"Thus charity is the most perfect of Christian virtues; it is necessary

to give charity to all who ask it. This form of reasoning has rendered

Rome the receptacle of the dregs of all nations. One sees collected

there (so I am told, for I have never visited it) all the idlers of the

earth, who come thither to take refuge, assured of finding an abundant

support with much to spare. And thus the papal territory, which nature

has destined to produce immense wealth from its situation under a

favorable sky, from the multiplicity of streams with which it is watered,

and above all from the fertility of the soil, languishes for want of

cultivation. Berthier has often told me that large tracts of country may

be traversed without perceiving the impress of the hand of man. The

women even, who are regarded as the most beautiful of Italy, are

indolent, and their minds evince no activity even in the ordinary duties

of life. The inhabitants have all the languor of Asiatic manners.

"Modern Rome limits itself to preserving a certain pre-eminence by virtue

of the marvelous works of art which it contains; but we have greatly

weakened this claim. Our museum is enriched by all the masterpieces

which were a source of so much pride, and soon the magnificent edifice of

the Bourse which is to be erected at Paris will eclipse all those of

Europe, either ancient or modern.

"France before all."

"Viewed from a political standpoint, how would the papal government in

these days appear compared with the great kingdoms of Europe? Formerly

mediocre men succeeded to the pontifical throne at an age in which one

breathes well only after resting. At this period of life routine and

habit are everything; and nothing is considered but the elevated

position, and how to make it redound to the advantage of his family.

A pope now arrives at sovereign power with a mind sharpened by being

accustomed to intrigue, and with a fear of making powerful enemies who

may hereafter revenge themselves on his family, since his successor is

always unknown. In fine, he cares for nothing but to live and die in

peace. In the seat of Sixtus V.

[Sixtus V., originally Felix Peretti, born at Montalto, 1525, and

in 1585 succeeded Gregory XIII. as pope. He was distinguished by

his energy and munificence. He constructed the Vatican Library, the

great aqueduct, and other public works, and placed the obelisk

before St. Peter's. Died 1589.]

how many popes have there been who have occupied themselves only with

frivolous subjects, as little advantageous to the best interests of

religion as fruitful in inspiring scorn for such a government! But that

would lead us too far."

From the time of his return from Moscow, his Majesty occupied himself

with unequaled activity in seeking means to arrest the invasion of the

Russians, who, having united with the Prussians since General Yorck's

defection, constituted a most formidable mass. New levies had been

ordered. For two months he had received and utilized the innumerable

offers of horses and cavalry made by all the towns of the Empire, by

official bodies, and by rich individuals holding positions near the

court, etc. The Imperial Guard was reorganized under the brave Duke de

Frioul, who was alas! a few months later to be torn from his numerous

friends.

In the midst of these grave occupations his Majesty did not for a moment

lose sight of his cherished plan of making Paris the most beautiful city

of the world; and not a week passed without interviews with architects

and engineers, who presented estimates, made reports, etc.

"It is a shame," said the Emperor one day, while inspecting the barracks

of the guard, a species of black and smoke-begrimed shed, "it is a

shame," said he to M. Fontaine, "to make buildings as frightful as those

of Moscow. I should never have allowed such a building to be erected.

Are you not my chief architect?"

M. Fontaine excused himself by pointing out to his Majesty that he was

not responsible for the buildings of Paris, as although he had the honor

of being chief architect of the Emperor, it was for the Tuileries and the

Louvre alone.

"That is true," replied his Majesty; "but could there not be built here,"

pointing to the quay, "in place of this wooden dockyard, which produces

such a bad effect, a residence for the Italian minister?"

M. Fontaine replied that the plan was very feasible, but that it would

require three or four millions.

The Emperor then seemed to abandon this idea, and turning his attention

to the garden of the Tuileries, perhaps in consequence of the conspiracy

of General Malet,gave orders to arrange all the entrances to the palace

so that the same key might serve for all the locks; "and this key," his

Majesty added, "should be put in charge of the grand marshal after the

doors were closed for the night."

A few days after this conversation with M. Fontaine, the Emperor sent to

him and M. Costaz the following note, a copy of which fell into my hands.

His Majesty had that morning visited the buildings of Chaillot.

"There is yet ample time to discuss the construction of the palace

for the King of Rome.

I do not wish to be led into foolish expenditures; I should like a

palace not so large as Saint-Cloud, but larger than the Luxemburg.

I wish to be able to occupy it after the sixteenth million has been

expended; then it will be a practicable affair. But if a more

expensive building is attempted, it will result like the Louvre,

which has never been finished.

The parks are first to be considered, their boundaries determined

and inclosed.

I wish this new palace to be somewhat handsomer than the Elysee; and

although that cost less than eight millions, it is one of the most

beautiful palaces of Paris.

That of the King of Rome will rank next to the Louvre, which is

itself a magnificent palace. It will be, so to speak, only a

country seat for one residing in Paris, for of course the winters

would be passed at the Louvre or the Tuileries.

I can with difficulty believe that Saint-Cloud cost sixteen

millions. Before inspecting the plan, I wish it to be carefully

examined and discussed by the committee on buildings, so that I may

have the assurance that the sum of sixteen millions will not be

exceeded. I do not wish an ideal residence, but one constructed for

my own enjoyment, and not for the pleasure of the architect alone.

Finishing the Louvre will suffice for his glory; and when the plan

is once adopted, I will see that it is executed.

The Elysee does not suit me, and the Tuileries is barely

inhabitable. Nothing will please me unless it is perfectly simple,

and constructed according to my tastes and manner of living, for

then the palace will be useful to me. I wish it constructed in such

a manner that it may be a complete 'Sans Souci'; [Frederick the

Great's palace in the country near Berlin.] and I especially

desire that it may be an agreeable palace rather than a handsome

garden,--two conditions which are incompatible. Let there be

something between a court and a garden, like the Tuileries, that

from my apartments I may promenade in the garden and the park, as at

Saint-Cloud, though Saint-Cloud has the inconvenience of having no

park for the household.

It is necessary also to study the location, so that my apartments

may face north and south, in order that I may change my residence

according to the season.

I wish the apartments I occupy to be as handsomely furnished as my

small apartments at Fontainebleau.

I wish my apartments to be very near those of the Empress, and on

the same floor.

Finally, I wish a palace that would be comfortable for a

convalescent, or for a man as age approaches. I wish a small

theater, a small chapel, etc.; and above all great care should be

taken that there be no stagnant water around the palace."

The Emperor carried his passion for building to excess, and seemed more

active, more eager in the execution of his plans, and more tenacious of

his ideas, than any architect I have ever known. Nevertheless, the idea

of putting the palace of the King of Rome on the heights of Chaillot was

not entirely his own, and M. Fontaine might well claim to have originated

it.

It was mentioned the first time while discussing the palace of Lyons,

which in order to present a handsome appearance M. Fontaine remarked

should be situated on an elevation overlooking the city, as, for example,

the heights of Chaillot overlooked Paris. The Emperor did not appear to

notice M. Fontaine's remark, and had two or three days previously given

orders that the chateau of Meudon should be put in a condition to receive

his son, when one morning he summoned the architect, and ordered him to

present a plan for embellishing the Bois de Boulogne, by adding a country

house on the summit of Chaillot. "What do you think of it?" added he,

smiling; "does the site appear well chosen?"

One morning in the month of March, the Emperor brought his son to a

review on the Champ-de-Mars; he was received with indescribable

enthusiasm, the sincerity of which was undoubted; and it could easily be

seen that these acclamations came from the heart.

The Emperor was deeply moved by this reception, and returned to the

Tuileries in a most charming frame of mind, caressed the King of Rome,

covered him with kisses, and dilated to M. Fontaine and myself on the

precocious intelligence displayed by this beloved child. "He was not at

all frightened; he seemed to know that all those brave men were my

friends." On that day he held a long conversation with M. Fontaine,

while amusing himself with his son, whom he held in his arms; and when

the conversation turned on Rome and its monuments, M. Fontaine spoke of

the Pantheon with the most profound admiration. The Emperor asked if he

had ever lived at Rome; and M. Fontaine having replied that he remained

there three years on his first visit, his Majesty remarked, "It is a city

I have not seen; I shall certainly go there some day. It is the city

whose people formerly were the sovereigns of the world." And his eyes

were fixed on the King of Rome with paternal pride.

When M. Fontaine had left, the Emperor made me a sign to approach, and

began by pulling my ears, according to custom when in good humor. After

a few personal questions, he asked me what was my salary. "Sire, six

thousand francs."--"And Monsieur Colin, how much has he?"--"Twelve

thousand francs."--"Twelve thousand francs! that is not right; you should

not have less than M. Colin. I will attend to that." And his Majesty

was kind enough to make immediate inquiries, but was told that the

accounts for the year were made out; whereupon the Emperor informed me

that till the end of the year, M. le Baron Fain

[Born in Paris, 1778; attended Napoleon in his campaigns as

Secretary of the Records; wrote memoirs of the last three years of

Napoleon's reign; died 1837.]

would give me each month out of his privy purse five hundred francs, as

he wished that my salary should equal that of M. Colin.

CHAPTER XI.

After the Emperor left the army and committed, as we have seen, the

command to the King of Naples, his Sicilian Majesty also abandoned the

command intrusted to him, and set out for his states, leaving Prince

Eugene at the head of the forces. The Emperor was deeply interested in

the news he received from Posen, where the general headquarters were in

the latter part of February and beginning of March, and where the prince

vice-king had under his orders only the remains of different corps, some

of which were represented by a very small number of men.

Moreover, each time that the Russians appeared in force, there was

nothing to be done but to fall back; and each day during the month of

March the news became more and more depressing. The Emperor consequently

decided at the end of March to set out at an early day for the army.

For some time previous the Emperor, much impressed by Malet's conspiracy

during his last absence, had expressed the opinion that it was dangerous

to leave his government without a head; and the journals had been filled

with information relative to the ceremonies required when the regency of

the kingdom had been left in the hands of queens in times past. As the

public well knew the means frequently adopted by his Majesty to foster in

advance opinions favorable to any course of conduct he intended to

pursue, no one was surprised to see him before leaving confide the

regency to the Empress Marie Louise, circumstances not having yet

furnished him the opportunity of having her crowned, as he had long

desired. The Empress took the solemn oath at the palace of the Elysee,

in presence of the princes, great dignitaries, and ministers. The Duke

of Cadore was made secretary of the regency, as counselor to her Majesty

the Empress, together with the arch-chancellor; and the command of the

guard was confided to General Caffarelli.

The Emperor left Saint-Cloud on the 15th of April, at four o'clock in the

morning, and at midnight of the 16th entered Mayence. On his arrival his

Majesty learned that Erfurt and the whole of Westphalia were in a state

of the deepest alarm. This news added incredible speed to his march, and

in eight hours he was at Erfurt. His Majesty remained but a short while

in that town, as the information that he there received set his mind at

rest as to the result of the campaign. On leaving Erfurt the Emperor

wished to pass through Weimar in order to salute the grand duchess, and

made his visit on the same day and at the same hour that the Emperor

Alexander went from Dresden to Toeplitz in order to visit another Duchess

of Weimar (the hereditary princess, her sister).

