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p>^ ^__ Cornell University Library 
 DC 198.M13A3 1892 
 
 V.I 
 
 Recollections of Marshal Macdonald. duke 
 
 3 1924 027337 "036 
 
W ^ Cornell University 
 
 WM) Library 
 
 The original of tiiis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924024337036 
 
RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 MARSHAL MACDONALD 
 
'4 
 
 AlAUSllAl. MAr]~)ON.U.l^ 
 
 ( D'UE-IL OF TAIUiMTUli 
 
 Trim the orifiinal "by David 
 
 imp Endes 
 
RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Marshal Macdonald 
 
 DUKE OF TARENTUM 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 CAMILLE ROUSSET 
 
 (member of the FRENCH ACADEMY) 
 
 'gx-anslttieb faj? 
 STEPHEN LOUIS SIMP:ON 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES 
 VOL. L 
 
 LONDON 
 RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON 
 ^ttbltahei-s in (Briinarg ta ggtr ^ntsiy> Vnt «SJ«ten 
 1892 
 
 \_All rights reserved^ 
 
 u;.ri Y 
 
 • ' l;Y 
 
(SttilSforli ; 
 
 J'KINTEU BY HILLING AND SONS. 
 
NOTE BY THE TRANSLATOR. 
 
 I THINK it well to draw the reader's attention to 
 the fact that, in rendering the present work into 
 English,. I have not felt at liberty to omit the 
 preliminary summary of the book by the French 
 editor, himself a distinguished man of letters and 
 a member of the French Academy. I desire to 
 do this in view of the repetition of certain pas- 
 sages and incidents in the course of Marshal 
 
 Macdonald's ' Recollections.' 
 
 S. L. S. 
 
 February 5, 1892. 
 
CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 
 
 I'AGE 
 
 Editor's Introduction ----- i 
 
 Macdonald's Companions in .\rms, Marshals of the 
 First Napoleon, Diplomatists referred to in 
 the 'Recollections' ----- 113 — 118 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Family History — Journey to the Hebrides — Parentage- 
 Brothers and Sisters — AVith Maillebois — Life at San- 
 cerre — Gentleman -Cadet — At St. Germain — Mar- 
 riage -------- 121 — 13s 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 First Campaign — Battle of Jemmappes — Appointed Colonel 
 — Arrival at Lille — Dumouriez's Treachery — Events at 
 Lille — Interrogation — End of the Incident - 136 — 154 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 General Lamarliere — Macdonald appointed Adjutant- 
 General — Execution of Laraarhere — Skirmishes at 
 Linselles and Commines — Entry into Lille — A warlike 
 Commissioner — Denunciation — A Loyal Friend — A 
 Broken Reed — Extension of Coitimand — General 
 Pichegru — Belgium and Holland — Battle of Hooglede 
 — On the Waal - iSS — 169 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Passage of the Waal— Its Results— Reconnaissance at 
 Arnheim— Arrival at Naarden— Capitulation of Naar- 
 den— On the Banks of the Yssel— Delfzyl— The 
 Peace of Basle— Command in Overyssel— Ordered to 
 Walcheren — Fever — Removal to Utrecht — Con- 
 valescence ------- 17° — 182 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Army of the Sambre and Meuse — Donauwerth — Opera- 
 tions on the Rhine — Neuwied — Mistake of General 
 Castelvert — His Excuse and Recall — At Diissel- 
 dorf — Fresh Hostilities on the Rhine — Arrival of 
 General Augereau — Politeness and Literary Attain- 
 ments of General Lefebvre — Macdonald summoned 
 to Paris -------- 183—1^ 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Ordered to Italy — The Army of Rome — General Cham- 
 ~ pionnet — Insurrection in Rome — Championnet's Flight 
 — Evacuation of Rome — General Mack — Nepi and 
 Otricoli — Differences with Championnet — Explana- 
 tion -------- 189 — 204 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 At Fort Sant'-Angelo — Junction with Kellermann — Return 
 to Rome — A Speedy Decision — Before Capua — A Truce 
 — Arrest of Mack — Commander-in-Chief of the Army 
 of Naples — Arrival at Naples — Rising in Naples — 
 Insurrections in the Country — Miracle of St. Januarius 
 — Preparations ------ 205 — 222 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Bad News — Advance to Rome — Alarm for Naples — 
 Departure from Rome — Sarzana and Pontremoli — 
 Rising in Tuscany — Surrender of Fort Sant'-Elmo — 
 A Brave Action — Capitulation of Ferrara — Generals 
 Montrichard and Scherer — Offer of Resignation 223 — 238 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Battle of Modena — The Marshal in Danger — Severely 
 wounded — Montrichard's Mistake — Austrian Breach 
 of Faith — March towards the Trebbia and Tidone — 
 Battle of the Trebbia ----- 239 — 256 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Absence of Moreau — Victor's Delay — Flight of Victor — 
 Plans for Retreat — Difficulties of the March — Modena 
 and Sassuolo — Hesitation of Moreau — Blockade of 
 Mantua — Concentration near Genoa — The Army of 
 the Alps 257 — 273 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 A Valuable Collection Lost — Joubert Commander-in-Chief 
 — Fall of Mantua — Death of Joubert — Back in Paris 
 — Action against Moreau — Landing of Napoleon — 
 The 1 8th Brumaire — ^Reorganization of the Armies — 
 Moreau's Double-dealing — The Army of the Grisons 
 — Peace of Lundville — Diplomatic Mission to 
 Denmark ------- 274—284 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 i'AGE 
 
 At Copenhagen — Diplomacy against the Grain — Recall to 
 France — Monsieur de Talleyrand — Trial of Moreau — 
 Napoleon elected Emperor — The Legion of Honour 
 — In Disgrace — Purchase of Courcelles — Recalled to 
 Active Service — Domestic Arrangements - 285 — 294 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Departure for Italy — Untrustworthy Intelligence — A Bad 
 Beginning — Arrival at Vicenza — Prince Eugene — 
 Warnings and Defensive Measures - - - 295 — 307 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Defence of the Alpone — Retreat of the Archduke John — 
 Combat on the Piave — An Incomplete Success — 
 Capitulation of Prewald — Siege of Laybach — Advance 
 to Gratz - -----_. 208 — 323 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Arrival at Gratz — Advance to Raab — Battle of Raab — 
 Before Komorn — The Eve of ^Vagram — Battle of 
 Wagram — The Marshal's Baton - - - 324 — 348 
 
 Note - . . _ . . . 3^3 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 IN THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 I. 
 
 Marshal Macdonald, Duke of Tarentum, on Horse- 
 back ..... to face page 54 
 
 From the original by Eugene Charpentier, engraved by Paul 
 Girardet. 
 
 II. 
 
 Marshal Macdonald, Duke of Tarentum. {Head) 
 
 Frontispiece 
 Photogravure from the picture by Davicl. 
 
 III. 
 
 Marshal Macdonald, Duke of Tarentum. {Quarter- 
 length) .... to face page 121 
 Probably from the original by Gerard, and engraved liy Hopwood. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Facsimile of Marshal Macdonald's Handwriting 
 
 to face page 198 
 I.etter giving account of narrow escape of his son from drowning. 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 V. 
 
 Marshal ^^ICTOR (Perrin), Duke of Belluno. (Fi/// 
 
 length) .... to face page 246 
 
 VI. 
 The Emperor Napoleon. {Half-length) . to face page 280 
 
 From Ihe original by Pliilippoteaiix, engraved by Wolff. 
 
 VII. 
 
 The Emperor Napoleon (on Horseback) at the 
 
 B.4TTLE OF Wagram . . . to facc page 336 
 
 From the painting l^y Horace A'ernet, engraved liy Paul Girardet. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 The Battle of Wagram. Cuirassiers waiting to 
 
 charge .... to face page 340 
 
 From the original by Raffet, engraved by Geoffroy. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In the month of May, 1825, the sexagenarian 
 Marshal Macdonald, left a widower for the third 
 time, was plunged in the deepest grief. By his 
 previous marriage he had only daughters ; the 
 last marriage, solemnized scarcely four years before 
 and which had terminated so grievously, left him 
 a son, heir to his name. It was for him — for this 
 child still in the cradle — that, far from Paris, far 
 from the commonplace consolations and condo- 
 lences of the Court, the Marshal undertook, not 
 to distract, but to occupy the isolation caused by 
 his sorrow, in noting down the various stages of 
 his long and glorious career. He did not pretend 
 to write memoirs ; they are simply recollections 
 destined for the child who was alone to see them 
 in the future. Sixty-five years have elapsed since 
 they were penned ; more than fifty have come 
 and gone since the Marshal died, and his grand- 
 daughter, Madame la Baronne de Pommereul, 
 has thought that, in the interest and for the 
 VOL. I. ci 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 advantage ot history, as well as for the reputation 
 and fame of her ancestor, the moment has come 
 to lift the veil which, until now, has covered these 
 ' Recollections,' and has entrusted to me the task 
 of revealing them to the public. It is a great 
 honour, for which I am grateful to her. I could 
 not help feeling respectful emotion as I turned 
 over those pages impregnated with sincerity, and 
 which breathed forth truth like a refreshing per- 
 fume. On no occasion, nor in any presence, did 
 Macdonald conceal his thoughts, even when with 
 the greatest of men, with Napoleon as with 
 Louis XVIII. 
 
 Ask him for truth ; he will lay it before you in 
 bare simplicity, neither coloured nor cloaked ; do 
 not ask him for ornaments of style. He has made 
 several candid confessions with regard to this. 
 ' On reading this hastily-written narrative,' he 
 says, early in his ' Recollections,' ' you will easily 
 see, my son, from the broken sentences, the repe- 
 tition of words, the mistakes in spelling and punc- 
 tuation, how absorbed I am in the over-mastering 
 remembrance of our misfortune, and you will 
 judge of the state of my mind from those things 
 better than from any description I could give you. 
 Moreover, I never read anything a second time, 
 not even my letters ; but I treat my official cor- 
 respondence, suggestions, reports, instructions, 
 opinions, very differently. You will be struck by 
 a remarkable difference of style ; mine is generally 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 abrupt, concise, and to the point, when the matter 
 in hand needs no elucidation, for, as a rule, this 
 is destructive of energy.' Elsewhere he says : ' I 
 have not patience to re-read what I have already 
 written, owing to a bad habit long since con- 
 tracted, because, writing much and very rapidly, I 
 should find many mistakes ; but in order to cor- 
 rect them, I should have either to scratch them 
 out or begin afresh, and I have not time for that, 
 although I am a very early riser. I know the 
 value of time, and how to make the most of it. 
 Do not, however, imitate my bad habits ; write 
 less and more correctly. But these historical 
 notes are for you alone, and you will make allow- 
 ances for your father.' I feel assured that the 
 reader will be no less indulgent, for in this case 
 the facts are a hundred times more interesting 
 than the style. 
 
 There is no single erasure in this manuscript of 
 472 folio pages ; there are consequently a certain 
 number of detached or amphibological sentences, 
 of which it has been found necessary to restore the 
 equilibrium or the sense. With these exceptions, 
 and with the omission of a few intimate details of 
 precious interest for the family, but with none for 
 anyone unconnected with it, the text has been 
 treated with the respect it merits. Having said 
 this, I ask permission of the reader, before he 
 embarks upon these important ' Recollections,' to 
 present him with an abridgment of the entire 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 narrative, together with some explanations that I 
 have discovered among the archives of the War 
 Office in Paris. 
 
 I. 
 
 Neil Macdonald, father of the Marshal, was 
 born on one of the last days of the year 17 19, at 
 Boubry, or Coubry,* in South Uist, one of the 
 Hebrides. Educated in France, at the Scotch 
 College at Douai, he had returned to his own 
 country, when the advent of the Pretender Charles 
 Edward set Scotland in a blaze and imperilled 
 the Hanoverian dynasty. An ardent Jacobite, 
 Neil was one of the first to join the Pretender, 
 and remained faithful to him to the last, when 
 evil fortune compelled them both to seek safety 
 in France. The proscribed Jacobite was, at the 
 end of 1747, provided with a lieutenancy in 
 Albany's Scotch regiment, and later on in that of 
 Ogilvie ; but, at the peace of 1763, most of the 
 foreign regiments in the service of France were 
 disbanded, and Neil Macdonald had great diffi- 
 culty in obtaining a meagre pension of 300 louis 
 (about ^s*^) a year. 
 
 His son, Jacques-Etienne-Joseph-Alexandre, the 
 future Marshal, was born on November 17, 1765, 
 at Sedan, whither he had retired. The family 
 shortly afterwards left Sedan and took up their 
 abode at Sancerre. 
 
 * Vide inf. p. 126, note. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 As soon as young Macdonald was of an age to 
 commence serious studies he was sent to Paris, 
 and confided to the care of a compatriot, Chevalier 
 Pawlet (sic), who managed a sort of half-civil, 
 half-military academy for young gentlemen. The 
 new-comer joined with the idea, impressed upon 
 him by his family, that he was destined for the 
 Church, and with dreams of a canonry at Cambrai ; 
 but his military instincts prevailed, ' Especially,' 
 he tells us, ' after reading Homer, which set my 
 brain on fire ; I thought myself an Achilles.' He 
 had to undergo a disappointment ; having passed 
 but an indifferent examination in mathematics, 
 he was prevented joining as an Engineer the 
 Practical School for Artillery and Engineering 
 {^cole cT application de Vartillerie et du gdnie). 
 He was in despair, until a fortuitous circum- 
 stance came to open for him a back-door into 
 the army. 
 
 This was in 1784. The Dutch were in diffi- 
 culties upon the subject of the navigation of the 
 Scheldt with their powerful neighbour, the Em- 
 peror Joseph n., sovereign of Belgium. They 
 had but an insignificant and quite insufficient 
 army, and required generals, officers, and men. 
 A French gentleman, the Comte de Maillebois, 
 more or less authorized by the Government, raised 
 on their behalf a legion composed of all arms ; 
 thanks to the recommendation of some persons in 
 good position, young Macdonald was included as 
 
EDITORS INTRODUCTION 
 
 a Lieutenant of Infantry. He was almost beside 
 himself with delight. While under Pawlet's roof 
 he fancied himself an Achilles ; now he modestly- 
 limited his hopes to becoming a Turenne. He 
 started for Holland, and actively employed him- 
 self for several months in drilling his company ; 
 but, alas ! just as the campaign was expected to 
 open, peace was concluded, peace with its results, 
 the disbandment of the legion. The Dutch, good 
 and thrifty managers, had stipulated that in case 
 this not unforeseen event should happen, a life- 
 pension should be granted, consisting of half the 
 monthly pay, and saddled with the express condi- 
 tion that it should be spent in their country, or an 
 indemnity, once for all, of a sum down calculated 
 upon four years of the said pension ; to which it 
 must be added that the military year in Holland 
 consisted only of eight months, each month count- 
 ing as forty-five days. Could Macdonald accept 
 the first alternative at the risk of vegetating for 
 the rest of his days as a poor pensioner of the 
 United Provinces ? He preferred the sum down, 
 and retired. 
 
 He was now without a profession, as the 
 Maillebois regiment had never had a recognised 
 existence in France, and accepted with alacrity a 
 proposal to begin his way up the military ladder 
 from the lowest rung, not even with a sub-lieuten- 
 ant's commission, but as a gentleman-cadet, that 
 is to say, as rather less than an officer. Thus it 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 came about that he joined Dillon's Irish regiment. 
 At the end of six months he was named Brevet 
 Sub-lieutenant, and after another six months 
 received the titular rank. Then he travelled 
 from garrison to garrison, always working hard, 
 and was in Calais when his father died at Sancerre 
 in 1788. In October, 1791, he was promoted to 
 a Lieutenancy in Dillon's regiment, and was first 
 married. The Revolution was now in full activity, 
 and war soon followed. 
 
 General Beurnonville, who knew and appre- 
 ciated him, obtained his appointment as Captain, 
 and took him as aide-de-camp ; but he could only 
 keep him for two months, because Dumouriez, 
 Commander-in-chief of the Army of the North, 
 wished to take him in the same capacity. Beur- 
 nonville, in the interest of his proUge, strongly 
 urged him to accept the Commander-in-chief's 
 proposal. The advice was good, for in less than 
 five months Macdonald became a Lieutenant- 
 Colonel, the reward for his bravery at the battle 
 of Jemmappes. Early in the winter of 1793, he 
 chanced to be on leave in Paris, when Beur- 
 nonville, now War Minister, appointed him to 
 the Colonelcy of the Picardy regiment — Colonel 
 at eight-and-twenty, and,, moreover. Colonel of 
 Picardy, the chief of the four old corps, the head 
 of the French infantry ! As he himself says, 
 surely that was enough to satisfy the most bound- 
 less ambition ; but fortune was not always going 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 to smile so sweetly upon him, and his fate hung 
 for a moment ' by a thread.' 
 
 Dumouriez had been defeated at Neerwinde, 
 and, now become ' suspected,' nearly dragged 
 Macdonald with him in his fall ; while, at the 
 same time, he lost the support of Beurnon- 
 ville, who had been handed over to the Austrians 
 by Dumouriez. It was but a lightning-flash ; but 
 the storm continued to mutter round his head, with 
 occasional threatening gleams. Commissioners 
 from the Convention succeeded each other in turn 
 at Lille, all prejudiced against the Picardy Colonel, 
 all excited by denunciations, accusations, and jealous 
 rivalries. However, he continued to discharge 
 his duties with the same zeal, the same energy, 
 and the same success. At length the thunderbolt 
 fell. It took — will it be believed ? — the form of 
 promotion to the rank of General of Brigade, a 
 promotion conferred by the Commander-in-chief, 
 Houchard, and confirmed August 26, 1793, by 
 the representatives of the people, Levasseur and 
 Bentabole. 
 
 'This,' he tells us, 'came upon me like a 
 thunderbolt, as, although for several months past 
 I had performed the duties of the office, I had not 
 had the responsibilities attaching to the rank. I 
 represented that I was youthful and inexperi- 
 enced ; but they would not listen. I had to bow 
 to their decision, under pain of being treated as a 
 "suspect" and arrested.' 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 Thus he now becomes a General — that is to 
 say, more conspicuous, more responsible, and con- 
 sequently more exposed. He had fresh successes, 
 which carried in their train fresh jealousies, 
 enemies, and calumniators. Fresh representa- 
 tives came, with the most extended powers. Their 
 first act was intended to be the deprivation of 
 Macdonald, followed by his arrest and arraign- 
 ment before the Revolutionary tribunal at Arras. 
 Happily for him, the Commissioners received 
 orders to hasten to Dunkirk without delay. While 
 awaiting their return, General Souham, command- 
 ing at Lille, and who had some friendship for 
 Macdonald, advised him to cross the frontier. 
 He refused. A previous Commissioner had pub- 
 licly expressed confidence in him some time 
 before. 
 
 ' He !' replied Souham. ' I called upon him to 
 speak up for you, but he was silent.' 
 
 ' Never mind,' answered Macdonald ; ' maybe 
 he was intimidated by his superiors. I should 
 like to try him.' 
 
 ' Do so,' was the reply, ' and then come back to 
 me.' 
 
 Macdonald departed in search of his friend, 
 and, on finding him, said : 
 
 ' Look here, you know that I am in disgrace, 
 and have come to beg your help.' 
 
 'Indeed!' replied the other. 'Do you wish 
 me to speak quite openly to you ? I tell you, you 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 are not a republican, and I neither can nor will 
 mix myself up with you.' 
 
 ' But I have not changed, as far as I know, 
 since we met on the frontier, and on that occa- 
 sion you assured me publicly ' 
 
 ' I remember what you mean, but times are 
 changed,' and he turned on his heel. 
 
 Notwithstanding Souham's renewed entreaties, 
 Macdonald refused to fly; and it was well for 
 him that he did so. The special Commissioners 
 were unexpectedly recalled from Dunkirk to Paris 
 without going to Lille again, and this time he was 
 once more saved. 
 
 Fresh Commissioners, fresh alarm ! A decree 
 of the Convention banished to thirty leagues of 
 the frontiers, from the armies and from Paris, all 
 ' ci-devarit ' nobles. Pichegru had just taken over 
 the command of the Army of the North. He 
 knew that Macdonald was an excellent officer, 
 and begged that he might be exempted by name 
 from this measure. The Commissioners got over 
 the difficulty by employing him. Macdonald de- 
 manded written orders from them, otherwise, said 
 he, in case of a defeat, he would assuredly be 
 accused of harbouring evil designs, or even 
 treason, for having remained in the army despite 
 the decree of expulsion. The written orders were 
 refused. 
 
 ' So be it !' he exclaimed ; ' I shall send in my 
 resignation.' 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 ' If you leave the army we will have you 
 arrested and brought to trial.' 
 
 He thus remained between two menaces of 
 death ; but, unknown to him, he had a protector 
 in Paris — the representative I sore — who had seen 
 him at work on the frontier. Macdonald was a 
 foreign name, it was not preceded by the hateful 
 particle 'de,' therefore its bearer could not possibly 
 be included or compromised among the ' ci-devant ' 
 nobles. Such was Isore's argument, and he wrote 
 to Macdonald as follows : 
 
 ' I do not suspect your birth ; you arrived at a 
 good moment. There never was a more revo- 
 lutionary period than ours, and the proofs are all 
 in your favour. I have seen the War Minister, 
 and have turned aside the storm that threatened 
 you. Keep quiet, go on working as usual. If 
 anyone worries you, I will stand up for you. 
 Employ your talents, perfect your military science, 
 and continue to pulverize all slaves. You need 
 never fear deprivation.' 
 
 This was the last attempt made by revolutionary 
 determination against Macdonald. 
 
 Under Pichegru he took an active part in the 
 conquest of Belgium and Holland ; it was at this 
 time that he made the acquaintance of Moreau. 
 Towards the end of November, 1794, he was 
 quartered near Nimeguen, when he received, 
 without ever having dreamed of such a step, his 
 brevet of General of Division. He was just nine- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 and-twenty, and three years previously he was a 
 humble infantry Lieutenant. He inaugurated his 
 new rank by a brilliant piece of work. The Waal 
 was frozen over ; on the right bank lay the lines 
 of the Anglo-Hanoverians. One morning Mac- 
 donald fancied that he discerned among the 
 enemv a tendency to retreat. Three divisions 
 were under his orders at that time, and he made 
 them cross the river on the ice ; but the retro- 
 grade movement he had observed was merely 
 caused by a misunderstanding. A severe combat 
 ensued, and the enemy, who had previously had 
 no intention of retiring, were compelled to do so, 
 notwithstanding their resistance. What is even 
 more to Macdonald's honour is that he took no 
 credit to himself. It may be advantageous to 
 draw attention to the reflections roused in him by 
 his success, as they are a proof of his good- 
 feeling, and may be profitable to his brethren in 
 arms. 
 
 ' I returned to Nimeguen to make my report. 
 The Commander-in-chief and the Commissioners 
 came to meet me. I was almost ashamed to 
 receive their congratulations, because chance had 
 had a much greater share in the success of the 
 day than my combinations, which, as a matter of 
 fact, were only founded upon the apparent retreat 
 of the forces opposed to me, who, in reality, had 
 no idea of such a thing. This event proves that 
 in war it is necessary, on many occasions, to trust 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 13 
 
 to chance ; for I repeat now what I said at the 
 time, that I owed more to luck than to wisdom, 
 although success is generally supposed to depend 
 upon plans, schemes, and arrangements. On this 
 occasion the evacuation of Thiel seemed to me 
 the evident result of a retrograde movement, 
 whereas, in reality, that movement was caused by 
 a misunderstanding.' 
 
