DOI Heft:
January to June, 1844
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16519#0135
138
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI
His people were employed rifling the pockets of the National Guard, and had made a about him, Nemours determined to make a last
tolerable booty when the great duke, taking a bell out of his pocket, (it was used for desperate effort. 'Twas vain ; the ranks met : the
next moment the truncheon of the Prince of Orleans
was dashed from his hand by the irresistible mace
of the Duke Jenkins; his horse's shins were
broken by the same weapon. Screaming with agony,
the animal fell. Jenkins's hand was at the duke's
collar in a moment, and had he not gasped out Je
we rends, he would have been throttled in that dread-
ful grasp !
Three hundred and forty-two standards, seventy-
nine regiments, their baggage, ammunition, and
treasure-chests, fell into the hands of the victoiious
duke. He had avenged the honour of Old England,
and himself presenting the sword of the conquered
Nemours to Prince Henri, who now came up, the
prince, bursting into tears, fell on his neck, and
said, " Duke, I owe my crown to my patron saint
and you." It was indeed a glorious victory, but
what will not British valour attain ?
The Duke of Nemours, having despatched a brief
note to Paris, saying, "Sire, all is lost except
honour ! " was sent off in confinement, and in spite
of the entreaties of his captor, was hardly treated
with decent politeness. The priests and the noble
regiments who rode back when the affair was ever,
were for having the Prince shot at once, and mur-
mured loudly against " cet Anglais brutal,'1 who in-
Signals in his batallion in place of fife or bugle) speedily called his scattered warriors ' terP"sed in "behalf of his prisoner. Henri V
together. " Take the muskets of the Nationals," said lie. They did so. " Form in
square, and prepare to receive cavalry ! " By the time Concombre's regiment arrived,
he found a square of bristling bayonets with Britons behind them !
The colonel did not care to attempt to break that tremendous body. " Halt ! " said
he to his men.
"Fire !" screamed Jenkins, with eagle swiftness ; but the guns of the National
Guard not being loaded did not in consequence go off. The hussars gave a jeer of
derision, but nevertheless did not return to the attack, and seeing some of the Legi-
timist cavalry at hand, prepared to charge upon them.
The fate of those carpet warriors was soon decided. The Millefleur regiment broke
before Concombre's hussars instantaneously ; the Eau de Rose dragoons stuck spurs
into their blood horses, and galloped far out of reach of the opposing cavalry : the
Eau de Cologne lancers fainted to a man, and the regiment of Concombre, pursuing
its course, had actually reached the prince and his aides-de camp, when the clergymen
coming up formed gallantly round the Orifiame, and the bassoons and serpents
braying again, set up such a shout of canticles, and anathemas, and excommunications,
that the horses of Concombre's dragoons in turn took fright, and those warriors in
their turn broke and fled. As soon as they turned, the Vendeean riflemen fired amongst
them, and finished them—the gallant Concombre fell; the intrepid though diminutive
Cornichon, his major, was cut down ; Cardon was wounded a la moelle, and the wife of
the fiery Navet was that day a widow. Peace to the souls of the brave ! In defeat or
in victory, where can the soldier find a more fitting resting-place than the glorious field
of carnage? Only a few disorderly and dispirited riders of Concombre's regiment
reached Tours at night. They had left it but the day before, a thousand disciplined
and high-spirited men !
Kno wing how irresistible a weapon is the bayonet in British hands, the intrepid
Jenkins determined to carry on his advantage, and charged the Saugrenue Light
Infantry (now before him) with cold steel. The Frenchmen delivered a volley, of which
a shot took effect in Jenkins's cockade, but did not abide the crossing of the weapons.
"A Frenchman dies, but never surrenders," said Saugrenue, yielding up his sword, and
his whole regiment were stabbed, trampled down, or made prisoner. The blood of
the Englishmen rose in the hot encounter. Their curses were horrible ; their courage
tremendous. " On, on," hoarsely screamed they, and a second regiment met them and
was crushed, pounded, in the hurtling grinding encounter. " A Jenkins, a Jenkins ! "
still roared the heroic duke, "St. George for Mayfair !" The Footmen of England
still yelled their terrific battle-cry, " Hurra, hurra ! " On they went, regiment after
regiment was annihilated, until scared at the very trample of the advancing warriors,
the dismayed troops cf France screaming, fled. Gathering his last warriors round
granted the Prince his life, but, no doubt mis-
guided by the advice of his noble and ecclesiastical
councillors, treated the illustrious English Duke
with marked coldness, and did not even ask him to
supper that night.
