What are the most famous last words in history?
Probably the boldest last words I've ever read came from the execution of Michel Ney, a Marshal of the First French Empire.
Clearly a very decorated military officer, Marshal Ney was born a commoner in the eighteenth century and because of the French Revolutionary Wars and the reforms by Napoleon Bonaparte, Ney was able to climb the officer ranks of the Army and the social ladder of French society by a passionate dedication to selfless service during war. Many records exist to this day of his daring cavalry maneuvers and his willingness to place himself where the fighting was thickest. This reputation evidently favored by Napoleon who nicknamed Ney “le Brave des Braves (the bravest of the brave)” and that he was close enough to his troops to earn their endearment as they called him “Le Rougeaud ("red faced" or "ruddy")”.
All of his military actions and service eventually earned him the title Prince de la Moskowa, in which campaign it was said that he was the last Frenchman to leave Russian soil as the Army retreated from their 1812 campaign.
Ney later came to odds with Napoleon, becoming a spokesman for the Marshals revolt that ultimately sealed Napoleon's first exile to the island of Elba. It wouldn't be long before Napoleon soon returned and Ney had returned to the Emperor's open arms with a detachment of the French Army under his command. The two had reunited warmly.
The Hundred Days campaign eventually came to it's end at the famous Battle of Waterloo, after which Ney was imprisoned for returning to Napoleon's side. He was ordered to be executed, despite some overwhelming opposition and hesitation from the court.
Ney was escorted to the Luxembourg Garden where he was to be shot by firing squad. He refused to be blindfolded and was given the authority to command the order to fire.
Keep in mind that a firing squad is an event where multiple soldiers are carrying rifles pointed directly at the condemned and once that moment arrives that the barrels are raised, there is no forgiveness or fleeing.
But Ney, bold and defiant as he was, exclaimed before giving the order to fire:
Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her ... Soldiers, fire!
This event sparked a trend among Napoleon's most loyal officers who were executed that Joachim Murat wished to die just as fitting of a death.
When Murat was to be executed, he did so without a blindfold and looked straight into the eyes of his executioners exclaiming somewhat humorously,
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