 Be that as it may, the passage of the Waal, 
 executed by main force, carried with it most 
 important consequences. The Dutch, separated 
 from their allies, abandoned by them, gave up all 
 hope for themselves. Naarden, the masterpiece 
 of Cohorn, Vauban's rival — Naarden, which had 
 arrested Louis XIV. in his triumph — surrendered 
 to Macdonald without a blow. Very proud of 
 this achievement, he hastened to carry the news 
 to Pichegru. 
 
 ' Bah !' answered the latter with a laugh. ' I 
 pay no attention now to anything less than the 
 surrender of provinces 1' 
 
 The temperature had risen ; Macdonald was 
 once more able to cross the Yssel upon the break- 
 ing ice, but on the other side he had to march 
 through mud, and shortly afterwards floods covered 
 roads and fields. He thus reached the Ems, on the 
 other bank of which he perceived the Prussians ; 
 but they had merely come to inform him that 
 peace had been signed between France and 
 Prussia. He paid for the fatigues of this severe 
 
14 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 campaign by a violent attack of fever, which 
 nearly carried him off, and which the doctors 
 could not subdue for a twelvemonth. 
 
 In September, 1796, he was ordered to the 
 Rhine, to cover the retreat of the Army of the 
 Sambre and Meuse. He went thither again the 
 following year, when the peace of Campo-Formio 
 put a stop to the progress of the French armies 
 in Germany. It was then that General Augereau 
 arrived at Cologne, covered with the laurels of 
 the 1 8th Fructidor, over and above the palms of 
 Castiglione. The new Commander-in-chief was 
 resplendent with gold lace ; he even wore it on his 
 short boots. He conceived the utmost contempt 
 for the miserable Army of Holland, famished and 
 ill-clothed as it was, and boasted of the Army of 
 Italy, of their comforts, their exploits, and his 
 own, without once mentioning the name of their 
 commander — General Bonaparte. 
 
 ' There,' he said in presence of a number of 
 poor ragged soldiers, ' was not a man in that 
 army, bad character as he might be, who had not 
 ten gold pieces in his pocket and a gold watch.' 
 'This,' remarks Macdonald, 'was a hint to our 
 fellows.' 
 
 Augereau's henchman was General Lefebvre ; 
 the ' Recollections ' give us a few traits of the 
 coarseness and eccentricity of this personage. 
 The Commander-in-chief had asked the theatrical 
 manager to provide him with some very revolu- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 15 
 
 tionary play ; he was served with one of Voltaire's 
 tragedies, either ' Brutus' or the ' Death of Caesar.' 
 Lefebvre, honestly believing that the piece had 
 been written for the occasion, applauded with his 
 clumsy hands, digging his elbow into his neigh- 
 bour's side the while, and asking : 
 
 ' Tell me, where is the chap who wrote this ? 
 Is he here?' 
 
 The neighbour was Macdonald. 
 
 II. 
 
 In the spring of 1798 he was placed at the 
 disposal of General Brune, Commander-in-Chief 
 of the Army of Italy. He was sent by the latter 
 to Rome, at that time a Republic, to take com- 
 mand of a division in place of General Gouvion 
 St. Cyr. Italy was in a state of ferment, the 
 Neapolitans threatening. At the urgent request 
 of the King of Naples, and more particularly of 
 Queen Caroline, inveterate enemy of France and 
 republicans, the Austrian Government had sent 
 them General Mack, a famous tactician. 
 
 Macdonald had only 12,000 men at his disposal, 
 more than half of whom were scattered along the 
 Neapolitan frontier. He cautioned the Directory, 
 and begged for reinforcements. His prayer was 
 'answered by the creation of the Army of Rome, 
 distinct from the Army of Italy, with Champion- 
 net as Commander-in-chief. We must observe 
 
i6 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 here that this appointment was distasteful to 
 Macdonald. Not that he did not do justice to 
 Championnet's character, but only with reserva- 
 tions, which, if not actually unjust, were, at any 
 rate severe, and not exempt from bitterness. 
 
 ' It must be acknowledged,' he says, ' that he 
 was a very brave man, but without much capacity. 
 He had acquired a certain reputation while with 
 the Sambre and Meuse Army, by commanding a 
 division that had met with success. A faction 
 had obtained his nomination as Commander-in- 
 chief He himself was a man of pleasant temper, 
 and easy to live with ; but he was surrounded by 
 envious, pretentious, and ambitious men.' 
 
 Scarcely had Championnet joined, when he 
 learned that, without any declaration of war, the 
 Neapolitan army had crossed the frontier at several 
 points, and was marching in columns on Rome. 
 It was five or six times as numerous as the French 
 army. Not feeling himself in a position to defend 
 the city with efficacy, and fearing lest he should 
 be enclosed there, the Commander - in - chief 
 negotiated a convention of evacuation with Mack, 
 and departed, leaving to Macdonald all the 
 responsibility of carrying out the stipulations. 
 
 An insurrection immediately broke out ; all the 
 French who could be surprised singly — military or 
 civil — were massacred. Macdonald's little division 
 was outside the town, watching for the approach 
 of the Neapolitans ; inside the walls, with himself. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 17 
 
 he had but a handful of men. Nevertheless, he 
 boldly faced the storm, charging through the 
 streets abutting on the Piazza del Popolo, and 
 shooting at the windows. At length he got the 
 better of the rising, but would not evacuate Rome 
 during the night, and waited for daylight. The 
 evacuation was effected with dignity and without 
 precipitation. 
 
 Whatever might be said, it was, beyond doubt, 
 a bad beginning, and needed reparation by force 
 of arms. While Championnet went to rally his 
 other divisions, Macdonald established himself at 
 Civita-Castellana with, at the outside, 5,000 or 
 6,000 men. Mack attacked him there with 
 40,000. The position was a good defensive one ; 
 the Neapolitans failed, and fled to Rome, leaving 
 their camp as it stood. This was the first of a 
 series of successes : at Otricoli, where the hospital 
 for the French sick and wounded was found full 
 of corpses horribly mutilated ; at Calvi, where 
 2,000 men forced 7,000 to surrender. Having 
 done all this single-handed, Macdonald rejoined 
 the Commander-in-chief, whom he found curiously 
 embittered. In his correspondence, while giving 
 an account of his brilliant and successful opera- 
 tions, he had written in a jocular manner, instead 
 of blowing his trumpet, ' with no other intention 
 than that of showing how little glory was to be 
 obtained from fighting enemies who, a few days 
 before, had proved themselves both boastful and 
 
 VOL. I. ^ 
 
1 8 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 cowardly.' Now, jealous people had persuaded 
 Championnet that his Lieutenant was laughing at 
 him, and a dialogue was begun founded on this 
 wrongful impression. 
 
 ' "You want to make me pass for a tool." 
 
 ' " What foundation have you for such a state- 
 ment ? How dare anyone suggest that I could 
 display such a want of courtesy to my chief ?" 
 
 ' " Here is your correspondence." 
 
 ' I explained it to him,' continued Macdonald, 
 ' and he softened somewhat. General Eble, com- 
 manding the artillery, came up at this moment ; 
 he was a friend of mine, and explained matters, 
 and the General and I were outwardly recon- 
 ciled.' 
 
 They returned victoriously to Rome, seventeen 
 days after quitting it. That same evening a 
 Neapolitan parlementaire* was brought to Mac- 
 donald, to ask permission for a belated column 
 from Viterbo to pass through the town. 
 
 ' Are you in earnest in making such a request ?' 
 asked Macdonald. 
 
 ' Certainly ; they tell me a truce has been pro- 
 claimed.' 
 
 ' You have been misinformed. Lay down your 
 arms ; that is the best thing you can do.' 
 
 ' What ! Lay down our arms ? We are in 
 force ; we will defend ourselves.' 
 
 * Vide inf., p. i8i, note. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 19 
 
 ' Very good ; you shall be taken back, and 
 orders given to the commandant of Ponte-Molle to 
 put all you gentlemen to the sword.' 
 
 ' Is that your final decision, General ?' 
 
 ' Undoubtedly.' 
 
 ' In that case I will surrender at once.' 
 
 He was the chief of the column. The scene 
 was amusing, worthy of an Italian farce. 
 
 Next day there appeared a general order con- 
 gratulating the army upon its success. Mac- 
 donald's division was scarcely mentioned, and all 
 the promotions and rewards went to the staff 
 From Rome they advanced to Capua, which sur- 
 rendered ; then, instead of marching boldly to 
 Naples, Championnet consented to grant an armis- 
 tice for an indefinite time. This resolution, taken 
 contrary to the strenuous advice of Macdonald, 
 had at least an immediate and decisive result ; 
 after a heated and final discussion with his chief, 
 Macdonald offered to resign, and his offer was 
 immediately accepted. 
 
 Shortly afterwards the armistice was violated. 
 The lazzaroni disarmed the garrison of Naples, 
 organized themselves to defend the town, and 
 Mack, who like Macdonald had resigned, was 
 thankful to escape safe and sound from the clutches 
 of the mob, who would have lynched him. The 
 French army marched upon and took Naples in 
 spite of the resistance of the lazzaroni. Mac- 
 donald went thither as a visitor, spent a week 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 there, and returned to Rome to await his farther 
 destination. 
 
 One day he was aroused from his siesta by a 
 courier, who brought him a decree dated 25 Plu- 
 viose, year vii. (13 February, 1799), appointing 
 him Commander-in-chief of the Army of Naples 
 in place of Championnet, who had fallen into 
 disgrace. The two Generals passed each 
 other near Aversa, without either stopping or 
 speaking. 
 
 Macdonald arrived at Naples by night, in order 
 to avoid the brilliant reception prepared for him. 
 His command included not only the kingdom of 
 Naples, at that time called the Parthenopeian 
 Republic, but also the Roman Republic and Tus- 
 cany. It was a large territory, made more diffi- 
 cult by the want of facilities of communication, 
 which scarcely existed even close at hand, between 
 Naples and Salerno. Everything with respect to 
 government, administration and finance, had to be 
 organized. Macdonald was fortunate enough to 
 find an excellent fellow-worker in Abrial, the 
 Commissioner from the Directory. He laid upon 
 his shoulders all administrative work, and gave 
 himself up entirely to the cares necessitated by 
 the military situation. 
 
 Insurrection was rife everywhere ; it came even 
 to the gates of Naples, to Torre dell' Annunziata, 
 while treason handed over to the English, who 
 had landed from their squadron, the town of Cas- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 tellamare. The insurgents were beaten, pursued 
 as far as Salerno, and the tower retaken. In 
 Naples itself tranquillity was maintained by a 
 national guard, and, what was better still, by the 
 lazzarcni, transformed into guardians of the 
 peace since their leader had been dressed up in a 
 colonel's coat laden with gold, especially about 
 the pockets. 
 
 This was a great deal, but it was not enough. 
 The storm made its mutterings heard all through 
 Italy, from the Alps to the Gulf of Tarentum. 
 Austria had taken up arms anew, and Russia had 
 sent her mystical and impetuous General, Souvorof, 
 to join Field-Marshal Mdas, who was descending 
 upon the Adige. The Directory had entrusted 
 the command of the Army of Italy to General 
 Sch6rer. Foreseeing that a summons was more 
 than probable, inevitable, Macdonald concentrated 
 his forces. He proposed to his Government to 
 evacuate the State of Naples and the State of 
 Rome, retaining only such fortresses as were well 
 supplied ; ' But,' he says, ' the principle of keeping 
 everything gained the day.' 
 
 He none the less continued his preparations. 
 The larger portion of his troops were cantoned in 
 front of Caserta, the forts of Capua, Naples, 
 Gaeta, Sant' Angelo at Rome, Civita-Vecchia, 
 Civita-Castellana, and Ancona, were provisioned. 
 The heavy baggage, the impedimenta of every 
 kind were forwarded to Rome and Tuscany, in- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 eluding the objects of art that the French Govern- 
 ment had taken from royal palaces and museums. 
 After a first selection had been made of articles 
 that were to enrich the Louvre collection, the 
 Directory had decided that the remainder should 
 be divided among the generals and superior 
 officers of the Army of Naples in proportion to 
 their ranks. The share given to the Commander- 
 in-chief was valued by experts at no less a sum 
 than 800,000 francs (^^32,000), to which must be 
 added all that Macdonald had bought with his 
 own money, or received as presents at Naples, 
 Rome, and Florence. No private individual could 
 boast of a more splendid collection. 
 
 All at once he received, together with the news 
 of Schdrer's defeat at Magnano, and of the retreat 
 of the Army of Italy, the order he had foreseen to 
 march without delay, leaving the fortresses gar- 
 risoned. He had just obtained a great Neapolitan 
 success — the miracle of St. Januarius ; but the 
 heads of the Parthenopeian Republic were none 
 the less terrified when he abruptly announced to 
 them his departure, and begged them to remain 
 at their post. The flying columns were called in, 
 and the army started ; behind, around, and even 
 iu front of it, insurrections were breaking out. 
 At Rome, among the supporters of the Republic, 
 desolation and terror were no less lively than in 
 Naples. In spite of everything a speedy advance 
 was necessary, and an attempt had to be made 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 23 
 
 to stretch a helping hand to the Army of 
 Italy, beaten back in Piedmont, and of which 
 General Moreau had taken command in place of 
 Sch6rer. 
 
 On reaching Pistoia, in Tuscany, Macdonald at 
 once caused the outlets from the Apennines into 
 the valley of the Po to be occupied, and put him- 
 self into communication with Moreau, who, after 
 an attempt to maintain his position on the Bormida, 
 had withdrawn Into Liguria. General Dessole, 
 his chief of the staff, came to confer with Mac- 
 donald, and they arranged a plan, whereby the 
 Army of Naples should descend from the Apen- 
 nines and fall upon the left flank of the Austro- 
 Russlans, while the Army of Italy, debouching 
 from Genoa, should attack them, in front, the two 
 armies eventually joining at some point between 
 Parma and Piacenza. But In order to ensure the 
 success of this operation, the utmost exactitude 
 in the respective operations was indispensable. 
 Precise dates were indicated, and two divisions, 
 separated by circumstances from the bulk of the 
 Army of Italy (Montrichard's division at Bologna, 
 and Victor's at Pontremoll), were provisionally 
 placed under Macdonald's orders. 
 
 Weakened by the garrisons It had been obliged 
 to leave in the fortresses, and by the fatigues of a 
 forced march, the Army of Naples, even with this 
 addition, could not put more than 25,000 or 30,000 
 men into the field. An observation of another 
 
24 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 kind — a moral observation— should find admission 
 here : owing to unfortunate jealousies the different 
 armies were on bad terms with each other, and 
 mutually belittled each other's qualities. This 
 ill-feeling was known to exist in all ranks, from 
 generals to privates. This spirit of dangerous 
 rivalry excited the Army of Italy against the 
 Army of Naples, so much so, that the two divi- 
 sions belonging to the former, and temporarily 
 annexed to the latter, were infected with it. 
 
 ' General Montrichard was at Bologna,' says 
 Macdonald. ' I did not know him personally, but 
 presumed he was a man of talent and courage, as 
 he had appeared to possess a reputation upon the 
 banks of the Rhine, a reputation no doubt usurped, 
 as I learned to my cost. I had praised him, never 
 dreaming that he had been the principal cause of 
 the loss of the Commander-in-chief, Scherer, on 
 the Adige.' 
 
 Satisfied that Moreau would carry out his share 
 of the plan agreed upon, Macdonald descended 
 from the Apennines upon Modena with a portion 
 of his forces, who were to be supported by Mon- 
 trichard advancing from Bologna. A preliminary 
 engagement took place on June 12, 1799; an 
 Austrian corps was put to flight, and Modena 
 occupied. After the combat, Macdonald waited 
 on the BoJogna road, expecting Montrichard, of 
 whom he had no news, when a detachment of 
 Austrian cavalry, who had lost their way, and were 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 25 
 
 being pursued and hotly pressed, suddenly de- 
 bouched from a cross-road. Caught between this 
 troop and a French battalion, which was just 
 issuing from Modena, the Commander-in-chief 
 had not even time to draw his sword. He was 
 thrown, seriously wounded about the head, 
 trampled under the horses' hoofs, and remained 
 lying there unconscious. He only recovered 
 consciousness at the end of three hours, and 
 among the Generals who surrounded him, the fore- 
 most whom he perceived was Montrichard at last. 
 
 ' This is your doing,' he said to him. ' Had 
 your troops taken part in this action this mis- 
 chance would not have befallen me.' 
 
 Montrichard tried to excuse himself by saying 
 that the regiment at the head of his column 
 had no cartridges, and that to procure any he 
 would have had to wait for the train of artillery, 
 which was quite at the rear. 
 
 'What!' exclaimed Macdonald. 'Regiments 
 campaigning without cartridges ! Why did you 
 not discover it sooner ? Were they all unpro- 
 vided ?' 
 
 ' No ; only the leading company.' 
 
 ' Then why did you not throw it aside and let 
 the others take the lead ? A little more and we 
 should have been driven back, and it would have 
 been your fault entirely.' 
 
 He dropped his eyes and made no reply. 
 
 ' I should have done well to withdraw his com- 
 
26 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 mand from him then and there ; we should have 
 been saved many disasters caused by him ; but he 
 belonged to the Army of Italy.' 
 
 Thus the Commander-in-chief lay there sorely 
 hurt and wounded. He wished to make the com- 
 mand over to one of his Lieutenants. All de- 
 clined it, saying that the junction of the two 
 armies could not be long delayed, and that then 
 Moreau would naturally take command of the 
 whole force. An advance was made towards the 
 points of rendezvous, Parma or Piacenza, and at 
 the latter place they were joined by General 
 Victor. He handed to Macdonald a letter from 
 Moreau, full of hesitation and uncertainty. Should 
 he debouch by Castelnuovo, as Victor had done, 
 or by Bobbio ? or, again, by the Bocchetta ? He 
 had not settled anything when he wrote, but 
 announced his movement for the 20 or 21 Prairial. 
 They had now reached the 26 ; he, therefore, 
 ought to be on the road, and perhaps already in 
 action. 
 
 Two rivers, or, to speak more correctly, two 
 torrential streams — the Tidone and the Trebbia — 
 flow in parallel lines from the south to the north, 
 from the Apennines towards the Po, above Pia- 
 cenza. Between these two the army took up its 
 position on the 29 Prairial (June 17). The enemy 
 were in sight ; some cannon-shots were exchanged, 
 the first of that battle of the Trebbia which was to 
 last for three days. Macdonald, compelled to remain 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 27 
 
 at Piacenza, could hear the firing. What could it 
 be in front of his advance-guard ? A detachment, 
 perhaps, or at the utmost a body sent out for pur- 
 poses of observation ; for if the enemy had turned 
 and faced them, Moreau must have stopped them 
 by threatening their rear or right flank. The 
 firing, however, increased ; a division, which had 
 attempted to cross the Tidone, had been driven 
 back upon the others. At nightfall the French 
 drew up in line upon the Trebbia. 
 
 The incidents of the day had compelled the 
 enemy to deploy all their forces. Doubt was no 
 longer possible : before them were Souvorof and 
 Mdias, with the entire Austro-Russian army. 
 Must they retire ? No doubt it would be the 
 wisest course ; but supposing they did so, and 
 Moreau coming up later found no Army of 
 Naples there, and was consequently crushed by 
 the enemy, would not the cry of ' Treason !' make 
 itself heard ? 
 
 After a night of physical and moral torture, 
 Macdonald had himself carried to the head of his 
 forces. All seemed tranquil, when, towards mid- 
 day, five long columns of infantry, flanked by a 
 large body of cavalry, appeared, and with yells 
 hurled themselves against the French line; in 
 spite of their renewed efforts they failed to break 
 it. Evening drew on ; everyone listened ; they 
 might hear the distant report of Moreau's guns ; 
 nothing was audible. Despite the inferiority of 
 
28 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 his forces, Macdonald determined upon taking the 
 offensive ; the army wished it. 
 
 The attack was to have begun on the i Mes- 
 sidor (June 19), at nine in the morning; it was 
 delayed until mid-day because Montrichard's divi- 
 sion took. three hours to form up in the centre of 
 the line. The right and left wings advanced and 
 drove back the enemy ; suddenly the centre gave 
 way, a gap was made, and the victorious wings 
 had to fall back. As on the previous day, there 
 was nothing for it but to take up the defensive 
 again, and, as then, the defensive was immovable ; 
 the enemy charged a wall of steel. With the 
 exception of the momentary weakness of the 
 centre, the army had behaved admirably ; but 
 the losses were enormous : nearly all the Generals 
 and superior officers were more or less seriously 
 wounded. If the battle of the Trebbia cannot 
 be actually called a victory, it certainly cannot be 
 regarded as a defeat. It was a glorious day for 
 the majority of those who had taken part in it. 
 
 Was a fourth attempt to be made ? Yes, if 
 any news came from Moreau ; but none did come. 
 Upon the unanimous advice of his Generals Mac- 
 donald ordered a retreat to commence at midnight, 
 the bivouac-fires remaining alight and the guards 
 at their posts. Owing to an unfortunate delay, 
 analogous to that of Montrichard the foregoing 
 day. General Victor did not move before six in 
 the morning, in full view of the enemy, who 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 29 
 
 immediately began to pursue. The leading 
 troops, who had a start of six hours, were obliged 
 to turn, disengage Victor, and recover the artillery- 
 he had abandoned. On reaching Borgo San 
 Donino that evening, Macdonald sent for General 
 Victor, who, not caring to face a disagreeable ex- 
 planation, sent back word that he was worn out 
 and had gone to bed. 
 
 ' Set your mind at rest,' was Macdonald's mes- 
 sage to him, * as to your artillery. The detach- 
 ment that I sent to your help, when you begged 
 for it, reached the spot where you ought to 
 have been, and found neither friends nor foes. 
 Your artillery was brought in without opposition, 
 and I will restore it to you the first time we 
 meet.' 
 
 This remark was not uncalled for ; Victor re- 
 garded it as ironical. When, later on, he became 
 a Marshal of France, Duke of Belluno, and War 
 Minister, he showed that he had not forgiven 
 Macdonald for making it; it had remained in his 
 mind. 
 
 On the 2 Messidor, the very day on which the 
 Army of Naples quitted the blood-stained banks 
 of the Trebbia, Moreau at last made up his mind 
 to debouch from Genoa by the Bocchetta ; after a 
 struggle with the Austrian General, Bellegarde, 
 he retired into the mountains. Had this simple 
 demonstration been made a few days sooner, it 
 might perhaps have given victory to the Army ot 
 
30 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 Naples, as it would have delayed or recalled half 
 of the enemy's forces. 
 
 ' General Moreau,' says Macdonald, ' has never 
 explained his conduct, although I have often 
 pressed him to do so by word of mouth, by letter, 
 officially, and by public summons. Why these 
 delays ? I am sure there was no ill-will on his 
 part, but merely hesitation, which was in his 
 nature. I cannot say the same for his advisers. 
 Among them was one man in particular, Gouvion 
 Saint Cyr, who had great influence, and was in- 
 spired by an unjust animosity against me. It was 
 this man, I have since been told, who most power- 
 fully contributed to augment this natural tendency 
 to delay. What matters any detriment to the 
 public weal so long as private spite can be grati- 
 fied !' 
 
