Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812
_December 9th-10th._--French evacuate Breda.
_December 11th.--Treaty of Valencay between Napoleon and his
prisoner Ferdinand VII., who is to reign over Spain, but not to
cede Minorca or Ceuta (now in their power} to the English._
_December 15th._--Denmark secedes from French alliance.
_December 21st._--Allies, 100,000 strong, cross the Rhine in ten
divisions (Bale to Schaffhausen). Jomini is said to have
contributed to this violation of Swiss territory.
_December 24th._--Final evacuation of Holland by the French.
_December 28th._--Austrians capture Ragusa.
_December 31st.--Napoleon, having trouble with his Commons,
dissolves the Corps Legislatif._ Austrians capture Geneva. Blucher
crosses the Rhine at Mannheim and Coblentz. Exclusive of Landwehr
and levies en masse, there are now a million trained men in arms
against Napoleon.
* * * * *
1814.
"The Allied Powers having proclaimed that the Emperor Napoleon was
the sole obstacle to the re-establishment of the Peace of Europe,
the Emperor Napoleon, faithful to his oath, declares that he
renounces, for himself and his heirs, the thrones of France and
Italy, and that there is no personal sacrifice, even that of life
itself, that he will not be ready to make for the sake of
France."--(_Act of Abdication._)
* * * * *
_January 1st._--Capitulation of Danzic, which General Rapp had
defended for nearly a year, having lost 20,000 (out of 30,000) men
by fever. Russians, who had promised to send the French home,
break faith, following the example of Schwartzenberg at Dresden.
_January 2nd._--Russians take Fort Louis (Lower Rhine); and
_January 3rd._--Austrians Montbeliard; and Bavarians Colmar.
_January 6th._--General York occupies Treves. Convention between
Murat and England and (January 11th) with Austria. Murat is to
join Allies with 30,000 men.
_January 7th._--Austrians occupy Vesoul.
_January 8th._--French Rentes 5 per cents. at 47.50. Wurtemberg
troops occupy Epinal.
_January 10th._--General York reaches Forbach (on the Moselle).
_January 15th._--Cossacks occupy Cologne.
_January 16th._--Russians occupy Nancy.
_January 19th._--Austrians occupy Dijon; Bavarians, Neufchateau.
Murat's troops occupy Rome.
_January 20th._--Capture of Toul by the Russians; and of Chambery
by the Austrians.
_January 21st._--Austrians occupy Chalons-sur-Saone. General York
crosses the Meuse.
_January 23rd._--Pope Pius VII. returns to Rome.
_January 25th._--General York and Army of Silesia established at
St. Dizier and Joinville on the Marne. Austrians occupy
Bar-sur-Aube. _Napoleon leaves Paris; and_
_January 26th.--Reaches Chalons-sur-Marne; and_
_January 27th.--Retakes St. Dizier in person._
_January 29th.--Combat of Brienne. Napoleon defeats Blucher._
_February 1st._--Battle of La Rothiere, six miles north of
Brienne. French, 40,000; Allies, 110,000. Drawn battle, but French
retreat on Troyes; French evacuate Brussels.
_February 4th._--Eugene retires upon the Mincio.
_February 5th.--Cortes disavow Napoleon's treaty of Valencay with
Ferdinand VII._ Opening of Congress of Chatillon. General York
occupies Chalons-sur-Marne.
_February 7th._--Allies seize Troyes.
_February 8th._--Battle of the Mincio. Eugene with 30,000
conscripts defeats Austrians under Bellegarde with 50,000
veterans.
_February 10th.--Combat of Champaubert. Napoleon defeats
Russians._
_February 11th.--Combat of Montmirail. Napoleon defeats Sacken.