The grand duchess received the Emperor with a grace which enchanted him,

and their conversation lasted nearly half an hour. On leaving, his

Majesty said to the Prince de Neuchatel, "That is an astonishing woman;

she has the intellect of a great man." The Duke accompanied the Emperor

as far as the borough of Eckhartsberg, where his Majesty detained him to

dine.

NOTE BY CONSTANT.--His Majesty's household, reorganized in part for this

campaign of 1813, was composed of the following persons:

Grand marshal of the palace, the Duke of Frioul.

Grand equerry, the Duke of Vicenza.

Aides-de-camp: Generals Mouton, Count de Lobau; Lebrun, Duke de

Plaisance; Generals Drouot, Flahaut, Dejean, Corbineau, Bernard,

Durosnel, and Aogendorp.

First ordinance officer, Colonel Gourgaud.

Ordinance officers: Baron de Mortemart, Baron Athalin, M. Beranger, M. de

Lauriston; Messieurs Barons Desaix, Laplace, and de Caraman; Messieurs de

Saint Marsan, de Lamezan, Pretet, and Pailhou; there was also M.

d'Aremberg, but at this time he was a prisoner in the town of Dantzic.

First chamberlain and master of the wardrobe, the Count of Turenne.

Prefect of the palace, Baron de Beausset.

Quartermaster of the palace, Baron de Canouville.

Equerries, Barons Van Lenneps, Montaran, and de Mesgrigny.

Private secretaries, Baron Mounier and Baron Fain.

Clerks, Messieurs Jouanne and Provost.

Secretary interpreters, Messieurs Lelorgue, Dideville, and Vouzowitch.

Director of the topographical bureau, Baron Bacler d'Albe.

Geographical engineers, Messieurs Lameau and Duvivier.

Pages, Messieurs Montarieu, Devienne, Sainte Perne, and Ferreri.

The Emperor had his headquarters on the square of Eckhartsberg. He had

only two rooms, and his suite slept on the landing and the steps of the

staircase. This little town, transformed in a few hours into

headquarters, presented a most extraordinary spectacle. On a square

surrounded by camps, bivouacs, and military parks, in the midst of more

than a thousand vehicles, which crossed each other from every direction,

mingled together, became entangled in every way, could be seen slowly

defiling regiments, convoys, artillery trains, baggage wagons, etc.

Following them came herds of cattle, preceded or divided by the little

carts of the canteen women and sutlers,--such light, frail vehicles that

the least jolt endangered them; with these were marauders returning with

their booty, peasants pulling vehicles by their own strength, cursing and

swearing amid the laughter of our soldiers; and couriers, ordinance

officers, and aides-de-camp, galloping through all this wonderfully

variegated and diversified multitude of men and beasts.

And when to this is added the neighing of horses, bellowing of cattle,

rumbling of wheels over the stones, cries of the soldiers, sounds from

trumpets, drums, fifes, and the complaints of the inhabitants, with

hundreds of persons all together asking questions at the same time,

speaking German to the Italians, and French to the Germans, how could it

be possible that his Majesty should be as tranquil and as much at his

ease in the midst of this fearful uproar as in his cabinet at Saint-Cloud

or the Tuileries? This was nevertheless the case; and the Emperor,

seated before a miserable table covered with a kind of cloth, a map

spread before him, compass and pen in hand, entirely given up to

meditation, showed not the least impatience; and it would have been said

that no exterior noise reached his ears. But let a cry of pain be heard

in any direction, the Emperor instantly raised his head, and gave orders

to go and ascertain what had happened.

The power of thus isolating one's self completely from all the

surrounding world is very difficult to acquire, and no one possessed it

to the same degree as his Majesty.

On the 1st of May the Emperor was at Lutzen, though the battle did not

occur till next day. On that day, at six o'clock in the evening, the

brave Marshal Bessieres, Duke of Istria, was killed by a cannon-ball,

just at the moment when, mounted on a height, wrapped in a long cloak

which he had put on in order not to be remarked, he had just given orders

for the burial of a sergeant of his escort, whom a ball had just slain a

few steps in front of him.

From the first campaigns in Italy the Duke of Istria had hardly left the

Emperor at all; had followed him in all his campaigns; had taken part in

all his battles, and was always distinguished for his well-proved

bravery, and a frankness and candor very rare among the high personages

by whom his Majesty was surrounded. He had passed through almost all

grades up to the command of the Imperial Guard; and his great experience,

excellent character, good heart, and unalterable attachment to the

Emperor, had rendered him very dear to his Majesty.

The Emperor was much moved on learning of the death of the marshal, and

remained some time silent with bent head, and eyes fastened on the

ground. At last he said, "He has died like Turenne; his fate is to be

envied." He then passed his hand over his eyes and withdrew.

The body of the marshal was embalmed and carried to Paris, and the

Emperor wrote the following letter to the Duchess of Istria:

"MY COUSIN,--

"Your husband has died on the field of honor. The loss sustained by

you and your children is doubtless great, but mine is greater still.

The Duke of Istria has died a most glorious death, and without

suffering. He leaves a stainless reputation, the richest heritage

he could have left his children. My protection is assured, and they

will also inherit the affection I bore their father. Find in all

these considerations some source of consolation in your distress,

and never doubt my sentiments towards you.

"This letter having no other object, I pray that God, my cousin, may

have you in his holy keeping.

"NAPOLEON."

The King of Saxony reared a monument to the Duke of Istria on the exact

spot where he fell. The victory so long disputed in this battle of

Lutzen was on that account only the more glorious for the Emperor, and

was gained principally by the young conscripts, who fought like lions.

Marshal Ney expected this of them; for before the battle he said to his

Majesty, "Sire, give me a good many of those young men, I will lead them

wherever I wish. The old bearded fellows know as much as we, they

reflect, they are too cold blooded; but these intrepid children know no

difficulties, they look straight before them, and neither to the right

nor left."

In fact, in the midst of the battle, the Prussians, commanded by the king

in person, attacked the corps of Marshal Ney with such fury that it fell

back, but the conscripts did not take flight. They withstood the fire,

rallied by platoons, and flanked the enemy, crying with all their might,

"Vive l'Empereur." The Emperor appeared; and recovering from the

terrible shock they had sustained, and electrified by the presence of

their hero, they attacked in their turn with incredible violence. His

Majesty was astonished. "In the twenty years," said he, "I have

commanded French armies I have never witnessed such remarkable bravery

and devotion."

It was indeed a touching sight to see those youthful soldiers, although

grievously wounded, some without an arm, some without a leg, with but a

few moments of life remaining, making a last effort, as the Emperor

approached, to rise from the ground, and shout with their latest breath,

"Vive l'Empereur." Tears fill my eyes as I think of those youths, so

brilliant, so strong, and so courageous.

The enemy displayed the same bravery and enthusiasm. The light infantry

of the Prussian guard were almost all young men who saw fire for the

first time; they exposed themselves to every hazard, and fell by hundreds

before they would recoil a step.

In no other battle, I think, was the Emperor so visibly protected by his

destiny. Balls whistled around his ears, carrying away as they passed

pieces of the trappings of his horse, shells and grenades rolled at his

feet, but nothing touched him. The soldiers observed this, and their

enthusiasm rose to the highest pitch.

At the beginning of the battle, the Emperor saw a battalion advancing

whose chief had been suspended from his office two or three days before

for some slight breach of discipline. The disgraced officer marched in

the second rank with his soldiers, by whom he was adored. The Emperor

saw him, and halting the battalion, took the officer by the hand, and

placed him again at the head of his troop. The effect produced by this

scene was indescribable.

On the 8th of May, at seven o'clock in the evening, the Emperor entered

Dresden, and took possession of the palace, which the Emperor of Russia

and King of Prussia had quitted that very evening. A short distance from

the barriers the Emperor was saluted by a deputation from the

municipality of that town.

"You deserve," said he to these deputies, "that I should treat you

as a conquered country. I know all that you have done while the

allies occupied your town; I have a statement of the number of

volunteers whom you have clothed, equipped, and armed against me,

with a generosity which has astonished even the enemy. I know the

insults you have heaped on France, and how many shameless libels you

have to suppress or to burn today. I am fully aware with what

transports of joy you received the Emperor of Russia and the King of

Prussia within your walls. Your houses are still decorated with the

garlands, and we still see lying on the earth the flowers which the

young girls scattered in their path. Nevertheless, I am willing to

pardon everything. Thank your king for this; it is he who saves

you, and I pardon you only from love of him. Send a deputation to

entreat him to return to you. My aide-de-camp, General Durosnel,

will be your governor. Your good king himself could not make a

better selection."

As soon as he entered the city the Emperor was informed that a part of

the Russian rear-guard sought to hold its ground in the new town,

separated from the old by the river Elbe, and had fallen into the power

of our army.

His Majesty immediately ordered that everything should be done in order

to drive out this remnant of the enemy; and during an entire day there

was a continued cannonading and shooting in the town from one bank to the

other. Bullets and shell fell like hail on the spot occupied by the

Emperor. A shell struck the walls of a powder-magazine not far from him,

and scattered the pieces around his head, but fortunately the powder did

not ignite. A few moments after another shell fell between his Majesty

and several Italians; they bent to avoid the explosion. The Emperor saw

this movement, and laughingly said to them, "Ah, coglioni! non fa male."

["Ah, scamps! don't behave badly."]

On the 11th of May, in the morning, the Russians were put to flight and

pursued, the French army entering the city from all sides. The Emperor

remained on the bridge the whole day, watching his troops as they filed

in. The next day at ten o'clock the Imperial Guard under arms were

placed in line of battle on the road from Pirna to Gross Garten. The

Emperor reviewed it, and ordered General Flahaut to advance.

The King of Saxony arrived about noon. On meeting again, the two

sovereigns alighted from their horses and embraced each other, and then

entered Dresden amid general acclamations.

General Flahaut, who had gone to meet the King of Saxony with a part of

the imperial Guard, received from this good king the most flattering

testimonials of appreciation and gratitude. It is impossible to show

more cordiality and friendliness than the King of Saxony displayed. The

Emperor said of him and his family that they were a patriarchal family,

and that all who comprised it joined to striking virtues an expansive

kindness of manner which made them adored by their subjects. His Majesty

paid this royal personage the most affectionate attentions, and as long

as the war lasted sent couriers each day to keep the king informed of the

least circumstance: He came himself as often as possible, and, in fact,

constantly treated him with that cordiality he so well knew how to

display and to render irresistible when he chose.

A few days after his arrival at Dresden his Majesty held a long

conversation with the King of Saxony, in which the Emperor Alexander was

the principal subject of conversation.

