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Updated: May 5, 2025
Napoleon, on news of the capture being brought to him at Paris, sent orders to shoot him within twenty-four hours. He died as bravely as he had lived. When placed before the firing-party of twelve riflemen, he refused either to kneel or to allow himself to be blindfolded. "I stand before my Creator," he exclaimed, in firm tones, "and standing will I restore to him the spirit he gave."
Faint and far-off was the sound, but at the last the meaning came clear and strong to all who cared to listen. "There is no Death!" ran the message, and again and again, "There is no Death, no Death... no Death...!" The firing-party unloaded, and the empty cartridge cases fell to the earth with a little tinkling sound.
The melancholy procession marched along the front of the line, returned to the centre, and halted beside the coffins, where the two condemned men were blindfolded, and each placed kneeling on his coffin; a few minutes pause was now given, while they prayed. A firing-party of twenty-four men stood ready with levelled carbines.
In Flanders we used to see companies of spies led out to be shot first a party of soldiers, then the spies, after them the burying-party, and then the firing-party marching stolidly to some place of execution. How awful shell-fire must be for those who really can't stand it!
By now Richard would be on his way thither with Ruth, and Wilding was in haste that she should be reassured that he had not fallen to the muskets of Wentworth's firing-party. But Bridgwater was far, and he began to realize, now that all excitement was past, that he was utterly exhausted. Next he thought of Scoresby Hall and his cousin Lord Gervase.
He had been captured, and was kneeling before the firing-party; I interfered, and I saved his life, together with that of some others, M., D., D., B., and that brave-hearted architect Rolland, who when an exile, later on, so ably restored the Brussels Palace of Justice.
The Chaplain closed his book and turned away; a little movement ran through the gathering of officers and men as they replaced their caps. A loud, sharp-cut order from the gaitered officer in command of the firing-party was followed by the clatter of rifle-bolts as the firing-party loaded and swung to the "Present!" "Fire!"
There were not many minutes more. The two guards shifted their feet. "Now," said the man, "we'll sing 'God Save the King." The two guards rose and stood at attention, and the chaplain sang the national anthem with the man who was to be shot for cowardice. Then the tramp of the firing-party came across the cobblestones in the courtyard. It was dawn. Shell-shock was the worst thing to see.
It was possible to aggravate to him the horrors of that event tenfold, and to increase inconceivably the torture of his already agonised mind and poor M'Intyre found it was so. We leave it to the reader to conceive what were his feelings, when he was informed that he was to be one of the firing-party one of his comrade's executioners!
"Well, then, let it be one the prisoner of war. We will shoot him, and get it over quickly. Sergeant, march the firing-party forward, I will give the word to shoot."
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