Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
EUGENE. HORTENSE.
CHAPTER II.
1814.
Italy and Eugène--Siege of Dantzic-Capitulation concluded but not
ratified-Rapp made prisoner and sent to Kiew--Davoust's refusal to
believe the intelligence from Paris--Projected assassination of one
of the French Princes--Departure of Davoust and General Hogendorff
from Hamburg--The affair of Manbreuil--Arrival of the Commissioners
of the Allied powers at Fontainebleau--Preference shown by Napoleon
to Colonel Campbell--Bonaparte's address to General Kohler--His
farewell to his troops--First day of Napoleon's journey--The
Imperial Guard succeeded by the Cossacks--Interview with Augereau--
The first white cockades--Napoleon hanged in effigy at Orgon--His
escape in the disguise of a courier--Scene in the inn of La Calade--
Arrival at Aix--The Princess Pauline--Napoleon embarks for Elba--His
life at Elba.
I must now direct the attention of the reader to Italy, which was the
cradle of Napoleon's glory, and towards which he transported himself in
imagination from the Palace of Fontainebleau. Eugène had succeeded in
keeping up his means of defence until April, but on the 7th of that
month, being positively informed of the overwhelming reverses of France,
he found himself constrained to accede to the propositions of the
Marshal de Bellegarde to treat for the evacuation of Italy; and on the
10th a convention was concluded, in which it was stipulated that the
French troops, under the command of Eugène, should return within the
limits of old France. The clauses of this convention were executed on
the 19th of April.
--[Lord William Bentinck and Sir Edward Pellew had taken Genoa on
the 18th Of April. Murat was in the field with the Austrians
against the French.]--
Eugène, thinking that the Senate of Milan was favourably disposed
towards him, solicited that body to use its influence in obtaining
the consent of the Allied powers to his continuance at the head of the
Government of Italy; but this proposition was rejected by the Senate.
A feeling of irritation pervaded the public mind in Italy, and the army
had not proceeded three marches beyond Mantua when an insurrection broke
out in Milan. The Finance Minister, Pizna, was assassinated, and his
residence demolished, and nothing would have saved the Viceroy from a
similar fate had he been in his capital. Amidst this popular excitement,
and the eagerness of the Italians to be released from the dominion of
the French, the friends of Eugène thought him fortunate in being able to
join his father-in-law at Munich almost incognito.
--[Some time after Eugène visited France and had a long audience of
Louis XVIII. He announced himself to that monarch by his father's
title of Marquis de Beauharnais. The King immediately saluted him
by the title of Monsieur le Marechal, and proposed that he should
reside in France with that rank. But this invitation Eugène
declined, because as a French Prince under the fallen Government he
had commanded the Marshals, and he therefore could not submit to be
the last in rank among those illustrious military chiefs.
Bourrienne.]--
Thus, at the expiration of nine years, fell the iron crown which
Napoleon had placed on his head saying, "Dieu me l'a donne; gare a qui
la touche."
I will now take a glance at the affairs of Germany. Rapp was not
in France at the period of the fall of the Empire. He had, with
extraordinary courage and skill, defended himself against a year's
siege at Dantzic. At length, being reduced to the last extremity,
and constrained to surrender, he opened the gates of the city, which
presented nothing but heaps of ruins. Rapp had stipulated that the
garrison of Dantzic should return to France, and the Duke of Wurtemberg,
who commanded the siege, had consented to that condition; but the
Emperor of Russia having refused to ratify it, Rapp, having no means
of defence, was made prisoner with his troops; and conducted to Kiew,
whence he afterwards returned to Paris, where I saw him.
Hamburg still held out, but at the beginning of April intelligence was
received there of the extraordinary events which had delivered Europe
from her oppressor. Davoust refused to believe this news, which at once
annihilated all his hopes of power and greatness. This blindness was
persisted in for some time at Hamburg. Several hawkers, who were marked
out by the police as having been the circulators of Paris news, were
shot. An agent of the Government publicly announced his design of
assassinating one of the French Princes, in whose service he was said
to have been as a page. He said he would go to his Royal Highness and
solicit to be appointed one of his aides de camp, and that, if the
application were refused, as it probably would be, the refusal would
only confirm him in his purpose.
At length, when the state of things was beyond the possibility of doubt,
Davoust assembled the troops, acquainted them with the dethronement
of the Emperor, hoisted a flag of truce, and sent his adhesion to the
Provisional Government. All then thought of their personal safety,
without losing sight of their honestly-acquired wealth. Diamonds and
other objects of value and small bulk were hastily collected and packed
up. The Governor of Hamburg, Count Hogendorff, who, in spite of some
signal instances of opposition, had too often co-operated in severe
and vexatious measures, was the first to quit the city. He was, indeed,
hurried off by Davoust; because he had mounted the Orange cockade and
wished to take his Dutch troops away with him. After consigning the
command to General Gerard, Davoust quitted Hamburg, and arrived at Paris
on the 18th of June.