The characteristics and faults of this prince were fully analyzed; and

the conclusion drawn from this conversation was that the Emperor

Alexander had been sincere in the interview at Erfurt, and that it must

have been very complicated intrigues which had thus led to the rupture of

all their treaties of friendship. "Sovereigns are most unfortunate,"

said his Majesty; "always deceived, always surrounded by flatterers or

treacherous counselors, whose greatest desire is to prevent the truth

from reaching the ears of their masters, who have so much interest in

knowing it."

The two sovereigns next spoke of the Emperor of Austria. His Majesty

appeared profoundly grieved that his union with the Archduchess Marie

Louise, whom he did all in his power to render the happiest of women,

should have failed in producing the result he had anticipated, of

obtaining for him the confidence and friendship of her father. "It is

perhaps because I was not born a sovereign," said the Emperor; "and

nevertheless, I should think that this would be an additional inducement

to the friendship of my father-in-law. I shall never be convinced that

such ties are not strong enough to obtain the alliance of the Emperor of

Austria; for, in fact, I am his son-in-law, my son is his grandson, he

loves his daughter, and she is happy; how, then, can he be my enemy?"

On learning of the victory of Lutzen, and the entrance of the Emperor into

Dresden, the Emperor of Austria hastened to send M. de Bubna to his

son-in-law. He arrived on the evening of the 16th; and the interview,

which his Majesty immediately granted, lasted until two hours after

midnight. This led us to hope that peace was about to be concluded, and

we consequently formed a thousand conjectures, each more encouraging

than the other; but when two or three days had passed away, and we still

witnessed only preparations for war, we saw that our hopes were cruelly

deceived. Then it was I heard the unfortunate Marshal Duroc exclaim,

"This is lasting too long! We will none of us outlive it!" He had a

presentiment of his own death.

During the whole of this campaign the Emperor had not a moment of repose.

The days passed away in combats or marches, always on horseback; the

nights in labors in the cabinet. I never comprehended how his body could

endure such fatigue, and yet he enjoyed almost continuously the most

perfect health. The evening before the battle of Bautzen he retired very

late, after visiting all the military posts, and, having given all

necessary orders, slept profoundly. Early next morning, the 20th of May,

movements began, and we awaited at headquarters with eager impatience the

results of this day. But the battle was not over even then; and after a

succession of encounters, always ending in our favor, although hotly

contested, the Emperor, at nine o'clock in the evening, returned to

headquarters, took a light repast, and remained with Prince Berthier

until midnight. The remainder of the night was passed in work, and at

five o'clock in the morning he was on his feet and ready to return to the

combat. Three or four hours after his arrival on the battlefield the

Emperor was overcome by an irresistible desire for sleep, and, foreseeing

the issue of the day, slept on the side of a ravine, in the midst of the

batteries of the Duke of Ragusa, until he was awaked with the information

that the battle was gained.

This fact, which was related to me in the evening, did not astonish me in

the least; for I have already remarked that when he was compelled to

yield to the necessity of sleep, that imperious want of nature, the

Emperor took the repose which was so necessary to him when and where he

could, like a true soldier.

Although the result was decided, the battle was continued until five

o'clock in the evening. At six o'clock the Emperor had his tent erected

near a solitary inn, which had served as headquarters for the Emperor

Alexander during the two preceding days. I received orders to attend him

there, and did so with all speed; but his Majesty, nevertheless, passed

the whole night receiving and congratulating the chief generals, and

working with his secretaries.

All the wounded who were able to march were already on the road to

Dresden, where all necessary help awaited them. But on the field of

battle were stretched more than ten thousand men, Frenchmen, Russians,

Prussians, etc.,--hardly able to breathe, mutilated, and in a most

pitiable condition. The unremitting labors of the kind and indefatigable

Baron Larrey and the multitude of surgeons encouraged by his heroic

example did not suffice even to dress their wounds. And what means could

be found to remove the wounded in this desolate country, where all the

villages had been sacked and burned, and where it was no longer possible

to find either horses or conveyances? Must they then let all these men

perish after most horrible sufferings, for lack of means to convey them

to Dresden?

It was then that this population of Saxon villagers, who it might have

been thought must be embittered by the horrors of war,--in seeing their

dwellings burned, their fields ravaged,--furnished to the army an example

of the sublime sentiments which pity can inspire in the heart of man.

They perceived the cruel anxiety which M. Larrey and his companions

suffered concerning the fate of so many unfortunate wounded, and

immediately men, women, children, and even old men, hastily brought

wheelbarrows. The wounded were lifted, and placed on these frail

conveyances. Two or three persons accompanied each wheelbarrow all the

way to Dresden, halting if by a cry or gesture even, the wounded

indicated a desire to rest, stopping to replace the bandages which the

motion had displaced, or near a spring to give them water to allay the

fever which devoured them. I have never seen a more touching sight.

Baron Larrey had an animated discussion with the Emperor. Among the

wounded, there were found a large number of young soldiers with two

fingers of their right hand torn off; and his Majesty thought that these

poor young fellows had done it purposely to keep from serving. Having

said this to M. Larrey, the latter vehemently exclaimed that it was an

impossibility, and that such baseness was not in keeping with the

character of these brave young conscripts. As the Emperor still

maintained his position, Larrey at length became so angry that he went so

far as to tax the Emperor with injustice. Things were in this condition

when it was positively proved that these uniform wounds came from the

haste with which these young soldiers loaded and discharged their guns,

not being accustomed to handling them. Whereupon his Majesty saw that M.

de Larrey was right, and praised him for his firmness in maintaining what

he, knew to be the truth. "You are a thoroughly good man, M. de Larrey,"

said the Emperor. "I wish I could be surrounded only with men like you;

but such men are very rare."

CHAPTER XII.

We had now reached the eve of the day on which the Emperor, still deeply

affected by the loss he had sustained in the death of the Duke of Istria,

was to receive a blow which he felt perhaps most keenly of all those

which struck deep into his heart as he saw his old companions in arms

fall around him. The day following that on which the Emperor had, with

Baron Larrey, the discussion which I related at the end of the preceding

chapter was made memorable by the irreparable loss of Marshal Duroc. The

Emperor's heart was crushed; and indeed not one of us failed to shed

sincere tears--so just and good was he, although grave and severe in his

manner towards persons whom the nature of their duties brought into

contact with him. It was a loss not only to the Emperor, who possessed

in him a true friend, but, I dare to assert, also to the whole of France.

He loved the Emperor with a passionate devotion, and never failed to

bestow on him his faithful admonitions, although they were not always

heeded. The death of Marshal Duroc was an event so grievous and so

totally unexpected, that we remained for some time uncertain whether to

believe it, even when the only too evident reality no longer permitted us

to remain under any delusion.

These are the circumstances under which this fatal event occurred which

spread consternation throughout the army: The Emperor was pursuing the

rear guard of the Russians, who continually eluded him, and had just

escaped for the tenth time since the morning, after having killed and

taken prisoners large numbers of our brave soldiers, when two or three

shells dug up the ground at the Emperor's feet, and caused him to

exclaim, "What! after such butchery no result! no prisoners! those men

there will not leave me a nail." Hardly had he finished speaking when a

shell passed, and threw a chasseur of the cavalry escort almost under the

legs of his Majesty's horse. "Ah, Duroc," added he, turning towards

the grand marshal, "fortune protects us to-day."--"Sire," said an

aide-de-camp, rushing, up at a gallop, "General Bruyeres has just been

killed." "My poor comrade of Italy! Is it possible? Ah! it is

necessary to push on, nevertheless." And noticing on the left an

elevation from which he could better observe what was passing, the

Emperor started in that direction amidst a cloud of dust. The Duke of

Vicenza, the Duke of Treviso, Marshal Duroc, and general of engineers

Kirgener followed his Majesty closely; but the wind raised such a cloud

of dust and smoke that they could hardly see each other. Suddenly a

tree near which the Emperor passed was struck by a shell and cut in

half. His Majesty, on reaching the plateau, turned to ask for his

field-glass, and saw no one near him except the Duke of Vicenza. Duke

Charles de Plaisance came up, his face showing a mortal pallor, leaned

towards the grand equerry, and said a few words in his ear. "What is

it?" vehemently inquired the Emperor; "what has happened?"--"Sire,"

said the Duke of Plaisance, weeping, "the grand marshal is dead!"--

"Duroc? But you must be mistaken. He was here a moment ago by my

side." Several aides-de-camp arrived, and a page with his Majesty's

field-glass. The fatal news was confirmed, in part at least. The Grand

Duke of Frioul was not yet dead; but the shell had wounded him in the

stomach, and all surgical aid would be useless. The shell after

breaking the tree had glanced, first striking General Kirgener, who was

instantly killed, and then the Duke of Frioul. Monsieurs Yvan and Larrey

were with the wounded marshal, who had been carried into a house at

Markersdorf. There was no hope of saving him.

The consternation of the army and his Majesty's grief on this deplorable

event were indescribable. He mechanically gave a few orders and returned

to camp, and when he had reached the encampment of the guard, seated

himself on a bench in front of his tent, with lowered head and clasped

hands, and remained thus for nearly an hour without uttering a word.

Since it was nevertheless essential that orders should be given for the

next day, General Drouot approached,

[Count Antoine Drouot, chief of artillery of the guard, born at

Nancy, 1774; fought as captain at Hohenlinden,1800; distinguished

himself at Wagram (1809) and Borodino (1812); made general of

division at Bautzen, 1813; went to Elba as commander of the guard,

and was by the Emperor's side at Waterloo; died in 1847. He was a

Protestant, and was often seen during heavy firing reading his

Testament calmly.]

and in a voice interrupted by sobs asked what should be done.

"To-morrow, everything," replied the Emperor, and said not a word more.

"Poor man!" exclaimed the old watchdogs of the guard; "he has lost one of

his children." Night closed in. The enemy was in full retreat; and the

army having taken its position, the Emperor left the camp, and,

accompanied by the Prince de Neuchatel, M. Yvan, and the Duke of Vicenza,

repaired to the house where the grand marshal had been conveyed. The

scene was terrible. The Emperor, distracted with grief, repeatedly

embraced this faithful friend, endeavoring to cheer him; but the duke,

who was perfectly conscious of his condition, replied only by entreaties

to have opium given him. At these words the Emperor left the room; he

could no longer control his emotions.

The Duke de Frioul died next morning; and the Emperor ordered that his

body should be conveyed to Paris, and paced under the dome of the

Invalides.

[On either side of the entrance to the sarcophagus of porphyry

which holds the mortal remains of the great Emperor, rest Duroc and

Bertrand, who in life watched over him as marshals of his Palace.--

TRANS.]

He bought the house in which the grand marshal died, and charged the

pastor of the village to have a stone placed in the spot where his bed

had stood, and these words engraved thereon:

"HERE GENERAL DUROC, DUKE OF FRIOUL,

GRAND MARSHAL OF THE PALACE OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON,

MORTALLY WOUNDED BY A SHELL,

DIED IN THE ARMS OF HIS FRIEND, THE EMPEROR."

