THE LATE PRINCE IMPERIAL.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 157, 25 June 1879, Page 3

THE LATE PRINCE IMPERIAL.

The following account of his career is from " Men of the Time" : " Napoleon (Prince Imperial of France), Eugene Louis Jean Joseph, son of the late Emperor Napoleon 111. and the empress Eugenie, was born March 16th, 1856. For some time great fears were entertained on account of the delicacy of his health, which improved considerably in the summer of 1867. In 1870 he accompanied his father to the seat of war, and was present, on August 2nd, at the capture of Saarbruck, when the Emperor telegraphed to the Empress at Paris this memorable dispatch : ' Louis has just received his baptism of fire. He showed admirable coolness, and was not at all affected. A division of General Frossard has captured the heights which overlook the left bank at Saarkruck. The Prussians made but a short resistance. We were in the front rank, but the bullets and cannon-balls fell at our feet. Louis has kept a bullet which fell quite close to him. Some of the soldiers wept at seeing him so calm. We have only lost one officer and 10 men killed.' After the disastrous defeat at Sedan, the young prince made his escape to Belgium, and crossing from Ostend to Dover on September 6th, proceeded to Hastings, where he was joined by the Empress three days later, j He subsequently resided with his illus- j trious parents at Chiselhurst. His Imperial Highness joined the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, as a gentleman cadet, and pui'sued his studies there without intermission, except for a short period, when,, in consequence of the death "i his father,, he was unable to be present at the periodical examination in February, 1873. He then joined the first class of students preparing for the examination for commissions in the Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery, with which class he was associated during his subsequent career at the academy. At the final examination in Febnvry, 1875, he stood seventh in a class of 34, a position which if he had wished to enter the British army, w r ould have entitled him to elect service in the Artillery or Engineers."