I have left Napoleon at Fontainebleau. The period of his departure for
Elba was near at hand: it was fixed for the 17th of April.
On that day Maubreuil, a man who has become unfortunately celebrated,
presented himself at the Post-office, and asked to speak with me. He
showed me some written orders, signed by General Sacken, the Commander
of the Russian troops in Palls, and by Baron Brackenhausen, chief of
the staff. These orders set forth that Maubreuil was entrusted with
an important mission, for the execution of which he was authorised to
demand the assistance of the Russian troops; and the commanders of those
men were enjoined to place at his disposal as many troops as he might
apply for. Maubreuil was also the bearer of similar orders from
General Dupont, the War Minister, and from M. Angles, the Provisional
Commissary-General of the Police, who directed all the other
commissaries to obey the orders they might receive from Maubreuil. On
seeing these documents, of the authenticity of which there was no doubt,
I immediately ordered the different postmasters to provide Maubreuil
promptly with any number of horses he might require.
Some days after I was informed that the object of Maubreuil's mission
was to assassinate Napoleon. It may readily be imagined what was my
astonishment on hearing this, after I had seen the signature of the
Commander of the Russian forces, and knowing as I did the intentions of
the Emperor Alexander. The fact is, I did not, and never can, believe
that such was the intention of Maubreuil. This man has been accused of
having carried off the jewels of the Queen of Westphalia.
Napoleon having consented to proceed to the island of Elba, conformably
with the treaty he had ratified on the 13th, requested to be accompanied
to the place of embarkation by a Commissioner from each of the Allied
powers. Count Schouwaloff was appointed by Russia, Colonel Neil Campbell
by England, General Kohler by Austria, and Count Waldbourg-Truchess by
Prussia. On the 16th the four Commissioners came for the first time to
Fontainebleau, where the Emperor, who was still attended by Generals
Drouot and Bertrand, gave to each a private audience on the following
day.
Though Napoleon received with coldness the Commissioners whom he had
himself solicited, yet that coldness was far from being manifested in an
equal degree to all. He who experienced the best reception was Colonel
Campbell, apparently because his person exhibited traces of wounds.
Napoleon asked him in what battles he had received them, and on
what occasions he had been invested with the orders he wore. He next
questioned him as to the place of his birth, and Colonel Campbell having
answered that he was a Scotchman, Napoleon congratulated him on being
the countryman of Ossian, his favourite author, with whose poetry,
however, he was only acquainted through the medium of wretched
translations. On this first audience Napoleon said to the Colonel, "I
have cordially hated the English. I have made war against you by every
possible means, but I esteem your nation. I am convinced that there is
more generosity in your Government than in any other. I should like to
be conveyed from Toulon to Elba by an English frigate."
The Austrian and Russian Commissioners were received coolly, but without
any marked indications of displeasure. It was not so with the Prussian
Commissioner, to whom he said duly, "Are there any Prussians in my
escort?"--"No, Sire."--"Then why do you take the trouble to accompany
me?"--"Sire, it is not a trouble, but an honour."--"These are mere
words; you have nothing to do here."--"Sire, I could not possibly
decline the honourable mission with which the King my master has
entrusted me." At these words Napoleon turned his back on Count
Truchess.
The Commissioners expected that Napoleon would be ready to set out
without delay; but they were deceived. He asked for a sight of the
itinerary of his route, and wished to make some alterations in it.
The Commissioners were reluctant to oppose his wish, for they had been
instructed to treat him with all the respect and etiquette due to a
sovereign. They therefore suspended the departure, and, as they could
not take upon themselves to acquiesce in the changes wished for by the
Emperor, they applied for fresh orders. On the night of the 18th of
April they received these orders, authorising them to travel by any road
the Emperor might prefer. The departure was then definitively fixed for
the 20th.
Accordingly, at ten on the morning of the 20th, the carriages were in
readiness, and the Imperial Guard was drawn up in the grand court of
the Palace of Fontainebleau, called the Cour du Cheval Blanc. All the
population of the town and the neighbouring villages thronged round the
Palace. Napoleon sent for General Kohler, the Austrian Commissioner,
and said to him, "I have reflected on what I ought to do, and I
am determined not to depart. The Allies are not faithful to their
engagements with me. I can, therefore, revoke my abdication, which was
only conditional. More than a thousand addresses were delivered to me
last night: I am conjured to resume the reins of government. I renounced
my rights to the crown only to avert the horrors of a civil war, having
never had any other object in view than the glory and happiness of
France. But, seeing as I now do, the dissatisfaction inspired by the
measures of the new Government, I can explain to my Guard the reasons
which induced me to revoke my abdication. It is true that the number of
troops on which I can count will scarcely exceed 30,000 men, but it will
be easy for me to increase their numbers to 130,000. Know, then, that
I can also, without injuring my honour, say to my Guard, that having
nothing but the repose and happiness of the country at heart, I renounce
all my rights, and exhort my troops to follow my example, and yield to
the wish of the nation."
I heard these words reported by General Kohler himself, after his return
from his mission. He did not disguise the embarrassment which this