The preservation of this monument was imposed as an obligation on the

occupant of the house, who received it as a gift with this condition

annexed. The pastor, the magistrate of the village, and the one who

accepted this gift, were summoned to his Majesty's presence; and he made

known to them his wishes, which they solemnly engaged to fulfill. His

Majesty then drew from his privy purse the necessary funds, and handed

them to these gentlemen.

It is well that the reader should know how this agreement so solemnly

made was executed. This order of the Russian staff will inform him.

"A copy of a receipt dated the 16th (28th) of March states that the

Emperor Napoleon handed to Hermann, pastor of the church at

Markersdorf, the sum of two hundred gold napoleons for the purpose

of erecting a monument to the memory of Marshal Duroc, who died on

the field of battle. His Excellency Prince Repnin, Governor-General

of Saxony, having ordered that a deputy from my office be sent to

Markersdorf in order to bring the said sum and deposit it with me

until it is finally disposed of, my secretary, Meyerheim, is charged

with this mission, and consequently will go at once to Dlarkersdorf,

and, as an evidence of his authority, will present to Minister

Hermann the accompanying order, and take possession of the above

mentioned sum of two hundred gold napoleons. The secretary

Meyerheim will account to me alone for the execution of this order.

At Dresden this 20th of March (1st of April), 1814.

"(Signed) BARON DE ROSEN."

This order needs no comment. After the battles of Bautzen and Wurschen,

the Emperor entered Silesia. He saw on every occasion combined armies of

the allies put to flight before his own in every encounter; and this

sight, while flattering his vanity exceedingly, also greatly strengthened

him in the belief that he would soon find himself master of a rich and

fertile country, where the abundant means of subsistence would be of much

advantage in all his undertakings. Many times a day he exclaimed, "How

far are we from such a town? When do we arrive at Breslau?" His

impatience did not prevent him meanwhile from occupying his mind with

every object which struck his attention, as if he were free from all

care. He examined the houses, one by one, as he passed through each

village, remarked the direction of rivers and mountain ranges, and

collected the most minute information which the inhabitants could or

would give him. On the 27th of May, his Majesty, when not more than

three days march from Breslau, met in front of a little town called

Michelsdorf several regiments of Russian cavalry who held the road. They

were quite near the Emperor and his staff before his Majesty had even

perceived them. The Prince de Neuchatel, seeing the enemy so near,

hastened to the Emperor, and said, "Sire, they are still advancing."--

"Well, we will advance also," replied his Majesty, smiling. "Look behind

you--" And he showed the prince the French infantry approaching in close

columns. A few discharges soon drove the Russians from this position;

but half a league or a league farther we found them again, and this

maneuver was again and again repeated. The Emperor, perceiving this,

maneuvered accordingly, and in person directed with the greatest

precision the troops as they advanced. He went from one height to

another, and thoroughly inspected the towns and villages on the route in

order to reconnoiter their position, and ascertain what resources he

could obtain from the country; and, as a result of his attentive care and

indefatigable oversight, the scene changed ten times a day. If a column

emerged from a deep ravine, a wood, or a village, it could take immediate

possession of a height, since a battery was found already in position to

defend it. The Emperor indicated every movement with admirable tact, and

in such a manner that it was impossible to be taken at a disadvantage.

He commanded only the troops as a whole, transmitting either personally,

or through his staff officers, his orders to the commander of the corps

and divisions, who in their turn transmitted or had them transmitted to

the chiefs of battalions. All orders given by his Majesty were short,

precise, and so clear that it was never necessary to ask explanations.

On the 29th of May, not knowing how far on the road to Breslau it was

prudent to advance, his Majesty established himself on a little farm

called Rosnig, which had been pillaged, and presented a most miserable

aspect. As there could be found in the house only a small apartment with

a closet suitable for the Emperor's use, the Prince de Neuchatel and his

suite established themselves as well as they could in the surrounding

cottages, barns, and even in the gardens, since there was not sufficient

shelter for all. The next day a fire broke out in a stable near the

lodging of the Emperor. There were fourteen or fifteen wagons in this

barn, which were all burned. One of these wagons contained the traveling

treasury chest; in another were the clothes and linen belonging to the

Emperor, as well as jewelry, rings, tobacco boxes, and other valuable

objects. We saved very few things from this fire; and if the reserve

corps had not arrived promptly, his Majesty would have been obliged to

change his customary toilet rules for want of stockings and shirts. The

Saxon Major d'Odeleben, who has written some interesting articles on this

campaign, states that everything belonging to his Majesty was burned; and

that it was necessary to have him some pantaloons made in the greatest

haste at Breslau. This is a mistake. I do not think that the

baggage-wagon was burned; but even if it had been, the Emperor would not

on that account have needed clothing, since there were always four or

five complete suits either in advance or in the rear of the

headquarters. In Russia, when the order was given to burn all carriages

which lacked horses, this order was rigorously executed in regard to the

persons of the household, and they were consequently left with almost

nothing; but everything was reserved which might be considered

indispensable to his Majesty.

At length on the 1st of June, at six o'clock in the morning, the advance

guard entered Breslau, having at its head General Lauriston, and General

Hogendorp, whom his Majesty had invested in advance with the functions of

governor of this town, which was the capital of Silesia. Thus was

fulfilled in part the promise the Emperor had made in passing through

Warsaw on his return from Russia: "I go to seek three hundred thousand

men. Success will render the Russians bold. I will deliver two battles

between the Elbe and the Oder, and in six months I will be again on the

Niemen."

These two battles fought and gained by conscripts, and without cavalry,

had re-established the reputation of the French army. The King of Saxony

had been brought back in triumph to his capital. The headquarters of the

Emperor were at Breslau; one of the corps of the grand army was at the

gates of Berlin, and the enemy driven from Hamburg. Russia was about to

be forced to withdraw into its own boundaries, when the Emperor of

Austria, acting as mediator in the affairs of the two allied sovereigns,

advised them to propose an armistice. They followed this advice; and as

the Emperor had the weakness to consent to their demands, the armistice

was granted and signed on the fourth of June, and his Majesty at once set

out on his return to Dresden. An hour after his departure he said, "If

the allies do not in good faith desire peace, this armistice may become

very fatal to us."

On the evening of the 8th of June, his Majesty reached Gorlitz. On that

night fire broke out in the faubourg where the guard had established its

quarters; and at one o'clock one of the officials of the town came to the

headquarters of the Emperor to give the alarm, saying that all was lost.

The troops extinguished the fire, and an account was rendered the Emperor

of what had occurred. I dressed him in all haste, as he wished to set

out at break of day. "To how much does the loss amount?" demanded the

Emperor. "Sire, to seven or eight thousand francs at least for the cases

of greatest need."--"Let ten thousand be given, and let it be distributed

immediately." The inhabitants were immediately informed of the

generosity of the Emperor; and as he left the village an hour or two

after, he was saluted with unanimous acclamations.

On the morning of the 10th we returned from Dresden. The Emperor's

arrival put an end to most singular rumors which had been circulated

there since the remains of Grand Marshal Duroc had passed through the

city. It was asserted that the coffin contained the body of the Emperor;

that he had been killed in the last battle, and his body mysteriously

concealed in a room of the chateau, through the windows of which lights

could be seen burning all night. When he arrived, some persons perfectly

infatuated with this idea went so far as to repeat what had already been

reported, with the added circumstance that it was not the Emperor who was

seen in his carriage, but a figure made of wax. Nevertheless, when next

day he appeared before the eyes of all on horseback in a meadow in front

of the gates of the city, they were compelled to admit that he still

lived.

The Emperor alighted at the Marcolini palace, a charming summer residence

situated in the faubourg of Friedrichstadt. An immense garden, the

beautiful meadows of Osterwise on the banks of the Elbe, in addition to

an extremely fine landscape, rendered this sojourn much more attractive

than that of the winter palace; and consequently the Emperor was most

grateful to the King of Saxony for having prepared it for him. There he

led the same life as at Schoenbrunn; reviews every morning, much work

during the day, and few distractions in the evening; in fact, more

simplicity than display. The middle of the day was spent in cabinet

labors; and during that time such perfect tranquillity reigned in the

palace, that except for the presence of two sentinels on horseback and

videttes, which showed that it was the dwelling of a sovereign, it would

have been difficult to imagine that this beautiful residence was

inhabited even by the simplest private citizen.

The Emperor had chosen for his apartments the right wing of the palace;

the left was occupied by the Prince de Neuchatel. In the center of the

building were a large saloon and two smaller ones which served as

reception rooms.

Two days after his return, his Majesty sent orders to Paris that the

actors of the "Comedy" Theater from Paris should spend the time of the

armistice at Dresden. The Duke of Vicenza, charged in the interim with

the duties of grand marshal of the palace, was ordered to make all

necessary preparations to receive them. He committed this duty to the

care of Messieurs de Beausset and de Turenne, to whom the Emperor gave

the superintendence of the theater; and a hall to be used for this

purpose was erected in the orangery of the Marcolini palace. This hall

communicated with the apartments, and could seat about two hundred

persons. It was erected as if by magic, and was opened, while awaiting

the arrival of the French troupe, with two or three representations given

by the Italian comedians of the King of Saxony.

The actors from Paris were: For tragedy, Messieurs Saint-Prix and Talma

and Mademoiselle Georges.

For comedy: Messieurs Fleury, Saint-Fal, Baptiste the younger, Armand,

Thenard, Michot, Devigny, Michelot and Barbier; Mesdames Mars, Bourgoin,

Thenard, Emilie Contat, and Mezeray.

The management of the theater was given to M. Despres.

All these actors arrived on the 19th of June, and found every arrangement

made for their comfort,--tastefully furnished lodgings, carriages,

servants, everything which could enable them to agreeably endure the

ennui of a residence in a foreign land, and prove to them at the same

time how highly his Majesty appreciated their talents; an appreciation

which most of them richly merited, both on account of their excellent

social qualities, and the nobility and refinement of their manners.

The debut of the French troupe at the theater of the Orangery took place

on the 22d of June, in the 'Gageure Imprevue', and another piece, then

much in vogue at Paris, and which has often since been witnessed with

much pleasure, 'La Suite d'un Bal Masque'.

As the theater of the Orangery would have been too small for the

representation of tragedy, that was reserved for the grand theater of the

city; and persons were admitted on those occasions only by cards from the

Count of Turenne, no admission fee being charged.

At the grand theater on the days of the French play, and also in the

theater at the Marcolini palace, the footmen of his Majesty attended upon

the boxes, and served refreshments while the piece was being played.

This is how the days were spent after the arrival of the actors of the

French theater.

