During our stay at Ulm, the Prussians suddenly conceived the idea
that they had an ancient inheritance of glory to defend. They were
roused, and they took up arms. Haugwitz came to inform us of this
sudden reminiscence. But the battle of Austerlitz had taken place in
the interim. When the Minister arrived, nothing was thought of but
alliance and devotion. Napoleon was not the dupe of these diplomatic
protestations: he was aware of the intrigues and the chivalric scenes
that had been resorted to for the purpose of exciting the multitude.
Previous to the action he had said; “If I am beaten, they will march
upon my rear; if I am victorious, they will say that they wished to
have taken part with me.” They knew not how to make choice either of
peace or war; and they watched the progress of events. This indirect
policy was not without its effect; it cost them Anspach, Bareuth, a
part of the grand duchy of Berg, and their possessions in Westphalia.
They became enraged. I was sent to Hanover, which we had abandoned to
them. The ostensible motive of my journey was the delivering up of the
fortress of Hameln; its real purpose was to learn the state of the
public mind. I was directed to discover what was the general opinion
with regard to the Prussians, whether war was spoken of, whether
the army wished for it, and finally, to buy up at Hamburgh all the
pamphlets against Napoleon and France which I could procure.
My mission was not difficult of execution. The Prussians were
exasperated and insolent; the Hanoverians detested them. The north
of Germany, however, relied on Prussia, whose power remained
undiminished. The Count of Schulemburgh was governor of King William's
new acquisition: he gave me rather a cold reception. Our success
at Ulm and Austerlitz appeared to him but indifferent. The latter
battle he affirmed was indecisive. He said it was like the battle
of Zorndoff, which was fought by Frederick the Great against the
Russians, and in which Count Schulemburgh had himself been engaged.
“What sort of victories would he have?” said the Emperor, when I told
him this anecdote.
I went from Hanover to Hamburgh, where I found Bourienne. Here I was
well received, and I knew the reason why.
I returned to France, and on my way passed through Munster, where I
saw General Blucher, whom I had known some years before. I paid him a
visit. He was not well disposed towards the French; yet he received me
with a great deal of civility.
I remained a week with Augereau at Frankfort, in order to see and hear
all I could; for such were my instructions. Napoleon had just made
a demand for contributions on that town, and the inhabitants were
alarmed lest they should be obliged to pay them.
We occupied Darmstadt. Marshal * * * * * * *, who had established
his head-quarters in the capital of that principality, was neither a
favourite with the Court nor with the people; and his staff was still
less liked. The Grand Duchess sent me an invitation, through Augereau,
who seemed to be partial to that country; I declined it, not having
any instructions to that effect. She commissioned him to transmit to
me her complaints. They were very severe.
I departed for Wesel. I was to examine the state of feeling in that
quarter, which was already occupied by our troops.
On my return, I gave Napoleon an account of all that I had seen and
heard. I concealed nothing from him. I spoke particularly in behalf
of Darmstadt; but he was enraged against the Duchess. She had written
a terrible letter to the King of Bavaria, relative to what she termed
the ill-assorted union of her niece Augusta with Prince Eugène. Among
other insulting expressions she made use of the words _horrible
marriage_. The Emperor, who conceived that the glory of having
achieved great deeds was well worth the advantage of having descended
from those who probably had no glory to boast of, could not pardon the
feudal prejudices of the Duchess. He was on the point of depriving her
of her states; but Maximilian interceded for her, and she escaped with
the punishment of a six months' occupation by our troops; that is to
say, her people were obliged to atone for the offence which her vanity
had led her to commit.
Scarcely a fortnight had elapsed since my return to France. The Court
was at Saint-Cloud, and Napoleon was at the theatre. In the middle of
the performance he received a despatch from the Grand Duchy of Berg.
He opened it. It contained an account of an attack made on our troops
by some Prussian detachments. “I see,” said he, “they are determined
to try us. Mount your horse and seek the Grand Duke at Neuilly.”
Murat was already acquainted with the affair; he came immediately.
Napoleon conversed with him for an instant, and gave me orders next
day to take the command of the military division at Strasburg; to
organise battalions and marching squadrons at that place; to direct
them in succession upon Mentz, and to send to the latter place a large
quantity of artillery. The infantry embarked on the Rhine in order to
arrive earlier at the place of their destination.