Russians occupy Nogent-sur-Seine; and_
_February 12th.--Laon._
_February 14th.--Napoleon routs Blucher at Vauchamp. His losses,
10,000 men; French loss, 600 men. In five days Napoleon has wiped
out the five corps of the Army of Silesia, inflicting a loss of
25,000 men._
_February 17th.--Combat near Nangis. Napoleon defeats Austro-Russians
with loss of 10,000 men and 12 cannon._
_February 18th._--Combat of Montereau. Prince Royal of Wurtemberg
defeated with loss of 7000.
_February 21st._--Comte d'Artois arrives at Vesoul.
_February 22nd._--Combat of Mery-sur-Seine. Sacken defeated by
Boyer's Division, who fight in masks--it being Shrove Tuesday.
_February 24th._--French re-enter Troyes.
_February 27th._--Bulow captures La Fere with large stores. Battle
of Orthes (Pyrenees), Wellington with 70,000 defeats Soult
entrenched with 38,000. Foy badly wounded.
_February 27th-28th._--Combats of Bar and Ferte-sur-Aube. Marshals
Oudinot and Macdonald forced to retire on the Seine.
_March 1st._--Treaty of Chaumont--Allies against Napoleon.
_March 2nd._--Bulow takes Soissons.
_March 4th._--Macdonald evacuates Troyes.
_March 7th.--Battle of Craonne between Napoleon (30,000 men) and
Sacken (100,000)._ Indecisive.
_March 9th._--English driven from Berg-op-Zoom.
_March 9th-10th.--Combat under Laon: depot of Allied army.
Napoleon fails to capture it._
_March 12th._--Duc d'Angouleme arrives at Bordeaux. This town is
the first to declare for the Bourbons, and to welcome him as Louis
XVIII.
_March 13th._--Ferdinand VII. set at liberty.
_March 14th.--Napoleon retakes Rheims from the Russians._
_March 19th._--Rupture of Treaty of Chatillon.
_March 20th._--Battle of Tarbes. Wellington defeats French.
_March 20th-21st._--Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube. Indecisive.
_March 21st._--Austrians enter Lyons. Augereau retires on Valence.
Had Eugene joined him with his 40,000 men he might have saved
France after Vauchamp.
_March 25th._--Combat of Fere-Champenoise. Marmont and Mortier
defeated with loss of 9000 men.
_March 26th.--Combat of St. Dizier. Napoleon defeats Russians, and
starts to save Paris._
_March 29th.--Allies outside Paris. Napoleon at Troyes (125 miles
off)._
_March 30th.--Battle of Paris._ The Emperor's orders disobeyed.
Heavy cannon from Cherbourg left outside Paris, also 20,000
men. Clarke deserts to the Allies. Joseph runs away, leaving
Marmont permission to capitulate. After losing 5000 men (and
Allies 8000) Marmont evacuates Paris and retires. _Napoleon
reaches Fontainebleau in the evening, and hears the bad news._
_March 31st._--Emperor of Russia, King of Prussia, and 36,000 men
enter Paris. Stocks and shares advance. Emperor Alexander states,
"The Allied Sovereigns will treat no longer with Napoleon
Bonaparte, nor any of his family."
_April 1st._--Senate, with Talleyrand as President, institute a
Provisional Government.
_April 2nd._--Provisional Government address the army: "You are no
longer the soldiers of Napoleon; the Senate and the whole of
France absolve you from your oaths." They also declare Napoleon
deposed from the throne, and his family from the succession.
_April 4th.--Napoleon signs a declaration of abdication in favour
of his son, but after two days' deliberation, and Marmont's
defection, Alexander insists on an absolute abdication._
_April 5th._--Convention of Chevilly. Marmont agrees to join the
Provisional Government, and disband his army under promise that
Allies will guarantee life and liberty to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Funds on March 29th at 45, now at 63.75.
_April 6th._--New Constitution decreed by the Senate. The National
Guard ordered to wear the White Cockade in lieu of the Tricolor.
_April 10th._--Battle of Toulouse. Hotly contested; almost a
defeat for Wellington.
