napoleon bonaparte, v10-第2章

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kings　and　princes　who　accompanied　his　Majesty　on　his　campaigns　could
easily　prove；　and　if　these　great　personages　lacked　absolute　necessaries；
it　may　well　be　believed　that　the　persons　comprising　the　different
services　fared　badly。　　The　Emperor　himself　often　dispensed　with　ordinary
comforts　which　would　have　been　very　agreeable　to　him　after　the　fatigues
of　the　day。

At　the　hour　for　the　bivouac　it　was　a　general　〃lodge　who　can；〃　but　the
poorest　soldier　never　had　in　his　deprivation　the　chagrin　of　seeing　his
superiors　enjoying　abundance　and　scandalous　luxury。　　The　first　generals
of　the　army　often　dined　on　ammunition…bread　with　as　much　pleasure　as　the
simple　soldier；　and　on　the　retreat　the　misery　could　not　have　been　more
general。　　This　idea　of　deprivations　shared　by　all　did　much　to　restore
hope　and　energy　to　the　most　discouraged；　and；　I　may　add；　never　has　more
reciprocal　sympathy　between　chiefs　and　soldiers　been　seen；　in　support　of
which　statement　innumerable　instances　could　be　given。

When　evening　came　the　fires　were　kindled；　and　those　foragers　who　had　been
most　successful　invited　their　companions　to　share　their　good　cheer。　　In
the　worst　times　there　was　poor；　yet　still　not　the　worst；　fare　to　offer；
consisting　of　slices　of　broiled　horse…flesh。

Many　soldiers　deprived　themselves　of　some　valuable　booty　to　offer　it　to
their　chief；　and　selfishness　was　not　so　general　that　this　noble　French
courtesy　did　not　reappear　from　time　to　time　to　recall　the　happy　days　of
France。　　Straw　was　the　bed　of　all；　and　those　of　the　marshals　who　in　Paris
slept　on　most　luxurious　beds　of　down　did　not　find　this　couch　too　hard　in
Russia。

M。　de　Beausset　has　given　me　a　very　amusing　account　of　one　night；　when
sleeping　pell…mell　on　a　little　straw；　in　very　narrow　quarters；　the　aides…
de…camp　attending　upon　the　Emperor　stepped　mercilessly　on　the　limbs　of
their　sleeping　companions；　who；　fortunately；　did　not　all　suffer　from　gout
like　M。　Beausset；　and　were　not　injured　by　such　sudden　and　oft…repeated
onslaughts。　　He　cried；　〃What　brutes！〃　　and　drawing　his　legs　under　him；
cowered　down　in　his　corner　until　this　passing　and　repassing　had　ceased
for　a　while。

Picture　to　yourself　large　rooms；　filthy；　unfurnished；　and　open　to　the
wind；　which　entered　through　every　window；　nearly　all　the　glass　of　which
was　broken；　with　crumbling　walls　and　fetid　air；　which　we　warmed　as　well
as　possible　with　our　breath；　a　vast　litter　of　straw　prepared　as　if　for
horses；　and　on　this　litter　men　shivering　with　cold；　throwing　themselves
about；　pressing　against　each　other；　murmuring；　swearing；　some　unable　to
close　their　eyes；　others　more　fortunate　snoring　loudly；　and　in　the　midst
of　this　mass　of　legs　and　feet；　a　general　awakening　in　the　night　when　an
order　from　the　Emperor　arrived；　and　you　may　form　an　idea　of　the　inn　and
the　guests。

As　for　myself；　during　the　entire　campaign　I　did　not　a　single　time　undress
to　retire　to　bed；　for　I　never　found　one　anywhere。　　It　was　necessary　to
supply　this　deficiency　by　some　means；　and　as　it　is　well　known　that
necessity　is　ever　ready　with　inventions；　we　supplied　deficiency　in　our
furnishings　in　the　following　manner：　we　had　great　bags　of　coarse　cloth
made；　into　which　we　entered；　and　thus　protected；　threw　ourselves　on　a
little　straw；　when　we　were　fortunate　enough　to　obtain　it；　and　for　several
months　I　took　my　rest　during　the　night　in　this　manner；　and　even　this　I
frequently　could　not　enjoy　for　as　many　as　five　or　six　nights　at　a　time；
so　exacting　were　the　requirements　of　my　position。

If　it　is　remembered　that　all　these　sufferings　continued　in　their　petty
details　each　day；　and　that　when　night　came　we　had　not　even　a　bed　on　which
to　stretch　our　weary　limbs；　some　idea　may　be　formed　of　the　privations　we
endured　on　this　campaign。　　The　Emperor　never　uttered　a　word　of　complaint
when　beset　by　such　discomforts；　and　his　example　inspired　us　with　courage；
and　at　last　we　became　so　accustomed　to　this　fatiguing　and　wandering
existence；　that；　in　spite　of　the　cold　and　privations　of　every　sort　to
which　we　were　subjected；　we　often　jested　about　the　dainty　arrangements　of
our　apartments。　　The　Emperor　on　the　campaign　was　affected　only　by　the
sufferings　of　others；　though　his　health　was　sometimes　so　much　impaired　as
to　cause　anxiety；　especially　when　he　denied　himself　all　rest　not
absolutely　required；　and　yet　I　heard　him　constantly　inquiring　if　there
were　lodgings　for　all；　and　he　would　not　be　satisfied　until　fully　informed
of　every　particular。