Everything was quiet until eight o'clock in the morning, unless a courier

arrived, or some aide-de-camp was unexpectedly summoned. At eight

o'clock I dressed the Emperor; at nine he held his levee, which all could

attend who held as high a rank as colonel. The civil and military

authorities of the country were also admitted; the Dukes of Weimar and

d'Anhalt, the brothers and nephews of the King of Saxony, sometimes

attended. Next came breakfast; then the parade in the meadows of

Osterwise, about one hundred paces distant from the palace, to which the

Emperor always went on horseback, and dismounted on arriving; the troops

filed before him, and cheered him three times with their customary

enthusiasm. The evolutions were commanded sometimes by the Emperor,

sometimes by the Count of Lobau. As soon as the cavalry began to defile,

his majesty re-entered the palace and began to work. Then began that

perfect stillness of which I have spoken; and dinner was not served until

late,--seven or eight o'clock. The Emperor often dined alone with the

Prince de Neuchatel, unless there were guests from the royal family of

Saxony. After dinner they attended the theater, when there was a play;

and afterwards the Emperor returned to his cabinet to work again, either

alone or with his secretaries.

Each day it was the same thing, unless, which was very rarely the case,

fatigued beyond measure by the labors of the day, the Emperor took a

fancy to send for Madame Georges after the tragedy. Then she passed two

or three hours in his apartment, but never more.

Sometimes the Emperor invited Talma or Mademoiselle Mars to breakfast.

One day, in a conversation with this admirable actress, the Emperor spoke

to her concerning her debut. "Sire," said she, in that graceful manner

which every one remembers, "I began very young. I slipped in without

being perceived."--"Without being perceived!" replied his Majesty

quickly; "you are mistaken. Be assured moreover, Mademoiselle, that I

have always, in common with all France, highly appreciated your wonderful

talents."

The Emperor's stay at Dresden brought wealth and abundance. More than

six million francs of foreign money were spent in this city between the

8th of May and 16th of November, if one can believe the statements

published on Saxon authority of the number of lodgings distributed. This

sojourn was a harvest of gold, which keepers of boarding-houses, hotels,

and merchants carefully reaped. Those in charge of military lodgings

furnished by the inhabitants also made large profits. At Dresden could

be seen Parisian tailors and bootmakers, teaching the natives to work in

the French style. Even bootblacks were found on the bridges over the

Elbe, crying, as they had cried on the bridges of the Seine, "Shine your

boots!"

Around the city numerous camps had been established for the wounded,

convalescents, etc. One of these, called the Westphalian camp, presented

a most beautiful scene. It was a succession of beautiful small gardens;

there a fortress made of turf, its bastions crowned with hortensias; here

a plot had been converted into a terrace, its walks ornamented with

flowers, like the most carefully tended parterre; on a third was seen a

statue of Pallas. The whole barrack was decked with moss, and decorated

with boughs and garlands which were renewed each day.

As the armistice would end on the 15th of August, the fete of his Majesty

was advanced five days. The army, the town, and the court had made

extensive preparations in order that the ceremony might be worthy of him

in whose honor it was given. All the richest and most distinguished

inhabitants of Dresden vied with each other in balls, concerts,

festivities, and rejoicings of all sorts. The morning before the day of

the review, the King of Saxony came to the residence of the Emperor with

all his family, and the two sovereigns manifested the warmest friendship

for each other. They breakfasted together, after which his Majesty,

accompanied by the King of Saxony, his brothers and nephews, repaired to

the meadow behind the palace, where fifteen thousand men of the guard

awaited him in as fine condition as on the most brilliant parades on the

Champ-de-Mars.

After the review, the French and Saxon troops dispersed through the

various churches to hear the Te Deum; and at the close of the religious

ceremony, all these brave soldiers seated themselves at banqueting tables

already prepared, and their joyous shouts with music and dancing were

prolonged far into the night.

CHAPTER XIII.

The entire duration of the armistice was employed in negotiations tending

to a treaty of peace, which the Emperor ardently desired, especially

since he had seen the honor of his army restored on the fields of Lutzen

and Bautzen; but unfortunately he desired it only on conditions to which

the enemy would not consent, and soon the second series of our disasters

recommenced, and rendered peace more and more impossible. Besides, from

the beginning of negotiations relative to the armistice, whose limit we

had now nearly reached, the emperor Alexander, notwithstanding the three

battles won by Napoleon, would listen to no direct proposals from France,

except on the sole condition that Austria should act as mediator. This

distrust, as might be expected, did not tend to produce a final.

reconciliation, and, being the conquering party, the Emperor was

naturally irritated by it; nevertheless, under these grave circumstances

he conquered the just resentment caused by the conduct of the Emperor of

Russia towards himself. The result of the time lost at Dresden, like the

prolongation of our sojourn at Moscow, was a great advantage to the

enemy.

All hopes of a peaceful adjustment of affairs now having vanished, on the

15th of August the Emperor ordered his carriage; we left Dresden, and the

war recommenced. The French army was still magnificent and imposing,

with a force of two hundred thousand infantry, but only forty thousand

cavalry, as it had been entirely impossible to repair completely the

immense loss of horses that had been sustained. The most serious danger

at that time arose from the fact that England was the soul of the

coalition of Russia, Prussia, and Sweden against France. Her subsidies

having obtained her the supreme control, nothing could be decided without

consulting her; and I have since learned that even during the pretended

negotiations the British government had declared to the Emperor of Russia

that under the circumstances the conditions of the treaty of Luneville

would be far too favorable to France. All these complications might be

expressed in these words: "We desire war!" War was then waged, or rather

the scourge continued to desolate Germany, and soon threatened and

invaded France. I should, moreover, call attention to the fact that what

contributed to render our position extremely critical in case of reverses

was that Prussia waged on us not simply a war of regular armies, but that

it had now assumed the character of a national war, by the calling out of

the Zandwehr and Zandsturm which made the situation far more dangerous

than against the tactics of the best disciplined army. To so many other

complications was added the fear, soon only too well justified, of seeing

Austria from an inoffensive and unbiased mediator become a declared

enemy.

Before going farther, I deem it best to refer again to two or three

occurrences I have inadvertently omitted which took place during our stay

at Dresden previous to what might be called the second campaign of 1813.

The first of these was the appearance at Dresden of the Duke of Otranto,

whom his Majesty had summoned.

He had been very rarely seen at the Tuileries since the Duke of Rovigo

had replaced him as minister of general police; and I noticed that his

presence at headquarters was a great surprise to every one, as he was

thought to be in complete disgrace. Those who seek to explain the causes

of the smallest events think that his Majesty's idea was to oppose the

subtle expedients of the police under M. Fouche to the then all-powerful

police of the Baron de Stein, the armed head of all the secret parties

which were forming in every direction, and which were regarded, not

without reason, as the rulers of popular opinion in Prussia and Germany,

and, above all, in the numerous schools, where the students were only

awaiting the moment for taking up arms. These conjectures as to M.

Fouche's presence at Dresden were without foundation. The Emperor in

recalling him had a real motive, which he, however, disguised under a

specious pretext. Having been deeply impressed by the conspiracy of

Malet, his Majesty thought that it would not be prudent to leave at Paris

during his absence a person so discontented and at the same time so

influential as the Duke of Otranto; and I heard him many times express

himself on this subject in a manner which left no room for doubt. But in

order to disguise this real motive, the Emperor appointed M. Fouche

governor of the Illyrian provinces in place of Count Bertrand, who was

given the command of an army-corps, and was soon after appointed to

succeed the adorable General Duroc in the functions of grand marshal of

the palace. Whatever the justice of this distrust of Fouche, it is very

certain that few persons were so well convinced of the superiority of his

talents as a police officer as his Majesty himself. Several times when

anything extraordinary occurred at Paris, and especially when he learned

of the conspiracy of Malet, the Emperor, recalling in the evening what

had impressed him most deeply during the day, ended by saying, "This

would not have happened if Fouche had been minister of police!" Perhaps

this was undue partiality; for the Emperor assuredly never had a more

faithful and devoted servant than the Duke of Rovigo, although many jests

were made in Paris over his custom of punishing by a few hours

imprisonment.

Prince Eugene having returned to Italy at the beginning of the campaign

in order to organize a new army in that country, we did not see him at

Dresden; the King of Naples, who had arrived on the night of the 13th or

14th August presented himself there almost alone; and his contribution to

the grand army consisted of only the small number of Neapolitan troops he

had left there on his departure for Naples.

I was in the Emperor's apartment when the King of Naples entered, and saw

him for the first time. I did not know to what cause to attribute it,

but I noticed that the Emperor did not give his brother-in-law as cordial

a welcome as in the past. Prince Murat said that he could no longer

remain idle at Naples, knowing that the French army to which he still

belonged was in the field, and he asked only to be allowed to fight in

its ranks. The Emperor took him with him to the parade, and gave him the

command of the Imperial Guard; and a more intrepid commander would have

been difficult to find. Later he was given the general command of the

cavalry.

During the whole time of the armistice, spun out rather than filled with

the slow and useless conferences of the Congress of Prague, it would be

impossible to describe the various labors in which the Emperor occupied

himself from morning till evening, and often far into the night. He

could frequently be seen bending over his maps, making, so to speak, a

rehearsal of the battles he meditated. Nevertheless, greatly exasperated

by the slowness of the negotiations as to the issue of which he could no

longer delude himself, he ordered, shortly before the end of July, that

everything should be prepared and in readiness for a journey he intended

making as far as Mayence. He made an appointment to meet the Empress

there; and as she was to arrive on the 25th, the Emperor consequently

arranged his departure so as to arrive only a short time after. I recall

this journey only as a fact, since it was signalized by nothing

remarkable, except the information the Emperor received at this time of

the death of the Duke of Abrantes, who had just succumbed at Dijon to a

violent attack of his former malady. Although the Emperor was already

aware that he was in a deplorable state of mental alienation, and must

consequently have expected this loss, he felt it none the less sensibly,

and sincerely mourned his former aide-decamp.

The Emperor remained only a few days with the Empress, whom he met again

with extreme pleasure. But as important political considerations

recalled him, he returned to Dresden, visiting several places on his

route, and the 4th of August we returned to the capital of Saxony.

Travelers who had seen this beautiful country only in a time of peace

would have recognized it with difficulty. Immense fortifications had

metamorphosed it into a warlike town; numerous batteries had been placed

in the suburbs overlooking the opposite bank of the Elbe. Everything

assumed a warlike attitude, and the Emperor's time became so completely

and entirely absorbed that he remained nearly three days without leaving

his cabinet.

Nevertheless, in the midst of the preparations for war all arrangements

were made to celebrate on the 10th of August the Emperor's fete, which

had been advanced five days, because, as I have previously observed, the

armistice expired precisely on the anniversary of Saint-Napoleon; and, as

may be readily inferred from his natural passion for war, the resumption

of hostilities was not an addition to his fete which he would be likely

to disdain.

There was at Dresden, as had been customary at Paris, a special

representation at the theater on the evening before the Emperor's fete.

