Virginia Argus

A PEACE MAD GENERAL.

It was some time since stated, says a London paper, that a Maniac has been taken up at St. Cloud, where he had arrived with an account of a peace having been concluded between France & England. The following are the particulars of the affair:—

On Monday the 21st of May, the Inspector of Artillery, General Le Vasseur, arrived at Paris, from Holland announcing that England had signed a peace, and given up Malta. In waiting for horses at St. Cloud, he went into the Palace garden and the Thuilleries garden, informing the people, in crowds, of this joyful news—When he came to St Cloud, the Emperor was gone to Malmaison, where he followed his majesty, obtained an immediate audience, and related his peace story. Bonaparte at first spoke seriously to him, assuring him that no negociation was carried on with England, of course no peace could be concluded. To this Le Vasseur answered that Mr. Pitt himself had shewn him the Treaty—The Imperial physicians, Corvisart, was in the place, and ordered to feel Le Vasseur's pulse, whom he declared to be ill of a violent brain fever. He was then sent to the madhouse, Charenton, where he now is. The General commanded the French artillery in Holland, where this curious peace madness overtook him, and which country he left on the 18th, travelling night and day, with a post chaise and four, in his full regimentals as a General proclaiming peace every where he stopped, and to every person he met on the road.

Extra couriers were dispatched by merchants from every town where he changed horses. At Senlis, a merchant procured horses before him, and had advanced a league on the way to Paris, where Le Vasseur, with his pistols in his hands, forced his postilions to overtake the merchant, whom he strongly rebuked for this attempt, saying "that he alone was charged to inform the Emperor of the peace." At Paris, as well as at St Cloud and Malmaison, he embraced and kissed every body he met with, in congratulation for the end of war.

From Paris above forty extra couriers were sent to Bordeaux, Marseilles, Strasburg, and even to Italy, and bargains concluded for near one hundred millions of livres, on the supposition of peace. What is surprising in his peace mad general, is the continuance of the same ideas during a journey of 400 miles, in such a singular manner, that no one suspected his madness.

Should Le Vasseur recover, it is not supposed that he ever will be employed again as his Imperial Majesty Napoleon cannot forgive him being peace mad, instead of war or victory mad. Had his folly been to announce the conquest of Great Britain he would undoubtedly have obtained the Field Marshal's staff: and the Moniteur would have pronounced it as good an omen as the discovery of Queen Matilda's tapestry.