The watch of Cambronne

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The picture shows the statue of general Pierre Cambronne in Nantes inaugurated in presence of his widow in 1848 (he died in 1842). Cambronne was commanding the imperial guard at the battle of Waterloo. At the base of the statue is a quote : "The Guard dies but never surrenders." A journalist attributed these words to him in June 1815, a week after the battle. He was supposed to have said them to general Colville asking him to surrender. But the quote is apocryphal, Cambronne himself said in 1830 "The proof that I never told that is that I am still alive. I said some words less literary and more virile." He had been seriously hurt at the head during the battle and married the nurse who took care of him, a Scottish woman called Mary Osburn. She was 50 years old, a bit older than him, and had already buried two husbands, Cambronne will be the third one. She had an adopted girl that Cambronne also adopted. Although as an army nurse she was familiar with the language of soldiers, she was outraged when somebody told her what Cambronne had really responded to Colville at Waterloo. She started to quarrel with her husband and asked him to swear that he never told that. One can be a brave soldier on a battlefield but prefer to live in peace at home, and Cambronne swore to his Scottish dragon what she wanted to hear. Very pleased by the answer she offered him a gold watch for his little lie. The watch was exhibited in Nantes for the inauguration of the statue together with engravings and paintings of Cambronne, like the proof that Cambronne never said what every French knows like "the word of Cambronne." However this word could not be printed on the pedestal, while "the Guard dies but never surrenders" was perfect for a statue. But at the battle of Waterloo Count Cambronne responded to Sir Colville asking him to surrender : "Merde !" "Sh*t !", meaning "F*ck you !"