Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
my column advanced at a quick step. Murat and I, at the head of it,
gained the left bank. All the combustibles prepared for blowing up
the bridge were thrown into the river, and my men took possession of
the batteries erected for the defence of the bridge head. The poor
devils of Austrian officers were perfectly astounded when I told
them they were my prisoners.]--
Such, as well as I can recollect, was the account given by Lannes, who
laughed immoderately in describing the consternation of the Austrian
officers when they discovered the trick that had been played upon them.
When Lannes performed this exploit he had little idea of the important
consequences which would attend, it. He had not only secured to the
remainder of the French army a sure and easy entrance to Vienna, but,
without being aware of it, he created an insurmountable impediment to
the junction of the Russian army with the Austrian corps, commanded by
Prince Charles, who, being pressed by Massena, hastily advanced into the
heart of the Hereditary States, where he fully expected a great battle
would take place.
As soon as the corps of Murat and Lannes had taken possession of Vienna
the Emperor ordered all the divisions of the army to march upon that
capital.
--[The story to told in much the same way in Theirs (tome vi, p.
260), Rupp (p. 57), and Savory (tome ii. p. 162), but as Erreurs
(tome i. p. 814) points out, Bourrienne makes an odd mistake in
believing the Thabor Bridge gave the French access to Vienna. The
capital is on the right bank, and was already in their power. The
possession of the bridge enabled them to pass over to the left bank,
and to advance towards Austerlitz before the Archduke Charles,
coming from Italy, could make his junction with the allied army.
See plan 48 of Thiers' Atlas, or 58 of Alison's. The immediate
result of the success of this rather doubtful artifice would have
been the destruction of the corps of Kutusoff; but Murat in his turn
was deceived by Bagration into belief in an armistice. In fact,
both sides at this time fell into curious errors.]--
Napoleon established his headquarters at Schoenbrunn, where he planned
his operations for compelling the corps of Prince Charles to retire to
Hungary, and also for advancing his own forces to meet the Russians.
Murat and Lannes always commanded the advanced guard during the
forced marches ordered by Napoleon, which were executed in a way truly
miraculous.
To keep up the appearance of wishing to conclude peace as soon as
reasonable propositions should be made to him, Napoleon sent for his
Minister for foreign Affairs, who speedily arrived at Vienna, and
General Savary was sent on a mission to the Emperor Alexander. The
details of this mission I have learned only from the account of it given
by the Duc de Rovigo in his apologetic Memoirs. In spite of the Duke's
eagerness to induce a belief in Napoleon's pacific disposition, the very
facts on which he supports his argument lead to the contrary conclusion.
Napoleon wished to dictate his conditions before the issue of a battle
the success of which might appear doubtful to the young Emperor of
Russia, and these conditions were such as he might impose when victory
should be declared in favour of our eagles. It must be clear to every
reflecting person that by always proposing what he knew could not be
honourably acceded to, he kept up the appearance of being a pacificator,
while at the same time he ensured to himself the pleasure of carrying on
the war.
CHAPTER III.
1805.
My functions at Hamburg--The King of Sweden at Stralsund--
My bulletin describing the situation of the Russian armies--Duroc's
recall from Berlin--General Dumouriez--Recruiting of the English in
Hanover--The daughter of M. de Marbeof and Napoleon--Treachery of
the King of Naples--The Sun of Austerlitz--Prince Dolgiorouki
Rapp's account of the battle of Austerlitz--Gerard's picture--
Eugène's marriage.
I must now relate how, in conformity with my instructions, I was
employed in Hamburg in aiding the success of the French army. I had sent
an agent to observe the Russian troops, which were advancing by forced
marches to the banks of the Elbe. This agent transmitted to me from
Gadbusch an account of the routes taken by the different columns. It was
then supposed that they would march upon Holland by the way of Bremen
and Oldenburg. On the receipt of thus intelligence the Electorate
of Hanover was evacuated by the French, and General Barbou, who had
commanded there concentrated his forces in Hamelin.
On the 2d of November 1805 the King of Sweden arrived at Stralsund. I
immediately intimated to our Government that this circumstance would
probably give a new turn to the operations of the combined army, for
hitherto the uncertainty of its movements and the successive counter-
orders afforded no possibility of ascertaining any determined plan. The
intention seemed to be, that all the Swedo-Russian troops should cross
the Elbe at the same point; viz., Lauenburg, six miles from Hamburg.
There was not on the 5th of November a single Russian on the southern
bank of the Elbe.
The first column of the grand Russian army passed through Warsaw on the
1st of November, and on the 2d the Grand-Duke Constantine was expected
with the Guards. This column, which amounted to 6000 men, was the first
that passed through Prussian Poland.
At this time we momentarily expected to see the Hanoverian army landed
on the banks of the Weser or the Elbe, augmented by some thousands of
English. Their design apparently was either to attack Holland, or to
attempt some operation on the rear of our Grand Army.