 The Army of Naples continued its retreat. In 
 order to obtain provisions, it had to fight some 
 small, unimportant skirmishes, and Macdonald re- 
 occupied his former quarters at Pistoia. It was 
 thence that he addressed to the Directory, 
 together with his official report, a request for 
 leave. 
 
 ' I know not,' he wrote to the War Minister, 
 ' what will be your opinion and that of the Govern- 
 ment. For my own part, I have nothing to 
 reproach myself with. I call the army to witness, 
 and it may be interrogated. There is one import- 
 ant fact which I must bring to the notice of the 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 31 
 
 Directory, and that is the different denominations 
 and dispositions of mind of the two armies. It 
 has been noticed that the disposition of the Army 
 of Italy has gained ground among our men, even 
 among our Generals. I had Victor and Montri- 
 chard under my orders. Hasten, therefore, Citizen 
 Minister, to bring about the suppression of the 
 Army of Naples by uniting it to that of Italy.' 
 
 Some time afterwards, Abrial, now Government 
 Commissioner in the Court of Appeal, wrote as 
 follows to the War Minister : 
 
 ' I have just read in the public newspapers that 
 General Macdonald has been recalled, and I see no 
 proposal made that he should be again employed 
 in any manner. I do not know what accounts 
 have been given to you of the Battle of the 
 Trebbia ; but I, who at the time was only eight 
 leagues away from the field, who received the 
 wounded, both men and officers — I, who was 
 afterwards at Genoa with a thousand eye-wit- 
 nesses, can declare to you that opinion is 
 unanimous as to the wise manner in which he 
 m.anaged that affair. I do not know what General 
 Victor may have said in Paris ; but this I do 
 know, that General Moreau at Genoa entirely 
 exculpated Macdonald from the reproach of having 
 given battle without waiting for the junction, and 
 this declaration, moreover, was made in presence 
 of General Victor and the Intendant Commissary 
 of the fleet of Naples ; we four were alone 
 
32 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 together. Further, I have just received in Paris 
 a letter from General Macdonald, addressed to 
 me at Genoa, wherein he makes serious complaints 
 of General Victor. Excuse me for going into all 
 these details, but I consider it my duty to give my 
 testimony to a General whose services I regard as 
 valuable to the Republic' 
 
 At Genoa Macdonald received the authorisation 
 to return to France. On his first arrival in that 
 town a disagreeable surprise met him. No news 
 could be obtained of the magnificent collection of 
 objects of art, which ought to have arrived there 
 long before. On making inquiries, he learned 
 that the waggoners, frightened by the insurrections 
 in Tuscany, had left it at Pisa, where it had been 
 pillaged, under colour of Italian patriotism, by 
 honest people who had made a good profit out of 
 their plunder. It was a serious loss, and a bitter 
 disappointment. 
 
 III. 
 On his return to Paris he was received with 
 marked coldness by the Directory, but the days of 
 that Government were numbered. Bonaparte had 
 just appeared unexpectedly ; from all directions 
 crowds flocked to him, and he, on his side, did not 
 neglect to make advances to the right people, 
 especially to Macdonald. He invited him to 
 dinner in company with Moreau on one occasion. 
 Conversation necessarily turned on the affairs of 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 33 
 
 Italy, and ' thenceforward,' writes Macdonald, ' the 
 opinion of my amphitryon was settled in my 
 favour.' 
 
 The 1 8th Brumaire arrived. Macdonald took a 
 share in it by occupying Versailles with troops. 
 As a memento of the occasion he received a 
 sword, which the First Consul, wrote Berthier in 
 an official letter, had sent him as a token of 
 gratitude for the services rendered by him upon 
 the 1 8th Brumaire, year viii. This was a first 
 token, but another and more important one was 
 to come. Two Armies of the Rhine were to be 
 formed — one destined for Moreau, the other for 
 Macdonald ; but the former worked so cleverly to 
 the detriment of the latter, that he succeeded in 
 obtaining the command of both. Macdonald was 
 indignant, and complained to the First Consul, 
 who expressed surprise, and added that he 
 fancied, from what Moreau had told him, that the 
 matter had been settled between them. 
 
 ' How could it have been so ?' exclaimed 
 Macdonald, ' after all that passed between us in 
 Italy, and after the explanation of those events 
 that you yourself had from us at your own table ?' 
 
 ' That is true,' replied Bonaparte ; adding, ' Your 
 health is not yet quite restored. Take care of 
 yourself, and I will fulfil my promise presently.' 
 
 Everyone knows what the first Army of Reserve 
 was, the Army of the St. Bernard and of Marengo ; 
 later on a second was formed, bearing the more 
 
 VOL. I. ^ 
 
34 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 significant title of the Army of the Grisons, and 
 of this the command was given to Macdonald. 
 It was to operate among the Alps, between the 
 Armies of the Rhine and of Italy, extending its 
 right hand to the latter, and its left to the former. 
 Moreau, who desired a reconciliation with Mac- 
 donald, sent him his congratulations. 
 
 ' I must send you my sincere congratulations 
 upon the choice made by the First Consul, both 
 for your own sake, and for that of our future rela- 
 tions. I know that Bonaparte thought we had 
 quarrelled, and was, therefore, afraid to place us 
 so close together. One of my officers in Paris 
 assured him that we were very good friends, and 
 he was aware of it. I could have wished, how- 
 ever, that the First Consul had been somewhat 
 less well-informed, and that he could have given 
 you the command of the Army of Italy. Although 
 my communications with you would have been 
 less direct, it would have suited you better.' 
 
 Later on, after the victory of Hohenlinden, he 
 wrote to him again : 
 
 ' I did not know where you were, my dear 
 General, at the time of the Battle of Hohenlinden ; 
 1 should otherwise have been delighted to inform 
 you of this event. I had foreseen some of the 
 obstacles that you would meet with, but had not 
 believed them so great ; and I imagined that you 
 would have been able to gain the valley of the 
 Adige, which would have been of great advantage 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 35 
 
 to us. Had you remained where we are now, the 
 Army of the Rhine would have easily reached 
 Vienna. It would have sufficed for me to re- 
 inforce you with all that I have left behind me, to 
 stop up the gaps in the Tyrol, and you could 
 easily have marched through the valley of the 
 Drave, where you could have covered my 
 right, and gone through the Italian campaign. 
 It was decided otherwise, and I think wrongly. 
 We caused terrible damage to the enemy ; their 
 losses amounted to 120 guns, 5 Generals, 300 or 
 400 officers, and about 18,000 prisoners. Their 
 army is in a state of utter disorganization. The 
 Archduke Charles has just taken over the com- 
 mand ; I expect that he will withdraw behind 
 St. Pdlten, about eighteen leagues distant from 
 Vienna. His left will be at Bruck. If all continues 
 well with the Army of Italy, I shall be free to go 
 wherever I am sent; but if it meet with no success, 
 I must remain where I am, to secure my right. 
 Good-bye; I embrace you, and am your friend.'* 
 The obstacles that Moreau had foreseen for 
 Macdonald, without regarding them as seriously 
 as they deserved, arose less from the opposition of 
 the enemy than from that of natural forces. The 
 Army of the Grisons had had to cross the larger 
 portion of the Rhetian Alps at their broadest 
 part through snow, over glaciers, threatened by 
 
 * Both these letters are written in the second person singular, 
 implying close intimacy. — Translator' s note. 
 
36 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 avalanches. A squadron of dragoons had been 
 completely carried away and swallowed up in an 
 abyss ; many individuals had disappeared. But 
 there was as much peril, perhaps even more, in 
 advancing as in retreating, so the advance was 
 continued, Macdonald leading the way at the head 
 of the column. At length they attained the summit 
 of the Splugen, rounded the Tonal, and descended 
 on the other side into the valley of the Adige. In 
 presence of this bold, incredible march the enemy 
 had evacuated the Vorarlberg and the Tyrol. 
 
 After the conclusion of the Peace of Luneville, 
 between Austria and France, Macdonald, who had 
 wintered at Trent, brought his army back through 
 Upper Italy. When on the road he received a 
 most absolutely unexpected piece of information 
 — he had been appointed Envoy Extraordinary 
 and Minister Plenipotentiary at Copenhagen ! Cer- 
 tainly, if ever there was a man utterly unfitted for 
 diplomacy, he was that man. His outspokenness 
 was often deplorable ; he was absolutely without 
 pliability, possessed no clever arts of smiling or 
 pretending pleasantly ; in a word, his whole 
 character was as anti-diplomatic as it was possible 
 to be. 
 
 This occurred in March, 1801. He came to 
 Paris, complained, and was told that his mission 
 was rather military than anything else. Den- 
 mark, morally injured by England and in 
 expectation of material injury, had sent to beg 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 37 
 
 for a French General to organize her defences. 
 From this point of view the mission was flatter- 
 ing ; but even before his arrival in Paris the mis- 
 fortune had occurred, Copenhagen had been bom- 
 barded, and Denmark was in despair. Never 
 mind ; the First Consul desired Macdonald to go. 
 It was on the cards that the defensive alliance 
 between Russia, Sweden, and Prussia might be 
 renewed in behalf of the interesting little kingdom. 
 He therefore started, and, on reaching Berlin, 
 learned that Russia had come to an understanding 
 with England. Still he received orders to push 
 on ; an armistice had been proclaimed, and nego- 
 tiations were in progress at Copenhagen. There 
 was nothing for him to do ; but, nevertheless, he 
 was kept in this sort of exile for another five 
 months. He was loud in his praises of the 
 Danes, but their kindly reception of him could 
 not obliterate France from his memory. When 
 the Treaty of Amiens re-established some sort of 
 understanding with England, he thought he had 
 reached the end of his troubles. Not at all; he 
 was then offered the Embassy in Russia, but 
 refused it decidedly, and eventually obtained his 
 recall. 
 
 ' I had a suspicion,' he tells us, ' that Monsieur 
 de Talleyrand had some motives, that I could not 
 penetrate, for wishing to keep me at a distance. 
 I had written him strong representations upon this 
 point ; but, as he might have been prejudiced or 
 
38 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 biased against me, I called upon him. He re- 
 ceived me with cold civility. I warmly pointed 
 out to him, in presence of his wife and several 
 other persons, how ill he had behaved, and 
 abruptly quitted his house. Since then I have 
 ceased to hold any communication with this per- 
 sonage, who afterwards degraded more and more 
 his name and position. He has certainly from 
 time to time made overtures to me, but in vain. 
 1 had judged correctly the sincerity of his affec- 
 tion. His ambition, however, had been amply 
 satisfied at the Imperial Court as well as at that 
 of the Bourbons ; his supple mind, intrigues, and 
 insinuations had secured this. When at last he 
 came to be better known and understood, all 
 parties agreed to throw him aside, and to let him 
 extract what enjoyment he could out of a com- 
 paratively insignificant office,* and to live in 
 regret if not remorse. I admit having said too 
 much about this individual, but it is because I 
 know that he did me serious injury in the eyes of 
 the First Consul by prejudicing him against me, 
 and suggesting that I was a foe to his authority.' 
 
 As a fact, Macdonald was, from 1801, in some 
 degree in disgrace ; and, three years later, in 
 worse than disgrace, for an attempt was made to 
 implicate him in Moreau's trial, but ' it seemed, 
 however, to be recognised that my conscience was 
 clear upon that point, and so I was only watched 
 * He was Grand Chamberlain. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 39 
 
 and all my actions spied upon ; but I was left in 
 peace.' 
 
 Marshals were created after the proclamation of 
 the Empire ; naturally, he was not among the 
 number. 
 
 ' I had to content myself with thinking that I 
 had deserved to figure upon the list, and, with the 
 pride natural to me, added to the feeling that I 
 was the victim of injustice, I took no steps to 
 destroy groundless prejudices. The time came 
 when I congratulated myself upon having acted 
 as I did, for circumstances so favoured me that I 
 was able to win my baton at the point of my sword 
 on the field of Wagram.' 
 
 However, on the institution of the Legion of 
 Honour, he was, to his great surprise, appointed a 
 Knight Companion {Grand Officier). ' In the 
 suspected position,' he says, ' in which I was 
 then living, it could only be regarded as a 
 favour.' 
 
 He had just bought his property at Courcelles, 
 and there he lived as a country gentleman occu- 
 pied with agriculture, following in imagination, 
 and not without regret, the victorious course of 
 the French arms, but convinced that a military 
 career would never reopen for him. One day in 
 March, 1807, he suddenly received from the War 
 Minister an announcement that he was authorized 
 to go to Naples and place himself at the disposal 
 of King Joseph. Authorized ? How ? He had 
 
40 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 never asked for this authorization or any other. 
 No doubt some well-meaning but clumsy friends 
 had begged, or caused it to be begged, unknown 
 to him, from the King of Naples. To be sure 
 he had commanded there, and might be able 
 to render real services ; but on what footing ? 
 Not as a General summoned to command 
 French troops, but as a Neapolitan official or 
 General. 
 
 ' My blood boils even now, and my fury rises,' 
 he says in his ' Recollections,' ' as I write these 
 lines and think to what a degree of abasement I 
 should have fallen had I been desired to command 
 Neapolitan soldiers. I, who had fought and anni- 
 hilated them at Civita-Castellana, at Otricoli, who 
 had completely finished them at Calvi, although 
 on all these occasions we were less than one 
 against twelve or fifteen ! I, who had been wit- 
 ness of their cowardice, their desertion, and their 
 flight ! I, who had invaded their territory ! I 
 say no more. . . .' 
 
 Two years later — in April, 1809 — he received 
 another despatch (for his previous indignation 
 had been justifiable), and this one contained a 
 splendid and complete reparation : an order to 
 join the Army of Italy, under the orders of Prince 
 Eugene, Viceroy and Commander-in-chief. He 
 hastened to Paris. Without further explanation 
 the Minister showed him the Emperor's laconic 
 note : 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 41 
 
 ' Monsieur le Due de Feltre, 
 
 ' Convey orders to General Macdonald to 
 betake himself to Italy, where he will receive 
 fresh orders from the Viceroy. I shall be grateful 
 to him for the services he will thus render.' 
 
 ' The great need in which they stood of Generals 
 and officers, in consequence of continuous wars,' 
 says Monsieur Thiers, ' compelled them to have re- 
 course to many who had been neglected. Napo- 
 leon agreed to the proposal to send to Prince 
 Eugene, to act as his guide and supporter. General 
 Macdonald, one of the most intrepid men who ever 
 appeared in our armies, experienced, shrewd, cold, 
 and knowing how to make himself obeyed.' 
 
 Thus, after five years of inaction and disgrace, 
 Macdonald found the door opening before him 
 which he had considered as irrevocably closed. 
 
 IV. 
 
 On his arrival in Italy, Macdonald met with 
 nothing but bad news. The campaign had scarcely 
 begun, and Prince Eugene had already allowed 
 himself to be beaten at Sacilio by the Archduke 
 John, who, conquered at Hohenlinden, now took 
 his revenge. Along the road between Milan and 
 Verona, Macdonald met with none but terror- 
 stricken people, incapable of giving him any 
 precise information. At Verona ' all was in con- 
 fusion. The wounded were coming in in large 
 
42 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 numbers, as well as fugitives, riderless horses, 
 carts, baggage-waggons, carriages, crossing each 
 other, blocking the streets, and filling the squares 
 — in short, all the horrors of a rout.' 
 
 The Viceroy was still at Vicenza ; he received 
 Macdonald with effusion. The latter comforted 
 him, and advised him to summon without delay 
 the Generals in whom he could repose most con- 
 fidence. 
 
 ' I know them already,' was the reply. ' Look 
 here ; there goes one of them with his division. 
 He took no part whatever in the action, and is 
 now one of the first to be off, besides giving the 
 worst advice.' 
 
 This was General Lamarque. 
 
 The meeting took place ; it was disappointing 
 and dispiriting. Vainly did Macdonald strive to 
 rouse their courage ; there was nothing for it but 
 to retreat to the Adige. The Archduke, however, 
 did not profit by his victory ; his slow, almost 
 timid march gave a respite to the French army, 
 which recovered and reorganized itself, and re- 
 paired its losses. 
 
 It counted in its ranks many men who had 
 formerly belonged to the Army of Naples. These 
 had hailed Macdonald's arrival with joy, and 
 their confidence soon spread to their comrades. 
 But on what footing was he in this army ? As a 
 matter of fact he ought to have been chief of the 
 general staff, but the post was occupied by General 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 43 
 
 Vignolle, a good ofificer, upon whom the Viceroy- 
 would have been loath to inflict pain. Prince 
 Eugene was good, intelligent, very brave, but 
 inexperienced, afraid of his responsibility and 
 bowed down by the weight of his command ; he 
 needed a mentor, and realized the fact ; the 
 Emperor sent him one ; he accepted him un- 
 grudgingly, without arriere pensde, with gratitude. 
 The mentor was frank even to rudeness, but 
 frankness was also one of the Prince's qualities. 
 In order to make for Macdonald a post worthy of 
 him, he put him in command of a corps formed of 
 two divisions of infantry and of a brigade of light 
 cavalry. On every occasion he took his advice, 
 not that he always followed it in its entirety. 
 Macdonald exhorted, urged him to greater 
 enterprises, but he, still haunted by the memory 
 of Sacilio, began well, then hesitated, lost heart, 
 and stopped altogether. The enemy, on their 
 side, displayed no less hesitation ; on either side 
 news from Germany was anxiously awaited. That 
 was where the great stakes were being played for, 
 which must be decisive ; in Italy the game was of 
 interest, but inferior in importance. 
 
 One day, while out on a reconnaissance, Mac- 
 donald perceived in the distance, behind the Aus- 
 trian lines, a great stir among the baggage and 
 waggons. 
 
 ' We have been victorious in Germany,' said he 
 to the Prince ; ' the enemy are retiring.' 
 
44 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 He saw what was true. It was the result of 
 Eckmiihl and Ratisbon. The French took the 
 offensive ; the Piave was crossed by force of arms, 
 and a severe struggle followed, at the close of 
 which Macdonald hastened to the Prince, and 
 said : 
 
 ' See 1 The enemy's right wing is beating 
 a hasty retreat. I am going to cut it off, and 
 to-night I will make you a present of 10,000 
 prisoners. Go to the left, make a feint as if 
 to stop their movement, while I bring up the 
 right.' 
 
 ' We parted,' continues Macdonald, ' in a more 
 amicable frame of mind, but it did not last long, 
 for scarcely had he ordered the left to advance 
 when a few cannon-shot stopped him, and he sent 
 orders to the centre and to the right to stop too. 
 Thus we lost our chance. He told me that the 
 enemy seemed inclined to defend themselves, and 
 that he was unwilling to risk his army. Vainly 
 did I point out to him that the fire was already 
 slackening, and that its only object had been to 
 cover the retreat of the right wing. He would 
 pay no heed. 
 
 ' " In that case," I said, " I shall take no further 
 responsibility. You are in command ; give your 
 orders and I will carry them out." 
 
 'Next day I accompanied the Prince to the town 
 of Conegliano, where one of the principal officials 
 said to him : 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 45 
 
 ' " Ah, your Highness ! had you but pushed for- 
 ward two squadrons you could have cut off the 
 entire right wing of the Austrians. They were 
 fleeing pell-mell in hopeless confusion, and the 
 stampede lasted all night." 
 
 ' The Prince looked at me regretfully. My only 
 answer was a smile.' 
 
 After leaving Udine the army was divided. 
 The bulk, under the command of the Viceroy, was 
 to follow the Archduke John's tracks through 
 Carinthia, and Macdonald, detached with his corps, 
 was to operate in Istria, Carniola, and Styria, to 
 take Goritz and Trieste, and to support the march 
 of General Marmont, who was bringing back the 
 Army of Dalmatia from Ragusa. He had an 
 absolutely free hand, and, to use a common ex- 
 pression, car^e blanche. His operations were all 
 crowned with success. Fortune had reserved a 
 special favour for him at Laybach, where there 
 was an entrenched camp which could not be forced 
 for want of artillery. He therefore limited him- 
 self to demonstrations of a more or less threatening 
 character, and prepared to leave by night the un- 
 surmounted obstacle, when at ten o'clock at 
 night a parlementaire brought him the capitula- 
 tion of the place. 
 
 ' You are doing wisely,' said Macdonald with 
 the utmost gravity ; ' I was just going to sound 
 the attack.' 
 
 A few days later he rejoined Prince Eugene 
 
46 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 and the bulk of the Army of Italy at Gratz. He 
 had taken more than 10,000 men, 100 guns, flags, 
 arms, and an immense quantity of stores and 
 ammunition. The Emperor, through the Viceroy, 
 expressed to him his satisfaction. 
 
 The only serious drawbacks he had met with 
 durinof his march arose much less from the resist- 
 ance of the enemy or from the difficulties of the 
 ground than from the malevolence of some of his 
 officers. He had noticed, even in the first attacks, 
 that they were feebly conducted. He decided 
 thenceforward to direct them in person, and to 
 watch closely to see that his orders were carried 
 out. The chief of the cabal was one of his 
 Generals of Division — Lamarque ; the second was 
 General Broussier, a well-intentioned man, but so 
 weak in mind and ideas as to allow himself to be 
 led by the former. Lamarque had induced him 
 to believe that the Emperor had only recalled 
 Macdonald to active service in order to complete 
 his ruin, and that all who served under him would 
 be at least excluded from all favour or promotion, 
 even if they escaped utter disgrace. It became 
 necessary to put a stop to these attempts at 
 insubordination, and two days before the capitu- 
 lation of Laybach, Macdonald administered a 
 severe and public reprimand to Lamarque, 
 threatening to arrest and send to the Emperor 
 anyone who did not obey orders on the spot. 
 ' Thenceforward,' he tells us, ' my gentlemen did 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 47 
 
 no more than mutter, but that did not trouble 
 me.' 
 
 Shortly before reaching Gratz, Macdonald 
 learned the sad results of the two days of Essling, 
 but he heard at the same time that the Emperor 
 had not lost heart. Orders came to him to leave 
 a detachment in observation before the fort of 
 Gratz, and to follow, with the larger portion of his 
 troops, Prince Eugene into Hungary. He was in 
 reserve at Papa, but aroused by the sound of 
 distant firing, he took upon himself to march 
 straight for the cannon, and did rightly, for when 
 he had advanced a third of the way he met one of 
 the Viceroy's officers riding at full speed to sum- 
 mon him to the battle-field of Raab. Could his 
 troops come up in time, even by dint of forced 
 marches ? He galloped forward : 
 
 *' Ah !' cried the Prince when he saw him ; ' I 
 was very wrong to leave you at Papa ; you would 
 have been very useful to us in this critical situa- 
 tion.' 
 
 ' Take comfort,' was the answer ; ' here is my 
 corps d'arm^e.' 
 
 In spite of the Prince's anxiety the battle was 
 already more than half gained. The sight of the 
 reinforcement completed the enemy's dismay, and 
 they retreated during the night to Komorn. The 
 French followed, but they had not the means in- 
 dispensable for taking such a stronghold, and all 
 their attempts to destroy the bridge across the 
 
48 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 Danube proved unavailing. At length orders 
 reached the Army of Italy to join at Vienna the 
 enormous assemblage of forces which had been 
 gradually converging thither owing to the genius 
 and perseverance of the Emperor. After a march 
 of sixty leagues in three days, it arrived, at nine 
 at night on July 4, at the headquarters of Ebers- 
 dorf. During the historical storm which raged on 
 that famous night, it crossed to the island of 
 Lobau. 
 
