Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
in the courtesy with which he and his States would be treated by the
French, see Beugnot, tome 1. p. 80: "I feel sure that there is a
courier of the Emperor's on the road to know how I am."]--
At this juncture Bernadotte returned to Hamburg. I asked him how I
was to account for his conduct while he was with Davoust, who had left
Nuremberg to attack the Prussian army; and whether it was true that he
had refused to march with that general, and afterwards to aid him when
he attacked the Prussians on the Weimar road. "The letters I received,"
observed I, "state that you took no part in the battle of Auerstadt;
that I did not believe, but I suppose you saw the bulletin which I
received a little after the battle, and which stated that Bonaparte said
at Nuremberg, in the presence of several officers, 'Were I to bring
him before a court-martial he would be shot. I shall say nothing to
him about it, but I will take care he shall know what I think of his
behaviour. He has too keen a sense of honour not to be aware that he
acted disgracefully."--"I think him very likely," rejoined Bernadotte,
"to have made these observations. He hates me because he knows I do not
like him; but let him speak to me and he shall have his answer. If I
am a Gascon, he is a greater one. I might have felt piqued at receiving
something like orders from Davoust, but I did my duty."
--[The complaints of Bernadotte's conduct on the 14th of October
1806. when he gave no assistance to Davoust in repulsing the main
body of the Prussians at Aneratadt, are well known. Jomini says
that Davoust proposed to Bernadotte to march with him, and even
offered him the command of the two corps. Bernadotte refused, and
marched away to Dornburg, where he was of no use, "his obstinacy,
difficult to explain, nearly compromised both Davoust and the
success of the battle;" See also Thiers (tome vii. p. 172), who
attributes Bernadotte's conduct to a profound aversion for Davoust
conceived on the most frivolous grounds. Bernadotte had frequently
given cause of complaint to Napoleon in the two campaigns of 1806
and 1806. In the movement on Vienna Napoleon considered he showed
want of activity and of zeal. These complaints seem to have been
made in good faith, for in a letter to Bernadotte's brother-in-law,
Joseph, Napoleon suggests that health may have been the causes (Du
Cases, tome i. p. 322). Bernadotte was equally unfortunate in
putting in his appearance too late at Eylan (see Duc de Rovigo's
Memoirs, tome ii. p. 48), and also incurred the displeasure of
Napoleon at Wagram (see later on).]--
In the beginning of November the Swedes entered Lübeck; but on the 8th
of that month the town was taken by assault, and the Swedes, as well as
the rest of the corps which had escaped from Jena, were made prisoners.
A troop of Prussians had advanced within four leagues of Hamburg, and
that town had already prepared for a vigorous resistance, in case
they should attempt an entrance, when Major Amiel attacked them at
Zollenspieker and made some prisoners. Hamburg was, however, threatened
with another danger, for Major Amiel expressed his intention of entering
with all his prisoners, notwithstanding the acknowledged neutrality of
the town. Amiel was a partisan leader in the true sense of the word; he
fought rather on his own account than with the intention of contributing
to the success of the operations of the army. His troop did not consist
of more than forty men, but that was more than sufficient to spread
terror and devastation in the surrounding villages. He was a bold
fellow, and when, with his handful of men, he threw himself upon
Hamburg, the worthy inhabitants thought he had 20,000 troops with him.
He had pillaged every place through which he passed, and brought with
him 300 prisoners, and a great many horses he had taken on his road. It
was night when he presented himself at the gates of the city, which he
entered alone, having left his men and booty at the last village. He
proceeded to the French Embassy. I was not there at the time, but I
was sent for, and about seven o'clock in the evening I had my first
interview with the Major. He was the very, beau ideal of a bandit,
and would have been an admirable model for a painter. I was not at
all surprised to hear that on his arrival his wild appearance and huge
mustachios had excited some degree of terror among those who were in the
salon. He described his exploits on the march, and did not disguise his
intention of bringing his troops into Hamburg next day. He talked of the
Bank and of pillage. I tried for some time to divert him from this idea,
but without effect, and at length said to him, "Sir, you know that this
is not the way the Emperor wishes to be served. During the seven years
that I have been about him, I have invariably heard him express his
indignation against those who aggravate the misery which war naturally
brings in her train. It is the express wish of the Emperor that
no damage, no violence whatever, shall be committed on the city or
territory of Hamburg." These few words produced a stronger effect than
any entreaties I could have used, for the mere name of the Emperor made
even the boldest tremble, and Major Amiel next thought of selling his
booty. The Senate were so frightened at the prospect of having Amiel
quartered upon them that to get rid of him they determined to purchase
his booty at once, and even furnished him with guards for his prisoners.
I did not learn till some time afterwards that among the horses Major
Amiel had seized upon the road were those of the Countess Walmoden. Had
I known this fact at the time I should certainly have taken care to have
had them restored to her. Madame Walmoden was then a refugee at Hamburg,
and between her and my family a close intimacy existed. On the very
day, I believe, of the Major's departure the Senate wrote me a letter of
thanks for the protection I afforded the town.
