The Logansport Journal 5 January 1909: WILSON, BRENNAN
George W Wilson is dead in South Peru, aged 76 years. He was born in Logansport, but
moved to Peru when a child. He engaged in farmin and dairying. His wife and six children
survive.
The funeral of May Brennan was held from St Bridgets Church in this city at 10 oclock
this morning, conducted by Rev Father Quinn.
SAID HE WAS A SON OF NEY[1]
Dr E M Neyman, 100 Years Old, passes away.
He Resided at Saltillo.
Spoke French fluently and in moments of confidence expressed assertion that the soldier
known in France as The Bravest of the Brave was his father All his neighbors will
recall celebration that cased Monon trains to pause at his place.
Campbellsburg, Ind. Jan 5 Dr. E M C Neyman, who believed himself to be a son of
Marshal Ney, is dead at his home in saltillo. He was one hundred years, ten months and
five days. The body will be buried in Panther cave nearby. The manuscript of his
biography is in the hands of his wife and will be published soon.
On the 29th of last February Dr. Neyman celebrated his one hundredth birthday being born
on the odd day of leap year. The celebration was entered into by all the town of Saltillo
and was such a big event for all of Washington and Orange counties that all Monon trains
were stopped at the little town on that day. At that time Dr Neyman who has been very
reticent talked at length.
Dr Neyman insisted that he was a son of Grand Marshall Michael Ney of France, who was so
popular with the French people during the Napoleonic wars that he was called The Bravest
of the Brave. According to history, after Waterloo, where Ney with the Old Guard made
the last heroic stand, Ney was convicted and was shot.
However in recent years there has been a persistent series if stories to the effect that
instead of being executed Ney was saved by Washington, who ordered that the guns used be
secretly loaded with blanks and that Ney should drop in the ground when the guns were
discharged at him.
Dr Neyman who lived at Saltillo over fifty years and who served in the Mexican War was
of distinguished bearing, He said he had been born in Paris. He spoke French fluently.
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[1]Check here for more on the validity of the story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Ney and also
http://library.davidson.edu/archives/ency/ney.asp
http://www.wcl760.com/peterstuartney.html
http://www.salisburypost.com/2001oct/100601c.htm