At the Battle of Corunna＊, an English officer, Charles Napier, was wounded and taken prisoner. He had behaved so bravely in action that the French officer in charge had prevented his men from firing at him. He was treated most kindly after his capture.
Napier's friends, hearing nothing of him for three months, feared that he had been killed. A flag of truce was eventually sent to the French with enquiries. This message was taken to Marshal Ney by Baron Clouet. "Let him see his friends," said the Marshal. But Clouet made no move. "What more do you want?" Ney asked. "He has an old mother, a widow and blind," replied Clouet. "Has he?" answered Ney. "Then let him go, and tell her himself that he is alive."
科倫納戰役＊之中，英國軍官查理．內皮爾受傷被擒。他作戰英勇非常，法軍指揮官特別下令不要向他開槍。他被擒之後，也獲得厚待。
三個月過去了。內皮爾的朋友見他了無消息，不知是否已經陣亡，就向法軍奉上休戰旗，查問他的下落。克盧埃男爵把英軍的請求告訴內伊元帥。內伊說：「讓內皮爾的朋友見見他吧。」克盧埃卻站着不動。內伊問：「你還想怎樣？」克盧埃說：「他有個守寡的母親，年紀很大，而且雙目失明。」內伊說：「是嗎？那就放他走吧。他可以親自告訴母親說，她兒子還在世。」
＊科倫納戰役是一八零九年英、法的一場戰役。