napoleon bonaparte, v12-第3章

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　　　　　Paris；　1785；　colonel　in　1809；　aide…de…camp　to　the　Emperor；　1812；　and
　　　　　made　a　general　of　division　for　conduct　at　Leipzig；　was　at　Waterloo。
　　　　　Ambassador　to　Vienna；　1841…1848；　and　senator；　1853；　died　1870。　　He
　　　　　was　one　of　the　lovers　of　Queen　Hortense；　and　father　by　her　of　the
　　　　　late　Duc　de　Morny。…TRANS。＇

came　to　announce　to　the　Emperor　that　the　commissioners　of　the　allied
powers　had　broken　the　conferences　at　Lusigny。　　The　army　was　not　informed
of　this；　although　the　news　would　probably　have　surprised　no　one。　　Before
daylight　General　Gourgaud　set　out　at　the　head　of　a　detachment　selected
from　the　bravest　soldiers　of　the　army；　and　following　a　cross　road　which
turned　to　the　left　through　the　marshes；　fell　unexpectedly　on　the　enemy；
slew　many　of　them　in　the　darkness；　and　drew　the　attention　and　efforts　of
the　allied　generals　upon　himself；　while　Marshal　Ney；　still　at　the　head　of
the　advance　guard；　profited　by　this　bold　maneuver　to　force　a　passage　of
the　causeway。　　The　whole　army　hastened　to　follow　this　movement；　and　on
the　evening　of　the　9th　was　in　sight　of　Laon；　and　ranged　in　line　of　battle
before　the　enemy　who　occupied　the　town　and　its　heights。　　The　army　corps
of　the　Duke　of　Ragusa　had　arrived　by　another　road；　and　also　formed　in
line　of　battle　before　the　Russian　and　Prussian　armies。　　His　Majesty
passed　the　night　expediting　his　orders；　and　preparing　everything　for　the
grand　attack　which　was　to　take　place　next　morning　at　daylight。

The　appointed　hour　having　arrived；　I　had　just　finished　in　haste　the
toilet　of　the　Emperor；　which　was　very　short；　and　he　had　already　put　his
foot　in　the　stirrup；　when　we　saw　running　towards　us　on　foot；　with　the
utmost　speed　and　all　out　of　breath；　some　cavalrymen　belonging　to　the　army
corps　of　the　Duke　of　Ragusa。　　His　Majesty　had　them　brought　before　him；
and　inquired　angrily　the　meaning　of　this　disorder。　　They　replied　that
their　bivouacs　had　been　attacked　unexpectedly　by　the　enemy；　that　they　and
their　comrades　had　resisted　to　the　utmost　these　overwhelming　forces；
although　they　had　barely　time　to　seize　their　arms；　that　they　had　at　last
been　compelled　to　yield　to　numbers；　and　it　was　only　by　a　miracle　they　had
escaped　the　massacre。　　〃Yes；〃　said　the　Emperor　knitting　his　brow；　〃by　a
miracle　of　agility；　as　we　have　just　seen。　　What　has　become　of　the
marshal？〃　　One　of　the　soldiers　replied　that　he　saw　the　Duke　of　Ragusa
fall　dead；　another　that　he　had　been　taken　prisoner。　　His　Majesty　sent　his
aide…de…camp　and　orderly　officers　to　ascertain；　and　found　that　the　report
of　the　cavalrymen　was　only　too　true。　　The　enemy　had　not　waited　to　be
attacked；　but　had　fallen　on　the　army　corps　of　the　Duke　of　Ragusa；
surrounded　it；　and　taken　a　part　of　his　artillery。　　The　marshal；　however；
had　been　neither　wounded　nor　taken　prisoner；　but　was　on　the　road　to
Rheims；　endeavoring　to　arrest　and　bring　back　the　remains　of　his　army
corps。

