Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookrriage contracts only after I have signed them.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. * * * * * _December 1st.--Plebiscite confirms election of Napoleon as Emperor, by 3,500,000 votes to 2000._ _December 2nd.--Napoleon crowns himself Emperor, and Josephine Empress, in the presence and with the benediction of the Pope._ GENERAL EVENTS.--_October 8th._--The negro Dessalines crowned Emperor of St. Domingo, under title of James I. _December 12th._--Spain declares war against England. SERIES F CAMPAIGN OF AUSTERLITZ, 1805. "To convey an idea of the brilliant campaign of 1805 ... I should, like the almanack-makers, be obliged to note down a victory for every day."--BOURRIENNE, vol. ii. 323. "Si jamais correspondence de mari à femme a été intime et fréquente, si jamais continuité et permanence de tendresse a été marquée, c'est bien dans ces lettres écrites, chaque jour presque, par Napoléon à sa femme durant la campagne de l'an XIV."--F. MASSON, _Joséphine, Impératrice et Reine_, 1899, p. 427. SERIES F (For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 237-243.) LETTER PAGE No. 1. _To Josephine_ 237 _Strasburg_ 237 _Stuttgard_ 237 _I am well placed_ 237 No. 2. _Louisburg_ 238 _In a few days_ 238 _A new bride_ 238 _Electress_ 238 No. 3. _I have assisted at a marriage_ 238 No. 5. The abbey of Elchingen 238 No. 6. _Spent the whole of to-day indoors_ 238 _Vicenza_ 238 No. 7. _Elchingen_ 239 _Such a catastrophe_ 239 No. 9. _Munich_ 239 _Lemarois_ 239 _I was grieved_ 239 _Amuse yourself_ 239 _Talleyrand has come_ 240 No. 10. _We are always in forests_ 240 _My enemies_ 240 No. 11. Lintz 240 No. 12. Schoenbrunn 241 No. 13. _They owe everything to you_ 241 No. 14. _Austerlitz_ 241 _December 2nd_ 241 No. 17. _A long time since I had news of you_ 241 No. 19. _I await events_ 242 _I, for my part, am sufficiently busy_ 242 LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE, DURING THE AUSTERLITZ CAMPAIGN, 1805. EVENTS OF 1805. _March 13th.--Napoleon proclaimed King of Italy._ _May 26th.--Crowned at Milan._ _June 8th.--Prince Eugène named Viceroy of Italy._ _June 23rd.--Lucca made a principality, and given to Elisa Bonaparte._ _July 22nd._--Naval battle between Villeneuve and Sir Robert Calder, which saves England from invasion. _August 16th.--Napoleon breaks up camp of Boulogne._ _September 8th._--Third Continental Coalition (Russia, Austria, and England against France). Austrians cross the Inn, and invade Bavaria. _September 21st._--Treaty of Paris between France and Naples, which engages to take no part in the war. _September 23rd._--_Moniteur_ announces invasion of Bavaria by Austria. _September 24th.--Napoleon leaves Paris._ _September 27th.--Joins at Strasburg his Grand Army(160,000 strong)._ _October 1st.--Arrives at Ettlingen._ _October 2nd.--Arrives at Louisbourg. Hostilities commence._ No. 1. TO JOSEPHINE, AT STRASBURG. _Imperial Headquarters, Ettlingen_, _October 2, 1805_, 10 A.M. I am well, and still here. I am starting for Stuttgard, where I shall be to-night. Great operations are now in progress. The armies of Wurtemberg and Baden have joined mine. I am well placed for the campaign, and I love you. NAPOLEON. No. 2. TO JOSEPHINE, AT STRASBURG. _Louisbourg, October 4, 1805, Noon._ I am at Louisbourg. I start to-night. There is as yet nothing new. My whole army is on the march. The weather is splendid. My junction with the Bavarians is effected. I am well. I trust in a few days to have something interesting to communicate. Keep well, and believe in my entire affection. There is a brilliant Court here, a new bride who is very beautiful, and upon the whole some very pleasant people, even our Electress, who appears extremely kind, although the daughter of the King of England. NAPOLEON. No. 3. TO JOSEPHINE, AT STRASBURG. _Louisbourg, October 5, 1805._ I continue my march immediately. You will, my dear, be five or six days without hearing from me; don't be uneasy, it is connected with operations now taking place. All goes well, and just as I could wish. I have assisted at a marriage between the son of the Elector and a niece of the King of Prussia. I wish to give the young princess a wedding present to cost 36,000 to 40,000 francs. Please attend to this, and send it to the bride by one of my chamberlains, when they shall come to rejoin me. This matter must be attended to immediately. Adieu, dear, I love you and embrace you. NAPOLEON. * * * * * _October 6th-7th.--French cross the Danube and turn Mack's army._ _October 8th.--Battle of Wertingen. (Murat defeats the Austrians.)_ _October 9th.--Battle of Gunzburg. (Ney defeats Mack.)_ No. 4. _October 10th.--French enter Augsbourg._ TO JOSEPHINE, AT STRASBURG. _Augsbourg, Thursday, October 10, 1805_, 11 A.M. I slept last night[18] with the former Elector of Trèves, who is very well lodged. For the past week I have been hurrying forward. The campaign has been successful enough so far. I am very well, although it rains almost every day. Events crowd on us rapidly. I have sent to France 4000 prisoners, 8 flags, and have 14 of the enemy's cannon. Adieu, dear, I embrace you. NAPOLEON. * * * * * _October 11th.--Battle of Hasslach. Dupont holds his own against much superior forces._ No. 5. _October 12th.--French enter Munich._ TO JOSEPHINE, AT STRASBURG. _October 12, 1805_, 11 P.M. My army has entered Munich. On one side the enemy is beyond the Inn; I hold the other army, 60,000 strong, blocked on the Iller, between Ulm and Memmingen. The enemy is beaten, has lost its head, and everything points to a most glorious campaign, the shortest and most brilliant which has been made. In an hour I start for Burgau-sur-l'Iller. I am well, but the weather is frightful. It rains so much that I change my clothes twice a day. I love and embrace you. NAPOLEON. _October 14th.--Capture of Memmingen and 4OOO Austrians by Soult._ _October 15th.--Battle of Elchingen. Ney defeats Laudon._ _October 17th.--Capitulation of Ulm._ No. 6. _October 19th.--Werneck and 8000 men surrender to Murat._ TO JOSEPHINE, AT STRASBURG. _Abbaye d'Elchingen, October 19, 1805._ _My dear Josephine_,--I have tired myself more than I ought. Soaked garments and cold feet every day for a week have made me rather ill, but I have spent the whole of to-day indoors, which has rested me. My design has been accomplished; I have destroyed the Austrian army by marches alone; I have made 60,000 prisoners, taken 120 pieces of cannon, more than 90 flags, and more than 30 generals. I am about to fling myself on the Russians; they are lost men. I am satisfied with my army. I have only lost 1500 men, of whom two-thirds are but slightly wounded. Prince Charles is on his way to cover Vienna. I think Massena should be already at Vicenza. The moment I can give my thoughts to Italy, I will make Eugène win a battle. Very bes |