Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
60,000 men to defend it in a regular and protracted siege. At the
commencement of the siege Davoust lost Vandamme, who was killed in
a sortie at the head of a numerous corps which was inconsiderately
sacrificed.
It is but justice to admit that Davoust displayed great activity in the
defence, and began by laying in large supplies.
--[Vandamme fought under Grouchy in 1815, and died several years
afterwards. This killing him at Hamburg is one of the curious
mistakes seized on by the Bonapartists to deny the authenticity of
these Memoirs.]--
General Bertrand was directed to construct a bridge to form a
communication between Hamburg and Haarburg by joining the islands of the
Elbe to the Continent along a total distance of about two leagues.
This bridge was to be built of wood, and Davoust seized upon all the
timber-yards to supply materials for its construction. In the space of
eighty-three days the bridge was finished. It was a very magnificent
structure, its length being 2529 toises, exclusive of the lines of
junction, formed on the two islands.
The inhabitants were dreadfully oppressed, but all the cruel measures
and precautions of the French were ineffectual, for the Allies advanced
in great force and occupied Westphalia, which movement obliged the
Governor of Hamburg to recall to the town the different detachments
scattered round Hamburg.
At Lübeck the departure of the French troops was marked by blood. Before
they evacuated the town, an old man, and a butcher named Prahl, were
condemned to be shot. The butcher's crime consisted in having said, in
speaking of the French, "Der teufel hohle sie" (the devil take
them). The old man fortunately escaped his threatened fate, but,
notwithstanding the entreaties and tears of the inhabitants, the
sentence upon Prahl was carried into execution.
The garrison of Hamburg was composed of French, Italian, and Dutch
troops. Their number at first amounted to 30,000, but sickness made
great-havoc among them. From sixty to eighty perished daily in the
hospitals. When the garrison evacuated Hamburg in May 1814 it was
reduced to about 15,000 men. In the month of December provisions began
to diminish, and there was no possibility of renewing the supply.
The poor were first of all made to leave the town, and afterwards
all persons who were not usefully employed. It is no exaggeration to
estimate at 50,000 the number of persons who were thus exiled. The
colonel commanding the gendarmerie at Hamburg notified to the exiled
inhabitants that those who did not leave the town within the prescribed
time would receive fifty blows with a cane and afterwards be driven out.
But if penance may be commuted with priests so it may with gendarmes.
Delinquents contrived to purchase their escape from the bastinado by a
sum of money, and French gallantry substituted with respect to females
the birch for the cane. I saw an order directing all female servants to
be examined as to their health unless they could produce certificates
from their masters. On the 25th of December the Government granted
twenty-four hours longer to persons who were ordered to quit the town;
and two days after this indulgence an ordinance was published declaring
that those who should return to the town after once leaving it were
to be considered as rebels and accomplices of the enemy, and as such
condemned to death by a prevotal court. But this was not enough. At the
end of December people, without distinction of sex or age, were dragged
from their beds and conveyed out of the town on a cold night, when the
thermometer was between sixteen or eighteen degrees; and it was affirmed
that several old men perished in this removal. Those who survived were
left on the outside of the Altona gates. At Altona they all found refuge
and assistance. On Christmas-day 7000 of these unfortunate persons
were received in the house of M. Rainville, formerly aide de camp to
Dumouriez, and who left France together with that general. His
house, which was at Holstein, was usually the scene of brilliant
entertainments, but it was converted into the abode of misery, mourning,
and death. All possible attention was bestowed on the unfortunate
outlaws; but few profited by it, and what is worse, the inhabitants of
Altona suffered for their generosity. Many of the unfortunate persons
were affected with the epidemic disease which was raging in Hamburg, and
which in consequence broke out at Altona.
All means of raising money in Hamburg being exhausted, a seizure was
made of the funds of the Bank of that city, which yet contained from
seven to eight millions of marks. Were those who ordered this measure
not aware that to seize on the funds of some of the citizens of Hamburg
was an injury to all foreigners who had funds in the Bank? Such is a
brief statement of the vexations and cruelties which long oppressed this
unfortunate city. Napoleon accused Hamburg of Anglomania, and by ruining
her he thought to ruin England. Hamburg, feeble and bereft of her
sources, could only complain, like Jerusalem when besieged by Titus:
"Plorans, ploravit in nocte."
CHAPTER XXXII.
1813-1814.
Prince Eugène and the affairs of Italy--The army of Italy on the
frontiers of Austria--Eugène's regret at the defection of the
Bavarians--Murat's dissimulation and perfidy--His treaty with
Austria--Hostilities followed by a declaration of war--Murat
abandoned by the French generals--Proclamation from Paris--Murat's
success--Gigantic scheme of Napoleon--Napoleon advised to join the
Jacobins--His refusal--Armament of the National Guard--The Emperor's
farewell to the officers--The Congress of Chatillon--Refusal of an
armistice--Napoleon's character displayed in his negotiations--
Opening of the Congress--Discussions--Rupture of the Conferences.