The actors of the French theater played two comedies on the 9th at five

o'clock in the evening; which representation was the last, as the actors

of the French Comedy received orders immediately afterwards to return to

Paris. The next day the King of Saxony, accompanied by all the princes

of the royal family, repaired at nine o'clock in the morning to the

Marcolini palace, in order to pay his respects to the Emperor; after

which a grand morning reception was held as was the custom at the

Tuileries, and a review, at which the Emperor inspected a part of his

guard, several regiments, and the Saxon troops, who were invited to dine

by the French troops. On that day the city of Dresden without much

exaggeration might have been compared to a great dining-hall. In fact,

while his Majesty was dining in state at the palace of the King of

Saxony, where the whole family of this prince was assembled, the entire

diplomatic corps was seated at the table of the Duke of Bassano; Baron

Bignon, envoy from France to Warsaw, feasted all the distinguished Poles

present in Dresden; Count Darn gave a grand dinner to the French

authorities; General Friant to the French and Saxon generals; and Baron

de Serra, minister from France to Dresden, to the chiefs of the Saxon

colleges. This day of dinings was concluded by a supper for nearly two

hundred guests, which General Henri Durosnel, Governor of Dresden, gave

that evening at the close of a magnificent ball at the residence of M. de

Serra.

On our return from Mayence to Dresden I learned that the residence of

General Durosnel was the rendezvous of all the highest circles of

society, both Saxon and French. During the absence of his Majesty, the

general, taking advantage of this leisure, gave numerous fetes, among

others one to the actors and actresses of French Comedy. I recall in

this connection an amusing anecdote which was related to me at the time.

Baptiste junior, with no lack either of decorum or refinement,

contributed greatly to the amusement of the evening, being presented

under the name of my Lord Bristol, English diplomat, en route to the

Council of Prague. His disguise was so perfect, his accent so natural,

and his phlegm so imperturbable, that many persons of the Saxon court

were completely deceived, which did not in the least astonish me; and I

thereby saw that Baptiste junior's talent for mystification had lost

nothing since the time when I had been so highly diverted at the

breakfasts of Colonel Beauharnais. How many events had occurred since

that time.

The Emperor, seeing that nothing could longer delay the resumption of

hostilities, had consequently divided the two hundred thousand men of his

infantry into fourteen army corps, the command of which was given to

Marshals Victor, Ney, Marmont, Augereau, Macdonald, Oudinot, Davoust, and

Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Prince Poniatowski, and Generals Reynier, Rapp,

Lauriston, Vandamme, and Bertrand. The forty thousand cavalry formed

six grand divisions under the command of Generals Nansouty,

Latour-Maubourg, Sebastiani, Arrighi, Milhaud, and Kellermann; and, as I

have already said, the King of Naples had the command of the Imperial

Guard. Moreover, in this campaign appeared for the first time on our

fields of battle the guard of honor, a select troop recruited from the

richest and most distinguished families, and which had been increased to

more than ten thousand men, divided into two divisions under the simple

title of regiments; one of which was commanded by General Count of

Pully, and the other, if I am not mistaken, by General Segur. These

youths, but lately idlers given up to repose and pleasure, became in a

short time most excellent cavalry, which signalized itself on various

occasions, notably at the battle of Dresden, of which I shall soon have

occasion to speak.

The strength of the French army has been previously stated. The combined

army of the allies amounted to four hundred and twenty thousand infantry,

and its cavalry to hardly less than one hundred thousand, without

counting a reserve army corps of eighty thousand Russians, in readiness

to leave Poland under the command of General Beningsen. Thus the enemy's

army outnumbered ours in the proportion of two to one.

At the time we entered into this campaign, Austria had just declared war

openly against us. This blow, although not unexpected, struck the

Emperor deeply, and he expressed himself freely in regard to it before

all persons who had the honor to approach him. M. de Metternich, I have

heard it stated, had almost certainly forewarned him of this in the last

interviews this minister had at Dresden with his Majesty; but the Emperor

had been entirely unable to bring himself to the belief that the Emperor

of Austria would make common cause with the coalition of the north

against his own daughter and grandson. Finally all doubts were solved by

the arrival of Count Louis de Narbonne, who was returning from Prague to

Dresden, as bearer of a declaration of war from Austria. Every one

foresaw that France must soon count among its enemies all the countries

no longer occupied by its troops, and results justified this prediction

only too well. Nevertheless, everything was not lost, for we had not yet

been compelled to take the defensive.

CHAPTER XIV.

War recommenced before negotiations were finally broken, for the Duke of

Vicenza was still in communication with M. de Metternich. The Emperor,

as he mounted his horse, said to the numerous generals surrounding him

that he now marched to conquer a peace. But what hope could remain after

the declaration of war by Austria, and above all, when it was known that

the allied sovereigns had incessantly increased their pretensions in

proportion as the Emperor granted the concessions demanded? The Emperor

left Dresden at five o'clock in the afternoon, advancing on the road to

Koenigstein, and passed the next day at Bautzen, where he revisited the

battlefield, the scene of his last victory. There the king of Naples,

who did not wish royal honors to be rendered himself, came to rejoin the

Emperor at the head of the Imperial Guard, who presented as imposing an

appearance as in its pristine days.

We arrived at Gorlitz on the 18th, where the Emperor found the Duke of

Vicenza, who was returning from Bohemia. He confirmed the truth of the

report his Majesty had already received at Dresden, that the Emperor of

Austria had already decided to make common cause with the Emperor of

Russia and the Kings of Prussia and Sweden against the husband of his

daughter, the princess whom he had given to the Emperor as a pledge of

peace. It was also through the Duke of Vicenza that the Emperor learned

that General Blucher had just entered Silesia at the head of an army of

one hundred thousand men, and, in violation of most sacred promises, had

seized on Breslau the evening before the day fixed for the rupture of the

armistice. This same day General Jomini, Swiss by birth, but until

recently in the service of France, chief of staff to Marshal Ney, and

loaded with favors by the Emperor, had deserted his post, and reported at

the headquarters of the Emperor Alexander, who had welcomed him with

demonstrations of most intense satisfaction.

[Baron Henri Jomini, author of the celebrated treatise on the art

of war, was born in the Canton de Vaud, 1779; aide-de-camp to Ney,

1804; distinguished himself in several battles, and on his desertion

was made lieutenant-general and aide to Emperor Alexander; died

1869.]

The Duke of Vicenza gave the particulars of this desertion, which seemed

to affect his Majesty more than all the other news. He told him, among

other things, that when General Jomini had entered the presence of

Alexander, he found this monarch surrounded by his chiefs, among whom

Moreau was pointed out to him. This was the first information the

Emperor had received of General Moreau's presence at the enemy's

headquarters. The Duke of Vicenza added, that when the Emperor Alexander

presented General Jomini to Moreau the latter saluted him coolly, and

Jomini replied only by a slight inclination of his head, and retired

without uttering a word, and the remainder of the evening remained in

gloomy silence in a corner of the saloon opposite to that occupied by

General Moreau. This constraint had not escaped the Emperor Alexander's

observation; and the next morning, as he was making his toilet, he

addressed Marshal Ney's ex-chief of staff: "General Jomini," said he,

"what is the cause of your conduct yesterday? It seems to me that it

would have been agreeable to you to meet General Moreau."--"Anywhere

else, Sire."--"What!"--"If I had been born a Frenchman, like the general,

I should not be to-day in the camp of your Majesty." When the Duke of

Vicenza had finished his report to the Emperor, his Majesty remarked with

a bitter smile, "I am sure that wretch Jomini thinks he has performed a

fine action! Ah, Caulaincourt, these desertions will destroy me!"

Perhaps Moreau, in welcoming General Jomini so coldly, was actuated by

the thought that were he still serving in the French army he would not

have betrayed it with arms in his hand; and after all it is not an

unusual thing to see two traitors each blush for the other, deluding

themselves at the same time in regard to their own treachery, not

comprehending that the sentiments they feel are the same as those they

inspire.

However that may be, the news which M. de Caulaincourt brought caused the

Emperor to make some changes in his plans for the campaign. His Majesty

entirely abandoned the idea of repairing in person to Berlin, as he had

expressed his intention of doing, and, realizing the necessity of

ascertaining first of all the contemplated operations of the grand army

of Austria, commanded by the Prince of Schwarzenberg, penetrated into

Bohemia; but learning through the couriers of the army and his spies that

eighty thousand Russians still remained on the opposite side with a

considerable body of the Austrian army, he retraced his steps after a few

engagements in which his presence decided the victory, and on the 24th we

found ourselves again at Bautzen. His Majesty from this place sent the

King of Naples to Dresden, in order to restore the courage of the King of

Saxony and the inhabitants when they should find the enemy at the gates

of their city. The Emperor sent them the assurance that the enemy's

forces would not enter, since he had returned to defend its approaches,

and urged them at the same time not to allow themselves to be dismayed by

any sudden or unexpected attack made by isolated detachments. Murat

arrived at a most opportune moment, for we learned later that

consternation had become general in the city; but such was the prestige

attached to the Emperor's assurances that all took courage again on

learning of his presence.

After the King of Naples had gone to fulfill this mission, Colonel

Gourgaud was called during the morning into the Emperor's tent, where I

then was. "I will be tomorrow on the road to Pirna," said his Majesty;

"but I shall halt at Stolpen. As for you, hasten to Dresden; go with the

utmost speed; reach it this night. Interview on your arrival the King of

Naples, Durosnel, the Duke of Bassano, and Marshal Gouvion Saint-Cyr;

reassure them all. See also the Saxon minister Gersdorf. Say to him

that you could not see the king because you set out in such haste; but

that I can to-morrow bring forty thousand men into Dresden, and that I am

preparing to enter with all the army. Next day you will see the

commandant of the engineering corps; you will visit the redoubts and the

fortifications of the town; and when you have inspected everything, you

will return quickly and meet me at Stolpen. Report to me exactly the

real state of affairs, as well as the opinion of Marshal Saint-Cyr and

the Duke of Bassano. Set out." The colonel left immediately at a

gallop, though he had eaten nothing as yet that day.

The next evening at eleven o'clock, Colonel Gourgaud returned to the

Emperor, after performing all the requirements of his mission. Meanwhile

the allied army had descended into the plain of Dresden, and had already

made some attacks upon the advance posts. It resulted from information

given by the colonel that when the King of Naples arrived, the city,

which had been in a state of complete demoralization, now felt that its

only hope was in the Emperor's arrival.

In truth, hordes of Cossacks were already in sight of the faubourgs,

which they threatened to attack; and their appearance had compelled the

inhabitants of these faubourgs to take refuge in the interior of the

city. "As I left," said Colonel Gourgaud, "I saw a village in flames

half a league from the great gardens, and Marshal Gouvion Saint-Cyr was

preparing to evacuate that position."--"But after all," said the Emperor

eagerly, "what is the opinion of the Duke of Bassano?"--"Sire, the Duke

of Bassano does not think that we can hold out twenty-four hours."--"And

you?"--"I, Sire? I think that Dresden will be taken to-morrow if your

Majesty is not there."--"I can then rely upon what you tell me?"--

"Sire, I will answer for it with my head."

Then his Majesty summoned General Haxo, and said to him, his finger on

the map, "Vandamme is advancing by way of Pirna beyond the Elbe. The

eagerness of the enemy in penetrating as far as Dresden has been extreme.

Vandamme will find himself in his rear. I intend to sustain his movement

with my whole army; but I am uneasy as to the fate of Dresden, and am not

willing to sacrifice that city. I can reach it in a few hours, and I

shall do so, although it grieves me much to abandon a plan which if well

executed might furnish the means of routing all the allies at one blow.

