Noble Deeds of the World's HeroinesMoore, Henry Charles
History
Noble Deeds of the World's Heroines
Moore, Henry Charles
Women heroes -- Biography
Then when Madame Ladoinski had recovered from the excitement of again
meeting her husband, he told her that he had long since been assured
that both she and their boy were dead. He, as the wagon-drivers had
sworn, had been thrown out of the wagon for dead, but some of his men
came along soon after, and seeing him lying in the snow dismounted to
see if he were alive. Finding that his heart was beating, they set to
work and restored him to consciousness, and then took him on to
Smolensk, whence he sent back to enquire after his wife and child. The
message that was brought to him was that his wife and child had been
murdered on the road. Believing this to be true, he went on with his
regiment--before they arrived at Smolensk--with henceforth only one aim
in life--to avenge Poland's wrongs.
The story of Captain Ladoinski's extraordinary rescue of his own wife
and child created some excitement among Napoleon's soldiers, dispirited
though they were by the terrible march they had undergone, and numerous
and hearty were the congratulations which husband and wife received.
Prince Eugene was one of the first to congratulate them, and Captain
Ladoinski seized the opportunity to express his deep gratitude to the
prince for the kindness he had shown to his wife in her sorrow, a
kindness that was all the more creditable because Prince Eugene knew
that Madame Ladoinski was a member of a Royalist family and an enemy of
the Napoleonic dynasty. For some considerable time after the terrible
retreat from Moscow, Captain Ladoinski fought in Prince Eugene's army,
but when, at last, the Prince's military career came to an end he
retired into private life. He had long since come to the conclusion
that his wife was right when she said that Napoleon never had any
intention of setting Poland free, but had obtained the services of the
brave Poles under false pretences.
Madame Ladoinski deserved years of happy domestic life after her
fearful experiences with the French army, and it is pleasant to be able
to say that she had them. Until death parted them, many years later,
she and her husband enjoyed the happiness of a quiet life unclouded by
domestic or political troubles.
LADY SALE AND AN AFGHAN CAPTIVITY
'Fighting Bob' was the nickname affectionately bestowed upon Sir Robert
Sale by his comrades-in-arms. Truly the name was well deserved, for
wherever the fight was thickest there Sale was to be found, and the
histories of his life abound with stories of his bravery and disregard
of danger.
When twenty-seven years of age he married Florentia Wynch, a girl of
nineteen, who proved before long to be almost as brave as he.
Throughout his life she was his companion in danger, and many times
nursed him back to health when seriously wounded. Adventures such as
are rarely encountered by women were continually falling to her lot,
but the greatest hardships which she was compelled to undergo were
those attending the British retreat from Kabul in January, 1842.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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