A FRENCH AMAZON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 190, 17 November 1876, Page 15

A FRENCH AMAZON.

One of the few surviving vetrans of the First Empire (says a Paris I correspondent) has just passed away in the person of M. le Commandant Duchemin, at the ripe age of 85. Constantly on active service throughout the campaign of Napoleon, and frequently ■wounded, he fought his way up from the ranks, and on the occupation of Paris by the Allies rendered himself famous as a duellist, and boasted of having killed or wounded a score of the " odious foreigners "on the field of honor. For the last twenty years he frequented the same cafe at the same hour daily to play his game of cards and take his absinthe. He lived almost in the past, and gave vent to his feelings in maledictions against Wellington, Blucher, Grouchy, and the rest, " gu i avaientfait monrir son Emperenr." His principal delight, however, was in recounting the history of his mother, Marie, whose career was a remarkable one. The daughter of an old soldier, and a vivandiere, she was from her earliest years the pet of the regiment, and at the age of fifteen married the fencing-master of the regiment of the Gardes Franchises, who, after taking part in the overthrow of the Bastile, was killed in attempting to save the life of a soldier of the Swiss Guard, leaving his young widow with her infant son. When the great Revolution war broke out, Mane felt the hereditary military instinct too strong to be resisted, and without hesitation sacrificed the locks so dear to her sex, and, disguised in male attire, was the first to enrol herself as a volunteer under the name of Joseph Duchemin, which was also that of her grandfather. Of iron constitution, and the build of a granedier, measuring nearly thirty-six inches across the shoulders, she had little difficulty in concealing her sex, although she was wounded at the siege of Toulon. Two months afterwards, when fighting in the war of La Vendee, she was engaged in the battle of Chollet. Here she received two severe wounds, but in spite of the loss of blood, her courage sustained her until the close of the day, when she fired the very last shot, and fell exhausted. Then only on dressing her wounds was it discovered by the surgeons that Corporal Duchemin (for she had gained her stripes) was a woman. She became at once the hero, or rather heroine of the day, and was personally complimented by her general, who asked permission from the War Minister to keep her name on the muster-roll of the regiment, and Marie remained inscribed as corporal in the 42nd Foot. She afterwards fought at L^ii, Arcola, and Eivoli, where she captured a flag, at the Pyram-^ Mount Thabor, Aboukir, and other engagements. She was then taken prisoner by the English, and sent to the hulks at Plymouth, but managed to escape, with three of her comrades, by killing the sentinel on duty, and got safely back to Paris. Five days afterwards she rejoined her regiment, and made her last campaign, for she lost her right leg by a cannon ball at Marengo. She was then admitted as a pensioner into the Invalides, and°it was a proud day for herself and son when they went together in 1857 to the Palace of the Legion of Honor to receive each the St. Helena medal. General Serruier, Governor of the Invalides, applied for the Cross of the Legion of Honor for her, but before the authorities had decided on such an awful departure from precedent, as to confer this distinction on a woman, she died in 1862. In relating this extraordinary career, the old commandant used to say, " She was only a woman, but" (with a forcible but untranslatable French expletive) "what a soldier!"

The following report of the steamer St. Louis arrived at this port from New Orleaus, respecting the adventurous voyage of Mr Johnson, which has been previously alluded to, will be read with interest :— " The Centennial, smal 1 boat or dory, of Gloucester, United States manned by one man, A. Johnson, from Gloucester to Liverpool, steering E., July 14, at four p.m., in 43 3T. 47 W. Left on the 15th of June. Boat sixteen feet long. A. Johnson was well and required no aeeiitance."