THE EMPRESS EUGENIE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4219, 4 December 1939, Page 6

THE EMPRESS EUGENIE

AN IMPERIAL TRAGEDY. Napoleon IV., as the Bonapartists called the son of Napoleon 111., is ths subject <of Mrs Katherine John’s book “ The Prince Imperial,” but the central figure of the story is the Prince’s mother, the Empress Eugenie, a woman of Comparatively humble birth, but of great ambition. She was born at Granada, Spain, on May sth, 1826, her father being Count de Monti jo, who had married Maria Manuele Fitzpatrick, the daughter of a Scot who had. been American consul at Malaga. Eugenie de Montijo had great beauty, and when she made her debut in Paris society in 1851 she captivated Louis Napoleon, nephew of the great Napoleon. He was then a member of the National Assembly, and was plotting against the Second Republic with the object of gaining the throne. After being elected President of France by plebiscite he succeeded in ' getting himself crowned as Emperor. His marriage to Eugenie deMontijo in the following year dis-r pleased both the Bonapartists and the Legitimatists, and for a time the French aristocracy boycotted the Empress, but she established herself as the centre of a court noted for its luxuriance and extravagance. The Visit of Queen Victoria, to Paris as} the guest of the Emperor and Empress helped to break down the aristocracy’s boycott of the court. Eugene Louis Jean Joseph, the only child of the marriage of Louis

Napoleon and Eugenie de Montijo, was born in Paris on March 16th, 1856. He was known) as the Prince Imperial, apd even in childhood he was taught to model himself on his great ancestor Napoleon I. Almost as soon as the child could walk he was fitted with the uniform of the Grenadiers, even to the bearskin. At three years of age he took the salute at ceremonious military parades. He was only 14 years of age when the great disaster of Sedan took place, and his father at the head of an army of 104,300 troops surrendered to the King of Prussia and beer,me a prisoner of wair. It was on the bad advice of the Empress that Napoleon had declared war on Prussia, and when the news of the surrender at Sedan reached Paris revolution broke out. The Empress fled from the palace in a hackney carriage and with the aid of an English dentist named Evans malde her way to England, accompanied by the Prince Imperial. They were joined by Louis Napoleon when he was released by the King of Prussia after the war ended with the capitulation of Paris. Less than two years later the deposed Emperor died in England. THE YOUNG PRINCE. The ambitions of the ex-Empress centred in her son and the restoration of the Napoleon dynasty to the throne of France. The Prince developed into a handsome youth, and as Queen Victoria took him and his mother under her wing he was welcomed in English society. Napoleon I. had begun his military career as an officer in the artillery, therefore the Prince Imperial was sent to Wcolwich for military training as an

artillery cadet. He was /regarded by the Bonapartists in France as the rightful heir to the throne, and it wa,s realised that his prospects, of gaining the throne would be enhanced if he won a reputation as a soldier. Therefore when the Zulu war broke ouit in 1878 the Prince begged to he allowed to accompany the British military expedition sent to South Africa to fight the Zulus. His mother, who idolised him, resisted his entreaties for a time, but eventually gave way. By special arrangement with the War Office he went to South Africa, attached to the staff of Lord Chelmsford, who was in commland of the British forces, but he was not given official rank. He was to be regarded as a spectator and not as a British officer. He wore the undress uniform of an officer of the Royal Artillery. Lord Chelmsford, yielding to the importunities of the young Prince, who was then 23 years .of age, allowed him to take part in some hazardous reconnaissances, in which the Prince displayed considerable recklessness, as well as courage. In order to restrain his impetuosity Lord Chelmsford attached him to the Quartermaster-General’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 camp his party was always to be provided with an escort and to. be accompanied by an officer. Colonel Harrison, of the Royal Engineers, who held the position of Assistant Adjutant, and Quar-termaster-General, was told to act as bear-leader to the Prince, But he allowed the Prince to take part in the work of seledting a camping ground

to be occupied iby the main British column under General Newdigate. The proposed camp was eight miles in advance of the nearest British, reinforcements on Itelezi Hill. An escort of six white troopers and six mounted Basutos Was ordered for the Prince, and he was accompanied by Lieutenant J. B. Carey, of the 98th Foot, who was attached to the Quartermaster-General’s staff; For some reason which was never explained, Carey regarded the Prince 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 as guide, and by 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 this they failed to do. This was one of a series of blunders and misadventures that culminated in disaster. SURPRISE ATTACK. ‘ The Prince, and his party reached Itelezi Hill, 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 made a rough sketch of the surrounding country. They stayed there for an hour, arid 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. The huts to which the party descended were a native kraal of the ordinary type, consisting of a circular stone enclosure about 25 yards in diameter, with five huts outside. The whole of the level ground right up to the huts was covered with tall grass arid Indian, corn, except on the far side. The ground was open for about 200 yards, but at that distance there was a donga or dry watercourse 6 to 8 feet deep.

No sign of a Zulu had (been seen by the party, but as a matter of fact Zulu scouts had the party under observation. The party reached the ; kraal about 3 o’clock. They found the huts empty, but on the ground were rentains of fresh Zulu food. This did not impress either the Prince or Carey with the need for caution. The . Prince gave orders for the escort to 1 off-saddle, and to knee-halter the horses and allow them to graze. The : Zulu guide went down to the river for water; a fire was lit, and two of the escort and the guide brewed somecoffee. No precautions were taken against a surprise attack; the ground round the kraal was not patrolled. The Prince, it is said, lay down to rest, and afterwards he and Carey occupied themselves with maps and sketches of the country. About 3.45 p.m. the Zulu guide reported that he had seen a Zulu warrior 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 his 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 the first command, each man, with the exception of Trooper Rogers, who had not caught his horse, placed his foot in the near As they swung themselves into the saddle at the word “Mount!” a volley was fired from! the long grass, and with loud yells thirty or forty Zulus rushed the kraal. THE PRINCE KILLED. 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 op. According to- the “Official History of the Zulu War” the Prince failed to mount, and then attempted to vault into the saddle, but the strap oi- holster gave way and the horse galloped off, 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. Carey, the five troopers, and the Zulu guide rode off as fast as they could, and did not turn their heads until they were out of danger. The Zulus had no horses and therefore did not pursue them far. The 1 last Carey had seen of the Prince was when he was preparing to mount, and knowing that the Prince was an excellent horseman he assumed that the Prince had got away safely. l But when several of the troopers overtook him and he asked what had happened to the Prince, he learned that the Prince’s horse had bolted before the rider could mount, and the last that had been seen of him was when he was running towards the donga with about a, dozen Zulus in pursuit o£ him.

On the way back to headquarters Carey met General Wood and General Buller, to whom he told the story oi the attalck. General Buller, after questioning him closely, exclaimed, “You deserve to be shot, and I hope you will be. I could shoot you myself.” Next day the body of the Prince was found about 250 yards

from the kraal by a large escort despatched 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 was suspended a medallion and a, locket, /which had been given to him by his mother. Eighteen! assegai wounds were on the body, and death had been caused by a wound through the right eyeball.

Lieutenant Carey, who throughout had displayed a lamentable lack oi military qualities, was subsequently tried Iby court-martial on a charge of misbehaviour before the enemy. He was found guilty, with ai strong recommendation to mercy, primarily on the ground of the smallness 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. It was said that the Empress Eugenie went personally to her friend Queen Victoria, and pleaded for his life. He was pardoned and rejoined his regiment, but he was a broken man, and a few years later he died in India from fever. >