 On July 5, at six o'clock in the morning, the 
 troops, warmed by a brilliant sun, spread them- 
 selves out like a fan upon the left bank of the 
 Danube. The Army of Italy was at first in the 
 second line ; the Emperor passed before it, salut- 
 ing with his hand, but without addressing a word 
 to anyone. Prince Eugene, who was behind, rode 
 up. 
 
 ' Well,' he said gaily, ' I hope you were satis- 
 fied. No doubt he confirmed by word of mouth 
 all that I have written to you.' 
 
 ' He did not say a single word to me.' 
 
 ' What ?' 
 
 ' Not a word. He merely nodded, as if to say, 
 " I can see through you, you rascal !" ' 
 
 The kind Prince was miserable. The day 
 passed in marches, deployments, skirmishes, on 
 the part of the vanguard. In the afternoon the 
 Army of Italy was called into the front rank, 
 opposite Wagram and Baumersdorf ; a stream, 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 49 
 
 with steep banks — the Russbach — separated it 
 from the enemy's positions. The cannonade was 
 brisk, when the Emperor suddenly appeared, and 
 said to the Viceroy : 
 
 ' Order General Macdonald to attack and carry 
 the plateau. The enemy are retiring, and we 
 must make some prisoners.' 
 
 He went away again. Macdonald had over- 
 heard. 
 
 ' The Emperor is mistaken,' he said to the 
 Prince ; ' the enemy are not leaving, they are 
 simply retiring to the entrenched position they 
 have selected for the battle. In order to carry 
 through such an undertaking, although we have 
 but an hour of daylight left, we should need to 
 attack with the whole army. Carry or else send 
 these remarks of mine to the Emperor.' 
 
 ' Not I ! He ordered us to attack ; let us do 
 it!' 
 
 ' So be it ; but you will see how we shall be 
 beaten.' 
 
 The attack was made accordingly, with some 
 preliminary success ; but after climbing the slopes 
 to the plateau they found such a large force that 
 they had to descend again. Night had fallen, the 
 retreat became a rout ; fortunately the enemy did 
 not pursue, and thus finished this skirmish. 
 
 Next day, at dawn, the cannonade commenced. 
 The Army of Italy was placed, as on the foregoing 
 -day, between Bernadotte's Saxon corps on its left 
 
 VOL. I. ^ 
 
50 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 and Davout's French corps on its right. The 
 latter was the first to be engaged. The Emperor 
 came up, and, this time addressing himself directly 
 to Macdonald, said : 
 
 ' Last night you carried the plateau of Wagram ; 
 you know the way up to it : carry it again. Mar- 
 mont will at the same time attack the village of 
 Baumersdorf ; you and he seem to understand 
 each other. I will send him to you.' 
 
 Marmont arrived, and the two laid their plans ; 
 but while they were preparing for their simul- 
 taneous attack the Emperor had already altered 
 Macdonald's destination. The battle was going 
 badly on the extreme left, along the Danube, 
 where Massena, with only four divisions, had to 
 bear the brunt of the attack of 60,000 Austrians 
 manoeuvring to reach the bridges crossing to the 
 island of Lobau. If they succeeded, the French 
 army, driven back to the river without possibility 
 of retreat, might be surrounded and taken in the 
 plain of Marchfeld. Warned of this dangerous 
 movement, the Emperor had hastened to denude 
 the centre in order to reinforce the left ; and to 
 redress the centre, already weakened by the rout 
 of the Saxon troops, he summoned Macdonald. 
 Every moment orderly officers arrived to hasten 
 his march. The Emperor was on a hillock, 
 whence he was suddenly seen to descend at full 
 speed. Macdonald quickly took his place, and 
 at a glance grasped the motive for his pre- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 51: 
 
 cipitate retreat. The Austrians were advancing 
 in dense masses, with nothing in front of them. 
 A few hundred yards more and they would cut 
 the French army in half. 
 
 Macdonald first sent forward four battalions at 
 the double, then four more ; he deployed them in 
 two lines, and then, to support the front, 
 formed up the remainder of his divisions in two 
 solid columns, like pillars, and, as it were, on the 
 threshold he placed a portion of Nansouty's 
 squadrons that had been put under his orders 
 that morning. Meanwhile, on his left, a hundred 
 cannon, belonging to the Guard — his own men — 
 and to the Bavarian corps, drew up in line by com- 
 mand of General Drouot, and opened a terrible 
 fire on the enemy. The Austrians, however, 
 continued to advance, replying with their artillery, 
 and summoning their numerous cavalry to charge. 
 Macdonald had barely time to close his second 
 line on the first one, to order the right and left 
 columns to form squares, and from three sides of 
 this imposing formation the firing commenced. 
 The Austrians charged almost on to the French 
 bayonets ; they were broken everywhere, the 
 firing ceased, and the advance continued. To 
 complete and ensure success a large body of 
 French cavalry should have been pushed forward. 
 Nansouty was too slow in his formations ; other 
 squadrons, visible in the distance, did not stir. 
 Macdonald was in despair. Close at hand he 
 
52 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 saw a large number of abandoned pieces of 
 cannon ; these were being hastily removed by 
 their drivers, whom the Austrian officers brought 
 up to their task by dint of blows with the flat of 
 their swords. Nansouty arrived at length too 
 late ; but, nevertheless, Macdonald's splendid 
 manoeuvre had produced its effect, and it was 
 now the turn of the Archduke Charles to find his 
 centre broken, disorganized, and repulsed in dis- 
 order. 
 
 While Nansouty was doing his best to make up 
 for lost time, Macdonald ordered a halt to reform 
 his somewhat straggling ranks while waiting for 
 reinforcements. A General, whom he did not 
 know, and to whom he was a stranger, came 
 to him in order to express his admiration 
 for him. They gave each other their names ; 
 the newcomer was General Walther, of the 
 Guard. 
 
 ' Are you,' asked Macdonald, ' in command of 
 that fine and large body of cavalry which I per- 
 ceive in the rear ?' 
 
 ' I am.' 
 
 ' Then why in the world did you not charge the 
 enemy at the decisive moment } The Emperor 
 ought to, and will, be very angry at the inaction 
 of his cavalry.' 
 
 'In the Guard,' was the reply, 'we require 
 orders direct from the Emperor himself, or from 
 our chief, Marshal Bes.sieres. Now, as .'the latter 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 53 
 
 was wounded, there only remained the Emperor, 
 and he sent us no orders.' 
 
 ' I afterwards learned,' adds Macdonald, ' that 
 the Emperor had treated him and the other 
 Generals of the Guard very severely indeed, but 
 the fault really lay with the Emperor himself; he 
 should not have forgotten the restriction he had 
 imposed.' , 
 
 The reinforcements arrived, consisting of General 
 Wrede's Bavarian division and the light cavalry 
 of the Guard. Macdonald started afresh in pur- 
 suit of the Austrians. At the village of Slissen- 
 briinn he succeeded in cutting off their rear-guard 
 and in making an important capture — five or six 
 thousand men and ten guns — ^but a strong reserve, 
 posted on a height, offered an obstinate resistance. 
 Night had come on. The continued firing and 
 the flames of the burning village lightening the 
 horizon surprised the Emperor, who sent to make 
 inquiries. The whole army had received orders 
 to bivouac at five o'clock, but, through an over- 
 sight, this order had not been conveyed to Mac- 
 donald. His men passed the night under arms, 
 and he himself, having received a kick from his 
 horse during the day, lay down on a truss of 
 straw in a ruinous cottage. 
 
 He was still stretched next morning on this 
 hard couch, when an orderly officer came from the 
 Emperor to fetch him. He could not walk and 
 had no horse, as his had been wounded ; the 
 
54 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 ofificer gave him his. The Emperor, followed by 
 a numerous staff, was surrounded by soldiers, 
 whom he was congratulating, and who were cheer- 
 ing him. On seeing Macdonald he went towards 
 him, embraced him warmly, and, not forgetting his 
 Corneille, said : 
 
 ' Let us be friends.' 
 
 Augustus had spoken. Macdonald, who had 
 never played Cinna, replied : 
 
 ' Till death !' 
 
 ' You have behaved valiantly,' continued the 
 Emperor, 'and have rendered me the greatest 
 services, as, indeed, throughout the entire cam- 
 paign. On the battle-field of your glory, where 
 I owe you so large a part of yesterday's success, 
 I make you a Marshal of France. You have long 
 deserved it.' 
 
 'Sire, since you are satisfied with us, let 
 the rewards be apportioned among my army 
 corps, beginning with Generals Lamarque and 
 Broussier.' 
 
 ' Anything you please ; I have nothing to refuse 
 you.' 
 
 Thus did Macdonald avenge himself for all the 
 annoyances caused him by Lamarque, who none 
 the less continued to grumble and intrigue, but 
 of whom he succeeded in getting rid some little 
 time later. . 
 
 Scarcely had the Emperor turned away than 
 his gilded staff pressed around the new Marshal. 
 
DUKE OFTARENTUM 
 
 Pans, for Ridiard Bentley and Sor, 1892 
 
 Prinrcd by ChWiitniann Pans 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 55 
 
 Embraces and handshakings followed, ' that I 
 thought would never end. Many would have 
 passed me by had it not been for the Emperor's 
 favour.' Such were the reflections of the 
 victorious philosopher. His first visit and his 
 first thanks were for Prince Eugene. With 
 unfeigned joy they threw themselves into each 
 other's arms. 
 
 A few days later an armistice was concluded, 
 and Macdonald received orders to return into 
 Styria and take up his headquarters at Gratz. As 
 he passed Vienna he went to pay his respects to 
 the Emperor, 
 
 ' I found at Schonbrunn a country and people 
 which were alike new to me — I mean the Im- 
 perial Court, which greeted me very coldly,' he 
 tells us. 
 
 The truth probably was that the Emperor was 
 very busy that morning, and received him care- 
 lessly. However, he retained him to breakfast 
 with Berthier and Marmont, who had just been 
 made a Marshal together with Oudinot. While 
 they were at table, a despatch from Vandamme 
 was brought to the Emperor. This General, who 
 commanded the Wurtemberg corps, had been sent 
 forward to Gratz, of which he was to take pos- 
 session until Macdonald could arrive. He an- 
 nounced that on the road he had met an Austrian 
 force which, as it belonged to the Archduke John's 
 army, refused to recognise the armistice, where- 
 
S6 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 upon a suspension of arms had been provisionally 
 agreed to until the arrival of fresh orders. After : 
 breakfast the Emperor received a large number 
 of general officers and others who had come to 
 pay their respects. 
 
 ' Where is your force .'" he asked Macdonald 
 aloud. ' Hasten its march — start in person. I 
 put Vandamme under your orders. Take entire 
 direction of everything ; march against that army 
 and crush it !' 
 
 ' However,' adds the Marshal, ' while I was 
 taking my leave he whispered to me : 
 
 ' " Be prudent ; try not to renew hostilities ; we 
 need rest in order to recover ourselves." ' 
 
 Vandamme was very dissatisfied ; after handing 
 over the command to Macdonald he began to 
 rage violently against the new Marshals, Oudinot 
 and Marmont. 
 
 ' He was good enough to admit,' says Mac- 
 donald ironically, ' that I had earned the distinc- 
 tion,' and then he proceeded to attack the Emperor 
 himself, who, according to what he said, had early 
 in the campaign promised that he should be a 
 Marshal and a Duke before three months were 
 over. 
 
 ' He is a coward !' he went on ; ' a forger, a 
 liar! Had it not been for me, Vandamme, he 
 would still be keeping pigs in Corsica.' 
 
 This was said in presence of about thirty 
 Generals and superior officers, for the most part, 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 57 
 
 moreover, Wurtembergers, foreigners ! He was 
 pacified and quieted with difficulty. 
 
 It became necessary to come to some under- 
 standing with this Austrian force that was stopping 
 the way. Although the Archduke Charles bore 
 the title of Generalissimo, his brother John re- 
 fused to recognise his supreme authority, and 
 tried to avoid carrying out the terms of the armis- 
 tice. Macdonald showed himself firm and even 
 threatening, but he was not obliged to proceed to 
 extremities, as the Austrians were intimidated 
 and retired into Croatia, while he himself entered 
 Gratz without a blow. The Archduke John ob- 
 tained nothing by his attempts at independence ; 
 he was compelled, willy-nilly, to recognise the 
 validity of the armistice ; and finally, after long 
 and wearisome negotiations, peace was concluded 
 at Vienna. 
 
 After the ratifications had been exchanged, the 
 Emperor returned to Paris, and Prince Eugene to 
 Milan. Macdonald took command of the Army 
 of Italy; on August 15 he received the Grand 
 Cordon of the Legion of Honour, the title of 
 Duke of Tarentum, and a present of 60,000 francs 
 (;^2,40o). Generals Lamarqueand Broussier were 
 made Knights Commanders (Grands Officiers) of 
 the Legion, and numerous rewards were distributed 
 among the Marshal's former corps. 
 
 When the moment arrived for evacuating the 
 provinces restored to Austria (by the terms of the 
 
S8 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 treaty of Vienna) a deputation from the States 
 of Styria, recognising the pains Macdonald had 
 taken to spare their country and maintain exem- 
 plary discipline among his troops, came to offer 
 him a considerable sum of money as a present. 
 He refused, and as they insisted, said : 
 
 ' Well, if you really think you owe me anything, 
 I can tell you how to acquit your debt in a manner 
 more worthy of me. Look after the sick and 
 wounded whom I am obliged to leave here for 
 the time being, as well as the detachment and the 
 medical officers of whom they have charge.'* 
 
 * About this time I learned a fact which will create no sur- 
 prise, as it affords another proof of the chivalrous disinterested- 
 ness of Macdonald's character. When in 1815 several Marshals 
 claimed from the allied Powers their endowments in foreign 
 countries, Madame Moreau, to whom the King had given the 
 honorary title of Madame la Marechak, and who was the 
 friend of the Duke of Tarentum, wrote, without Macdonald's 
 knowledge, to M. de Blacas, our ambassador at Naples, begging 
 him to endeavour to preserve for the Marshal the endowment 
 which had been given him in the kingdom of Naples. As 
 soon as Macdonald was informed of this circumstance he 
 waited upon Madame Moreau, thanked her for her kind 
 intentions, but at the same time informed her that he should 
 disavow all knowledge of her letter, as the request it contained 
 was entirely adverse to his principles. The Marshal did, in 
 fact, write the following letter to M. de Blacas : ' I hasten to 
 inform you, sir, that it was not with my consent that Madame 
 Moreau wrote to you, and I beg you will take no step that 
 might expose me to a refusal. The King of Naples owes me 
 no recompense for having beaten his army, revolutionized his 
 kingdom, and forced him to retire to Sicily.' Such conduct 
 was well worthy of the man who was the last to forsake 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 59 
 
 V. 
 
 In the month of April, 1810, a few days after 
 the marriage of the Emperor with the Arch- 
 duchess Marie Louise, Macdonald was appointed 
 Governor- General of Catalonia. He disliked the 
 way in which war was carried on in Spain ; the 
 enemy were ubiquitous, and yet to be found 
 nowhere. The larger portion of his troops, more- 
 over, were in Arragon, at the disposal of General 
 Suchet. The campaign of 18 10, therefore, was 
 devoid, for him, of interest or importance ; the 
 same might have been said for that of the follow- 
 ing year had it not been for the surprise of 
 Figueras by the Spaniards and the siege, or 
 rather blockade, of the town, which afterwards 
 ensued. When Ceesar wrote his ' Commentaries,' 
 he certainly never imagined that he would furnish 
 a valuable model to one of Napoleon's lieutenants, 
 and yet such was the case. ' I remembered the siege 
 of Alesia, and caused analogous works to be made.' 
 
 Napoleon in 1814, and the last to rejoin him, and that without 
 the desire of accepting any appointment, in 1815. M. de Blacas, 
 who was himself much surprised at Macdonald's letter, com- 
 municated it to the King of Naples, whose answer deserves to 
 be recorded. It was as follows : ' If I had not imposed a law 
 upon myself to acknowledge none of the French endowments, 
 the conduct of Marshal Macdonald would have induced me to 
 make an exception in his favour.' It is gratifying to see 
 princes such scrupulous observers of the laws they make for 
 themselves ! — From Bourrienne's 'Napoleon; vol. iii., p. 400. 
 
6o EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 The place yielded at length, and the Marshal 
 brought away from it a melancholy recollection by 
 which he was often haunted afterwards. It was 
 before the walls of Figueras that he had his first, 
 and very violent, attack of gout. When he re- 
 ceived his recall to France he could only walk 
 upon crutches. 
 
 His health was not re-established when, in 
 April, 1 812, he was called to take his share in the 
 Russian campaign. He gladly rose to the occa- 
 sion. 
 
 ' I had left,' he says, ' my armchair in the 
 fortress at Figueras ; I left one crutch in Paris and 
 the other in Berlin.' 
 
 With the exception of one French division, his 
 army corps, the loth, consisted of foreigners, of 
 the Prussian contingent, made up of two divisions 
 of infantry with a brigade of light cavalry, and of 
 a mixed division, consisting of three Polish regi- 
 ments, one Bavarian, and one Westphalian regi- 
 rnent. The general staff was French. 
 
 Macdonald crossed the Niemen with the entire 
 Grand Army on June 24, then broke off from it, 
 and occupied, on the extreme left, a position of 
 observation and expectation on the coasts of the 
 Baltic, near the mouth of the Dwina. After 
 having taken possession of the tete-de-pont* of 
 Dunaburg, he waited long and vainly for fresh in- 
 structions. He only received them eventually 
 
 * Vide inf., p. 171, note. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 61 
 
 from Wilna, that is to say, at the end of the dis- 
 astrous retreat from Moscow, and then not from 
 the Emperor but from Murat, who was trying to 
 collect together the last remains of the Grand 
 Army. 
 
 These orders were to fall back upon Tilsit, and 
 the partial retreat began on December 19. All 
 went well at first ; the troops were rested, well 
 fed, warmly clad in sheepskin pelisses. The loth 
 corps reached the Niemen, feebly harassed by the 
 Russians ; the rearguard, composed of the larger 
 portion of the Prussian contingent, and com- 
 manded by General Yorck, had, until then, scru- 
 pulously followed the bulk of the armj'^ at a 
 distance of one day's march ; at Tilsit Macdonald 
 spent five days in vainly waiting for them ; he 
 sent out for news in all directions ; nothing was to 
 be heard of General Yorck ; his absence seemed 
 to have been pre-arranged. Macdonald had cer- 
 tainly noticed a marked increase of coldness in the 
 General's recent letters, but he never suspected 
 his conduct. The staff were in favour of con- 
 tinuing the retreat without further delay ; the 
 Russians had already crossed the Niemen, and 
 might at any moment cut off the road to Konigs- 
 berg. 
 
 ' Had I been less confident in other people's 
 honour,' writes Macdonald, 'the attitude of the 
 Prussians who were with me would have opened 
 my eyes to what was going on around me* Fiaf 
 
62 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 from being uneasy at the fate of the rear-guard, 
 they seemed not to trouble about it.' 
 
 But, as on the Trebbia he had feared, if he 
 retired, that he might be accused of abandoning 
 Moreau, so on the Niemen he did not wish that 
 anyone should say he had deserted his rear-guard. 
 ' I declared positively that my life, my career, 
 should never be stained with the reproach that I 
 had committed the cowardly action of deserting 
 troops confided to my care.' His loyalty nearly 
 cost him dear. 
 
 Symptoms of insubordination had appeared 
 among the Prussians ; they were becoming arro- 
 gant and exacting ; they demanded a share of the 
 money raised in Courland. One morning at day- 
 break — it was the 31st of December — Marion, 
 Colonel of Engineers, came to the Marshal, 
 thinking that he had news of General Yorck. 
 Upon receiving an answer in the negative from 
 his chief, he continued : 'I fancied you had; for 
 as, in accordance with your orders, I was testing 
 the ice, I saw all the Prussians rapidly recrossing 
 the Niemen, I thought you had sent them to 
 meet the rear-guard. General Massenbach, as 
 he passed, gave me these two letters for you.' 
 
 • Heavens !' exclaimed the Marshal, ' we are 
 betrayed, perhaps given up ; but we will sell our 
 lives dearly.' 
 
 Yorck had deserted. On the previous day he 
 had entered into an engagement with the Russian 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 63 
 
 General, Diebitch. Here is a dry fragment from 
 his letter to Macdonald : 
 
 ' I am not uneasy as to the judgment that may 
 be passed by the world upon my conduct. It is 
 dictated by my duty towards my troops, and after 
 lengthy reflection. I am guided by the purest 
 motives, no matter how they may appear.' 
 
 Massenbach's letter displayed more emotion. 
 
 ' Your Excellency will forgive me for not having 
 come in person to warn you of this step. It was 
 in order to spare myself feelings very painful to 
 my heart, for the sentiments of respect and esteem 
 that I bear to the person of your Excellency, and 
 that I shall retain till the end of my days, are such 
 that they would have prevented me from doing 
 my duty.' 
 
 There was at headquarters an escort troop, 
 furnished by the Prussian cavalry. In the hurry 
 of their desertion, the Prussians had omitted to 
 give them warning, 
 
 ' The officer commanding them came to me in 
 the morning, and, from his calm appearance and 
 manner, it was easy to see that he suspected 
 nothing of what had happened. He could not 
 speak French, but I caused an account of what 
 had passed to be related to him in German, He 
 turned pale, and shed tears of indignation, and 
 wished to remain with and follow us, I told him to 
 call his men to horse, thanked his detachment for 
 their zeal, fidelity, and attachment, gave them 600 
 
,64 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 francs (^24) out of my own pocket, and the same 
 to the officer for a horse, and, despite their en- 
 treaties, sent them to join their compatriots.' 
 , These men, at any rate, did their best to save 
 what remained of honour among the Prussians 
 
 The assembly was sounded. French, Poles, 
 We.stphalians, Bavarians — 4,000 or 5,000 men at 
 the outside — hastily came together ; they marched 
 for twenty- two hours without stopping, through 
 rain, through water, through darkest night, and at 
 length succeeded in gaining the forest of Bomwald 
 at six o'clock in the morning. During the day 
 the rear-guard had been harassed by a slight and 
 intermittent cannonade. 
 
 At length they reached Konigsberg, where was 
 a body of conscripts just arrived from France. 
 Macdonald there united all his troops, and con- 
 tinued his retreat to Elbing, where he found the 
 King of Naples, who ordered him to go to 
 Dantzic, to leave there all his troops under General 
 Rapp, governor of the town, and to go in person 
 to the principal headquarters, there to await fresh 
 orders. 
 
 Murat was in haste to return to Naples ; he 
 started at once, without even informing the 
 Emperor, and left the command to Prince Eugene, 
 At Dantzic Macdonald made over his troops to 
 General Rapp. The separation was painful; 
 leader and soldiers, almost all foreigners, , had 
 become bound to each other by a mutual afifectbn 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 65 
 
 that had been daily rendered keener and more 
 sincere by perils faced together, by privations and 
 fatigues shared in common. 
 