Happily Vandamme is still in sufficient strength to supplement the

general movement by attacks at special points which will annoy the enemy.

Order him, then, to go from Pirna to Ghiesubel, to gain the defiles of

Peterswalde, and when intrenched in this impregnable position, to await

the result of operations under the walls of Dresden. I reserve for him

the duty of receiving the swords of the vanquished. But in order to do

this it is necessary that he should keep his wits about him, and pay no

attention to the tumult made by the terrified inhabitants. Explain to

General Vandamme exactly what I expect of him. Never will he have a

finer opportunity to gain the marshal's baton."

General Haxo set out instantly; and the Emperor made Colonel Gourgaud

reenter his apartment, and ordered him to take a fresh horse, and return

to Dresden more quickly than he had come, in order to announce his

arrival. "The old guard will precede me," said his Majesty. "I hope

that they will have no more fear when they see that."

On the morning of the 26th the Emperor was seated on his horse on the

bridge of Dresden, and began, amid cries of joy from both the young and

old guard, to make dispositions for the terrible battle which lasted

three days.

It was ten o'clock in the morning when the inhabitants of Dresden, now

reduced to despair, and speaking freely of capitulation, witnessed his

Majesty's arrival. The scene changed suddenly; and to the most complete

discouragement succeeded most entire confidence, especially when the

haughty cuirassiers of Latour-Maubourg defiled over the bridge, holding

their heads high, and their eyes fixed on the neighboring hillsides

covered by the enemy's lines. The Emperor immediately alighted at the

palace of the king, who was preparing to seek an asylumn in the new town,

but whose intentions were changed by the arrival of this great man. The

interview was extremely touching.

I cannot undertake to describe all the occurrences of those memorable

days, in which the Emperor covered himself with glory, and was more

exposed to danger than he had ever been at any time. Pages, equerries,

and aides-decamp fell dead around him, balls pierced the stomach of his

horse, but nothing could touch him. The soldiers saw this and redoubled

their ardor, and also their confidence and admiration. I shall simply

state that the Emperor did not re-enter the chateau until midnight, and

then spent the hours until daylight dictating orders, while promenading

up and down the room with great strides, until at break of day he

remounted his horse. The weather was horrible, and the rain lasted the

whole day. In the evening, the enemy being completely routed, the

Emperor returned to the palace in a frightful condition. From the time

he mounted his horse, at six o'clock in the morning, the rain had not

ceased a single instant, and he was so wet that it could be said without

any figure of speech that the water ran down into his boots from the

collar of his coat, for they were entirely filled with it. His hat of

very fine beaver was so ruined that it fell down over his shoulders, his

buff belt was perfectly soaked with water; in fact a man just drawn out

of the river would not be wetter than the Emperor. The King of Saxony,

who awaited him, met him in this condition, and embraced him as a

cherished son who had just escaped a great danger; and this excellent

prince's eyes were full of tears as he pressed the saviour of his capital

to his heart. After a few reassuring and tender words from the Emperor,

his Majesty entered his apartments, leaving everywhere traces of the

water which dripped from every part of his clothing, and I had much

difficulty in undressing him. Knowing that the Emperor greatly enjoyed a

bath after a fatiguing day, I had it prepared; but as he felt unusually

fatigued, and in addition to this began to shiver considerably, his

Majesty preferred retiring to his bed, which I hurriedly warmed. Hardly

had the Emperor retired, however, than he had Baron Fain, one of his

secretaries, summoned to read his accumulated correspondence, which was

very voluminous. After this he took his bath, but had remained in it

only a few moments when he was seized with a sudden sickness accompanied

by vomiting, which obliged him to retire to bed.

His Majesty said to me, "My dear Constant, a little rest is absolutely

indispensable to me; see that I am not awaked except for matters of the

gravest importance; say this to Fain." I obeyed the Emperor's orders,

after which I took my position in the room in front of his Majesty's

chamber, watching with the attention of a sentinel on duty lest he should

be awakened, or any one should even approach his apartment.

The next morning the Emperor rang very early, and I entered his room

immediately, anxious to know how he had passed the night. I found him

almost entirely restored, and in fine spirits. He told me, however, that

he had had a short attack of fever. I must here remark that it was the

only time the Emperor had fever, and during the whole time I was with him

I never saw him ill enough to keep his bed for twenty-four hours. He

rose at his usual hour, and when he descended was intensely gratified by

the fine appearance made by the battalion on duty. Those brave

grenadiers, who the evening before had served as his escort, and

reentered Dresden with him in a most pitiable condition, this morning he

saw ranged in the court of the palace in splendid condition, and bearing

arms as brilliant as if it were a day of parade on the Place du

Carrousel. These brave fellows had spent the night polishing their arms,

and drying themselves around great fires which they had kindled for the

purpose, having thus preferred the satisfaction of presenting themselves

in faultless condition before their Emperor's eyes to the sleep and rest

which they must so greatly have needed.

One word of approbation repaid them for their fatigue, and it may be

truly said never was a military chief so much beloved by his soldiers as

his Majesty.

The last courier who had returned from Paris to Dresden, and whose

dispatches were read, as I have said, to the Emperor, bore several

letters for me written by my family and two or three of my friends; and

all who have accompanied his Majesty on his campaigns, in whatever rank

or employment, well know how we valued news received from home. These

letters informed me, I remember, of a famous lawsuit going on in the

court of assizes between the banker Michel and Reynier, which scandalous

affair caused much comment in the capital, and almost divided with the

news from the army the interest and attention of the public; and also of

the journey the Empress was about to make to Cherbourg, to be present at

the opening of the dikes, and filling the harbor with water from the

ocean. This journey, as may well be imagined, had been suggested by the

Emperor, who sought every opportunity of putting the Empress forward, and

making her perform the duties of a sovereign, as regent of the Empire.

She summoned and presided over the council of ministers, and more than

once I heard the Emperor congratulate himself after the declaration of

war with Austria that his Louise, as he called her, acted solely for the

interests of France, and had nothing Austrian but her birth. He also

allowed her the satisfaction of herself publishing and in her own name

all the official news of the army. The bulletins were no longer issued;

but the news was transmitted to her all ready for publication, which was

doubtless an attention on the part of his Majesty in order to render the

Empress Regent more popular, by making her the medium of communication

between the government and the public. Moreover, it is a fact, that we

who were on the spot, although we knew at once whether the battle was

gained or lost, often did not know the entire operations of the different

corps maneuvering on an immense line of battle, except through the

journals of Paris; and our eagerness to read them may well be imagined.

CHAPTER XV.

During the second day of the battle of Dresden, at the end of which the

Emperor had the attack of fever I mentioned in the preceding chapter, the

King of Naples, or rather Marshal Murat, performed prodigies of valor.

Much has been said of this truly extraordinary prince; but only those who

saw him personally could form a correct idea of him, and even they never

knew him perfectly until they had seen him on a field of battle. There

he seemed like those great actors who produce a complete illusion amid

the fascinations of the stage, but in whom we no longer find the hero

when we encounter them in private life. While at Paris I attended a

representation of the death of 'Hector' by Luce de Lancival, and I could

never afterwards hear the verses recited in which the author describes

the effect produced on the Trojan army by the appearance of Achilles

without thinking of Prince Murat; and it may be said without exaggeration

that his presence produced exactly this effect the moment he showed

himself in front of the Austrian lines. He had an almost gigantic

figure, which alone would have sufficed to make him remarkable, and in

addition to this sought every possible means to draw attention to

himself, as if he wished to dazzle those who, might have intended to

attack him. His regular and strongly marked features, his handsome blue

eyes rolling in their orbits, enormous mustaches, and black hair falling

in long ringlets over the collar of a kurtka with narrow sleeves, struck

the attention at first sight. Add to this the richest and most elegant

costume which one would wear even at the theater,--a Polish coat richly

embroidered, and encircled by a gilded belt from which hung the scabbard

of a light sword, with a straight and pointed blade, without edge and

without guard; large amaranth-colored pantaloons embroidered in gold on

the seams, and nankeen boots; a large hat embroidered in gold with a

border of white feathers, above which floated four large ostrich plumes

with an exquisite heron aigrette in the midst; and finally the king's

horse, always selected from the strongest and handsomest that could be

found, was covered with an elegantly embroidered sky-blue cloth which

extended to the ground, and was held in place by a Hungarian or Turkish

saddle of the richest workmanship, together with a bridle and stirrups

not less magnificent than the rest of the equipment. All these things

combined made the King of Naples a being apart, an object of terror and

admiration. But what, so to speak, idealized him was his truly

chivalrous bravery, often carried to the point of recklessness, as if

danger had no existence for him. In truth, this extreme courage was by

no means displeasing to the Emperor; and though he perhaps did not always

approve of the manner in which it was displayed, his Majesty rarely

failed to accord it his praise, especially when he thought necessary to

contrast it with the increasing prudence shown by some of his old

companions in arms.

On the 28th the Emperor visited the battlefield, which presented a

frightful spectacle, and gave orders that everything possible should be

done to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded, and also of the

inhabitants and peasants who had been ravaged and pillaged, and their

fields and houses burned, and then ascended the heights from which he

could follow the course of the enemy's retreat. Almost all the household

followed him in this excursion. A peasant was brought to him from

Nothlitz, a small village where the Emperor Alexander and the King of

Prussia had their headquarters during the two preceding days. This

peasant, when questioned by the Duke of Vicenza, said he had seen a great

personage brought into Nothlitz, who had been wounded the evening before

on the staff of the allies. He was on horseback, and beside the Emperor

of Russia, at the moment he was struck. The Emperor of Russia appeared

to take the deepest interest in his fate. He had been carried to the

headquarters of Nothlitz on lances of the Cossacks interlaced, and to

cover him they could find only a cloak wet through with the rain. On his

arrival at Nothlitz the Emperor Alexander's surgeon came to perform the

amputation, and had him carried on an extending chair to Dippoldiswalde,

escorted by several Austrian, Prussian, and Russian detachments.

On learning these particulars the Emperor was persuaded that the Prince

von Schwarzenberg was the person in question. "He was a brave man," said

he; "and I regret him." Then after a silent pause, "It is then he,"

resumed his Majesty, "who is the victim of the fatality! I have always

been oppressed by a feeling that the events of the ball were a sinister

omen, but it is very evident now that it was he whom the presage

indicated."

While the Emperor gave himself up to these conjectures, and recalled his

former presentiments, prisoners who were brought before his Majesty had

been questioned; and he learned from their reports that the Prince von

Schwarenzberg had not been wounded, but was well, and was directing the

retreat of the Austrian grand army. Who was, then, the important

personage struck by a French cannonball? Conjectures were renewed on

this point, when the Prince de Neuchatel received from the King of Saxony

a collar unfastened from the neck of a wandering dog which had been found

at Nothlitz. On the collar was written these words, "I belong to General

Moreau." This furnished, of course, only a supposition; but soon exact

information arrived, and confirmed this conjecture.

