and I hope you will be. I could shoot you mvself."

Next dav the body of the Prince Imperial waa" found about 250 yards from the kraal by a large escort dispatched for the purpose. The body lay on its back in the donga stripped naked except for one sock. Round the Prince's neck was a fine gold chain, from which were suspended a medallion and a lock of his mother. Eighteen assegai wounds were on the body, and death had been caused by a wound through the right eyeball.

Lieutenant Carey was subsequently tried by court-martial on a charge of misbehaviour before the enemy. He was found guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy, primarily on the ground of the smalliies of the escort, and the fact that it was insufficiently armed. He was sent to England under arrest to learn his fate. He was sentenced to be shot, but the Prince's mother, the Empress Eugenie, went personally to Queen Victoria, with whom she was on very friendly terms, and pleaded for the life of the young officer. He was pardoned and rejoined his regiment, but he was a broken man, and he died a few years later in India from fever.