 Where were the headquarters ? No one at 
 Dantzic knew. Macdonald went first to Berlin, 
 and there learned that they were at Posen. He 
 wrote, and, in answer, received orders to betake 
 himself straightway to Paris. 
 
 VI. 
 
 When he entered the Emperor's presence, the 
 latter started, and said not a word ; the Marshal 
 was indignant, left the room, and vowed he would 
 never go to Court again. A few days later, how- 
 ever, he was recalled by order. The Emperor 
 admitted to him that he had been deceived con- 
 cerning him ; he had been falsely accused of 
 provoking the Prussian defection by his excessive 
 severity. Napoleon and Macdonald had begun 
 their warlike career at the same time ; they must 
 finish it together, for the campaign now about 
 to open was to be the last. Thus spoke the 
 Emperor. 
 
 On April 10, 1813, Macdonald was appointed 
 Commander-in-chief of the nth corps of the 
 •Grand Army. This corps was composed of three 
 divisions of infantry and a brigade of light 
 ■cavalry. Two-thirds of the infantry were French, 
 the remainder being composed of Westphalians, 
 Hessians, Italians, and Neapolitans • the cavalry 
 
 VOL. I. e 
 
66 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 was Italian. So Macdonald was fated to have 
 Neapolitans under his command ! 
 
 The very day after his arrival at headquarters 
 he had to s.torm Merseburg, defended by General 
 Yorck ; the attack and defence were, consequently, 
 of the most determined character. Merseburg 
 was carried on April 29, and three days later was 
 fought the battle of Lutzen. 
 
 During the early part of the day the nth 
 corps had operated towards Leipsic, because the 
 Emperor was at first fully convinced that the 
 chief forces of the enemy were in that direction ; 
 but as the firing grew more violent on the right, 
 and the corps of Ney had to bear the whole 
 brunt of the battle, Macdonald was hastily re- 
 called. He came up at the double, disengaged 
 Ney, and, with his squares, withstood the repeated 
 charges made by the Russian and Prussian Guards. 
 Unfortunately the Emperor had not, as yet, 
 sufficient cavalry to retaliate ; he had only a few 
 squadrons, which he watched and tended as a 
 last and almost only resource. The victory of 
 Lutzen belonged exclusively to the infantry and 
 artillery. 
 
 The enemy did not remain at Dresden, and 
 when they retired they blew up the greater part 
 of the bridge over the Elbe. Macdonald, who 
 had the honour of leading the vanguard, caused 
 ladders to be thrown across the dilapidated 
 arches ; his infantry crossed, and then, by the 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 67 
 
 help of the engineers, even the artillery. One 
 morning, believing himself follow^ed by the rest of 
 the army, he found himself face to face with the 
 enemy in full force. In order to deceive them, he 
 drew up his lines in imitation of a spider's web, to 
 make use of his descriptive expression ; but the 
 day seemed long to him. When night came he 
 lighted large fires among his lines. Two more 
 days thus passed, and at last the army came to 
 his support. The nth corps took an honourable 
 share in the days of fighting that bear the name 
 of the battle of Bautzen ; and when at last an 
 armistice was concluded, he went into cantonments 
 in Silesia, in the district of Lowenberg. 
 
 The Congress of Prague was, as is well known, 
 a deception and a pretence. Negotiations were 
 broken off, Prussia and Russia once more took 
 the field, but not alone this time ; they were 
 aided by Austria and Sweden — the coalition was 
 complete. In Silesia, hostilities were renewed by 
 the allies themselves, even before the expiration 
 of the armistice. The Emperor hastened up, 
 drove back Bliicher, turned again rapidly, and 
 swept both Austrians and Russians from Dresden. 
 This was the last flash, not of his genius, but of 
 his fortune. The victory of Dresden was gained 
 on August 27, and three days later Vandamme 
 was crushed at Kulm, in the Toplitz Pass, between 
 two hostile bodies. On the 23rd Marshal Oudinot 
 had been beaten at Gross- Beeren, on the road to 
 
68 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 Berlin ; and, finally, on the 26th, Macdonald had 
 met with a serious check on the Katzbach. 
 
 In order to be able to hold his own against 
 Bliicher, the Emperor had joined to his own army 
 corps Ney's force (provisionally commanded by 
 General Souham), that of General Lauriston, and 
 General Sebastiani's reserve cavalry. Bliicher 
 had established himself on the heights above 
 Jauer. Macdonald sent orders to Souham, who 
 was in the neighbourhood of Liegnitz, to turn the 
 right of the Prussians, while, with the nth corps 
 and that of Lauriston, he himself would attack 
 them in front and on the left. Rain had fallen 
 unceasingly since the previous day, the ground 
 was soaked, the slope steep, and the only road 
 that the cavalry could follow not more than fifteen 
 feet wide. Sebastiani had moved all his artillery 
 thither ; with great difficulty they were brought 
 to the summit, when the guns became embedded 
 in mud up to the axles, and it was impossible to 
 move them. Meanwhile, the infantry mounted to 
 the right and left ; but the rain wetted the pans of 
 their muskets, and the priming would not ignite. 
 Souham, on his side, had failed in his movement. 
 For the same reasons the volleys of the enemy's 
 infantry were not redoubtable ; but the Prussian 
 artillery, long since in position, kept up a con- 
 tinuous fire, and the cavalry, posted on the 
 summit, charged all who attempted to gain a 
 footing there. There was nothing for it but 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION . 69 
 
 to descend again, to retreat by night through the 
 darkness, across overflowing streams and through 
 ravines that had become torrents. The scattered 
 cohimns marched in disorder, leaving laggards and 
 exhausted men along the road. In a word, it was 
 a flight and a rout. 
 
 I know that it is not fitting to quote one's own 
 writings, but nevertheless I ask leave to repro- 
 duce here a passage written elsewhere, at a time 
 when I little thought that I should have to 
 occupy myself with Macdonald or to study him 
 closely : 
 
 ' Had the battle of the Katzbach been fought 
 by grown men and trained soldiers, it need not 
 perhaps have been lost ; it would have been at 
 the worst a reparable check ; fought as it was with 
 soldiers of yesterday and with men too young, it 
 was the beginning of a disaster. On the other 
 hand, never was there a better proof of the value 
 of physical and moral energy, of the resistance of 
 body and soul to the injuries of time, to hunger, 
 to thirst, to all the miseries of war — that stoicism, 
 in short, which military education produces, not 
 all at once, but little by little, and which is, after 
 all, nothing but a feeling of honour and duty in 
 its highest expression. Evidence is not wanting 
 concerning this battle of the Katzbach ; but no 
 more authoritative witness, none more convincing 
 and sincere, exists than Marshal Macdonald. 
 One feels that one is confronting an honest man, 
 
70 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 who does not attribute to himself the right, and 
 who is not even tempted to disguise truth or 
 conceal anything. Thus does truth become a 
 power, and history a profitable study.' '• 
 
 On August 29 the Marshal wrote from Bunzlau 
 to the Major-General : 
 
 ' The enemy have pursued but feebly, but their 
 light cavalry, the bugbear of fugitives, has ap- 
 peared on all sides with cannon. Our troops are 
 in a pitiable condition, having been drenched with 
 rain during four-and-twenty consecutive hours, 
 marching through mud up to their knees, and 
 crossing overflowing torrents. Such being the 
 state of affairs, the Generals cannot prevent the 
 men from seeking shelter, as their muskets are 
 useless to them.' 
 
 On the same day, a few hours later, he wrote : 
 
 ' I grieve to have to inform you that the rain 
 has caused a series of disasters which go to my 
 heart. The Puthod division no longer exists ; 
 what remained of it was carried away this 
 evening by the floods at Lowenberg before it 
 was possible to provide a means of crossing for 
 the men. I will try to-morrow to keep together 
 the lines on the Bober, but I cannot reunite my 
 forces until we are behind the Queiss. His 
 Majesty is in possession of the circumstances ; I 
 could neither forecast nor rule the elements ; they 
 are the cause of all our misfortunes, for the check 
 
 * 'La Grande Artnee de 1813,' 2nd edit., p. 136 et seg. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 71 
 
 received by our cavalry was slight when compared 
 with the strength of the army, and would have 
 been easily repaired had it not been for a con- 
 tinual downpour of three days and nights. I 
 have not as yet been able to discover the exact 
 total of our losses, or the number of fighting-men 
 remaining to us.' 
 
 As it turned out the losses were inconsiderable ; 
 fugitives, laggards, and isolated men, who had 
 fallen out, rejoined daily in great numbers. 
 When, on September 4, the Emperor reached 
 Bautzen with his Guard and his reserves, he was 
 much surprised at finding the troops rested, re- 
 organized, and asking nothing better than to be led 
 against the enemy. He gave Macdonald public 
 tokens of the greatest esteem, and desired him to 
 retain general command of the four corps ; then, 
 in accordance with their desire, he led them 
 against the enemy, who declined the combat. 
 After alternations'of marches and counter-marches, 
 through the month of September, Macdonald was 
 ordered to draw towards Dresden. 
 
 One morning an orderly officer came to him 
 charged by the Emperor to ask his opinion as to 
 what, under the circumstances, ought to be done. 
 Macdonald pointed to his men dying of hunger, 
 the army, unprovided with victuals or ammuni- 
 tion, growing weaker day by day. Under these 
 unfavourable conditions, the wisest plan would be 
 to evacuate the places on the Oder and the Elbe, 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 to leave a strong garrison at Leipsic, and to retire 
 behind the Saale. The officer was alarmed at 
 the idea of having to carry such unpalatable advice 
 to the Emperor. 
 
 ' Go,' said Macdonald ; ' the Emperor will realize 
 the importance of what I say, and will be pleased 
 with me for my outspokenness.' 
 
 Some hours later the messenger returned ; the 
 Emperor, who was in his bath, had sent for him, 
 listened with great attention to his report, and 
 said nothing except that the Saale was not a good 
 defensive position, and that there was none better 
 than the Rhine. 
 
 ' We will go to the Rhine. Go and tell the 
 Marshal so.' 
 
 Macdonald could scarcely credit so much 
 wisdom. Scarcely, however, had the officer left 
 him, when another one came up, bringing orders 
 to march immediately, not to the west, towards 
 the Rhine, but in the diametrically opposite direc- 
 tion, towards the enemy. Macdonald started, 
 leaving, somewhat behind his infantry, his heavy 
 ordnance on the summit of a hill. 
 
 The enemy occupied the heights of Bischofs- 
 werda ; far away, on the right, a thin line of 
 their cavalry was visible. During the first on- 
 slaught Macdonald received a summons from the 
 Emperor, and found him on the hill where his 
 artillery was, helping to lay it in position, and 
 himself pushing with the gunners. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 73 
 
 'What are you going to fire at?' asked the 
 Marshal. 
 
 'At that line of cavalry down there in front 
 of us.' 
 
 ' But it is out of range !' 
 
 ' Never mind !' 
 
 At the seventeenth shot the Emperor gave the 
 order to cease firing, and, taking Macdonald aside, 
 said : 
 
 ' You were surprised at my firing ?' 
 
 ' Yes, because that cavalry was out of range, 
 and was not worth powder and shot.' 
 
 ' That may be ; but you see that with every 
 volley one hits something, it may be a man of 
 mark. Look at Moreau — a spent shot killed him 
 at Dresden ; look at Bessieres or Duroc' 
 
 A fatalistic idea ! 
 
 They had now reached the middle of October ; 
 the enemy only displayed a few scouts, but it was 
 at least probable, if not evident, that they were 
 manoeuvring to turn the Emperor. Macdonald 
 warned him of this. Next day he received orders 
 to make first for Wittenberg, and then to fall back 
 upon Leipsic. He reached the latter place late 
 in the day of October 16 (the first day of the 
 battle), but still early enough to carry at the point 
 of the bayonet a position known as the Swedish 
 Redoubt. 
 
 The story of the battle of, and retreat from, 
 Leipsic has been told a hundred times ; I know 
 
74 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 no account of it that is more stirring, more 
 heartrending, than that given by Macdonald. 
 What strikes one principally is the Emperor's 
 attitude. He seems like a man who has received 
 a heavy blow on the head, or who has just had a 
 serious fall. He is giddy, amazed, exhausted ; 
 and that condition, it will be seen, will continue 
 until he once more treads French soil, when, like 
 Antaeus, he will recover the power, the lucidity, 
 the activity, the genius of his youth. To his 
 immortal Italian campaigns we will add, as a 
 pendant, his successes in Champagne — overwhelm- 
 ing, indeed, but, alas ! how useless ! I will give 
 some proofs of what I have ventured to put for- 
 ward. 
 
 On the last day of the battle, October 19, the very 
 morning of the retreat, Macdonald, driven back 
 to the boulevards of Leipsic, suddenly received 
 orders to send help to Marshal Augereau on his 
 right. He had scarcely force enough to hold his 
 own against the enemy, but nevertheless he de- 
 taches a brigade from the Hessian division. After 
 the lapse of half an hour this brigade reappears. 
 Having gone whither it was ordered, it had 
 found neither friends nor enemies ; and then, 
 mounting the ramparts, it follows the example 
 set the previous day by Reynier's Saxons, and 
 from its coign of vantage fires on the French 
 troops ! 
 
 ' In the preceding year,' Macdonald cries in- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 75 
 
 dignantly, ' when the Prussians deserted, they 
 had at least the decency not to turn and fire upon 
 us.' 
 
 Next day, amid the disorder of the retreat, he 
 chanced to meet Augereau, and asked him for an 
 explanation of what had occurred when he re- 
 ceived orders to send help to a comrade. Here 
 is Augereau's answer : 
 
 ' That idiot does not know what he is about ! 
 Have you not already noticed that ? Have you 
 not observed that he has completely lost his head 
 in these recent events, and in the catastrophe by 
 which they have been followed ? The coward ! 
 He abandoned, and was prepared to sacrifice us 
 all ; and do you suppose that I am fool enough to 
 let myself be killed or made prisoner for the sake 
 of a Leipsic suburb ? You should have done as I 
 did, and have gone away.' 
 
 When, on a former occasion, Vandamme abused 
 Napoleon, it was at any rate after a victory, after 
 Wagram. 
 
 Since the previous day Macdonald had had 
 opportunities of judging for himself the Em- 
 peror's state of mind. The Marshal had nearly 
 perished, like Poniatowski, drowned in the Elster ; 
 he had just come three leagues on foot, dripping 
 with water and shivering, in order to gain the 
 principal headquarters at Markranstadt. He 
 arrives ; finds the Emperor seated at a table, his 
 eyes fixed on a map, his head resting upon his 
 
76 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 hand, the room full of Generals and officers. 
 Macdonald, in tears — yes, actually in tears — gives 
 an account of all that he has just witnessed ; his 
 men, on the other bank of the Elster, unable to 
 cross, calling to him, imploring his help. ' Mon- 
 sieur le Marechal, save your soldiers ! Save your 
 children !' What a scene ! All who heard him 
 are moved ; the Emperor alone is untouched. 
 ' Go and rest,' is his only remark. Not another 
 word does he say. ' I left him, indignant at his 
 indifference,' adds Macdonald. Was it really in- 
 difference ? No, it was exhaustion ! 
 
 Some days later, at Erfurt, the Emperor sent 
 for him. On reaching the castle Murat cautioned 
 him that Napoleon's intention was to order him to 
 find a strong defensive position, where he could 
 make a halt for five or six days. 
 
 ' You had better find a weak one,' added Murat, 
 with an oath, ' or he will not rest till he has lost 
 himself and us, too.' 
 
 ' Never fear,' answered the Marshal ; ' even if 
 the position be excellent, I will tell him my mind 
 about our situation.' 
 
 On entering, the Emperor gave him the com- 
 mission of which Murat had warned him. 
 
 ' Is your Majesty in earnest in talking of remain- 
 ing here ? In our present state of disorganization, 
 or demoralisation, as I must call things by their 
 proper names, you will gain nothing by it. We 
 must get to the Rhine as fast as possible ; the 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 77 
 
 majority of the men are already in disorder, and 
 making their way thither.' 
 
 ' But yet I am told that a considerable number 
 have been stopped, and fifteen battalions formed.' 
 
 ' You are being flattered and deceived. You 
 can now only count upon your Guard, and beware 
 lest they be carried away by the force of example, 
 as in the last campaign.' 
 
 Three other persons were present during this 
 conversation, three attentive witnesses — two secre- 
 taries and the Duke of Bassano ; they had all 
 ceased writing. The latter, his pen between his 
 teeth, his arms folded, stared in amazement and 
 stupefaction at Macdonald. Never had he heard 
 anyone address his master thus. 
 
 ' Very good,' said the master ; ' we will start to- 
 morrow.' 
 
 ' Even that will be too late.' 
 
 They started next day, and on the morning of 
 October 30 came in sight of Hanau ; General 
 Wrede's Bavarian army barred the road. Mac- 
 donald led the advance-guard. He dislodged the 
 enemy from a wood, from which, in his turn, he 
 was unable to debouch ; his little force, deployed 
 in small bodies of skirmishers, formed, as they 
 had done in old days in Silesia, the spider's web. 
 He needed reinforcements, sent to ask for some, 
 and received nothing. At length he decided to 
 go in person ; he had only a quarter of a league 
 to ride. He laid clearly before the Emperor the 
 
78 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 critical situation of the advance-guard, and the 
 latter answered carelessly : 
 
 ' What can I do ? I give orders, and no one 
 heeds them.' 
 
 ' But consider that our situation is no ordin- 
 ary one. You must force a passage, and send 
 without delay all the troops at your disposal. 
 Why has not your Guard come up ? We shall be 
 utterly done for if it does not come immediately.' 
 
 ' I can't help it.' 
 
 ' Formerly,' continues Macdonald, ' at a sign, a 
 gesture, a word, all trembled around him, or he 
 w^ould have known the reason why !' However, 
 the Emperor summoned the Major-General and 
 sent forward four battalions of chasseurs, and 
 shortly afterwards he arrived himself with his 
 Guard. 
 
 ' Can we observe the enemy's position without 
 danger ?' he inquired of the Marshal. 
 
 ' Not without danger ; we must risk it.' 
 
 ' Very good ; come along.' 
 
 'Just as we were starting a shell burst close to 
 him, without hurting any one ; straightway he 
 stopped, dismounted from his horse, and from 
 that moment it was impossible to get him out of 
 the wood.' 
 
 At last, thanks to the grenadiers a cheval and 
 the dragoons of the Guard, supported by a regi- 
 ment of 'guards of honour,' thanks to Drouot's 
 artillery — but why discriminate ? — thanks to the 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 79 
 
 general effort made by all (for they knew that they 
 must either conquer or die), the Bavarians were 
 compelled to retreat. The road was freed, but 
 Hanau, which was supposed to have been eva- 
 cuated, was still occupied. It was night. A con- 
 fused medley of carriages, baggage-waggons, 
 vehicles of all kinds, emerged from the wood ; at 
 their head was visible the wavering, reddish glare 
 of a torch. As they neared the town some reports 
 were heard, whereupon the torch made a sudden 
 turn to the right, described a curve, and re-entered 
 the shelter. It was being carried before the 
 Emperor. Next day they succeeded in crossing 
 Hanau and gaining the Rhine. 
 
 At Mayence the Emperor sent for Macdonald 
 and kept him to dinner. Conversation turned 
 upon the military and political events of that fatal 
 year. Why, at the Congress of Prague, had the 
 Emperor refused to make the concessions desired 
 by the allies ? Was he not to retain possession 
 of France as far as the Rhine, of Italy and the 
 protectorate of the Helvetian Confederation ? 
 
 ' I did not consent,' was Napoleon's answer, 
 ' because I feared that the allies would become 
 more exacting, and demand still more.' 
 
 * But in that case,' said Macdonald, ' why did 
 you, v/hen it was unfortunately too late, end by 
 consenting ? Had you done it earlier, you would 
 have given evidence of your desire for peace. 
 France and the army would have been grateful to 
 
8o EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 you, and would perhaps have made greater efforts 
 to secure it. You might have done more ; you 
 might have freed yourself with honour from the 
 canker which is destroying your old troops in 
 Spain and ruining your treasury, had you restored 
 Spain to herself and her sovereign, and thereby 
 displayed a moderation which must have struck 
 France, your armies, and Europe.' 
 
 ' That is true ; but nov/ I must retain that 
 country as compensation.' 
 
 VII. 
 
 The campaign of 1813 was at an end ; that of 
 1 8 14 was about to open. Macdonald had, at first, 
 command of the line of the Rhine from Coblentz 
 to below Arnheim. The Emperor had promised 
 him eighty battalions and sixty squadrons ; the 
 newspapers allotted to him a body of from 50,000 
 to 60,000 men ; in reality, after withdrawing 
 General Molitor's slender force from Holland, 
 during the early days of December, he had, at 
 most, 5,000. 
 
 ' This is all the infantry we have between 
 Nimeguen and Coblentz, and there is nothing 
 behind us,' he wrote. ' Everywhere we are in 
 want, and I can hear of no reinforcements ; but 
 in Paris people are living in a state of despairing 
 security. Oh, France ! my country ! take all my 
 blood, and be saved !' 
 
 After several, more or less serious, attempts and 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 8i 
 
 demonstrations, the allies definitely crossed the 
 Rhine on January i, 1814. The Emperor quitted 
 Paris on the 25th, never to return thither. 
 
 Pressed more and more closely by the over- 
 whelming onslaught of the enemy, Macdonald at 
 length reached Chalons. I do not intend to 
 follow him through all his marches, counter- 
 marches, and combats in Champagne, on the 
 Seine, the Aube, and the Marne ; I will only 
 select a few significant facts. 
 
 At the end of February, while the Emperor 
 was holding in check and driving back Blucher, 
 he had given Macdonald general command of the 
 troops he had left behind, and had placed under 
 his orders, together with the corps of which he 
 already held the titulary command, those of 
 Marshal Oudinot and General Gerard, or, in all, 
 about 25,000 men. The mission entrusted to 
 him was to observe and neutralize, as far as 
 possible, the movements of the principal army of 
 the coalition. Macdonald arrived at Troyes con- 
 siderably in advance of his force, which could 
 only follow next day ; he arranged his plan of 
 defence, one of Gerard's divisions inside the town, 
 the other outside, and Oudinot's corps in_ reserve. 
 Gerard was ordered to hold out as long as possible. 
 The attack was made the following day, March 4. 
 Macdonald, who was in the faubourg, learned by 
 a report from General Grassot, chief of Oudinot's 
 staff, that the troops were all in their appointed 
 ■ VOL. I. / 
 
82 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 places, when suddenly an officer came to warn 
 him that the enemy, having carried the town, were 
 enteringthe faubourg, and that he had not a moment 
 to lose. The Marshal at first refused to believe it. 
 
 'All the troops are gone,' said the of¥icer. 
 
 ' By whose order ?' 
 
 He had barely time to mount his horse, and, 
 followed by his escort, to charge the enemy's 
 scouts. When he rejoined the column, actually 
 in retreat, he learned from Gerard that it was by 
 order of Marshal Oudinot ; and when, on reach- 
 ing the bivouac that evening, he asked for an 
 explanation from the latter, whose corps ought, 
 according to the plan agreed upon, to have re- 
 mained in reserve, he received for an answer that 
 the Young Guard was not intended for a rear- 
 guard ! Would not one think, from this answer, 
 that the palmy days of Wagram had returned ? 
 