The French Government was very anxious to receive accurate accounts
of the march of the Swedo-Russian troops through Hanover, and of the
Russian army through Poland. My agents at Warsaw and Stralsund, who were
exceedingly active and intelligent, enabled me to send off a bulletin
describing the state of Hanover, the movements of the Russians and
Swedes, together with information of the arrival of English troops in
the Elbe, and a statement of the force of the combined army in Hanover,
which consisted of 15,000 Russians, 8000 Swedes, and 12,000 English;
making in all 35,000 men.
It was probably on account of this bulletin that Napoleon expressed to
Duroc his satisfaction with my services. The Emperor on recalling Duroc
from Berlin did not manifest the least apprehension respecting Prussia.
Duroc wrote to me the following letter on the occasion of his recall:
MY DEAR BOURRIENNE--The Emperor having thought my services necessary
to the army has recalled me. I yesterday had a farewell audience of
the King and Queen, who treated me very graciously. His Majesty
presented me with his portrait set in diamonds. The Emperor
Alexander will probably depart to morrow, and the Archduke Anthony
vary speedily. We cannot but hope that their presence here will
facilitate a good understanding.
(Signed) DUROC.
Whenever foreign armies were opposing France the hopes of the emigrants
revived. They falsely imagined that the powers coalesced against
Napoleon were labouring in their cause; and many of them entered the
Russian and Austrian armies. Of this number was General Dumouriez.
I received information that he had landed at Stade on the 21st of
November; but whither he intended to proceed was not known. A man named
St. Martin, whose wife lived with Dumouriez, and who had accompanied the
general from England to Stade, came to Hamburg, where he observed
great precautions for concealment, and bought two carriages, which were
immediately forwarded to Stade. St, Martin himself immediately proceeded
to the latter place. I was blamed for not having arrested this man; but
he had a commission attesting that he was in the English service, and,
as I have before mentioned; a foreign commission was a safeguard; and
the only one which could not be violated in Hamburg.
In December 1805 the English recruiting in Hanover was kept up without
interruption, and attended with extraordinary success. Sometimes a
hundred men were raised in a day. The misery prevailing in Germany,
which had been ravaged by the war, the hatred against the French, and
the high bounty that was offered enabled the English to procure as many
men as they wished.
The King of Sweden, meditating on the stir he should make in Hanover,
took with him a camp printing-press to publish the bulletins of the
grand Swedish army.--The first of these bulletins announced to Europe
that his Swedish Majesty was about to leave Stralsund; and that his
army would take up its position partly between Nelsen and Haarburg, and
partly between Domitz and the frontiers of Hamburg.
Among the anecdotes of Napoleon connected with this campaign I find
in my notes the following, which was related to me by Rapp. Some days
before his entrance into Vienna Napoleon, who was riding on horseback
along the road, dressed in his usual uniform of the chasseurs of the
Guard, met an open carriage, in which were seated a lady and a priest.
The lady was in tears, and Napoleon could not refrain from stopping to
ask her what was the cause of her distress. "Sir," she replied, for
she did not know the Emperor, "I have been pillaged at my estate,
two leagues from hence, by a party of soldiers, who have murdered my
gardener. I am going to seek your Emperor, who knows my family, to whom
he was once under great obligations."--"What is your name?" inquired
Napoleon.--"De Bunny," replied the lady. "I am the daughter of M de
Marbeuf, formerly Governor of Corsica."--"Madame," exclaimed Napoleon,
"I am the Emperor. I am delighted to have the opportunity of serving
you."--"You cannot conceive," continued Rapp, "the attention which the
Emperor showed Madame de Bunny. He consoled her, pitied her, almost
apologised for the misfortune she had sustained. 'Will you have the
goodness, Madame,' said he, 'to go and wait for me at my head-quarters?
I will join you speedily; every member of M. de Marbeuf's family has
a claim on my respect.' The Emperor immediately gave her a picquet of
chasseurs of his guard to escort her. He saw her again during the day,
when he loaded her with attentions, and liberally indemnified her for
the losses she had sustained."
For some time previous to the battle of Austerlitz the different corps
of the army intersected every part of Germany and Italy, all tending
towards Vienna as a central point. At the beginning of November the
corps commanded by Marshal Bernadotte arrived at Saltzburg at the moment
when the Emperor had advanced his headquarters to Braunau, where there
were numerous magazines of artillery and a vast quantity of provisions
of every kind. The junction of the corps commanded by Bernadotte in
Hanover with the Grand Army was a point of such high importance that
Bonaparte had directed the Marshal to come up with him as speedily as
possible, and to take the shortest road. This order obliged Bernadotte
to pass through the territory of the two Margravates.
At that time we were at peace with Naples. In September the Emperor had
concluded with Ferdinand IV. a treaty of neutrality. This treaty enabled
Carra St. Cyr, who occupied Naples, to evacuate that city and to join
Massena in Upper Italy; both reached the Grand Army on the 28th of
November. But no sooner had the troops commanded by Carra St. Cyr
quitted the Neapolitan territory than the King of Naples, influenced
by his Ministers, and above all by Queen Caroline, broke the treaty
of neutrality, ordered hostile preparations against France, opened his
ports to the enemies of the Emperor, and received into his States 12,000