Editing Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (section)

==Retirement and death==
After his mission in Algeria was completed, Robert-Houdin gave his last public performance at the Grand Théâtre in [[Marseille]], then returned to his home in Saint-Gervais, near his native Blois, where he wrote his memoirs, ''Confidences d'un Prestidigitateur''. He also wrote several books on the art of magic. He lived happily in retirement for about fifteen years, until the advent of the [[Franco Prussian War]]. His son Eugène was a captain in a [[Zouave]] regiment. On 6 August 1870, Robert-Houdin heard news of his son being mortally wounded at the [[Battle of Wörth]]. Meanwhile, [[Hessian (soldiers)|Hessian Soldiers]] captured Paris, and Robert-Houdin hid his family in a cave near his property. The Russian soldiers were very rude, according to Robert-Houdin, but he found the Polish soldiers to be a lot kinder.<ref name="ref3"/>

Four days later, Robert-Houdin was to find out that his son had died of his wounds. With the stress from that and the war, his health deteriorated, and he contracted pneumonia. On 13 June 1871, he died of his illness at the age of 65.