 ' If that be so,' retorted Macdonald, ' I have no 
 further orders to give you. Go to the Emperor 
 for them.' 
 
 The latter, abandoning Blticher, was returning 
 in haste against the great allied army. He sum- 
 moned Macdonald and Oudinot, and they joined 
 him at Arcis-sur-Aube, at the very moment when 
 he was marching his troops in the direction of 
 Vitry-sur-Marne. They found him near a camp- 
 fire, in the square at Arcis. 
 
 'What is your motive,' asked Macdonald, 'in 
 withdrawing your troops from here .■*' 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 83 
 
 ' The enemy are in full retreat ; I am going to 
 cut off their communications, and they shall pay 
 dearly for their temerity.' 
 
 ' What ? The enemy retreating ? They are 
 in position on the other side of the Aube. I saw 
 considerable forces as I came along.' 
 
 ' Their one idea is to recross the Rhine, and if 
 they are still there, it is simply in order to let 
 their train of waggons pass.' 
 
 A quarter of an hour later the enemy gave the 
 assault. The Emperor, obstinately fixed in his 
 idea, had already rejoined the column on the 
 road to Vitry, and it was all the two Marshals 
 could do to maintain their position at Arcis. 
 Next morning they were compelled to quit it 
 and make for the Marne. They rejoined the 
 Emperor at St. Dizier, and he at once tried to 
 find the allies, but without success. What had 
 become of them ? It was evident that, after 
 some hesitation and indecision, they had taken 
 the direction of Paris. The Emperor followed 
 in their wake, thereby hoping to frighten and 
 compel them to retreat. His hope was delusive ; 
 rapidly as he marched, it was impossible to get 
 in front of them, and the feeble corps under 
 Marmont and Mortier were utterly incapable of 
 defending Paris successfully against such important 
 forces. 
 
 Macdonald was in favour of staking everything 
 upon a last throw, and, since the Emperor was 
 
84 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 determined to advance towards the East, to go 
 through with it. 
 
 ' In your place,' said he, ' I should betake my- 
 self into Lorraine or Alsace ; I would collect all 
 the garrisons, and would wage deadly war against 
 the enemy's rear, cutting off their communica- 
 tions, intercepting their supplies and reinforce- 
 ments.' 
 
 The Emperor's presence in the Vosges would, 
 of itself, have sufficed to raise thousands of good 
 marksmen. Later on, the Czar Alexander ad- 
 mitted to Macdonald that, in that region, the 
 allies lost over 3,000 men, without having seen 
 a single French soldier. The Alsace plan pro- 
 duced no result, and the Emperor hastened to 
 Paris. 
 
 ' I am now coming,' says Macdonald, ' to the 
 end of this desperate struggle — our long military 
 and political agony is about to terminate in an 
 overwhelming catastrophe !' 
 
 VOL 
 
 The army was between Troyes and Villeneuve- 
 I'Archeveque when the news arrived of the capitu- 
 lation of Paris. The intelligence cast a gloom 
 over every heart ; many soldiers quitted the 
 standards, and returned home ; even the Guard 
 lost confidence. However, rumour said that the 
 Emperor intended to advance and retake Paris. 
 At the last stage before Fontainebleau, General 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 85 
 
 Gerard came to Macdonald, and told him, in the 
 name of his officers and men, that everyone was 
 tired of the whole business, that a stop must be 
 put to it, and that the sorrows of France were 
 already great enough, without exposing Paris to 
 the fate of Moscow. 
 
 Fontainebleau was reached on April 3. A 
 letter addressed from Paris to all the Marshals 
 had just been forwarded, open, from Essonne by 
 Marshal Marmont, who was in command of the 
 outposts. He had broken the seal. It was 
 written by General Beurnonville, a member of the 
 Provisional Government, and announced, in sub- 
 stance, that Paris was tranquil, that the allies 
 would no longer treat with Napoleon, and that 
 the English Constitution was to be given to 
 France. Macdonald caused it to be read aloud, 
 and then went to the palace with Marshal 
 Oudinot, a large number of Generals, and a crowd 
 of officers, who insisted upon following them, fear- 
 ing lest the Emperor should do them some injury. 
 
 The Emperor was in his study with the Duke 
 of Bassano, Caulaincourt, Berthier, Ney, the old 
 Marshal Lefebvre, and some others. Macdonald 
 and Oudinot entered. ' Here,' says Macdonald, 
 ' began the scene which changed so many destinies. 
 The Emperor came up to me and said : 
 
 '"Good-day, Duke of Tarentum. How are 
 things going ?" 
 
 ' " Very badly ; a succession of misfortunes ! 
 
86 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 To have yielded ingloriously ! Without making an 
 attempt to save Paris ! We are all overwhelmed, 
 humiliated." 
 
 ' " True, it is a great misfortune ! What do your 
 troops say ?" 
 
 ' " That you are going to summon us to march 
 upon the capital. I am come to declare to you, 
 in their name, that they will not expose it to the 
 fate of Moscow. We consider that we have done 
 enough, and sufficiently proved our devotion, 
 without risking an absolutely unequal attempt, 
 which must end in losing everything. Whatever 
 is decided upon, we have had enough of this un- 
 happy war, without lighting the flames of civil 
 war as well !" 
 
 ' " They are mistaken," said the Emperor ; " I 
 have no thought of marching upon Paris." 
 
 ' I expected that he would have exploded ; but, 
 on the contrary, his answer was made calmly and 
 quietly. He repeated : 
 
 ' " True, the loss of Paris is a great misfortune." 
 
 '"Do you know," I asked, "what is going on 
 there ?" 
 
 '"They say that the allies will not treat with 
 me further." 
 
 ' " Is that all that you know ?" 
 
 ' " Yes." 
 
 ' "Then read this letter." 
 
 ' It was that from Beurnonville ; the Duke of 
 Bassano read it aloud. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 87 
 
 ' "Well, gentlemen, since it has come to this, I 
 will abdicate. I wished to make the happiness of 
 France; I have not succeeded. Events have been 
 against me. I do not desire to augment our mis- 
 fortunes ; but, if I abdicate, what will you do ? 
 Will you have the King of Rome as my successor 
 and the Empress as regent ?" 
 
 ' We all accepted unanimously. 
 
 ' " The first thing to be done," he continued, " is 
 to treat for a suspension of arms ; I shall send 
 Commissioners to Paris. I designate for this 
 important mission the Marshals Prince of the 
 Moskowa, Duke of Ragusa, and Duke of Vicenza. 
 Do you approve my choice ?" 
 
 ' We replied in the affirmative. 
 
 ' The Emperor then said : 
 
 ' " Gentlemen, you may retire. I am going to 
 cause the Commissioners' instructions to be drawn 
 up, but I forbid them to stipulate concerning any- 
 thing personal to me." 
 
 ' Then, throwing himself on to a sofa and 
 striking his thigh, he said : 
 
 ' " Nonsense, gentlemen ! Let us forget all about 
 that, and march to-morrow. We will beat them !" 
 
 ' I repeated briefly what I had said upon the 
 state of the army, and we added : 
 
 ' " No, we have had enough of it ; and remember 
 that every hour that passes will tell against the 
 success of the mission that the Commissioners 
 have to perform." 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 ' He insisted no further, and said to the Com- 
 missioners he had selected : 
 
 ' " Be ready to start at four o'clock," after which 
 he dismissed us. 
 
 ' Scarcely had we reached the gallery when he 
 desired the Duke of Vicenza to recall me. 
 
 ' " I have changed my mind respecting Marshal 
 Marmont," he said ; " he could be of service by 
 remaining at Essonne, and I wish you to act as 
 Commissioner in his place. Will you accept ?" 
 
 ' " Yes, you can trust me to do my best." 
 
 ' " I know it ; you are a man of honour." ' 
 
 The Commissioners were to be followed in the 
 Czar's presence by the members of the ' so-called 
 Provisional Government.' When they met in the 
 large drawing-room a lively exchange of words 
 ensued ; the members of the Provisional Govern- 
 ment tried to adopt a bullying tone, which the 
 others would not stand, treating them as factious 
 and ambitious men, ready to sacrifice their 
 country, and as perjurers. Caulaincourt found it 
 necessary to intervene, and to recall to both sides 
 that they were in the house of the Emperor of 
 Russia. During this altercation Monsieur de 
 Talleyrand had remained impassible, his chin 
 buried in his cravat ; he invited the Commis- 
 sioners to make use of his house for their dis- 
 cussion ; they refused. 
 
 Towards the end of the audience one of the 
 Czar's aides-de-camp had said a few words to him 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 89 
 
 in a low voice ; Macdonald fancied he could ■catch 
 the words, ' Totum corpus! The Commissioners 
 went to luncheon with Marshal Ney. They were 
 confident, while their adversaries seemed uneasy ; 
 the Senate was reported to be trembling, the 
 white cockades were falling from hats by thou- 
 sands. Marmont was suddenly called away ; a 
 moment later he returned pale and terrified. 
 
 ' My whole corps went over to the enemy last 
 night !' 
 
 He took his sabre, left the room, and they saw 
 him no more. Totum corpus was explained I It 
 is certain that Marmont had engaged himself to 
 Prince Schwarzenberg ; but it had since been 
 settled between them that, as the Commissioners 
 were coming to treat in the name of the entire 
 army, Marmont's private negotiations should be 
 allowed to drop. That they did not do so was 
 owing to the General commanding at Essonne in 
 the absence of his chief Souham, summoned to 
 Fontainebleau, feared that the Emperor, aware of 
 the intrigue, would arrest him and precipitate the 
 catastrophe. It was the only one of its kind. 
 Amazed in their turn, the Commissioners felt 
 the ground, till then solid, opening under their 
 feet. 
 
 The evening audience was decisive. The Czar 
 declared the King of Rome to be irrevocably out 
 of the question. What was to become of Na- 
 poleon ? He retained the title of sovereign, and 
 
90 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 was given the island of Elba. Then Alexander 
 spoke magnanimously : 
 
 ' I was formerly his greatest admirer ; hence- 
 forward I cease to be his enemy, and I restore to 
 him my friendship. Tell him, gentlemen, that if 
 he will not accept this sovereignty, and if he can 
 find no shelter elsewhere, tell him, I say, to come 
 to my dominions. There he shall be received 
 as a sovereign ; he can trust the word of 
 Alexander.' 
 
 All was over. When the time came to carry the 
 fatal news back to Fontainebleau, Ney vanished. 
 He had previously and publicly given his adhesion 
 to the revolution that had just been accomplished. 
 The treaty negotiated by the Commissioners was 
 signed on April 1 1 ; that same evening the act of 
 abdication was placed in the hands of the Provi- 
 sional Government. Monsieur de Talleyrand had 
 prepared a theatrical mounting for this denoue- 
 ment. The meeting was crowded ; he advanced 
 towards the Commissioners : 
 
 ' Now that all is concluded, we beg, gentlemen, 
 for your adhesion to the newly established order 
 of things.' 
 
 Ney exclaimed that he had already given his. 
 
 ' Therefore,' said Talleyrand, ' I do not address 
 myself to you, but to the Dukes of Tarentum and 
 Vicenza.' 
 
 Both dryly refused. 
 
 ' Talleyrand,' says Macdonald, ' could neither 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 91 
 
 change colour nor grow paler, but his face seemed 
 to swell as though he were going to burst.' 
 
 ' But, Monsieur le Marechal, your personal ad- 
 hesion is of importance to us, for it is sure to 
 carry great weight both in the army and in 
 France. You have fulfilled all your engagements, 
 and are now free.' 
 
 ' No, I am not ; and nobody knows better than 
 you that as long as a treaty has not been ratified, 
 it may be annulled. After that formaHty is ended, 
 I shall know what I ought to do.' 
 
 Next day, April 12, Macdonald and Caulain- 
 court returned to Fontainebleau to receive the rati- 
 fication of the Emperor. He was calm, and thanked 
 them affectionately. He noticed Ney's absence. 
 
 ' Did not the Marshal return with you ?' 
 
 No one answered. He desired Macdonald to 
 come to him next morning at nine o'clock. 
 
 Next morning Macdonald presented himself 
 The Dukes of Vicenza and Bassano were there 
 before him. The Emperor, clothed in a dimity 
 dressing-gown, his legs bare, his feet in slippers, 
 was seated in front of the fireplace, his elbows on 
 his knees, his head in his hands, in deep medita- 
 tion. He did not hear when Macdonald was 
 announced. After a few minutes of silent waiting, 
 Caulaincourt gendy told him. He seemed to 
 awake from a dream, rose and shook hands with 
 the Marshal. His face was haggard, his com- 
 plexion yellowish and sickly. 
 
92 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 ' Is your Majesty unwell ?' 
 
 ' Yes, I was very ill all night.' 
 
 He seated himself again, fell into his former 
 attitude, and began to dream once more. The 
 three men exchanged sad glances. At length 
 Caulaincourt thought it right to rouse him again. 
 This time he rose in a more easy manner. 
 
 ' I feel rather better,' he said. ' Duke of 
 Tarentum, I cannot express to you how much I 
 am touched by and grateful for your conduct and 
 devotion. I did not know you well. I had been 
 prejudiced against you. I have loaded with 
 favours many others who have now deserted, 
 abandoned me. You, who owe me nothing, have 
 remained faithful. I appreciate your loyalty too 
 late, and I sincerely regret that I am now in a 
 position in which I can only prove my gratitude 
 by words. Formerly I was rich and powerful, 
 now I am poor.' 
 
 ' I flatter myself. Sire, that your Majesty esteems 
 me sufficiently to believe that, in your present 
 situation, I would accept no reward. My conduct 
 has been absolutely disinterested.' 
 
 ' I know it ; but you can, without wounding 
 your delicacy, accept a present of another kind. 
 It is the sabre of Mourad Bey, which I wore at 
 the battle of Mont Thabor ; keep it in memory of 
 me, and of my friendship for you.' 
 
 Macdonald thanked the Emperor. 
 
 ' We threw ourselves into each other's arms,' 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 93 
 
 he says, ' and embraced one another with effusion. 
 He begged me to come and see him in the island 
 of Elba; at last we separated. All the documents 
 which I was to carry were given to me, and since 
 then I have never seen Napoleon again.' 
 
 IX. 
 
 Macdonald was free ; there was nothing to pre- 
 vent him any longer from accepting the change of 
 Government which had just been accomplished, 
 and he accepted it simply and loyally. 
 
 ' You will observe, my son, that I afterwards 
 faithfully kept the new engagements I had con- 
 tracted. I advise and recommend you to imitate 
 my example.' 
 
 He allowed several days to pass, however, 
 without going to the Tuileries to salute the Comte 
 d'Artois, Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom. 
 ' My friends,' he says, ' spoke to me about it, and 
 I had certainly no objection to going ; but I 
 thought it only fitting that I should not display 
 too much haste, after having performed a mission 
 not best calculated to please the Prince, and es- 
 pecially after having manifested so much resistance 
 and opposition when my adhesion was first re- 
 quested.' 
 
 On the arrival of Louis XVII I., he went to 
 meet him at Compiegne with the other Marshals ; 
 the King received them kindly, told them that 
 they were the strongest pillars of the State ; and, 
 
94 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 to give full significance to this metaphor, the gouty- 
 Monarch laid one hand on Macdonald's shoulder 
 and the other on that of one of his colleagues. The 
 entry into Paris took place on May 4, amid a great 
 throng of people and much cheering. Only one 
 discordant note was sounded on that occasion. 
 The Imperial ex-Guard had been brought, by a 
 forced march, from Fontainebleau, but no pre- 
 paration whatever had been made for lodging or 
 feeding them. Here was a germ of discontent in 
 the army. 
 
 Errors and follies soon accumulated one upon 
 the other ; the Due d'Angouleme committed the 
 mistake of first appearing before the eyes of the 
 Parisians in the uniform of an English General. 
 Promotions, decorations, favours, offices of all 
 kinds were showered upon the gentlemen and 
 emigres, almost to the complete exclusion of the 
 officers of the old army, and of the most deserving 
 officials of the Imperial administration. 
 
 ' The Government,' says Macdonald, with ener- 
 getic triteness, ' behaved like a sick man who is 
 utterly indifferent to all around him.' 
 
 As a soldier he was indignant, but not less was 
 he indignant as a Liberal, or, to use the expression 
 of the time, a Constitutional. A constitution 
 there was, no doubt, the Charter, and he took it 
 seriously. He was made a member of and Secre- 
 tary to the Chamber of Peers, and fought against 
 the first political Bill presented to them. It was 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 95 
 
 a Bill restrictive of the liberty of the press, and in 
 it he fancied he had discovered a violation of 
 Article 8 of the Charter. 
 
 When, according to the rules, a Committee of 
 the Chamber carried to the King the Bill, w^hich 
 had been passed by a majority of one only, 
 Louis XVIII., addressing Macdonald, said, in a 
 dry voice : 
 
 ' Monsieur le Marechal, I am surprised that you 
 should have both spoken and voted against this 
 measure. When I take the trouble to draw up 
 a Bill, I have good reasons for wishing it to 
 pass.' 
 
 ' Sire,' was the answer, ' your Majesty did not 
 take me into confidence respecting your plans. 
 All Bills, therefore, should pass as your Majesty 
 causes them to be presented. Registration would 
 serve equally well, since to you alone belongs the 
 initiative, and we must remain mute as the late 
 Corps Ldgislatif. But, if I have rightly under- 
 stood the wording of the Charter, it gives to every 
 man freedom of opinion and of vote. In this 
 Bill I thought I had discovered a violation of the 
 8th clause, and I made use of my liberty con- 
 scientiously, as I always shall do.' 
 
 The King made no reply. As they were 
 leaving the presence, Dambray, the Chancellor, 
 stopped Macdonald. 
 
 ' Pray, Monsieur le Marechal, is that the right 
 way to speak to the King .''' 
 
96 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 ' What do you mean ? Have I been wanting 
 in respect to his Majesty ?' 
 
 ' No, not exactly ; but you should have spoken 
 with more reserve, and have picked your words 
 more.' 
 
 ' That means that either I must have hidden the 
 truth, or displayed repentance. I have never 
 learned to twist myself, and I pity the King if 
 what he ought to know is concealed from him. 
 For my own part, I shall always speak to him 
 honestly, and serve him in the same manner.' 
 
 Louis XVIII. was annoyed with him for some 
 little time ; but the cloud passed away, and in 
 speaking of Macdonald, he used to call him ' his 
 Outspokenness.' 
 
 It is not generally known that the Marshal was 
 one of the framers of the future law dealing with the 
 indemnification of the dmigrds ; events prevented 
 immediate effect being given to the proposal. 
 
 Macdonald was governor of the 21st military 
 division at Bourges. He had just been doing the 
 honours of the place to the Duke and Duchess of 
 Angouleme, who were making a tour through the 
 country, when, during the night of March 6, 18 15, 
 he received a despatch, desiring him to go im- 
 mediately to Nimes, and to march all his troops 
 towards Villefranche (Rhone) ; no explanation 
 accompanied this order. The answer to the riddle 
 was only given to him four-and-twenty hours later, 
 by means of a report from one of his subordi- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 97 
 
 nates, who mentioned the landing, of Napoleon. 
 ' This news,' he writes, ' took away my breath, 
 and I at once foresaw the misfortunes that 
 have since settled upon France.' He shared the 
 feelings of the old army ; he belonged to it heart 
 and soul ; he blamed the faults of the existing 
 Government ; but he had given his oath to 
 Louis XVIII., and was resolved to continue faith- 
 ful to him. He did not hesitate for one moment 
 between his sympathies and his conscience, but 
 went straight to his duty. 
 
 He took the road to Lyons, joining at Pougues 
 the Duke of Orleans, who was a day's journey 
 behind the Comte d'Artois, known as Monsieur, 
 who was sent to Lyons to take command of the 
 troops. On his first arrival. Monsieur found himself 
 face to face with serious difficulties ; the danger 
 was imminent, the garrison and population openly 
 Bonapartist. Macdonald arrived at ten o'clock on 
 the night of March 9. Delighted at being able 
 to keep such an auxiliary near him. Monsieur told 
 him that, as the roads were intercepted, he must 
 remain with him, and exercise the command with 
 the most extended authority. The night was spent 
 in giving orders and receiving news, which was 
 all as hopeless as possible. A review was ordered 
 to be held next morning, March 10, at six o'clock, 
 on the Place Bellecour. Warning was brought to 
 the Marshal that the troops would not consent to 
 its being held by the Princes, 
 
 VOL. I. £" 
 
98 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 Macdonald .went alone in the first instance, and 
 was, personally, well received, and even cheered ; 
 but when, after forming squares, he commenced to 
 harangue the men, recalling to them their oath, 
 exhorting them to do their duty, their sullen 
 demeanour and freezing silence proved to him 
 that he was wasting his words. He saw the 
 officers apart. While they were still perfectly 
 respectful and courteous to him personally, they 
 only answered his remarks by recriminations. All 
 was lost. Monsieur and the Duke of Orleans had 
 found it advisable to start as quickly as possible ; 
 the scouts from the Napoleonic army were close 
 at hand, and the reconnoitring parties sent out 
 against them had fraternized with them. The 
 quays by the Rhone were crowded ; Macdonald 
 could scarcely make his way. He had just given 
 orders to evacuate Lyons, when a General ven- 
 tured to say to him : ' It is useless ; all measures 
 have been taken to prevent your departure.' 
 
 'Surely, sir, you know me too well to suppose 
 that I can be easily stopped. I will make a way 
 for myself with my sword.' 
 
 However, he ran the utmost risk of being 
 taken ; he had to urge his horse, and start at full 
 gallop. Towards evening, near the top of the 
 hill at Tarare, he at last overtook the Princes' 
 carriages. Monsieur gave him a seat in his own, 
 where were also the Dukes of Fitz-James and 
 Polignac, and the Comte des Cars. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 99 
 
 At Paris, as at Lyons, Macdonald had com- 
 mand of the troops, but with no better success. 
 
 ' Whither does your Majesty think of retiring 
 in the event of being compelled to abandon the 
 capital temporarily ?' he had asked the first time 
 he went to the Tuileries. This idea had never 
 occurred to Louis XVI IL, who started with 
 surprise. 
 
 ' We have not come to that yet ?' 
 
 ' No, but we shall have in a week or less. 
 Your Majesty knows Napoleon's activity.' 
 
 ' I have great faith in Marshal Ney, who has 
 promised to bring him back to me in an iron cage. 
 I will think it over.' 
 
 Next day Macdonald renewed his question. 
 
 ' To La Vendee,' replied the King unhesitat- 
 ingly. 
 
 ' If your Majesty goes there, all will be lost. 
 You will be pursued, the coasts blockaded, all 
 retreat will become impossible. Go, rather, to 
 Flanders. Lille or Dunkirk offer you perfect 
 safety, and you can establish your Government 
 there.' 
 
 ' Your observations please me ; let us wait for 
 further news.' 
 
 News soon arrived, more and more menacing. 
 Napoleon was at Fontainebleau. 
 
