In Defence of Colonel Thorn

I discovered this letter, which was sent to the Editor-in-chief of Le Sport. It was written by Baron Etienne de Pierres in 1859 and speaks in defence of his father-in-law about the rumours that abounded at the time, after the Colonel had left France to return to New York. It’s curious that he responded publically as it would seem that his relationship with his father-in-law was tenuous and marked by a large dowry disagreement.

The following was written by Eugene Chapus, a writer, editor of Le Sport, and the person who recounted to story of how Etienne de Pierres met the Thorn’s over the sale of the horse Pantalon:

The paragraph to which the letter below alludes, borrowed from an English newspaper, appeared in Le Sport, during our temporary absence from Paris and without the person responsible for coordinating the newspaper being able to judge the errors that it contains. We regret all the more deeply that such an insertion took place as we know that the originalities attributed to Colonel Thorn, as well as to Lord Seymour, the perfect gentleman if ever there was one, have never been anything but fictions of a few hard-pressed journalists. Most of the exaggerations, which have been debited to Colonel Thorn's account had their origin in the discontent felt by the small number of those who were unable to be admitted, either to his privacy or to the number of his guests. Eugene Chapus.

Below is the letter Eugene Chapus refers to:

Château des Bretignolles, September 10, 1859.
Mr. Editor-in-chief,

Le Sport of September 7 last contains, in the miscellaneous news, certain details about Mr. Colonel Thorn, my father-in-law, and I believe I must protest against the errors that ‘they contain.

It is false that Colonel Thorn was unable to find a suitable hotel in Paris, and that, as a result, he had one built. It is false that he excluded all English from his invitations.

It is false that Mr. Thorn ever gave a ball on January 21, and that he thereby (to use the expressions of the paragraph) alienated certain people by one of those awkwardnesses which become crimes when they offend respectable decorum.

Finally, Mr. Thorn, by leaving Paris, left behind, in French or foreign society, enough friends to do justice to the fact that the article in question is inaccurate. I am following one of your comments on the publication of my letter in the next issue of Sport.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my very distinguished consideration.
Baron de Pierres.