The Merry Past 



With the armies of Napoleon were many women 

 who had followed their husbands or lovers to the 

 wars. Many of these ladies were dressed in men's 

 clothes, and some of them actually served as soldiers 

 in regiments. A notable instance of this was Madame 

 Adelaide Langenois, who in 1792, in love with a 

 young noble who had fallen ill whilst billeted in her 

 father's house, braving the opposition of her parents, 

 put on man's clothes and fled with her lover to join 

 the 9th Regiment of Hussars. 



The young girl took part in the campaigns of 1793 

 and 1794 in the Maritime Alps ; was there wounded, 

 and promoted to a cornetcy, while her lover still 

 continued in the ranks. 



Being informed by letters that a relation of his 

 was a colonel of the 15th Regiment of Dragoons, 

 young Langenois wrote to him, and was afterwards 

 advanced to the rank of a sub-lieutenant. Either 

 from inconstancy, or from other causes, he had hither- 

 to neglected his promise of marrying her ; and, 

 notwithstanding her entreaties, left her to join his 

 new regiment, then on the frontiers of Spain. Thus 

 deserted and wretched, in hopes of meeting with 

 death, she rushed into the enemy's ranks in the first 

 engagement, where, after having her horse shot 

 under her, and receiving two cuts on her head from 

 a sabre, she fainted away from loss of blood, and, at 

 her recovery, found herself a prisoner in the Austrian 

 hospital. Her sex being discovered, she was treated 

 by the enemy with great delicacy, and, as soon as 

 convalescent, exchanged. She then resigned her 



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