A BEAU SABREUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9588, 7 September 1909, Page 3

A BEAU SABREUR.

By the death of Genera] de Galli- ! ffet the world lost one of its most brilliant and picturesque soldiers. He was once called the modern Cyrano de Bergerac, and there was also a touch of Brigadier Gerard about him. Mr Chesterton has said that William Morris bawled for art as some men bavd for beer. General de Gallitt'et may be said to have bawled for fighting. He was a beau sabreur such as novelists and actors love. He r»aw service in the Crimea in the early twenties, then in Italy, Mexico, Algeria, Mexico again, and finally in the Franco-Prus-sian war. In Mexico he was hor ribly wounded by a shell, and letc on the field for dead, but managed to crawl some hundred yards towards the burial party. The medico-mili-tary records of the world contain only one other case of recovery from such a wound. In the great war he covered himself with glory by his magnificent leading of cavalry. At Sedan he led his men again and again to the charge, at such a cost that the value of his movements was afterwards questioned. His defence was that while it wa3 impossible to hope for success, there was hope that the cavalry's example might help to raily th» disorganised infantry. "Another effort my dear general," general Ducrof called out, aa he saw him reforming the cavalry. "If all is lost, let it be for the honour of arms." "As much as you want, General," re* plied Aio Galliffet, "As long as a man rsmair.s." So saying, he led his men in a last desperate charge. He heplec] to put down the Commune with snch rutbiessnuess that he was ever afterwards held in execration by a ceitain seciio:i of politicians. But for the opinions of such people he had the most profound con nan pi'. Returning to his Ministerial seat in the Chamber one day he round the Extreme Left yeiling for him—"Where is that assassin Galllffet?" "Coming, gentlemen, coming," he replied with a benevolent smile. "Sorrv to have kept you waitinng." and the laugh went against thy ill-mam-- ;•. .i He foug! t in seine half-n-d. v. n duelsno comi:* op-.ra aff.firi;. I t:t long, and desperate comb.a-:. With all his love of what across he Channel is considered theatrical tit'ect, lie never posed a-i \ h?ro, and never ! courted applause. He is said to have ! expressed n desire to be buried withj out military honours, and in reply to ; a correspondent who enquired for ! particulars of his stirring, and pic- \ turesque career, he replied that his ! biography was of the simplest, and j his career had merely been like that i of nearlv all his comrades.