I corresponded directly with Napoleon. I employed couriers,
telegraphs, and all the most speedy modes of communication. I could
not venture to put a hundred men in motion, to change the place of
a gun, or to move a musquet, without informing him. I had been two
months engaged in these preparations, when he arrived at Mentz,
whence he wrote to me to join him at Wurtzburg. He sent me a letter
for the Grand Duke of Baden, and directed me to deliver it to the
Prince myself. The object of this letter was to request him to send
his grandson, the present Grand Duke, to the army. I found the
venerable old man in his ancient castle of Baden; he seemed at first
much affected by the contents of the letter; but he soon made up his
mind to send the young Prince, and he ordered preparations for his
departure. He did me the honour to recommend his grandson to me in
a very affectionate manner. The Prince set out on his journey two
days afterwards, and joined us at Wurtzburg. The King of Wirtemberg
was already there. He had just determined on his daughter's marriage
with Jerome. Napoleon was in particularly good humour. The alliance
pleased him. He was no less satisfied with the Grand Duke; for Murat
had singularly prepossessed him in favour of that Prince. In a letter
which Murat addressed to the Emperor some days before, he said;—“I
waited on the Grand Duke of Wurtzburg, whom the letter, and the news
which I communicated to him, that the treaty admitting him into
the confederation had been signed at Paris, have relieved from the
greatest anxiety; for he very much dreaded not being received into
the Confederation. He seemed particularly affected by the sentiments
of good will on the part of your Majesty which I expressed to him.
He evinces the greatest readiness to contribute every thing in his
power to the service of the army. To-day his admission into the
Confederation of the Rhine was proclaimed. Every preparation has been
made for receiving your Majesty at the Castle, where nothing seems to
be neglected which may render your stay here convenient and agreeable.”
We had yet received no positive information with regard to the
Prussians; we knew not whether they were on the road to Magdeburg,
in Saxony, or at Gotha; or even what was the amount of their force.
We had, however, a sufficient number in the field. Gentlemen are
not more scarce on the other side of the Rhine than elsewhere: but
the reports were so contradictory, that it was impossible to form
any distinct idea on the subject. At one time it was said that the
enemy's advance-guard was at Hoff; that Coburg and Memmingen were
occupied; that the Prussians avoided partial actions, and wished
to try their fortune in a pitched battle. At another time it was
affirmed that Hohenlohe was advancing on Schleitz; that Ruchel had
formed his junction; that the Queen had gone to Erfurt; and that the
head-quarters were removed from Hoff to Nauenburgh. This arrangement
did not correspond with the nature of the places. It seemed
inconceivable. We were as uncertain with respect to the extent of the
enemy's forces as we were concerning their line of operations. Amidst
all these various accounts we learnt that Cronach was occupied. The
Grand Duke sent to inform us, that that citadel was under repair, and
would soon be in a state of defence. Napoleon was astonished that
the Prussians had not made themselves masters of it. “What could
have prevented them,” said he, “since they absolutely wanted war?
Was it the difficulty of the attempt?—The place was destitute both
of provisions and artillery. They had sufficient courage for the
enterprize. Did they not consider the place of sufficient importance
to try to secure it? That fort commands three great outlets; but these
gentlemen care little about positions, they are reserving themselves
for grand strokes; we will give them what they want.”
Napoleon every moment received accounts of the Prussian army. Ruchel,
Blucher, and the Duke of Brunswick, were impatient to commence
the war, and Prince Louis was even more so. He urged and hastened
hostilities, and feared to let the opportunity escape. He was,
besides, a man of great courage and talent; all accounts agreed on
this point. Napoleon, who did not dislike this petulant eagerness,
was conversing with us one evening respecting the generals of the
enemy's army. Some one present happened to mention Prince Louis. “As
for him,” said he, “I foretell that he will be killed this campaign.”
Who could have thought that the prediction would so soon have been
fulfilled?
Prussia at length explained herself. She required us to abandon our
conquests, and threatened us with her displeasure if we refused to
evacuate Germany and recross the Rhine. The demand was modest, and
worthy of those who urged it. Napoleon could not finish reading the
document; he threw it away contemptuously. “Does he think himself in
Champagne?” said he. “Does he want to give us a new edition of his
manifesto? What! does he pretend to mark out a route for our march
back. Really, I pity Prussia, I feel for William. He is not aware what
rhapsodies he is made to write. This is too ridiculous. Berthier,
they wish to give us a rendezvous of honour for the 8th; a beauteous
Queen will be a witness to the combat. Come, let us march on; and shew
our courtesy. We will not halt till we enter Saxony.” Then turning
immediately to his secretary, he hastily dictated the following
proclamation:
“Soldiers!