 During the night of March 19, Louis XVIII. 
 clandestinely quitted the Tuileries, and took a 
 northerly direction. Next day Macdonald waited 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 in vain at St. Denis for the troops that had been 
 ordered to assemble there ; they did not come. He 
 then started to rejoin Louis XVIII. The King's 
 Household advanced slowly, and with difficulty ; 
 the tail of the column straggled, and the whole 
 march looked very like a rout. The King, who 
 was in front, had halted at Abbeville ; the Marshal 
 implored him to leave it. It was important to 
 arrive at Lille as quickly as possible. Bethune 
 was reached at five in the morning. The popula- 
 tion, inquisitive but well-meanirig, turned out in 
 undress, the Sub-prefect setting the example. 
 He stood by the door of the royal carriage, one 
 leg half naked, in slippered feet, his coat under 
 his arm, his waistcoat unbuttoned, and his hat on 
 his head ! The poor wretch, one hand struggling 
 with his sword, and the other occupied in trying 
 to fasten his necktie, had not one at liberty even 
 to take it off ! 
 
 At length they came to Lille ; the feeling 
 among the townspeople was good, but that of 
 the garrison unsatisfactory. The Duke of Orleans 
 and Marshal Mortier had no influence over it. 
 Louis wished to start for Dunkirk during the 
 night ; Macdonald protested. It would be a most 
 undignified proceeding for a King of France to 
 furtively quit a town of which the population was 
 devoted to him. The King persisted ; they would 
 start at midnight. During the day the old Prince 
 de Conde had thought right to ask the King 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 whether, as the next day was Maundy Thursday, 
 his Majesty would perform the ceremony of wash- 
 ing the feet. The moment was, indeed, well 
 chosen ! Several comic incidents were mingled 
 with the serious events ; that at Bethune has just 
 been related. 
 
 On leaving the Tuileries a portmanteau had 
 been hastily packed for the King, containing six 
 shirts, a dressing-gown, and a pair of slippers ; 
 this portmanteau had been lost or stolen on the 
 road. The King said sadly to Macdonald : 
 
 ' They have taken my shirts ; I had not too 
 many in the first place ; but what I regret still 
 more is the loss of my slippers. Some day, my 
 dear Marshal, you will appreciate the value of 
 slippers that have taken the shape of the foot !' 
 
 Like Louis XVIII., the Marshal was gouty ; 
 he could, therefore, sympathize with his mis- 
 fortune. 
 
 ' Little did the King think, however,' remarks 
 the Marshal, ' that within a few hours he would 
 have lost his kingdom.' 
 
 It was eleven at night ; Macdonald, who was to 
 precede Louis to Dunkirk, was about to start 
 when the Comte de Blacas entered. Struck by 
 the representations that had been made by him 
 during the morning as to the unkingly proceeding 
 of this nocturnal evasion, the Minister was going 
 to make a fresh attempt to change the King's 
 mind. Half an hour later he returned; the King 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 had yielded, but in what a condition ! Monsieur 
 de Blacas had found him in his shirt-sleeves, his 
 cuffs turned back, shaving. At the first word he 
 started, laid down his razor, and, one half of his 
 face red with passion, the other half white with 
 soap, had exclaimed : 
 
 'Why do you keep changing the plans every 
 instant, preventing me either from starting or 
 from going to bed ?' 
 
 After this he concluded his shaving and did go 
 to bed. Seven o'clock the next morning saw 
 another change of plans ; the King had decided 
 to go into Belgium. 
 
 ' Sire,' said Macdonald, ' he who gives up a 
 game loses it. I have loyally done all in my power 
 to maintain your Majesty's authority and to retain 
 you in your dominions. Your Majesty intends to 
 abandon them. I will conduct you in safety to 
 the frontier, but I will go no further. I will 
 remain unalterably attached and devoted to your 
 Majesty and faithful to my oaths.' 
 
 The King, whose brow had at first clouded 
 over, recovered his calmness, and acquiesced. 
 Marshal Mortier also obtained permission to 
 remain behind ; poor Marshal Berthier alone, re- 
 tained by his position as Captain of the Guard, 
 was compelled to follow the King out of France. 
 He was in despair at having to pass before public 
 opinion for a voluntary emigrant. On reaching 
 the frontier the King bade Macdonald an affec- 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 103 
 
 tionate farewell ; the Marshal, much moved, could 
 only say : 
 
 ' Farewell, sire ; ati revoir in three months.' 
 
 Macdonald returned to Paris ; at Doullens he 
 succeeded in moderating the ardour of Excelmans, 
 who was hurrying to massacre the disbanded 
 remains of the King's Household. Somewhat 
 farther on the road his carriage passed that of 
 Marshal Ney. 
 
 ' You are going to Paris ; you will be well 
 received there ; the Emperor will be delighted to 
 welcome you.' 
 
 ' I will spare him the trouble ; I shall not see 
 him, nor shall I join his party.' 
 
 Macdonald's intention was to remain in Paris 
 only long enough to set his affairs in order, after 
 which he meant to go and shut himself up at 
 •Courcelles. His door, forbidden to all visitors, 
 was, however, forced by Marshal Davout, War 
 Minister, who made a futile attempt to induce 
 him to see the Emperor. He was confined to his 
 room for three months by a violent attack of gout, 
 and eventually was just starting for Courcelles 
 when the terrible news arrived of the crowning 
 disaster of Waterloo. Clearly that was not the 
 moment to leave Paris. 
 
 Notwithstanding his personal dislike for Fouch6, 
 he was obliged to see that individual. This Pre- 
 sident of the transitional Government told him 
 that it was of the utmost importance that the 
 
I04 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 King should return to Paris before the arrival of 
 the foreigners, if possible, and that if he wished to 
 give an agreeable surprise to the populace he 
 should wear the tricoloured cockade. Davout had 
 spoken to the same effect, and their opinion was 
 shared by Macdonald. 
 
 The interview took place at Gonesse. Louis 
 XVIII. had embraced him cordially, and had kept 
 him alone with him for over an hour. He was sur- 
 prised to find that so much importance was attached 
 to this trivial detail, this cockade, this plaything. 
 
 ' But,' inquired Macdonald, ' was your Majesty 
 then in play when, previous to the emigration, 
 you adopted and wore these colours T 
 
 ' Circumstances were very different. I had to 
 overcome the Revolution then.' 
 
 ' And to make use of it now, sire. Were not 
 these the colours of the Royal Family in former 
 days, and did not the Dutch receive them from 
 Henri IV. ?' 
 
 ' Yes ; but then they were the livery of his 
 household.' 
 
 ' Your Majesty doubtless remembers his remark 
 that " Paris was well worth a Mass " T 
 
 'Yes, but it was not a very Catholic one.' 
 
 The Comte d'Artois, the Due de Berry, the 
 chief officers, and Ministers had preceded the 
 King to the castle of Arnouville. 
 
 ' My brother, my nephew,' said the King, ' here 
 is our friend the Marshal. Embrace him.' 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 105 
 
 Monsieur did it with very good grace ; his son 
 with some embarrassment and constraint. He 
 objected to Macdonald's frankness, and had still 
 further ground for his objection when the Mar- 
 shal, wishing to save the second Restoration 
 from the faults of the first, commenced to enu- 
 merate a long list of them : abuses, extravagance, 
 favours unaccompanied by discernment, on the 
 one hand ; on the other, injustice, haughtiness, 
 contempt, and, he even ventured to add, violation 
 of the Charter. He went on to say that in March 
 there had bden no plot, in proof of which he 
 advanced the fact that, during the Hundred 
 Days, nobody had boasted of having had any 
 share in it. 
 
 ' There is much truth, brother, in what the 
 Marshal says,' remarked the King ; but Monsieur 
 and the others merely nodded their heads. 
 
 Next morning, as Macdonald was taking his 
 leave preparatory to starting for Paris, the King 
 kept him back, and, said : 
 
 ' My dear Marshal, I am going to ask another 
 service at your zeal. Here is the ordinance ap- 
 pointing you Grand Chancellor of the Legion of 
 Honour ; I signed it at Roye, where it was pre- 
 sented to me by Monsieur de Talleyrand.' 
 
 Macdonald expressed his thanks for this great 
 mark of favour, but asked himself how it happened 
 that he owed it to Monsieur de Talleyrand.? 
 What interest could he have in it ? On the way 
 
io6 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 to Paris he was able to discover the secret. The 
 President of the Council, dreading lest he should 
 have him as a colleague, in the capacity of War 
 Minister, was boldly sending him into exile in a 
 high office which had no political functions. 
 
 Louis XVIII. was about to put Macdonald's 
 devotion to a severe and cruel test. He asked 
 him to take command of the Army of the Loire, 
 or in other words, to arrange for its disbandment. 
 The Marshal refused, and held out for a long 
 time; 'but,' he says, 'the King insisted, with so 
 much determination, upon the personal nature of 
 the service that he implored me to render — 
 these are his own words — that he overcame my 
 opposition, but upon two formal conditions, first, 
 that I should have absolute freedom of action ; 
 and second, that I should in no way be charged 
 to become the instrument of any measures that 
 might be taken against individuals, and still less 
 with their execution. The impolitic ordinances of 
 July 25, whereby many Generals and others who 
 had taken part in the beginning of the Hundred 
 Days were brought to trial, or sent into exile, 
 were published, and, will it be believed ? they were 
 based upon the report of Fouche, Duke of Otranto, 
 Minister of Police, of the very man who, before 
 and during that period, had borne so large a share 
 in the internal events with which they had been 
 filled !' 
 
 The day after his arrival at Bourges, Macdonald 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 107 
 
 profited by the visit paid him by his troops to 
 take up a clear, honest, and, as regards the 
 Government, most courageous position. The as- 
 sembly was large, all the Generals and officers 
 being present. 
 
 ' Let those,' he said, raising his voice, ' whose 
 names unfortunately appear on these fatal ordi- 
 nances take measures for their safety ; they have 
 not a minute to lose ; at any moment persons 
 may arrive bearing mandates of which I shall be 
 unable to prevent the execution. All that I can 
 do is to give them full warning, and help them to 
 escape.' 
 
 Among the number was General Brayer, who 
 had tried forcibly to prevent his departure from 
 Lyons ; he began to make excuses. 
 
 ' Fly !' was Macdonald's only answer. 
 
 He did even more. That very evening there 
 arrived, without uniform, in civil dress, some of 
 the Body-guard, some exempts, as they were called 
 under the old rdgime ; they were bearers of war- 
 rants, and of orders to the heads of the police to 
 help them in their requisitions. When they pre- 
 sented themselves before the Marshal, he told 
 them that, in the present exasperated state of the 
 men's minds, he advised them not to show them- 
 selves, adding that he would give them supper, 
 and mattresses for the night, and that the next 
 day they would see what was best to be done. 
 Their door was locked ; messengers hastened 
 
io8 EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 through the cantonments giving the alarm, and 
 when morning came and the huntsmen started on 
 their quest, the game had vanished. They com- 
 plained. 
 
 ' You are vi^rong to grumble,' said the Marshal, 
 ' you ought rather to thank me ; for had your 
 disguise been suspected, you v^rould have run great 
 risks.' 
 
 ' We would have braved them.' 
 
 ' Then why did you disguise yourselves ? Since 
 your mission has no longer any object, in your 
 own interests, go ; quit the neighbourhood of 
 the army at once ; go and draw up your 
 report.' 
 
 The only result of this was a somewhat tart 
 letter from the Due de Berry, in which he said 
 that, were he, the Duke, commanding in Mac- 
 donald's place, he would throw the recalcitrants 
 out of window ; to which the Marshal replied that 
 it would be an excellent plan if there were no risk 
 of having to lead the way one's self 
 
 However, this hateful disbandment had to be 
 made at last. Macdonald did it with the utmost 
 tact ; but it was grievous to him to have to bring 
 misery upon so many brave fellows who lost their 
 active service pay, or in other words, half their 
 means of existence, thereby. There was but 
 little mutiny ; the disbandment was carried out 
 quietly. 
 
 ' It was not without a cruel pang,' says the 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 109 
 
 Marshal eloquently, ' that I witnessed the disap- 
 pearance of that bold and unhappy army, which 
 had for so long been triumphant ; no trace now 
 remained of it ; an ill-wind had blown, dispersing 
 it like dust, and we were now at the mercy of the 
 foreigner !' 
 
 All was ended ; the Marshal's last order of the 
 day is dated October 21, 181 5, but he did not 
 receive permission to return to Paris till February 6 
 following. They were kind enough to tell him 
 that his presence at Bourges acted as a moral, in 
 default of a physical force ; it was a polite way of 
 keeping him at a distance. At length he came 
 back to take up his duties as Arch-Chancellor of 
 the Legion of Honour. 
 
 Here ends the story of the ' Recollections.' 
 
 ' Since that period,' says the Marshal, ' no per- 
 sonal circumstance relating to my military or poli- 
 tical career deserves mention.' 
 
 Overwhelmed by gout, unable to mount a horse, 
 he resigned the Arch-Chancellorship on Novem- 
 ber 15, 1830, and retired to his property at Cour- 
 celles, where he died on September 25, 1840, at 
 the age of seventy-five. 
 
 The manuscript contains, by way of epilogue, a 
 characteristic anecdote of an occurrence at St. 
 Cloud, during the reign of Louis XVIII. 
 
 Macdonald, Major-General of the Royal Guard, 
 on duty, was at luncheon at the King's table, 
 where he was seated beside Monsieur. 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 ' Before the Revolution,' said his august neigh- 
 bour, ' you served in the Irish Brigade ?' 
 
 ' Yes, Monseigneur.' 
 
 ' Nearly all the officers emigrated ?' 
 
 'Yes, Monseigneur.' 
 
 ' Why did you not do as they did ? What kept 
 you in France ?' 
 
 ' I was in love, Monseigneur.' 
 
 ' Ha, ha ! So you were in love, sir ?' 
 
 ' Yes, Monseigneur, like many another ; I was 
 married, and about to become a father ; and be- 
 sides, your Royal Highness knows that emigration 
 was caused by many motives. It was not devo- 
 tion or public opinion which always settled the 
 question, especially among the young officers, 
 who, like myself, knew very little about politics, 
 but often very ugly circumstances, such as debts, 
 etc., which made it advisable. I must make a 
 confession to your Royal Highness.' 
 
 ' What is it ?' 
 
 ' That I adore the Revolution.' 
 
 Monsieur started, and changed colour. 
 
 ' I detest the men who took part in it, and their 
 crimes ; the army took no share in it ; it never 
 looked behind, but always ahead, at the enemy, 
 and it deplores the excesses that were being com- 
 mitted. How can I fail to adore the Revolution ? 
 To that I owe my rank, my elevation ; without it, 
 should I now have the honour of sitting at the 
 King's table, next to your Royal Highness ?' 
 
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 
 
 Monsieur, who had recovered himself and re- 
 gained his good humour, clapped him on the 
 shoulder, exclaiming : 
 
 ' And you are right ! I like your honesty !' 
 
 Such was the man. 
 
 Camille Rousset. 
 
STEPHEN JAMES JOSEPH ALEXANDER 
 
 MACDONALD, 
 
 BORN AT SANCERRE, NOVEMBER 17, 1765; 
 
 ENTERED THE ARMY IN 1785; 
 
 GENERAL OF DIVISION, 1794; 
 
 GOVERNOR OF ROME, 1798; 
 
 AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY TO THE COURT 
 
 OF COPENHAGEN, 1801 ; 
 
 CREATED MARSHAL ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE 
 
 OF WAG RAM, yULY 6, 1S09; 
 
 DUKE OF TARENTUM, AUGUST 15, 1809; 
 
 PEER OF FRANCE, 1814; 
 
 KNIGHT GRAND-CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST. LOUIS, 1814 ; 
 
 GOVERNOR OF THE KXIst MILITARY DIVISION, 1814 ; 
 
 ARCH -CHANCELLOR OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR, 1S15 : 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL OF THE ROYAL BODY-GUARD, 1816 ; 
 
 DIED AT COURCELLES-LE-ROI, SEPTEMBER 25, 1840. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
Zbc Companions in arms of nDacbonalt»: 
 
 DAVOUT, Louis Nicolas, i. 1770, at Annaux ; d. 1823, from natural 
 
 causes. 
 MASSENA, Andrea, i. 1758, at Nice ; d. 181 7, from natural causes. 
 SOULT, Nicolas Jean de Dieu, d. 1769, at St. Amand la Bastide ; 
 
 d. 185 1, from natural causes. [Bourbons. 
 
 NEY, Michel, i. 1769, at Sarre-Louis ; d. 1815. Murdered by the 
 AUGEREAU, Pierre Fran9ois Charles, /;. 1757, at Paris; d. 1816, 
 
 from natural causes. [causes. 
 
 SUCHET, Louis Gabriel, i. 1770, at Lyons ; d. 1826, from natural 
 ST. CYR, Laurent Gouvion, fi. 1764, at Toul ; d. 1830, from 
 
 natural causes. [the Bourbons. 
 
 MURAT, Joachim, I/. 1 771, at Bastide Fortuniere; d. 18 15. Shot by 
 [MACDONALD, Stephen James Joseph Alexander, i. 1765, at 
 
 Sancerre ; d. 1840, from natural causes.] 
 MARMONT, Auguste Frederic Louis Viesse de, i. 1774, at Chalillon- 
 
 sur-Seine ; d. 1852, from natural causes. 
 LANNES, Jean, i. 1769, at Lectoure ; d. 1809. Killed at Aspern. 
 OUDINOT, Nicolas Charles, d. 1767, at Bar-le-Duc; d. 1847, from 
 
 natural causes. 
 MORTIER, Edouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph, i. 1768, at Cambrai ; 
 
 d. 1835. Assassinated by a bomb. [natural causes. 
 
 LEFEBVRE, Francois Joseph, 6. 1755, at Ruffach ;" rf. 1820. from 
 GROUCHY, Emanuel, //. 1766, at Paris ; d. 1847, from natural causes. 
 VICTOR, Claude Perrin, /'. 1764, at Marche ; d. 1841, from natural 
 
 causes. [natural causes. 
 
 JOURDAN, Jean Baptiste, d. 1762, at Limoges; d. 1833, from 
 BRUNE, Guillaume Marie Anne, l>. 1763, at Brives la Gaillarde ; 
 
 d. jSi^. Murdered by his countrymen. fin action. 
 
 BESSIERES, Jean Baptiste,^. 1768, at Preissac ; d. 1813. Killed 
 MONCEY, Bon Adrien Jeannot de, d. 1754, at Besangon ; d. 1842, 
 
 from natural causes. 
 
 BERTHIER, Alexandre, />. 1753, at Versailles; d. 1815. Thrown 
 out of window. 
 
 SERURIER, Jean Matthieu Philibert, i. 1742, at Laon ; d. 1819, 
 
 from natural causes. [natural causes. 
 
 BERNADOTTE, Jean Baptiste, l>. 1764, at Pau; d. 1844, from 
 
 KELLERMANN, Francois Christophe, /;. 1735, at Strasbourg; 
 
 d. 1820, from natural causes. 
 
 PONIATOWSKI, Jozef Anton, ^. 1763, at Warsaw; d 1813. 
 
 ^ Drowned in the Elster. [from natural causes. 
 
 PERIGNON, Dominique Catherine, l>. 1754, at Thoulouse ; d. i8r8, 
 
 Junot, Duke of Abrantes, and Clarke, Duke of Feltre, were not 
 Marshals. The Viceroy of Italy also was not a Marshal. 
 
^be flDarsbal0 of tbe first mapoleon. 
 
 DAVOUT. JH. 1804, Duke of Auerstadt 1808, Prince of Eckmiihl 
 1809. 
 
 MASSENA. M. 1804, Duke of Rivoli 1808, Prince of Essling 
 1810. 
 
 SOULT. 4H. 1804, Duke of Dalmatia 1808. 
 
 NEY. 4H. 1804, Duke of Elchingen 1808, Prince of the Moskowa 
 1813. 
 
 AUGEREAU. JE. 1804, Duke of Castiglione 1808. 
 
 SUCHET. JH. 181 1, Count 1808, Duke of Albufera da Valencia 
 1812. 
 
 ST. CYR. £t\. 1812, Count 1808. 
 
 MURAT, 4;H. 1804, High Admiral of France 1805, Grand Duke of 
 Berg and Cleves 1806, King of Naples 1808. 
 
 [MACDONALD. ^tt. 1809, Duke of Tarentum 1809.] 
 
 MARMONT. 4H. i8og, Duke of Ragusa 1808. 
 
 LANNES. £X. 1804, Duke of Montebello 1808. 
 
 OUDINOT. Jtt. 1809, Count 1808, Duke of Reggio 1810. 
 
 MORTIER. 4tt. 1804, Chancellor of the Legion of Honour 1804, 
 Duke of Treviso 1807. 
 
 LEFEBVRE. JH. 1804, Duke of Dantzic 1807. 
 
 GROUCHY. 4H. 1815, Count 1809. {Marquis by descent.) Mar- 
 shalate annulled. 
 
 VICTOR. JE. 1807, Duke of Belluno 1808. 
 
 JOURDAN. 4tt. 1804, Count 1814. Marshalate annulled. 
 
 BRUNE. Jtt. 1804, Count. 
 
 BESSIERES. #1. 1804, Duke of Istria 1809. 
 
 MONCEY. JH. 1804, Duke of Conegliano 1808. 
 
 BERTHIER. #1. 1804, Duke of Valengin 1806, Prince of Neuf- 
 chatel 1806, Vice-Constable of the Empire 1807, Prince of 
 Wagram 1809. 
 
 SERURIER. #t. 1804, Count 1808. 
 
 BERNADOTTE. Jt. 1804, Prince of Ponte Corvo 1805. Mar- 
 shalate annulled. {Afterwards Xing of Sweden.) 
 
 KELLERMANN. JK. 1804, Duke of Valmy 1808. 
 
 PONIATOWSKI. Jtt. 1813. {Prince by descent.) 
 
 PERIGNON. JE. 1804, Count 181 1. 
 
 Generals Junot, Vandamme, Gerard, Clausel, Lauriston, Souham, 
 Bertrand, etc., held at different times independent commands of 
 equal importance to those usually entrusted to Marshals. Generals 
 Junot, Vandamme, and Dupont lost the batons promised to them. 
 
A FEW OF THE LEADING 
 
 General Junot. 
 
 „ Clausal. 
 
 ,, Vandarame. 
 
 ,, Souham. 
 
 „ Bertrand. 
 
 „ Lauriston. 
 
 „ Maison. 
 
 „ Gerard. 
 
 Rapp. 
 
 ,, Savary. 
 
 „ Molitor. 
 
 „ Duhesme. 
 
 ,, Dorsenne. 
 
 „ Reille. 
 
 Foy. 
 
 ,, Loison. 
 
 ,, Regnier. 
 
 ,, Montbrun. 
 
 Drouet (d'Erlon). 
 
 ,, Sebastian!. 
 
 T, Lasalle. 
 
 ,, Marchand. 
 
 ,, Dupont. 
 
 ,, Laborde. 
 
 ,, Drouot. 
 
 ,, Excelmans. 
 
 ,, Milhaud. 
 
 ,, Latour Maubourg. 
 
 ,, Nansouty. 
 
 ,, Lefebvre Desnouettes. 
 
 Pajol. 
 
 ., Mouton (Lobau). 
 
 ,, Gudin. 
 
 ,, Friant. 
 
 ,, Morand. 
 
 ,, Donzelot. 
 
 ,, Verdier. 
 
 ,, Harispe. 
 
 ,, Conroux. 
 
 General Claparfede. 
 
 „ G. St. Cyr. 
 
 „ Dessolles. 
 
 ,, Dejean. 
 
 ,, Merle. 
 
 „ Maureillan (Poitevin). 
 
 „ Compans. 
 
