And now another account from Maudit
Tale of Bijou
Also during the French Cavalry attacks and the mounting pressure from the Prussians
“In one of these charges made by the light cavalry of the Guard, the famous regiment of Chasseurs a Cheval had been decimated by caseshot. We watched them return with a great number of wounded and dismounted.
Amongst these, an old marechal-des-logis [sergeant] made his way painfully towards our square, still supported by the bridle of his brave charger. He asked to rest amongst us; our ranks were opened to him; tears ran down his noble face that was adorned by a thick and greying moustache. Soon surrounded by us, we asked him many questions, whilst others lavished him with care and handshakes. Our surgeon put the first application to a large wound, which he had on his left thigh, struck by a shell fragment.
Whilst he was being bandaged, he recommended his ‘best friend’ to us, who had been wounded by the same piece of caseshot that remained in his body. Parts of his entrails hanging out announced the gravity of his wound. The cavalryman, however, not wanting to abandon his faithful friend in the middle of the melee, braved all to bring him to the first medical care.
The marechal-des-logis was pre-occupied by ‘Bijoi’ (this was the name he had given to his horse) [Bijou is French for ‘jewel’]. Since the Battle of the Pyramids they had never been parted. Captured by this warrior in a charge against the Marmelukes, Bijou became his property, and later his travel companion of bivouacs and combats. On twenty different occasions, he had saved his life, he said, and amongst others during the disastrous retreat from Russia. Bijou lacked only speech, he had all the intelligence and loyalty of a poodle dog…already mutilated by English caseshot, he was soon put out of his agony by a Prussian ball that knocked him down in the middle of our square.”
