His name was Geert Adriaans Boomgaard. Born in 1788, he was a grumpy gentleman. And no one, in 1896, could blame him — at 108, Mr. Boomgaard had buried two wives, twelve children and more grandchildren than he could count. He had seen too much death, buried too many loved ones. Born in 1788 in Groningen, Boomgaard was the son of a sea captain. And in 1812, at age 24, he enlisted in Napoleon’s Grande Armée. He wanted to see adventure, wanted to see the world. He stood with his comrades before the emperor. A sea of men, young men,...