Before the commencement of the Prussian campaign, while anxiety was
entertained respecting the designs of the Cabinet of Berlin, my task
was not an easy one. I exerted all my efforts to acquaint the French
Government with what was passing on the Spree. I announced the first
intelligence of an unexpected movement which had taken place among the
Prussian troops cantoned in the neighbourhood of Hamburg. They suddenly
evacuated Lauenburg, Platzburg, Haarburg, Stade, Twisenfelth, and
Cuxhaven. This extraordinary movement gave rise to a multitude of
surmises. I was not wrong when I informed the French Government that,
according to every probability, Prussia was about to declare hostilities
against France, and to enter into an alliance with England.
I much regretted that my situation did not allow me more frequent
opportunities of meeting Mr. Thornton, the English Minister to the
circle of Lower Saxony. However; I saw him sometimes, and had on two
different occasions the opportunity of rendering him some service. Mr.
Thornton had requested me to execute a little private business for
him, the success of which depended on the Emperor. I made the necessary
communication to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, adding in my letter
that Mr. Thornton's conduct towards the French who had come in any way
in contact with him had ever been just and liberal, and that I should
receive great pleasure in being able to announce to him the success of
his application. His request was granted.
On another occasion Mr. Thornton applied to me for my services, and I
had once more the pleasure of rendering them. He wished to procure
some information respecting an Englishman named Baker, who had gone to
Terracina, in the Campagna di Roma, for the benefit of sea-bathing.
He was there arrested, without any cause assigned, by order of the
commandant of the French troops in Terracina. The family of Mr. Baker,
not having heard from him for some months, became very uneasy respecting
him, for they had not the least idea of his arrest. His relations
applied to Mr. Thornton, and that gentleman, notwithstanding the
circumstances which, as I have stated, prevented our frequent
intercourse, hesitated not a moment in requesting me to furnish him with
some information respecting his countryman. I lost no time in writing
to M. Alquier, our Ambassador at Rome, and soon enabled Mr. Thornton to
ease the apprehension of Mr. Baker's friends.
I had every opportunity of knowing what was passing in Italy, for I
had just been invested with a new dignity. As the new King of Naples,
Joseph, had no Minister in Lower Saxony, he wished that I should
discharge the function of Minister Plenipotentiary for Naples. His
Ministers accordingly received orders to correspond with me upon all
business connected with his government and his subjects. The relations
between Hamburg and Naples were nearly nil, and my new office made no
great addition to my labours.
I experienced, however, a little more difficulty in combining all the
post-offices of Hamburg in the office of the Grand Duchy of Berg, thus
detaching them from the offices of Latour and Taxis, so named after the
German family who for a length of time had had the possession of them,
and who were devoted to Austria.
After some days of negotiation I obtained the suppression of these
offices, and their union with the postoffice of the Grand Duc de Berg
(Murat), who thus received letters from Italy, Hungary, Germany, Poland,
part of Russia, and the letters from England for these countries.
The affair of the post-offices gained for me the approbation of
Napoleon. He expressed his satisfaction through the medium of a letter
I received from Duroc, who at the same time recommended me to continue
informing the Emperor of all that was doing in Germany with relation to
the plans of the Confederation of the North. I therefore despatched
to the Minister for Foreign Affairs a detailed letter, announcing that
Baron Grote, the Prussian Minister at Hamburg, had set off on a visit to
Bremen and Lübeck. Among those who accompanied him on this excursion was
a person wholly devoted to me; and I knew that Baron Grote's object was
to offer to these towns verbal propositions for their union with the
Confederation of the North, which the King of Prussia wished to form
as a counterpoise to the Confederation of the Rhine, just created
by Napoleon. Baron Grote observed the strictest secrecy in all his
movements. He showed, in confidence, to those to whom he addressed
himself, a letter from M. Haugwitz, the Minister of the King of Prussia,
--[In July 1806, after Austerlitz, Napoleon had formed the
"Confederation du Rhin." to include the smaller States of Germany,
who threw off all connection with the German Empire, and formed a
Confederation furnishing a considerable army. ]--
--[The Emperor of Germany, Francis IL, had already in 1804, on
Napoleon taking the title of Emperor, declared himself Hereditary
Emperor of Austria. After the formation of the Rhenish
Confederation and Napoleon's refusal to acknowledge the German
Empire any longer, he released the States of the Holy Roman Empire
from their allegiance, declared the Empire dissolved, and contented
himself with the title of Emperor of Austria, as Francis I.]--
who endeavoured to point out to the Hanse Towns how much the
Confederation of the North would turn to their advantage, it being the
only means of preserving their liberty, by establishing a formidable
power. However, to the first communication only an evasive answer was
returned. M. Van Sienen, the Syndic of Hamburg, was commissioned by
the Senate to inform the Prussian Minister that the affair required the
concurrence of the burghers, and that before he could submit it to them