| p. 218210
NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA.
Sep. 1st 1876
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir, - There is living in this village an old soldierm for-
merly of the 20th Regiment, and who served as one of the
guard over Napoleon at St. Helena. His recollections of
his youth are so vivid, and apparently so accurate, that I
was induced to take down form his lips, a short time ago,
the following narrative. The name of mhy parishoner is
William Clark. He enlisted, it will be seen, in 1815, and
consequently just fails to be entitiles to the addtional pen-
sion offered previously to the year 1814. If you should
jusge his story to have sufficient interest for your readers,
and if any of them should be disposed to add by small
donations to the comfort of the last days of an interesting
old veteran, I should be happy to treceive such donations
for him.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
HENRY DOWNTON .
Hopton Rectory, Thetford, Suffolk, Aug. 24.
"I was born on the 28th of - December, 1793, at Hopton,
near Thetford, in Suffolk. I enlisted on the 8th of May,
1815, in Her Majesty's 20th Regiment, then lying at Water-
ford. I joined the depot at Newport, Isle of Wight.
Seven thousand men were then lying there. After seven
months at Waterford, we went from station to station in
Irelan, and on the 14th of February, 1818, we were sent to
his exile in St. Helena. We arrived in St. Helena about
the 10th of May, 1818, and remained there till six months
after the death of Napoleon, who died on the 5th of May,
1821. We3 had to lie on the floor, one blanket to each man,
which we placed half unjder and half ove rus. Sir Hudson
Lowe refused the petition of Colonel South to allow bedding
- 'this would make them sleep too soundly.' At gunfire
(6 o'clock p.m.) the guard formed closer in, and all out-
pickets were joined to Boney's guard. Guards, pickets,
and all amounted at night to 63 or 64. About a mile from
our regular quarters were three guns, at a point we called
Break-neck Valley.
"Sir Hudson Lowe was a very good General in regard to
his behaviour to the men. He wasn't a bad gentleman ; a
very kind, nice man. I've seen him many a time with his
lady and two daughters - nice young ladies they were.
They used to keep a carriage drawn by two bullocks. I've
seen 'em come to the church, which was near Boney's
quarters. He woudl lean on his pew-door, and he would
never sit down till he had every one - slaves and all - accom-
modated witrh seats. If he saw a barefooted man - a slave -
without a seat, he would beckon to him and see him seated.
Captain O. (commanding 7th Company), a good a reli-
giuos man, bought a young woman, with a child, for [$? or perhaps English pounds?],
having, before he bid for her, had a paper made out, which,
when he had purchased her, he presented to her, giving her
her freedom. When we were afterwards in India, Captain
O. Assembled some more of his men to read with them.
"Sir Hudson Lowe had several times tosign the death-
warrant of men charged wioth crime. On one occasion he
went to a man named Kirk, about to be hanged, and asked
him if he had anything to say. 'Nothing,' answered the
man, 'except that I am innocent, and that the man who
committed the crime is now standing in teh ranks to see
me executed.' This was afterwards proved to be the case.
The crime was the robbing a Chinaman's hut. Kirk
was absent at the moment of the numbering of the guard,
whils the actual criminal had returned and answered to his
number. The Chinaman swore to the wrong man. The
real criminal, when afterwards condemned for another
crime, confessed to the robbery!
"Sir Hudson Lowe's quarters were at a mile and
a half's distance from Napoleon's. A captain either
of the 66th or the 20th Regiment was always stationed
inside Boney's compound ; and it was his duty to
see him once every day. Boney knew this was the
case, and while he would not report himself he would
give him opportunities of seeing him, unless he were sulky.
He was very sulky sometimes, perhaos would not show
himself for several days. The captain on his watch woould
signal accordingly ; and after two or three days Sir Hudson
would come riding up woith his Staff, ring the bell, and ask,
'Where is Napoleon?' 'In his study.' 'Tell him I want
him.' Perhaps after a time he would show himself, with-
out coming to the Governor.
