An antique treen pressed burr maple snuff box depicting Poniatwkis. It has an inscription Cerne* de tous cote*s, apres s'etre jette* dans la Pleisse, s'avance vers l'Elster et s'y noye. This can be translated as: (Josef Poniatowski) surrounded on all sides, having thrown himself into the Pleisse, advances towards the Elster and drowns there.
Cerne*.  The Pleisse and the Weisse Elster are rivers near Leipzig. Poniatowski died by drowning in the Elster on 19 October 1813. A Polish Marshall of the French Army, he was defending the rear of the French Army, retreating through Leipzig after the failed Russian campaign. In the confusion, the French blew up the bridge over the Elster before he could cross. He is usually depicted leaping into the river on his horse, but was probably already seriously wounded.
He supported Napoleon in the hope that this would end the partition of Poland between Russia, Prussia and Austria, and lead to Poland's freedom. He was an extremely talented, brave.