Thus Moreau met his death the first occasion on which he bore arms

against his native country,--he who had so often confronted with impunity

the bullets of the enemy. History has judged him severely; nevertheless,

in spite of the coldness which had so long divided them, I can assert

that the Emperor did not learn without emotion the death of Moreau,

notwithstanding his indignation that so celebrated a French general could

have taken up arms against France, and worn the Russian cockade. This

unexpected death produced an evident effect in both camps, though our

soldiers saw in it only a just judgment from Heaven, and an omen

favorable to the Emperor. However that may be, these are the

particulars, which I learned a short time after, as they were related by

the valet de chambre of General Moreau.

The three sovereigns of Russia, Austria, and Prussia had been present on

the 27th at the battle on the heights of Nothlitz, but had retired as

soon as they saw that the battle was lost. That very day General Moreau

was wounded by a cannon-ball near the intrenchments in front of Dresden,

and about four o'clock in the afternoon was conveyed to Nothlitz, to the

country house of a merchant named Salir, where the Emperors of Austria

and Russia had established their headquarters. Both limbs of the general

were amputated above the knee. After the amputation, as he requested

something to eat and a cup of tea, three eggs were brought him on a

plate; but he took only the tea. About seven o'clock he was placed on a

litter, and carried to Passendorf by Russian soldiers, and passed the

night in the country house of M. Tritschier, grand master of forests.

There he took only another cup of tea, and complained greatly of the

sufferings he endured. The next day, the 28th of August, at four o'clock

in the morning, he was conveyed, still by Russian soldiers, from

Passendorf to Dippodiswalde, where he took a little white bread and a

glass of lemonade at the house of a baker named Watz. An hour after he

was carried nearer to the frontiers of Bohemia, borne by Russian soldiers

in the body of a coach taken off the wheels. During the entire route he

incessantly uttered cries which the extremity of his sufferings drew from

him.

These are the details which I learned in regard to Moreau; and, as is

well known, he did not long survive his wound. The same ball which broke

both his legs carried off an arm from Prince Ipsilanti, then aide-de-camp

to the Emperor Alexander; so that if the evil that is done can be

repaired by the evil received, it might be said that the cannon-shot

which tore away from us General Kirgener and Marshal Duroc was this day

sent back on the enemy. But alas! it is a sad sort of consolation that

is drawn from reprisals.

It may be seen from the above, and especially from the seemingly decisive

benefits arising from the battle of Dresden, that since the resumption of

hostilities, in every place where our troops had been sustained by the

all-powerful presence of the Emperor, they had obtained successes; but

unfortunately this was not the case at points distant from the main line

of operations. Nevertheless, seeing the allies routed by the army which

he commanded in person, and certain, moreover, that General Vandamme had

held the position which he had indicated to him through General Haxo, his

Majesty returned to his first idea of marching on Berlin, and already

even had disposed his troops with this intention, when the fatal news

arrived that Vandamme, the victim of his own rashness, had disappeared

from the field of battle, and his ten thousand men, surrounded on all

sides, and overwhelmed by numbers, had been cut to pieces. It was

believed that Vandamme was dead, and it was not until later we learned

that he had been taken prisoner with a part of his troop. It was learned

also that Vandamme, incited by his natural intrepidity, and unable to

resist a desire to attack the enemy whom he saw within his grasp, had

left his intrenchments to make the attack. He had conquered at first,

but when after his victory he attempted to resume his former position he

found it occupied, as the Prussians had seized it; and though he fought

with all the abandon of despair, it was all in vain, and General Kleist,

proud of this fine trophy, conducted him in triumph to Prague. It was

while speaking of this audacious attack of Vandamme that the Emperor used

this expression, which has been so justly admired, "For a retreating

enemy it is necessary to make a bridge of gold, or oppose a wall of

brass." The Emperor heard with his usual imperturbability the

particulars of the loss he had just experienced, but nevertheless

repeatedly expressed his astonishment at the deplorable recklessness of

Vandamme, and said he could not comprehend how this experienced general

could have allowed himself to be drawn away from his position. But the

deed was done, and in such instances the Emperor never lost time in

useless recriminations. "Come," said he, addressing the Duke of Bassano,

"you have just heard--that means war from early in the morning until late

in the evening."

After giving various orders to the army and his chiefs, the Emperor left

Dresden on the evening of the 3d of September, with the intention of

regaining what he had lost from the audacious imprudence of General

Vandamme. But this defeat, the first we had sustained since the

resumption of hostilities, became the forerunner of the long series of

reverses which awaited us. It might have been said that victory, having

made one last effort in our favor at Dresden, had finally grown weary;

for the remainder of the campaign was but a succession of disasters,

aggravated by treachery of every description, and ending in the horrible

catastrophe at Leipzig. Before leaving Dresden we had learned of the

desertion to the enemy of a Westphalian regiment, with arms and baggage.

The Emperor left Marshal Saint-Cyr in Dresden with thirty thousand men,

with orders to hold it to the last extremity, since the Emperor wished to

preserve this capital at any price. The month of September was spent in

marches and countermarches around this city, with no events of decided

importance. Alas! the Emperor was never again to see the garrison of

Dresden. Circumstances becoming still more embarrassed, imperiously

demanded that his Majesty should promptly oppose some obstacle to the

progress of the allies. The King of Saxony, furnishing an example of

fidelity rare among kings, determined to accompany the Emperor, and

entered his carriage in company with the queen and the Princess Augusta,

having the headquarters' staff as escort. Two days after his departure

the Saxon troops joined the French army at Eilenburg, on the banks of the

Mulda. The Emperor exhorted these allies, whom he believed faithful, to

maintain the independence of their country, pointed out to them how

Prussia was threatening Saxony, and endeavoring to acquire her most

beautiful provinces, and reminded them of the proclamation of their

sovereign, his worthy and faithful ally; finally he spoke to them in the

name of military honor, urging them, in closing, to take it always as

their guide, and to show themselves worthy rivals of the soldiers of the

grand army with whom they had made common cause, and beside whom they

were now about to fight. The words of the Emperor were translated and

repeated to the Saxons by the Duke of Vicenza; and this language from the

lips of one whom they regarded as the friend of their sovereign and the

saviour of their capital seemed to produce a profound impression. The

march was then begun in confidence, with no premonition of the

approaching defection of these very men who had so often greeted the

Emperor with their cries of enthusiasm, swearing to fight to the death

rather than abandon him.

His Majesty's plan then was to fall on Blucher and the Prince Royal of

Sweden, from whom the French army was separated only by a river. We

therefore left Eilenburg, where the Emperor parted with the King of

Saxony and his family, the Duke of Bassano, the grand park of artillery,

and all the conveyances, and directed our course towards Duben. Blucher

and Bernadotte had retired, leaving Berlin uncovered. Then the Emperor's

plans became known; and it was seen that he was marching on Berlin, and

not on Leipzig, and that Diiben was only the meeting-place for the various

corps, who, when united, were to march on the capital of Prussia, which

the Emperor had already seized twice.

The time was unfortunately past when a simple indication of the Emperor's

plans was regarded as a signal of victory. The chiefs of the army, who

had until now been perfectly submissive, began to reflect, and even took

the liberty of disapproving of plans which they were afraid to execute.

When the army became aware of the Emperor's intention to march on Berlin,

it was the signal for almost unanimous discontent. The generals who had

escaped the disasters of Moscow, and the dangers of the double campaign

in Germany, were fatigued, and perhaps eager to reap the benefits of

their good fortune, and at last to enjoy repose in the bosom of their

families. A few went so far as to accuse the Emperor of being anxious to

still extend the war. "Have there not been enough killed?" said they,

"Must we all share the same fate?" And these complaints were not kept

for secret confidences, but were uttered publicly, and often even loud

enough to reach the ears of the Emperor; but in that case his Majesty

seemed not to hear.

Amidst this disaffection of a large number of the chiefs of the army, the

defection of Bavaria was learned, and gave an added strength to the

anxiety and discontent inspired by the Emperor's resolution; and then

occurred what had never taken place before: his staff united their

entreaties that he should abandon his plans in regard to Berlin, and

march on Leipzig. I saw how much the Emperor suffered from the necessity

of listening to such remonstrances, notwithstanding the respectful

language in which they were couched. For two entire days his Majesty

remained undecided; and how long these forty-eight hours were! Never did

abandoned cabin or bivouac present a more mournful sight than the sad

chateau of Duben. In this doleful residence I saw the Emperor for the

first time entirely unemployed; the indecision to which he was a prey

absorbed him so entirely that his character seemed entirely changed. Who

could believe it? To the activity which drove him on, and, so to speak,

incessantly devoured him, had succeeded a seeming indifference which is

perfectly indescribable. I saw him lie on the sofa nearly a whole day,

the table before him covered with maps and papers at which he did not

even glance, and with no other occupation for hours than slowly tracing

large letters on sheets of white paper. This was while he was

vacillating between his own will and the entreaties of his generals.

At the end of two days of most painful suspense he yielded; and from that

time all was lost. How much better it would have been had he not

listened to their complaints, but had again allowed himself to be guided

by the presentiments which possessed him! He repeated often, with grief,

while recalling the concessions he made at that time, "I should have

avoided many disasters by continuing to follow my own impulses; I failed

only by yielding to those of others."

The order for departure was given; and as if the army felt as much pride

in triumphing over the will of its Emperor as they would have felt in

beating the enemy by obeying the dictates of his genius, they abandoned

themselves to outbursts of joy which were almost beyond reason. Every

countenance was radiant. "We shall now," they repeated on all sides, "we

shall now see France again, embrace our children, our parents, and our

friends!" The Emperor and Marshal Augereau alone did not share the

general light-heartedness. The Duke of Castiglione had just arrived at

headquarters, after having in some measure avenged on the army of

Bohemia, Vandamme's defeat. He, like the Emperor, had dark presentiments

as to the consequences of this retrograde movement, and knew that

desertions on the way would add to the number of the enemy, and were so

much the more dangerous since these deserters had so recently been our

allies and knew our positions. His Majesty yielded with a full

conviction of the evil which would result; and I heard him at the end of

a conversation with the marshal which had lasted more than an hour, utter

these words, "They would have it so."

The Emperor on his march to Duben was at the head of a force which might

be estimated at one hundred and twenty-five thousand men. He had taken

this direction with the hope of finding Blucher again on the Mulda; but

the Prussian general had recrossed the river, which contributed much to

give credit to a rumor which had been circulated for some time. It was

said that in a council of the allied sovereigns held recently at Prague,

and at which Moreau and the Prince Royal of Sweden were present, it had

been agreed that as far as possible they should avoid engaging in a

battle whenever the Emperor commanded his army in person, and that

operations should be directed only against smaller bodies commanded by

his lieutenants. It is impossible, certainly, to render more striking

homage to the superiority of the Emperor's genius; but it was at the same

time stopping him in his glorious career, and paralyzing his usually

all-powerful action.