" "Well ! " said Jenkins, " I and my merry men
can sup alone : " and, indeed, having had the pick
of the plunder of about 28,000 men, they had where-
withal to make themselves pretty comfortable. The
prisoners (25,403) were all without difficulty induced
to assume the white cockade. Most of them bad
those marks of loyalty ready sewn in their flannel
waistcoats, where they swore they had worn them
ever since 1830. This we may believe an we will ;
but the Prince Henri was too politic or too good-
humoured in the moment of victory, to doubt the
sincerity of his new subjects' protestations, and
received the Colonels'and Generals affably at his
table.
The next morning a proclamation was issued to
the united armies. "Faithful soldiers of France
and Navarre," said the Prince, " the Saints have
won for us a great victory — the enemies of our
religion have been overcome—the lilies are restored
to their native soil. Yesterday morning at eleven
o'clock the army under my command engaged that
which was led by his Serene Highness the Duke
de Nemours. Our forces were but a third in num-
ber when compared with those of the enemy. My
faithful chivalry and nobles made the strength,
however, equal.
"The regiments of Fleur d'Orange, Millefleur,
and Eau de Cologne, covered themselves with glory
—they sabred many thousands of the enemy's
troops. Their valour was ably seconded by the
gallantry of my ecclesiastical friends ; at a moment
of danger they rallied round my banner, and, for-
saking the crosier for the sword, showed that they
were of the church militant indeed.
" My faithful Irish auxiliaries conducted them-
selves with becoming heroism—but why particu-
larize when all did their duty I How remember
individual acts when all were heroes?" The Mar-
shal of France, Sucre d'Orgeville, Commander of
the army of H. M. Christian Majesty, recommended
about three thousand persons for promotion; and
the indignation of Jenkins and his brave com-
panions may be imagined when it is stated that
they were not even mentioned in the despatch !
As for the Princes of Ballybunion, Donegal, an J
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI
His people were employed rifling the pockets of the National Guard, and had made a about him, Nemours determined to make a last
tolerable booty when the great duke, taking a bell out of his pocket, (it was used for desperate effort. 'Twas vain ; the ranks met : the
next moment the truncheon of the Prince of Orleans
was dashed from his hand by the irresistible mace
of the Duke Jenkins; his horse's shins were
broken by the same weapon. Screaming with agony,
the animal fell. Jenkins's hand was at the duke's
collar in a moment, and had he not gasped out Je
we rends, he would have been throttled in that dread-
ful grasp !
Three hundred and forty-two standards, seventy-
nine regiments, their baggage, ammunition, and
treasure-chests, fell into the hands of the victoiious
duke. He had avenged the honour of Old England,
and himself presenting the sword of the conquered
Nemours to Prince Henri, who now came up, the
prince, bursting into tears, fell on his neck, and
said, " Duke, I owe my crown to my patron saint
and you." It was indeed a glorious victory, but
what will not British valour attain ?
The Duke of Nemours, having despatched a brief
note to Paris, saying, "Sire, all is lost except
honour ! " was sent off in confinement, and in spite
of the entreaties of his captor, was hardly treated
with decent politeness. The priests and the noble
regiments who rode back when the affair was ever,
were for having the Prince shot at once, and mur-
mured loudly against " cet Anglais brutal,'1 who in-
Signals in his batallion in place of fife or bugle) speedily called his scattered warriors ' terP"sed in "behalf of his prisoner. Henri V
together. " Take the muskets of the Nationals," said lie. They did so. " Form in
square, and prepare to receive cavalry ! " By the time Concombre's regiment arrived,
he found a square of bristling bayonets with Britons behind them !
The colonel did not care to attempt to break that tremendous body. " Halt ! " said
he to his men.
"Fire !" screamed Jenkins, with eagle swiftness ; but the guns of the National
Guard not being loaded did not in consequence go off. The hussars gave a jeer of
derision, but nevertheless did not return to the attack, and seeing some of the Legi-
timist cavalry at hand, prepared to charge upon them.