"At the beginning of the year 1821 Sir Hudson sent
Napoleon orders to occupy four rooms which were com-
pleted in the new State Prison. Napoleon, with his Gene-
rals, came and looked at this apartment, and said (as was
reported), 'I am ordered by Hudson to occupy this place,
but I will never live a day in it.' He returned to his old
quarters, and the next day reported himself sick to Dr.
Arnott, the physician of our (20th) Regiment. He was
never seen afterwards by any guard or sentry ; never, in
fact, came out from his house again, till he was brought out
to his grave, about seven weeks afterwards. I was one of
12 who carried him to his grave, a mile and a half distant,
perhaps rather more, from his house. A lieutenant of our | p. 218210
NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA.
Sep. 1st 1876
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir, - There is living in this village an old soldierm for-
merly of the 20th Regiment, and who served as one of the
guard over Napoleon at St. Helena. His recollections of
his youth are so vivid, and apparently so accurate, that I
was induced to take down form his lips, a short time ago,
the following narrative. The name of mhy parishoner is
William Clark. He enlisted, it will be seen, in 1815, and
consequently just fails to be entitiles to the addtional pen-
sion offered previously to the year 1814. If you should
jusge his story to have sufficient interest for your readers,
and if any of them should be disposed to add by small
donations to the comfort of the last days of an interesting
old veteran, I should be happy to treceive such donations
for him.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
HENRY DOWNTON .
Hopton Rectory, Thetford, Suffolk, Aug. 24.
"I was born on the 28th of - December, 1793, at Hopton,
near Thetford, in Suffolk. I enlisted on the 8th of May,
1815, in Her Majesty's 20th Regiment, then lying at Water-
ford. I joined the depot at Newport, Isle of Wight.
Seven thousand men were then lying there. After seven
months at Waterford, we went from station to station in
Irelan, and on the 14th of February, 1818, we were sent to
his exile in St. Helena. We arrived in St. Helena about
the 10th of May, 1818, and remained there till six months
after the death of Napoleon, who died on the 5th of May,
1821. We3 had to lie on the floor, one blanket to each man,
which we placed half unjder and half ove rus. Sir Hudson
Lowe refused the petition of Colonel South to allow bedding
- 'this would make them sleep too soundly.' At gunfire
(6 o'clock p.m.) the guard formed closer in, and all out-
pickets were joined to Boney's guard. Guards, pickets,
and all amounted at night to 63 or 64. About a mile from
our regular quarters were three guns, at a point we called
Break-neck Valley.
"Sir Hudson Lowe was a very good General in regard to
his behaviour to the men. He wasn't a bad gentleman ; a
very kind, nice man. I've seen him many a time with his
lady and two daughters - nice young ladies they were.
They used to keep a carriage drawn by two bullocks. I've
seen 'em come to the church, which was near Boney's
quarters. He woudl lean on his pew-door, and he would
never sit down till he had every one - slaves and all - accom-
modated witrh seats. If he saw a barefooted man - a slave -
without a seat, he would beckon to him and see him seated.
Captain O. (commanding 7th Company), a good a reli-
giuos man, bought a young woman, with a child, for [$? or perhaps English pounds?],
having, before he bid for her, had a paper made out, which,
when he had purchased her, he presented to her, giving her
her freedom. When we were afterwards in India, Captain
O. Assembled some more of his men to read with them.
"Sir Hudson Lowe had several times tosign the death-
warrant of men charged wioth crime. On one occasion he
went to a man named Kirk, about to be hanged, and asked
him if he had anything to say. 'Nothing,' answered the
man, 'except that I am innocent, and that the man who
committed the crime is now standing in teh ranks to see
me executed.' This was afterwards proved to be the case.
The crime was the robbing a Chinaman's hut. Kirk
was absent at the moment of the numbering of the guard,
whils the actual criminal had returned and answered to his
number. The Chinaman swore to the wrong man. The
real criminal, when afterwards condemned for another
crime, confessed to the robbery! |
EN