NAPOLEON'S WAR TREASURE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 127, 31 December 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

NAPOLEON'S WAR TREASURE.

After the destruction of Moscow uu October Id, 1&12, Napoleon was com-._ pelled to seek safety by a rapid return ~" to the frontier. He himself hurried on in advance ot the army. The removtu of the war treasure, which at that time consisted of twelve million 1 rants, \us entrusted to Marshal Ney. The gold was transported, in barrels and placed on carriages drawn by picked horses, but these horses, though the best in the host, were not able to save the treasure. The Emperor never saw it again. Not far from Vilna (which the Germans in the present war recently attacked) the wagons stuck in a defile, and no efforts availed to move them. Rather than see the treasure fail into the bands of the Russsians, they made the fatal mistake of ordering it to b& distributed among the soldiers. The command was obeyed, and the men eagerly took the gold, throwing away their belongings in order to fill their knapsacks iwith the yellow coins. Only a few of those who thus foolishly encumbered themselves, ever reached: the frontier. They perished in the attempt to carry their treasure, which, after all fell into the enemy's hands. (In striking contrast to the above was the course taken by Sir John Moore, when on his famous retreat to Corunna, in 1809. To prevent the treasure of {he army falling into the hands of the French, he placed it in charge f a reliable officer, with a strong guard, with instructions to throw it down a precipice after the army had' passed l . This was done, -and the British were able to continue their march without encumbrance.) Passing over ah unknown country, and surrounded'on every side with relentless enemies, the Marshal displayed the talents of a resourceful general. His troops marched m the lorm of a square, and in this formation repeatedly repulsed the attacks or the Cossacks. But the constant strain told on the men, and, when the Dnieper had been passed, all mere in despair, everyone giving himself up for lost. At this critical state of alfairs somo officers sought Ney to receive his orders, and, to their surprise, fie was found crouched beneath a ridge' of snow attentively examining a chart which was laid out before him. The calmness) of the General in this time of stress to some extent calmed the fears ot the soldiers, and Ney was able to conduct his marvellous retreat to ito conclusion.