_April 11th.--Treaty of Paris between Napoleon and Allies
(Austria, Russia, and Prussia). Isle of Elba reserved for Napoleon
and his family, with a revenue of L200,000; the Duchies of Parma
and Placentia for Marie Louise and her son. England accedes to
this Treaty. Act of Abdication of the Emperor Napoleon._
_April 12th._--Count d'Artois enters Paris.
_April 16th._--Convention between Eugene and Austrian General
Bellegarde. Emperor of Austria sees Marie Louise at the little
Trianon, and decides upon his daughter's return to Vienna.
_April 18th._--Armistice of Soult and Wellington.
_April 20th.--Napoleon leaves Fontainebleau, and bids adieu to his
Old Guard: "Do not mourn over my fate; if I have determined to
survive, it is in order still to dedicate myself to your glory; I
wish to write about the great things we have done together."_
_April 24th._--Louis XVIII. lands at Calais, and
_May 3rd._---Enters Paris.
_May 4th.---Napoleon reaches Elba._
_May 29th.--Death of Josephine, aged 51._
_May 30th.--Peace of Paris._
FOOTNOTES
[40] Averaged from early historians of the campaigns. Marbot gives the
numbers 155,400 French and 175,000 Allies. Allowing for the
secession of the Austrian and Prussian contingents and for
30,000 prisoners, he gives the actual French death-roll by
February 1813 at 65,000. This is a minimum estimate.
NOTES
_THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGNS, 1796-97_
SERIES A
(_The numbers correspond to the numbers of the Letters._)
No. 1.
_Bonaparte made Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Italy._--Marmont's
account of how this came to pass is probably substantially correct, as
he has less interest in distorting the facts than any other writer as
well fitted for the task. The winter had rolled by in the midst of
pleasures--soirees at the Luxembourg, dinners of Madame Tallien,
"nor," he adds, "were we hard to please." "The Directory often
conversed with General Bonaparte about the army of Italy, whose
general--Scherer--was always representing the position as difficult,
and never ceasing to ask for help in men, victuals, and money. General
Bonaparte showed, in many concise observations, that all that was
superfluous. He strongly blamed the little advantage taken from the
victory at Loano, and asserted that, even yet, all that could be put
right. Thus a sort of controversy was maintained between Scherer and
the Directory, counselled and inspired by Bonaparte." At last when
Bonaparte drew up plans--afterwards followed--for the invasion of
Piedmont, Scherer replied roughly that he who had drawn up the plan of
campaign had better come and execute it. They took him at his word,
and Bonaparte was named General-in-Chief of the army of Italy (vol. i.
93).
"_7 A.M._"--Probably written early in March. Leaving Paris on March
11th, Napoleon writes Letourneur, President of the Directory, of his
marriage with the "citoyenne Tascher Beauharnais," and tells him that
he has already asked Barras to inform them of the fact. "The
confidence which the Directory has shown me under all circumstances
makes it my duty to keep it advised of all my actions. It is a new
link which binds me to the fatherland; it is one more proof of my
fixed determination to find safety only in the Republic."[41]
No. 2.
"_Our good Ossian._"--The Italian translation of Ossian by Cesarotti
was a masterpiece; better, in fact, than the original. He was a friend
of Macpherson, and had learnt English in order to translate his work.
Cesarotti lived till an advanced age, and was sought out in his
retirement in order to receive honours and pensions from the Emperor
Napoleon.
"Our good Ossian" speaks, like Homer, of the joy of grief.
No. 4.
"_Chauvet is dead._"--Chauvet is first mentioned in Napoleon's
correspondence in a letter to his brother Joseph, August 9, 1795.
Mdme. Junot, _Memoirs_, i. 138, tells us that Bonaparte was very fond
of him, and that he was a man of gentle manners and very ordinary
conversation. She declares that Bonaparte had been a suitor for the
hand of her mother shortly before his marriage with Josephine, and