A French regiment, the 76th of the line, had lost its colors in the
Grisons; it knew that Europe had not forgotten its misfortune, which was
not occasioned, however, by want of courage. After the taking of forts
Charnitz and Neustark on the 9th of November, 1805, this regiment
entered Inspruck; an officer of the guard recognized in the arsenal the
long lost colors and announced it to his comrades. The soldiers crowded
forward, when their chief, Marshal Ney, standing in the midst, exhibited
these flags the subject of so many regrets. “I return them to you,” said
he, “confident that you will never lose them again.” On the right of the
engraving, a young soldier, raised upon the arms of his comrades, is
seen tracing these words upon the wall: “_Le 76e retrouve ses drapeaux
dans l’arsenal d’Inspruck, 1805_.”
This picture formed part of the exhibition of 1808, when the committee
deemed it worthy of honorable mention. In painting it, the artist, M.
Meynier, had a great difficulty to overcome, that of so many men clad in
uniforms of the same color; this, however, he has overcome with great
success.
By order of the Bourbons, the head of the General has been changed; they
were not willing that aught of Ney should be seen, to remind his judges
and executioners of the part they acted in his political murder.
[Illustration: THE 76th REGIMENT RECOVERING ITS COLORS.]