I want now to proceed to notice the affairs of Italy and the principal
events of the Viceroyalty of Eugène. In order to throw together all that
I have to say about the Viceroy I must anticipate the order of time.
After the campaign of 1812, when Eugène revisited Italy, he was promptly
informed of the more than doubtful dispositions of Austria towards
France. He then made preparations for raising an army capable of
defending the country which the Emperor had committed to his safeguard.
Napoleon was fully aware how much advantage he would derive from the
presence on the northern frontiers of Italy of an army sufficiently
strong to harass Austria, in case she should draw aside the transparent
veil which still covered her policy. Eugène did all that depended on him
to meet the Emperor's wishes; but in spite of his efforts the army of
Italy was, after all; only an imaginary army to those who could compare
the number of men actually enrolled with the numbers stated in the
lists. When, in July 1813, the Viceroy was informed of the turn taken by
the negotiations at the shadow of a Congress assembled at Prague, he
had no longer any doubt of the renewal of hostilities; and foreseeing
an attack on Italy he resolved as speedily as possible to approach the
frontiers of Austria. He had succeeded in assembling an army composed of
French and Italians, and amounting to 45,000 infantry and 5000 cavalry.
On the renewal of hostilities the Viceroy's headquarters were at Udine.
Down to the month of April 1814 he succeeded in maintaining a formidable
attitude, and in defending the entrance of his kingdom by dint of that
military talent which was to be expected in a man bred in the great
school of Napoleon, and whom the army looked up to as one of its most
skillful generals.
During the great and unfortunate events of 1813 all eyes had been fixed
on Germany and the Rhine; but the defection of Murat for a time diverted
attention to Italy. That event did not so very much surprise me, for I
had not forgotten my conversation with the King of Naples in the Champs
Elysees, with which I have made the reader acquainted. At first Murat's
defection was thought incredible by every one, and it highly excited
Bonaparte's indignation. Another defection which occurred about the same
period deeply distressed Eugène, for although raised to the rank of a
prince, and almost a sovereign, he was still a man, and an excellent
man. He was united to the Princess Amelia of Bavaria, who was as amiable
and as much beloved as he, and he had the deep mortification to count
the subjects of his father-in-law among the enemies whom he would
probably have to combat. Fearing lest he should be harassed by the
Bavarians on the side of the Tyrol, Eugène commenced his retrograde
movement in the autumn of 1813. He at first fell back on the
Tagliamento, and successively on the Adige. On reaching that river the
army of Italy was considerably diminished, in spite of all Eugène's
care of his troops. About the end of November Eugène learned that
a Neapolitan corps was advancing upon Upper Italy, part taking the
direction of Rome, and part that of Ancona. The object of the King of
Naples was to take advantage of the situation of Europe, and he was
duped by the promises held out to him as the reward of his treason.
Murat seemed to have adopted the artful policy of Austria; for not only
had he determined to join the coalition, but he was even maintaining
communications with England and Austria, while at the same time he was
making protestations of fidelity to his engagements with Napoleon.
When first informed of Murat's treason by the Viceroy the Emperor
refused to believe it. "No," he exclaimed to those about him, "it cannot
be! Murat, to whom I have given my sister! Murat, to whom I have given
a throne! Eugène must be misinformed. It is impossible that Murat has
declared himself against me!" It was, however, not only possible but
true. Gradually throwing aside the dissimulation beneath which he had
concealed his designs, Murat seemed inclined to renew the policy of
Italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the art of
deceiving was deemed by the Italian Governments the most sublime effort
of genius. Without any declaration of war, Murat ordered the Neapolitan
General who occupied Rome to assume the supreme command in the Roman
States, and to take possession of the country. General Miollis, who
commanded the French troops in Rome, could only throw himself, with
his handful of men, into the Castle of St. Angelo, the famous mole of
Adrian, in which was long preserved the treasury of Sixtus V. The French
General soon found himself blockaded by the Neapolitan troops, who also
blockaded Civita Vecchia and Ancona.
The treaty concluded between Murat and Austria was definitively signed
on the 11th of January 1814. As soon as he was informed of it
the Viceroy, certain that he should soon have to engage with the
Neapolitans, was obliged to renounce the preservation of the line of
the Adige, the Neapolitan army being in the rear of his right wing.
He accordingly ordered a retrograde movement to the other side of the
Mincio, where his army was cantoned. In this position Prince Eugène, on
the 8th of February, had to engage with the Austrians, who had come up
with him, and the victory of the Mincio arrested, for some time, the
invasion of the Austrian army and its junction with the Neapolitan
troops.
It was not until eight days after that Murat officially declared war
against the Emperor; and immediately several general and superior
officers, and many French troops, who were in his service, abandoned
him, and repaired to the headquarters of the Viceroy. Murat made
endeavours to detain them; they replied, that as he had declared war
against France, no Frenchman who loved his country could remain in his
service. "Do you think," returned he, "that my heart is less French than