DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0015
MEMOIRS OF THE CHEVALIER d’eON. 3
of Melck, in Lower Austria, (two hundred and fifty leagues
from Paris) at night, his carriage was overturned, and he had
one of the bones of his ankle broken. He stopped no longer
than to have it set, continued his route, and reached Ver-
sailles thirty-six hours sooner than the courier sent by the
court of Vienna ; and without alighting from his carriage de-
livered the dispatches to M. de Ruille, secretary of state.
They were immediately taken to Louis XV. who ordered a
lodging to be provided for D’Eon, and sent one of his own
surgeons to attend him. The accident confined him to his
bed for three months, and as his enterprizing disposition im-
pelled him to seek some military appointment, he was on his
recovery, presented by his sovereign with a lieutenantcy of
dragoons.
It was not long before he received a second appointment
to Russia, and on his return to Paris in 1759, being desirous
to distinguish himself in his military capacity, he was permit-
ted to join his regiment in Germany, as captain of dragoons,
and aid-du-camp to the Count and Marshal de Broglio.
In an engagement at Ultrop, he was twice wounded; and
at Ostervich, at the head of some dragoons and hussars, he
charged the Prussian battalion of Rhes, w hich he routed, and
took the commander prisoner.
In 1761 he w as selected as a proper person to repair once
more to Russia, to replace the French ambassador, the Baron
de Breteuil; but the death of the Emperor Peter III. having
occasioned a change in the politics of that pow er, the appoint-
ment never took place.
In September following, D’Eon went to London, as secre-
tary of embassy to the Duke de Nivernois, who was sent am-
bassador from France to the court of London, for the purpose
of negociating a treaty of peace. In the progress of this
business he proved of essential service to his court on the
following occasion. The Duke, over zealous in the service
of his master, changed several articles, which gave such um-
b 2
of Melck, in Lower Austria, (two hundred and fifty leagues
from Paris) at night, his carriage was overturned, and he had
one of the bones of his ankle broken. He stopped no longer
than to have it set, continued his route, and reached Ver-
sailles thirty-six hours sooner than the courier sent by the
court of Vienna ; and without alighting from his carriage de-
livered the dispatches to M. de Ruille, secretary of state.
They were immediately taken to Louis XV. who ordered a
lodging to be provided for D’Eon, and sent one of his own
surgeons to attend him. The accident confined him to his
bed for three months, and as his enterprizing disposition im-
pelled him to seek some military appointment, he was on his
recovery, presented by his sovereign with a lieutenantcy of
dragoons.
It was not long before he received a second appointment
to Russia, and on his return to Paris in 1759, being desirous
to distinguish himself in his military capacity, he was permit-
ted to join his regiment in Germany, as captain of dragoons,
and aid-du-camp to the Count and Marshal de Broglio.
In an engagement at Ultrop, he was twice wounded; and
at Ostervich, at the head of some dragoons and hussars, he
charged the Prussian battalion of Rhes, w hich he routed, and
took the commander prisoner.
In 1761 he w as selected as a proper person to repair once
more to Russia, to replace the French ambassador, the Baron
de Breteuil; but the death of the Emperor Peter III. having
occasioned a change in the politics of that pow er, the appoint-
ment never took place.
In September following, D’Eon went to London, as secre-
tary of embassy to the Duke de Nivernois, who was sent am-
bassador from France to the court of London, for the purpose
of negociating a treaty of peace. In the progress of this
business he proved of essential service to his court on the
following occasion. The Duke, over zealous in the service
of his master, changed several articles, which gave such um-
b 2