Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookento. _April 16th._--And at Sacile. _April 19th._--Combat of Pfafferhofen. Oudinot repulses Austrians, while Davoust wins the Battle of Thann. _Napoleon joins the army._ _April 20th._--Battle of Abensberg. Archduke Louis defeated. Austrians take Ratisbon, and 1800 prisoners. Poles defeated by Archduke Ferdinand at Baszy. _April 21st._--Combat of Landshut; heavy Austrian losses. Austrians under Archduke Ferdinand take Warsaw. _April 22nd.--Battle of Eckmühl. Napoleon defeats Archduke Charles._ _April 23rd._--French take Ratisbon. _April 25th._--King of Bavaria re-enters Munich. _April 26th._--French army crosses the Inn. _April 28th-30th._--French force the Salza, and cut in two the main Austrian army--"One of the most beautiful manoeuvres of modern tactics" (_Montgaillard_). _April 29th._--Combat of Caldiero. Eugène defeats Archduke John. _May 3rd._--Russia declares war on Austria, and enters Galicia. _May 4th._--Combat of Ebersberg. Massena defeats Austrians, but loses a large number of men. No. 1. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Donauwoerth, April 17, 1809._ I arrived here yesterday at 4 A.M.; I am just leaving it. Everything is under way. Military operations are in full activity. Up to the present, there is nothing new. My health is good.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 2. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Enns, May 6, 1809, Noon._ _My Dear_,--I have received your letter. The ball that touched me has not wounded me; it barely grazed the tendon Achilles. My health is very good. You are wrong to be uneasy. My affairs here go excellently.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. Kind regards to Hortense and the Duke de Berg.[32] * * * * * _May 8th._--Eugène crosses the Piave, and defeats Archduke John. No. 3. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Saint-Polten, May 9, 1809._ _My Dear_,--I write you from Saint-Polten. To-morrow I shall be before Vienna; it will be exactly a month to the day after the Austrians crossed the Inn, and violated peace. My health is good, the weather splendid, and the soldiery very cheerful; there is wine here. Keep well.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. * * * * * _May 13th._--French occupy Vienna, after a bombardment of thirty-six hours. _May 17th._--Roman States united to the French Empire. _May 18th._--French occupy Trieste. _May 19th._--Lefebvre occupies Innsbruck. _May 20th._--Eugène reaches Klagenfurt. _May 21st-22nd._--Battle of Essling. A drawn battle, unfavourable to the French, who lose Marshal Lannes, three generals killed, and 500 officers and 18,000 men wounded. The Archduke admits a loss of 4200 killed and 16,000 wounded. _May 22nd._--Meerveldt with 4000 men surrenders at Laybach to Macdonald. _May 25th._--Eugène reaches Leoben in Styria, and captures most of the corps of Jellachich. _May 26th._--Eugène joins the army of Germany, at Bruck in Styria. No. 4. _May 12th._--Soult evacuates Portugal. Wellington crosses the Douro, and enters Spain. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Schoenbrunn, May 12, 1809._ I am despatching the brother of the Duchess of Montebello to let you know that I am master of Vienna, and that everything here goes perfectly. My health is very good. NAPOLEON. No. 5. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Ebersdorf, May 27, 1809._ I am despatching a page to tell you that Eugène has rejoined me with all his army; that he has completely performed the task that I entrusted him with; and has almost entirely destroyed the enemy's army opposed to him. I send you my proclamation to the army of Italy, which will make you understand all this. I am very well.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. _P.S._--You can have this proclamation printed at Strasburg, and have it translated into French and German, in order that it may be scattered broadcast over Germany. Give a copy of the proclamation to the page who goes on to Paris. * * * * * _May 28th._--Hofer defeats Bavarians at Innsbruck. No. 6. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Ebersdorf_, _May 29, 1809_, 7 P.M. _My Dear_,--I have been here since yesterday; I am stopped by the river. The bridge has been burnt; I shall cross at midnight. Everything here goes as I wish it, viz., very well. The Austrians have been overwhelmed (_frappès de la foudre_). Adieu, dear.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 7. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Ebersdorf May 31, 1809._ Your letter of the 26th to hand. I have written you that you can go to Plombières. I do not care for you to go to Baden; it is not necessary to leave France. I have ordered the two princes to re-enter France.[33] The loss of the Duke of Montebello, who died this morning, has grieved me exceedingly. Thus everything ends!! Adieu, dear; if you can help to console the poor Maréchale, do so.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. * * * * * _June 1st._--Archduke Ferdinand evacuates Warsaw. _June 6th._--Regent of Sweden proclaimed King as Charles XIII. No. 8. TO THE EMPRESS, AT STRASBURG. _Schoenbrunn, June 9, 1809._ I have received your letter; I see with pleasure that you are going to the waters at Plombières, they will do you good. Eugène is in Hungary with his army. I am well, the weather very fine. I note with pleasure that Hortense and the Duke of Berg are in France. Adieu, dear.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. * * * * * _June 10th._--Union of the Papal States to France promulgated in Rome. _June 11th.--Napoleon and all his abettors excommunicated._ _June 14th._--Eugène, aided by Macdonald and Lauriston, defeats Archduke Ferdinand at Raab. No. 9. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PLOMBIÈRES. _Schoenbrunn, June 16, 1809._ I despatch a page to tell you that, on the 14th, the anniversary of Marengo, Eugène won a battle against the Archduke John and the Archduke Palatine, at Raab, in Hungary; that he has taken 3000 men, many pieces of cannon, 4 flags, and pursued them a long way on the road to Buda-Pesth. NAPOLEON. * * * * * _June 18th._--Combat of Belchite. Blake defeated by Suchet near Saragossa. No. 10. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PLOMBIÈRES. _Schoenbrunn, June 19, 1809, Noon._ I have your letter, which tells me of your departure for Plombières. I am glad you are making this journey, because I trust it may do you good. Eugène is in Hungary, and is well. My health is very good, and the army in fighting trim. I am very glad to know that the Grand Duke of Berg is with you. Adieu, dear. You know my affection for my Josephine; it never varies.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. * * * * * _July 4th-5th._--French cross Danube, and win battle of Enzersdorff. _July 5th-6th._--Pope Pius VII. carried off from Rome by order of Murat; eventually kept at Savona. _July 6th.--Battle of Wagram._ The most formidable artillery battle ever fought up to this date (900 guns in action). The Austrians had 120,000 men, with more guns and of larger calibre than those of the French. No. 11. _July 7th._--St. Domingo surrenders to the English. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PLOMBIÈRES. _Ebersdorf |