Although　the　Emperor　nearly　always　had　a　bed；　the　poor　quarters　in　which
it　was　set　up　were　often　so　filthy；　that　in　spite　of　all　the　care　taken
to　clean　it；　I　more　than　once　found　on　his　clothing　a　kind　of　vermin　very
disagreeable；　and　very　common　in　Russia。　　We　suffered　more　than　the
Emperor　from　this　inconvenience；　being　deprived　as　we　were　of　proper
linen　and　other　changes　of　clothing；　since　the　greater　part　of　our
effects　had　been　burned　with　the　wagons　containing　them。　　This　extreme
measure　had　been　taken；　as　I　have　said；　for　good　reasons；　all　the　horses
having　died　from　cold　or　famine。

We　were　little　better　lodged　in　the　palace　of　the　Czars　than　on　the
bivouac。　　For　several　days　we　had　only　mattresses；　but　as　a　large　number
of　wounded　officers　had　none；　the　Emperor　ordered　ours　to　be　given　them。
We　made　the　sacrifice　willingly；　and　the　thought　that　we　were　assisting
others　more　unfortunate　than　ourselves　would　have　made　the　hardest　bed
endurable。　　Besides；　in　this　war　we　had　more　than　one　opportunity　to
learn　how　to　put　aside　all　feelings　of　egotism　and　narrow　personality；
and　had　we　been　guilty　of　such　forgetfulness；　the　Emperor　was　ever　ready
to　recall　us　to　this　plain　and　simple　duty。




CHAPTER　IX。

The　only　too　famous　twenty…ninth　bulletin　of　the　grand　army　was　not
published　in　Paris；　where　the　consternation　it　spread　through　all　classes
is　well　known；　until　the　16th　of　December；　and　the　Emperor；　following
close　upon　the　heels　of　this　solemn　manifesto　of　our　disasters；　arrived
in　his　capital　forty…eight　hours　after；　as　if　endeavoring　to　annul　by　his
presence　the　evil　effects　which　this　communication　might　produce。　　On　the
28th；　at　half　past　eleven　in　the　evening；　his　Majesty　alighted　at　the
palace　of　the　Tuileries。　　This　was　the　first　time　since　his　accession　to
the　consulate　that　Paris　had　witnessed　his　return　from　a　campaign　without
announcing　a　new　peace　conquered　by　the　glory　of　our　arms。　　Under　these
circumstances；　the　numerous　persons　who　from　attachment　to　the　Empress
Josephine　had　always　seen　or　imagined　they　saw　in　her　a　kind　of
protecting　talisman　of　the　success　of　the　Emperor；　did　not　fail　to　remark
that　the　campaign　of　Russia　was　the　first　which　had　been　undertaken　since
the　Emperor's　marriage　to　Marie　Louise。　　Without　any　superstition；　it
could　not　be　denied　that；　although　the　Emperor　was　always　great　even　when
fortune　was　contrary　to　him；　there　was　a　very　marked　difference　between
the　reign　of　the　two　Empresses。　　The　one　witnessed　only　victories
followed　by　peace。　　And　the　other；　only　wars；　not　devoid　of　glory；　but
devoid　of　results；　until　the　grand　and　fatal　conclusion　in　the　abdication
at　Fontainebleau。

But　it　is　anticipating　too　much　to　describe　here　events　which　few　men
dared　to　predict　directly　after　the　disasters　of　Moscow。　　All　the　world
knows　that　the　cold　and　a　freezing　temperature　contributed　more　to　our
reverses　than　the　enemy；　whom　we　had　pursued　even　into　the　heart　of　his
burning　capital。　　France　still　offered　immense　resources；　and　the　Emperor
was　now　there　in　person　to　direct　their　employment　and　increase　their
value。　　Besides；　no　defection　was　as　yet　apparent；　and；　with　the
exception　of　Spain；　Sweden；　and　Russia；　the　Emperor　considered　all　the
European　powers　as　allies。　　It　is　true　the　moment　was　approaching　when
General　Yorck　would　give　the　signal；for　as　well　as　I　can　recall；　the
first　news　came　to　the　Emperor　on　the　10th　of　the　following　January；and
it　was　easy　to　see　that　his　Majesty　was　profoundly　affected　by　it；　as　he
saw　that　Prussia　would　have　many　imitators　in　the　other　corps　of　the
allied　armies。

At　Smorghoni；　where　the　Emperor　had　left　me　setting　out；　as　I　have　before
related；　with　t