NAPOLEON’S WAR TREASURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1610, 14 September 1916, Page 4

NAPOLEON’S WAR TREASURE.

After the destruction of Moscow on October 15(b, Napoleon was compelled to seek solely by a rapid return to the frontier. He himself hurried on in advance of the army. The removal of the war treasure, which at that lime consisted of twelve 1 million francs, was entrusted to Marslml Ney. The gold was transported in barrels, and placed on carriages drawn by picked horses, but these horses, I bough the. best in ila l host, were nimble to save the treasure. The l Emperor never saw il again. Not far from Vilna the waggons stack in a defile, ami no effort,* availed to move (hem. Rather (ban see the treasure fall into the hands of I lit 1 Russians, they made the fatal mistake of ordering il to be distributed among the soldiers. Tin 1 command was obeyed, and (be men eagerly took the gold, throwing away their belongings In order to fill their knapsacks with (he yellow coins. Only a lew of those who I bus foolishly encumbered- themselves ever reached the frontier. They perished in the attempt to carry their treasure, which, after all, (bus (ell into (he enemy’s hands, flu striking contrast to the above was the course taken by Sir John Moore, when, mi bis famous re I real to Corunna, in LSI)!). To prevent the treasure of the army falling into the bunds of the French, he placed it in charge of a reliable officer, with a s( rmig guard, with in- .

si ructions to throw it down n precipice nl'lcr lln 1 army had passed. This was done, and ihe British were aide to continue their march without encmnherance.) Passing over an unknown country, and surrounded on every side with relentless enemies, Ihe Marshall displayed the talents of a resourceful general. 11 is troops marched in (he form of a square, and in this formation repeatedly repulsed the attacks of the Cossacks. But lln* constant strain told on the men, and when the Dnieper had been passed, all were >n despair, everyone #>-i viny himself up for lost. At this critical stale of affairs some ollicers sought Xey to receive his orders, and.-, to their surprise, he was found crouching beneath a ridge of snow attentively examining a chart that was laid out before him. The calmness id' the (ieneral in this lime of stress to some extent cabin'd the fears of the soldiers, and Xey was able to conduct his marvellous retreat to its conclusion.