The fate of those carpet warriors was soon decided. The Millefleur regiment broke
before Concombre's hussars instantaneously ; the Eau de Rose dragoons stuck spurs
into their blood horses, and galloped far out of reach of the opposing cavalry : the
Eau de Cologne lancers fainted to a man, and the regiment of Concombre, pursuing
its course, had actually reached the prince and his aides-de camp, when the clergymen
coming up formed gallantly round the Orifiame, and the bassoons and serpents
braying again, set up such a shout of canticles, and anathemas, and excommunications,
that the horses of Concombre's dragoons in turn took fright, and those warriors in
their turn broke and fled. As soon as they turned, the Vendeean riflemen fired amongst
them, and finished them—the gallant Concombre fell; the intrepid though diminutive
Cornichon, his major, was cut down ; Cardon was wounded a la moelle, and the wife of
the fiery Navet was that day a widow. Peace to the souls of the brave ! In defeat or
in victory, where can the soldier find a more fitting resting-place than the glorious field
of carnage? Only a few disorderly and dispirited riders of Concombre's regiment
reached Tours at night. They had left it but the day before, a thousand disciplined
and high-spirited men !
Kno wing how irresistible a weapon is the bayonet in British hands, the intrepid
Jenkins determined to carry on his advantage, and charged the Saugrenue Light
Infantry (now before him) with cold steel. The Frenchmen delivered a volley, of which
a shot took effect in Jenkins's cockade, but did not abide the crossing of the weapons.
"A Frenchman dies, but never surrenders," said Saugrenue, yielding up his sword, and
his whole regiment were stabbed, trampled down, or made prisoner. The blood of
the Englishmen rose in the hot encounter. Their curses were horrible ; their courage
tremendous. " On, on," hoarsely screamed they, and a second regiment met them and
was crushed, pounded, in the hurtling grinding encounter. " A Jenkins, a Jenkins ! "
still roared the heroic duke, "St. George for Mayfair !" The Footmen of England
still yelled their terrific battle-cry, " Hurra, hurra ! " On they went, regiment after
regiment was annihilated, until scared at the very trample of the advancing warriors,
the dismayed troops cf France screaming, fled. Gathering his last warriors round
granted the Prince his life, but, no doubt mis-
guided by the advice of his noble and ecclesiastical
councillors, treated the illustrious English Duke
with marked coldness, and did not even ask him to
supper that night.
" "Well ! " said Jenkins, " I and my merry men
can sup alone : " and, indeed, having had the pick
of the plunder of about 28,000 men, they had where-
withal to make themselves pretty comfortable. The
prisoners (25,403) were all without difficulty induced
to assume the white cockade. Most of them bad
those marks of loyalty ready sewn in their flannel
waistcoats, where they swore they had worn them
ever since 1830. This we may believe an we will ;
but the Prince Henri was too politic or too good-
humoured in the moment of victory, to doubt the
sincerity of his new subjects' protestations, and
received the Colonels'and Generals affably at his
table.
The next morning a proclamation was issued to
the united armies. "Faithful soldiers of France
and Navarre," said the Prince, " the Saints have
won for us a great victory — the enemies of our
religion have been overcome—the lilies are restored
to their native soil. Yesterday morning at eleven
o'clock the army under my command engaged that
which was led by his Serene Highness the Duke
de Nemours. Our forces were but a third in num-
ber when compared with those of the enemy. My
faithful chivalry and nobles made the strength,
however, equal.
"The regiments of Fleur d'Orange, Millefleur,
and Eau de Cologne, covered themselves with glory
—they sabred many thousands of the enemy's
troops. Their valour was ably seconded by the
gallantry of my ecclesiastical friends ; at a moment
of danger they rallied round my banner, and, for-
saking the crosier for the sword, showed that they
were of the church militant indeed.
" My faithful Irish auxiliaries conducted them-
selves with becoming heroism—but why particu-
larize when all did their duty I How remember
individual acts when all were heroes?" The Mar-
shal of France, Sucre d'Orgeville, Commander of
the army of H. M. Christian Majesty, recommended
about three thousand persons for promotion; and
the indignation of Jenkins and his brave com-
panions may be imagined when it is stated that
they were not even mentioned in the despatch !
As for the Princes of Ballybunion, Donegal, an J