“The order for your return to France was issued. You were already
within a few days' march of your homes: triumphal fêtes awaited
you, and the preparations for your reception had commenced in the
capital; but while we thus too confidently resigned ourselves to
security, new plots were hatching under the mask of friendship
and alliance. Cries of war have been raised at Berlin, and for
two months we have been provoked with a degree of audacity which
calls for vengeance.
“The same faction, the same headlong spirit, which, under favour
of our internal dissensions, led the Prussians fourteen years
ago to the plains of Champagne, still prevail in their Councils.
If they no longer wish to burn and destroy Paris; they now boast
their intention to plant their colours in the capital of our
allies. They would oblige Saxony, by a disgraceful transaction,
to renounce her independence, by ranking her in the list of their
provinces. They seek, in fine, to tear your laurels from your
brows. They expect us to evacuate Germany at the sight of their
army. What madness! Let them learn that it would be a thousand
times easier to destroy the great capital, than to sully the
honour of the children of the great people and their allies. In
their former attempt the plans of our enemies were frustrated.
They found in the plains of Champagne only shame, defeat, and
death; but the lessons of experience are forgotten, and there
are men in whom the feelings of hatred and jealousy never become
extinct.
“Soldiers, there is not one of you who would wish to return to
France by any other path than that of honour. We ought not to
return except by passing beneath triumphal arches.
“What! have we braved the inclemency of the seasons, the ocean
and the desert, have we subdued Europe often united against us;
have we extended our glory from East to West, only to return now,
like deserters, after having abandoned our allies, and to be told
that the French Eagle has fled in dismay before the Prussians.
“But they have already arrived at our advance posts. Let us,
then, march upon them, since forbearance will not check their
infatuation. Let the Prussian army experience the fate which it
shared fourteen years ago. Let us teach them that if it is easy
to obtain an increase of territory and power with the friendship
of the great people, their enmity (which can only be provoked by
the neglect of prudence and reason) is more terrible than the
storms of the ocean.”
Our soldiers only wished to fight. The Prussians occupied Saalfeld and
Schleitz; we charged them, routed them, and made a thousand prisoners.
These were the two first engagements which we had with them. I quitted
Murat, whom I had been ordered to follow, and went to render an
account of the affair of Schleitz to Napoleon, who had established
his head-quarters some leagues in the rear, at the residence of a
Princess of Reus-Lobenstein. On my arrival I found Napoleon engaged
with Berthier. I informed him of the success of the Grand Duke, and of
the defeat of Tauenzien. “Tauenzien!” exclaimed Napoleon, “one of the
Prussian intriguers! It was well worth our while to urge on the war
to such a length.” He told me I might retire and take some rest, as I
should be roused in a few hours to set out on a mission. I had no idea
whither I was to go. I was called about 5 o'clock. The Emperor gave
me a letter for King William, who at that time, I believe, held his
head-quarters at Sondershausen. “You must go,” said he, “as fast as
you can after the King of Prussia, and deliver to him this letter from
me. I ask him once more for peace, though hostilities have already
commenced. You must endeavour to convince the King of the danger of
his situation, and the fatal consequences which may result from it.
You will return immediately and bring me his answer: I shall now march
on Gera.” Our baggage was still in the rear. I had no carriage; but I
procured one from the coach-house of the Princess of Reus-Lobenstein,
put four good horses to it, and started about six o'clock. Before
I had proceeded a league on my journey, Napoleon sent after me. I
returned and went to his study, where he had been occupied the whole
of the night. He desired me to deliver the letter to Berthier. “Upon
reflection,” said he, “I will not have one of my aides-de-camp charged
with such a message. You are persons of too great importance to be
exposed to the chance of meeting with a bad reception.” The letter was
sent two days after by M. de Montesquiou: he started, I believe, from
Gera. The treatment he experienced is well known: he was stopped by
the Prince de Hohenlohe, at that time general-in-chief of the Prussian
army, who obliged him to be present at the battle of Jena, and did not
send the letter, as it is affirmed, until after the action.
Several persons in Napoleon's suite were of opinion, that if I had
executed the commission with which I was at first charged, I should
have come up with the King of Prussia, and the war perhaps would
not have taken place. I do not think so. The gauntlet was thrown,
there was no alternative but to take it up. I do not even think that
Napoleon was more inclined for peace than King William.