The　news　of　this　disaster　greatly　increased　his　Majesty's　chagrin；　but
nevertheless　the　enemy　was　driven　back　to　the　gates　of　Laon；　though　the
recapture　of　the　city　was　impossible。　　After　a　few　fruitless　attempts；　or
rather　after　some　false　attacks；　the　object　of　which　was　to　conceal　his
retreat　from　the　enemy；　the　Emperor　returned　to　Chavignon　and　passed　the
night。　　The　next　day；　the　11th；　we　left　this　village；　and　the　army　fell
back　to　Soissons。　　His　Majesty　alighted　at　the　bishopric；　and　immediately
commanded　Marshal　Mortier；　together　with　the　principal　officials　of　the
place；　to　take　measures　to　put　the　town　in　a　state　of　defense。　　For　two
days　the　Emperor　shut　himself　up　at　work　in　his　cabinet；　and　left　it　only
to　examine　the　locality；　visit　the　fortifications；　and　everywhere　give
orders　and　see　that　they　were　executed。　　In　the　midst　of　these
preparations　for　defense；　his　Majesty　learned　that　the　town　of　Rheims　had
been　taken　by　the　Russian　general；　Saint…Priest；　　notwithstanding　the
vigorous　resistance　of　General　Corbineau；　　of　whose　fate　we　were
ignorant；　but　it　was　believed　that　he　was　dead　or　had　fallen　into　the
hands　of　the　Russians。　　His　Majesty　confided　the　defense　of　Soissons　to
the　Marshal　Duke　of　Treviso；　and　himself　set　out　for　Rheims　by　forced
marches；　and　we　arrived　the　same　evening　at　the　gates　of　the　city；　where
the　Russians　were　not　expecting　his　Majesty。　　Our　soldiers　entered　this
battle　without　having　taken　any　repose；　but　fought　with　the　resolution
which　the　presence　and　example　of　the　Emperor　never　failed　to　inspire。
The　combat　lasted　the　whole　evening；　and　was　prolonged　far　into　the
night；　but　after　General　Saint…Priest　had　been　grievously　wounded　the
resistance　of　his　troops　became　less　vigorous；　and　at　two　o'clock　in　the
morning　they　abandoned　the　town。　　The　Emperor　and　his　army　entered　by　one
gate　while　the　Russians　were　emerging　from　the　other；　and　as　the
inhabitants　pressed　in　crowds　around　his　Majesty；　he　inquired　before
alighting　from　his　horse　what　havoc　the　enemy　was　supposed　to　have　made。
It　was　answered　that　the　town　had　suffered　only　the　amount　of　injury
which　was　the　inevitable　result　of　a　bloody　nocturnal　struggle；　and　that
moreover　the　enemy　had　maintained　severe　discipline　among　the　troops
during　their　stay　and　up　to　the　moment　of　retreat。　　Among　those　who
pressed　around　his　Majesty　at　this　moment　was　the　brave　General
Corbineau。　　He　wore　a　citizen's　coat；　and　had　remained　disguised　and
concealed　in　a　private　house　of　the　town。　　On　the　morning　of　the　next　day
he　again　presented　himself　before　the　Emperor；　who　welcomed　him
cordially；　and　complimented　him　on　the　courage　he　had　displayed　under
such　trying　circumstances。　　The　Duke　of　Ragusa　had　rejoined　his　Majesty
under　the　walls　of　Rheims；　and　had　contributed　with　his　army　corps　to　the
capture　of　the　town。　　When　he　appeared　before　the　Emperor；　the　latter
burst　out　in　harsh　and　severe　reproaches　regarding　the　affair　at　Laon；
but　his　anger　was　not　of　long　duration；　and　his　Majesty　soon　resumed
towards　the　marshal　the　tone　of　friendship　with　which　he　habitually
honored　him。　　They　held　a　long　conference；　and　the　Duke　of　Ragusa
remained　to　dine　with　the　Emperor。

His　Majesty　spent　three　days　at　Rheims　in　order　to　give　his　troops　time
to　rest　and　recuperate　before　continuing　this　arduous　campaign。　　They
were　in　sore　need　of　this；　for　even　old　soldiers　would　have　had　great
difficulty　in　enduring　such　continued　forced　marches；　which　often　ended
only　in　a　bloody　battle；　nevertheless；　the　greater　part　of　the　brave　men
who　obeyed　with　such　unwearied　ardor　the　Emperor's　orders；　and　who　never
refused　to　endure　any　fatigue　or　any　danger；　were　conscripts　who　had　been
levied　in　haste；　and　fought　against　the　most　warlike　and　best　disciplined
troops　in　Europo。　　The　greater　part　had　not　had　even　sufficient　time　to
learn　the　drill；　and　took　their　first　lessons　in　the　presence　of　the
enemy；　brave　young　fellows　who　sacrificed　themselves　without　a　murmur；
and　to　whom　the　Emperor　once　only　did　injustice；in　the　circumstance
which　I　have　formerly　related；　and　in　which　M。　Larrey　played　such　a
heroic　part。　　It　is　a　well…known　fact　that　the　wonderful　campaign　of　1814
was　made　almost　entirely　with　conscripts　newly　levied。

During　the　halt　of　three　days　which　we　made　at　Rheims；　the　Emperor　saw
with　intense　joy；　which　he　openly　manifested；　the　arrival　of　an　army
corps　of　six　thousand　men；　whom　the　brave　Dutch　General　Janssens　brought
to　his　aid。　　This　re…enforcement　of　experienced　troops　could　not　have
come　more　opportunely。　　While　our　soldiers　were　taking　breath　before
recommencing　a　desperate　struggle；　his　Majesty　was　giving　himself　up　to
the　most　varied　labors　with　his　accustomed　ardor。　　In　the　midst　of　the
cares　and　dangers　of　war　the　Emperor　neglected　none　of　the　affairs　of　the
Empire；　but　worked　for　several　hours　each　day　with　the　Duke　of　Bassano；
received　couriers　from　Paris；　dictated　his　replies；　and　fatigued　his
secretaries　almost　as　much　as　his　generals　and　soldiers。　　As　for　himself；
he　was　indefatiable　as　of　yore。



CHAPTER　XXV。

Affairs　had　reached　a　point　where　the　great　question　of　triumph　or　defeat
could　not　long　remain　undecided。　　According　to　one　of　the　habitual
expressions　of　the　Emperor；　the　pear　was