 „ Marcognet. 
 
 „ Grenier. 
 
 „ Partonneaux. 
 
 ,, Danthouard. 
 
 „ Durutte. 
 
 ,, Lariboisiere. 
 
 „ Haxo. 
 
 ,, Bernard. 
 
 „ Eble. 
 
 ,, Philippon. 
 
 „ Bizanet. 
 
 „ Sanson. 
 
 „ Desaix. 
 
 ,, Lanusse. 
 
 „ Kl^ber. 
 
 „ Duroc. 
 
 „ Menou. 
 
 „ Belliard. 
 
 „ Kellermann ( Younger). 
 
 „ Daru. 
 
 „ Clarke. 
 
 ,, Caulaincourt. 
 
 „ Dumas. 
 
 ,, Gambler. 
 
 „ Delmas. 
 
 „ Bonnet. 
 
 „ Mouton-Duvernet. 
 
 ,, Lamarque. 
 
 „ Delzons. 
 
 ,, Maransin. 
 
 „ Castex. 
 Curial. 
 
GENERALS OF THE PERIOD. 
 
 General Lahoussaye. | 
 
 General I'Abbe. 
 
 jj 
 
 Maucune. 
 
 „ Villatte. 
 
 J) 
 
 Chastel. 
 
 „ Legrand. 
 
 TJ 
 
 Latour d'Auvergne. 
 
 „ Broussier. 
 
 J) 
 
 Puthod. 
 
 „ Laval. 
 
 71 
 
 Thomieres. 
 
 „ Charpentier. 
 
 If 
 
 Plausanne. 
 
 „ Albert. 
 
 J, 
 
 Guyot. 
 
 Dode. 
 
 ?) 
 
 Bachelu. 
 
 Colbert. 
 
 5T 
 
 Mix. 
 
 „ Defrane. 
 
 JT 
 
 Fouche. 
 
 „ Ricard. 
 
 
 Polombini. 
 
 ,, Chateau. 
 
 )T 
 
 Lecchi. 
 
 „ Sdgur. 
 
 „ 
 
 Roguet. 
 
 P. Soult. 
 
 
 Vial. 
 
 „ Domon. 
 
 ,, 
 
 Lamarque. 
 
 Pino. 
 
 )) 
 
 Gratien. 
 
 „ Dumonceau. 
 
 „ 
 
 D'Armagnac. 
 
 „ Lepic. 
 
 J> 
 
 Bordesoult. 
 
 „ Lagrange. 
 
 
 Moreau. 
 
 Petit. 
 
 )J 
 
 Dumourier. 
 
 „ Barrois. 
 
 5) 
 
 Pichegru, 
 
 „ St. Germain. 
 
 )) 
 
 Joubert. 
 
 „ Le Grand. 
 
 JJ 
 
 Hoche. 
 
 „ Truquet. 
 
 J5 
 
 Championnet. 
 
 „ Lacroix. 
 
 J) 
 
 Richepanse. 
 
 „ Dufour. 
 
 
 Rochambeau. 
 
 „ Lamotte. 
 
 ;j 
 
 Cambronne. 
 
 „ Corbineau. 
 
 )» 
 
 Delfanti. 
 
 „ Lacoste. 
 
 
 Gazan. 
 
 Mallet. 
 
 
 Lemarrois. 
 
 ,, Bourmont. 
 
 J) 
 
 Gassendi. 
 
 „ Sortin. 
 
 
 Dessaix {another). 
 
 „ Guilleminot. 
 
 „ 
 
 Moreau {another). 
 
 „ Ledru. 
 
 „ 
 
 Grandjean. 
 
 „ Delantre. 
 
 
 Pecheux. 
 
 Triaire. 
 
 
 Baraguay d'Hilliers. 
 
 „ Gifflenga. 
 
 
 Taupin. 
 
 „ Dommarget. 
 
 
 L'Heritier. 
 
 „ Girard. 
 
 n 
 
 Paris. 
 
 „ Dugommier. 
 
DIPLOMATISTS 
 
 REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK, WITH THE DIFFERENT 
 TITLES THEY ARE jMENTIONED UNDER. 
 
 THE PRINCE OF BENEVENTO 
 
 CHARLES MAURICE DE TALLEYRAND PERIGORD. 
 
 [d. 1754 ; d. 1838. 
 THE DUKE OF OTRANTO 
 
 JOSEPH FOUCHE, b. 1763 ; d. 1820. 
 
 THE DUKE OF VICENZA 
 
 ARM AND AUGUSTIN LOUIS DE CAULAINCOURT, 
 
 [6. 1773 ; d. 1827. 
 THE DUKE OF BASSANO 
 
 HUGUES BERNARD MARET, b. 1763; d. 1839. 
 
 THE DUKE OF ROVIGO 
 
 ANNE JEAN MARIE RENE SAVARY, b. 1774; d. 183J. 
 
 THE DUKE OF C ADORE 
 
 JEAN BAPTISTE NOMPERE DE CHAMPAGNY, b. 1756; 
 
 [d 1834. 
 
 BESIDES ALSO 
 
 SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS HELD BY 
 
 GENERAL SEBASTIANI. 
 GENERAL CARD ANNE 
 GENERAL LAURISTON. 
 
RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 MARSHAL MACDONALD 
 
DUKC OF TARENTUM 
 
RECOLLECTIONS OF 
 
 Marshal Macdonald 
 
 DUKE OF TARENTUM 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 Introduction — Journey to the Hebrides — Parentage — Brothers 
 and Sisters — With Maillebois — Life at Sancerre — Gentle- 
 man-Cadet — At St. Germain — Marriage. 
 
 Courcelles-le-Roi,* 
 
 May i6, 1825. 
 
 The idea has occurred to me, my son, of beginning 
 
 this notice of my life for you, without caring to 
 
 know when it will be finished ; nevertheless, I 
 
 set to work, having for guide and assistance 
 
 nothing but my recollections. I let my pen travel 
 
 on and write these lines, as you will observe, in 
 
 the simplest and most familiar style possible. 
 
 Truth needs no embellishment, and, moreover, 
 
 I am not writing for the public ; these lines are 
 
 not intended for the light of day. I write in 
 
 * This property is situated in the department of the Loiret. 
 — Translator's note. 
 
122 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 haste from an old habit of never leaving anything 
 till to-morrow ; besides, my return to Paris cannot 
 long be postponed, and once there, I shall have 
 no time to continue this work, as I am contem- 
 plating a journey of six weeks or two months, in 
 order to see the three kingdoms of the British 
 Empire, with which I am unacquainted, and to 
 visit my father's birthplace in the Hebrides. 
 
 Paris, 
 
 yune I, 1825. 
 
 You and my family will probably be surprised, 
 and justly so, at finding among my papers as yet 
 no special recital of my campaigns, not even a 
 daily journal ; I owe you some explanations upon 
 this point. 
 
 Twenty years ago I had ample leisure, as I 
 was not being employed,* but I had recently 
 acquired Courcelles. It was the first time that I 
 had owned an estate, and it was but natural that I 
 should wish to enjoy all its pleasures. Surrounded 
 with books on agriculture, I discovered attractions 
 hitherto unknown to me. I forgot the papers 
 locked up in my chest, and all my fine schemes 
 for writing my military life were temporarily 
 abandoned. If Heaven prolongs my unhappy 
 existence,+ I will interpolate in this narrative an 
 
 * After the trial of Moreau, in which a futile and unjust 
 attempt was made to implicate Macdonald, he remained five 
 years in disgrace ; he was not recalled to service until 1809. 
 
 t He had just lost his third wife, mother of the son to whom 
 these recollections are addressed. She was Mademoiselle de 
 
JOURNEY TO THE HEBRIDES 123 
 
 account of my military career, and of the different 
 ranks that I have held. As for events, they are 
 written in every history of the time ; but beware 
 of them, especially upon any subject connected 
 with me, for histories, narratives, and biographical 
 notices must be affected by our recent troubles, 
 and consequently by the passions of men and by 
 party spirit ; however, impartial history will one 
 day avenge those who have fallen victims. 
 
 I have never had reason to reproach myself, 
 nor have I ever had to blush for any circumstance 
 in my life. I received an untarnished name. 
 I transmit it to you, feeling sure that you will 
 keep it pure. My conscience during my long and 
 active life reproaches me with nothing, because 
 I always followed three safe guides : honour, 
 fidelity, and disinterestedness ; and I like to 
 believe that my guides will be yours also. 
 
 Courcelles-le-Roi, 
 
 August 6, 1825. 
 
 My rapid journey has been brought to a satis- 
 factory conclusion. The coast of France looked 
 to me like the Promised Land. I have once more 
 seen France, my beloved country! This is the first 
 anniversary of your birth. What joy and happiness 
 
 Bourgoing, and had previously married her cousin. Baron 
 de Bourgoing. She had two children by the Marshal : this 
 son, Alexander, afterwards Duke of Tarentum, and a daughter 
 who died in infancy. — Translatot^s note. 
 
124 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 that event caused us ! But, alas ! how many regrets 
 and torturing recollections have come since ! 
 
 I ought to tell you something about your 
 family upon your father's side. I alone can give 
 you details, which I knew but imperfectly, but 
 which, in the course of my travels, I collected 
 on the spot. Your paternal grandfather was 
 born in 1719, in the parish of Coubry, or Boubry, 
 in South Uist, one of the Hebrides.* He was 
 educated in France at the Scotch College at 
 Douai, and was probably destined for an ecclesi- 
 astical career. I know not what were his views, 
 tastes, or wishes, but I do know that, after 
 completing a brilliant course of study, he returned 
 to the place of his birth. Thence he was sum- 
 moned by Prince Charles [Edward] Stuart, sur- 
 named the Pretender. 
 
 Throughout the disastrous expedition of 1 745 
 my father attached himself to the good and bad 
 fortune of the Prince, like a good, honest, loyal 
 Scotchman. The cup of their common mis- 
 fortunes, and of so many others besides, was 
 filled by the loss of the battle of Culloden, near 
 Inverness, in the Highlands, in 1746. The 
 details of this disastrous event are written in 
 history, and so generally known that it would 
 
 * I learn from Mr. John Macdonald, of Glenaladale, whose 
 father accompanied the Marshal on his journey to the Hebrides, 
 that the district in which this grandfather was born is that of 
 Houghbeag. See also note at the end of vol. i. — Translator' s 
 tiote. 
 
1763-1788] THE MARSHAL'S MOTHER 125 
 
 be superfluous to repeat them here ; but what are 
 less known are the results that this unhappy 
 affair had upon the life of the Prince, who was 
 compelled for several months to seek shelter in 
 caves and rocks, in order to save his head, upon 
 which a price had been set. He wandered from 
 island to island, guided by my father, until at last 
 a heroine. Flora Macdonald, of the Isle of Skye, 
 succeeded in baffling their pursuers, and exposed 
 herself in order to assist their flight on board a 
 French man-of-war. Miraculously saved, they 
 reached France. Your grandfather was put into 
 Ogilvy's Scotch regiment, and the Prince never 
 gave him another thought ! 
 
 After the peace of 1763, nearly all the foreign 
 regiments were disbanded. Among them was 
 Ogilvy's, and your grandfather, proscribed in his 
 own country, and abandoned in this one, was re- 
 duced to live upon the modest pension of three 
 hundred /w7^es (about ^30). Almost immedi- 
 ately afterwards he made what, in military par- 
 lance, is called a 'garrison marriage'; that is to 
 say, he wedded a girl without any fortune. Your 
 grandfather had settled himself at Sedan, where I 
 was born, when he was invited by Lord Thomas 
 Nairn, proscribed like himself, to the litde town 
 of Sancerre. The cheapness of living, and pro- 
 bably of the wine, which is good, had determined 
 these gentlemen to settle there ; other Scotchmen 
 had preceded them. 
 
126 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 In this retreat, with his friends and his books, 
 he consoled himself for the cruelty of fortune. 
 He was very studious, well versed in the Greek 
 and Latin tongues, which he spoke easily, as 
 well as French, English, and Gaelic, his native 
 language. He never saw his country again, 
 although in 1 784 an Act of Amnesty was passed 
 l)y the English Parliament, permitting fugitives 
 to return. He died at Sancerre in 1 788, in all 
 probability from the effects of a fall he had had 
 some years previously, and which had dislocated 
 his hip. It had been badly set by an ignorant 
 surgeon. I was at that time quartered at Calais. 
 One of his compatriots, Mr. MacNab, undertook 
 to represent me. He collected all his books and 
 papers, with the intention of restoring them to 
 me. Among them I should certainly have found 
 many details about my family, and about the 
 events of which your grandfather had been both 
 witness and victim ; but Mr. MacNab, at that 
 time corporal in the bodyguard, was, like so many 
 others, seized during the Revolution, arrested and 
 imprisoned. His papers and mine were carried 
 off, and are lost for ever. I have these melancholy 
 details from himself 
 
 I have no information about your paternal grand- 
 mother. I only know she was of good family. 
 She was born at St. Omer, but as her father, a 
 soldier by profession, was a stranger in the town, 
 nobody remembered her, and I could obtain 
 
1788] BROTHERS AND SISTERS 127 
 
 no information when I caused inquiries to be 
 made. 
 
 Unfortunately, while I was moving from 
 garrison to garrison, your grandfather and 
 grandmother had, two or three years before the 
 death of the former, differences of so serious a 
 nature that they voluntarily separated. I fancy 
 that your grandmother, perhaps embittered by 
 trouble, had some slight affection of the mind, but 
 it was scarcely noticeable, and certainly not so 
 apparent to others as to me. She retired to Fon- 
 tainebleau, where she ended her days twenty-five 
 or twenty-six years ago. Your grandfather was 
 very gentle, she was- quick-tempered ; she was a 
 great talker, he was naturally silent. I have heard 
 him, however, talk very well ; his memory was 
 well stored, full of anecdote, and he was a good 
 musician, playing the violin ; he was much esteemed 
 and sought after by the society of that time. 
 
 They had four children, two boys and two 
 girls ; two died at an early age, my sister and I 
 have survived. My sister was educated in a 
 convent at Rouen, and married a Swiss doctor 
 at Soleure, who afterwards gave up the ' fruitless 
 science of Galen,' became a soldier, and was 
 killed, holding the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, at 
 the passage of the Beresina, in the fatal expedi- 
 tion of 181 2. They left three girls and a boy, 
 who is now in India, at Pondicherry, in command 
 of a company of Sepoys. One of the daughters 
 
128 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 is a nun ; the eldest married Major-General the 
 Viscount de Saint-Mars, and the second Colonel 
 de Couessin, attached to my staff. They are all 
 living and have children. Your aunt, after the 
 death of her husband, Lieutenant-Colonel {Chef de 
 bataillofi)* Weltner, came to settle at Beaulieu, 
 near me, and died there two years ago. 
 
 My early studies had been somewhat neglected 
 at Sancerre. I was sent to Paris to a school kept 
 by Chevalier Pawlet (sic). His foreign name 
 caused the proscription of the tutor, and his 
 establishment was suppressed at the beginning of 
 the Revolution. I had profited fairly well by his 
 instruction. Before going thither, I had been 
 destined for the Church, in the hope of obtaining 
 a canonry at Cambrai. But my military tastes 
 were developed by my studies and surroundings, 
 and especially by Homer, the reading of which set 
 my brain on fire. I thought myself an Achilles. 
 
 They wished to make an engineer of me, and 
 I was encouraged to study mathematics. Two 
 comrades and I had to undergo an examination ; 
 we failed, and were sent back for another year ; 
 but in the interval powerful patrons. Prince 
 Ferdinand de Rohan, Archbishop of Cambrai, 
 Countess d'Albestroop, Lady Mary and Lady Lucy 
 Stuart, obtained for me, in 1785, a lieutenancy in 
 Maillebois' regiment, then serving the Dutch. 
 
 * Chef de bataillon means a lieutenant-colonel of infantry, 
 Chef d'escadron a lieutenant-colonel of cavalry. 
 
1785] WITH MAILLEBOIS 129 
 
 The seven united provinces formed at that time 
 a republican federation, which on more than one 
 occasion had fought successfully against States 
 much stronger than herself This time she had 
 to face her neighbour, the Emperor of Austria, 
 Sovereign of the Netherlands, who had quar- 
 relled with her on behalf of Antwerp and Ghent, 
 for the free navigation of the Scheldt. The 
 Dutch, trusting in the defences which gave 
 them safety — their good fleet, their frontiers 
 surrounded by rivers, and their bristling fortresses 
 — maintained only a small standing army ; but 
 threatened as they were at this moment, they 
 were seeking everywhere for generals, officers, 
 and men. 
 
 On hearing of my appointment, and the object 
 for which the regiment was being raised, I was 
 nearly beside myself with pleasure. My head 
 was already crammed with books upon the art of 
 war, with histories of sieges, campaigns, combats 
 and battles. I was already planning out various 
 schemes of attack and defence, and flattered my- 
 self that I should reap at least a colonelcy in this 
 campaign, and that in the next I should become 
 a rival to the Great Turenne. Such were my 
 ideas when I first put on my uniform at the 
 beginning of 1785, and started with a number 
 of other officers for our corps at Nimeguen. 
 Arnheim, and Bois-le-Duc. 
 
 You will easily conceive with what ardour I 
 
 VOL. I. I 
 
I30 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 commenced the work of training my men. I had 
 learnt the rudiments at Chevalier Pawlet's school, 
 which was organized upon the lines of military 
 schools, enjoying some of their prerogatives, 
 notably the privilege of receiving officers' com- 
 missions, without counting those granted to such 
 as passed from there into the special colleges for 
 the artillery and engineers. 
 
 You will experience, I hope, my son, the real 
 joy that is caused by a first uniform and a first 
 commission ; and although I have reached the 
 highest rank, I assure you, in perfect sincerity 
 and frankness, that my colonelcy was the crown- 
 ing point to me. 
 
 My new brother officers and I thought of 
 nothing but how soon we could take the field 
 against the Austrians. All our conversations 
 turned upon this subject, so full for us of charm 
 and attraction, whereon we each founded his 
 ambition, his promotion, and his fortune, when we 
 learned with deep chagrin that peace had been 
 concluded, and that our regiment would be dis- 
 banded. The Dutch thus justified the witticism 
 pronounced by Frederick the Great, who on one 
 occasion inquired of their Ambassador how matters 
 were going with them. 
 
 ' Very well,' was the answer. ' We shall hold 
 our own against the Emperor.' 
 
 ' Nonsense !' replied the King. ' I see exactly 
 what will happen : you will give a tip ' (^pourboire) 
 
1785] RETURN TO FRANCE 131 
 
 ' to his Imperial Majesty, and there will be an end 
 of the matter.' 
 
 This opinion, though expressed in joke, was 
 found to be borne out completely when the treaty 
 was published. 
 
 In the statute ordering the regiment to be 
 raised of which the Count de Maillebois was 
 Colonel, as well as being Commander-in-chief of 
 the Dutch forces, a proviso had been inserted 
 that, in case of peace and consequent disband- 
 ment, all the officers should receive as pension 
 half their pay, on condition of spending it in the 
 country, or a sum down, amounting to four years 
 of the said pension, with permission to leave the 
 country at their pleasure. It was not a very large 
 sum, for the Dutch, a careful people, had only 
 eight months in their year, each month containing 
 six weeks. 
 
 After taking the advice of my father and 
 patrons, I returned to France. They then put 
 their heads together to save me from living in 
 idleness at Sancerre, where I was wearing out 
 my uniform by showing it off at Mass and 
 vespers on Sundays, and to the country people 
 on market days. Everyone made way for me, and 
 this could not fail to increase my stock of vanity. 
 
 It was very difficult to be reinstated in a regi- 
 ment in the service of France. Government 
 seems to have viewed with displeasure the custom 
 prevalent among our officers, of leaving their 
 
132 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 rank in their own army for a superior rank in the 
 Legion. The Austrian Minister had made repre- 
 sentations, and, in order to give no justification 
 for the suspicion of connivance, the French 
 Minister refused to reinstate those who had 
 willingly abandoned their ranks ; a fortiori he 
 would refuse to give even a sub-lieutenant's com- 
 mission to the others. They were, however, per- 
 mitted to begin their career as gentlemen-cadets, 
 according to the established rules. 
 
 These obstacles were pointed out to me, 
 together with the necessity of coming to a de- 
 cision. I did not hesitate. The lazy life of 
 Sancerre wearied me. I had had a taste of life 
 in garrison ; the work, exercises, parades, inspec- 
 tions, manoeuvres, which bored so many others, 
 especially the old officers who had fought in 
 America, were attractive to me. Count Arthur 
 Dillon, who fell a victim to the Revolution, after 
 having served it loyally, offered me a cadetship in 
 the regiment that bore his name, of which he was 
 proprietary Colonel. I put on the red coat ; a 
 white aiglet, distinctive mark of the gentlemen- 
 cadets, took the place of my Lieutenant's epau- 
 lettes. I am bound to admit that it was not 
 without a heavy heart that I took this courageous 
 resolution, nor without a lively feeling of grief, 
 which, however, dimihished upon my hearing that 
 I should soon be made an officer. That was a 
 crumb of comfort, certainly, but it seemed to me a 
 
1785-1790] AMUSEMENTS 133 
 
 very long way off, seeing that up to the rank of 
 Captain promotion only went by seniority, that 
 there were several cadets above me, and that the 
 list of officers was very long. Some of these 
 were there as substitutes, etc. Great modifi- 
 cations have now been introduced into the 
 laws governing promotion, more favourable to 
 distinguished talents, and especially to patron- 
 age. 
 
 I thus spent several years, always keenly in- 
 terested in my profession, and continuing my 
 studies. I had chosen my friends well ; they also 
 were fond of work. They were good musicians 
 and draughtsmen. I have always regretted that 
 I could do no more than scrape my fiddle. I had 
 begun too late, and my masters, independently of 
 their bad method, knew little more about it than I 
 did. My other amusements were fencing, dancing, 
 and the theatre. My taste for music and good 
 acting had helped me to store my memory ; it 
 became stronger and purer while I was employed 
 in Italy. It is an immense advantage to a young 
 officer to be able to play an instrument ; the best 
 society is always open to him, especially if to his 
 talent he joins good breeding and education, as 
 well as good behaviour and regularity. He must 
 not, however, sacrifice his duty to his pleasure, for 
 duty should always come first. 
 
 The Revolution broke out ; every officer's brain 
 was in a ferment ; no one dreamed of anything 
 
134 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 save war and promotion. The camp of St. Omer, 
 where I was with my regiment, was able, by 
 means of meetings and conventions, to free itself 
 from the severe and humiliating discipline to 
 which the council of war wished to subject all 
 regiments and officers. 
 
 At the period when the officers obtained their 
 long leave, I profited by mine, at the end of 1 790, 
 to go to my sister at Andrezy, and to St. Germain. 
 I was at that time a Lieutenant, a little bit of a ■ 
 musician, and, though I could only scrape my 
 violin, I was presented in several houses, and 
 voted tolerable. 
 
 A young and pretty creole'"' appeared to recipro- 
 cate the attention I paid her. I offered her my 
 hand, which was accepted ; her mother gave her 
 approval, but the father's consent was yet to be 
 obtained. He was a wily old fox, who had 
 amassed a fortune in the West Indies, and more 
 than economical, not to say stingy. The only 
 fortune I could offer was my youth and my 
 military prospects ; he wanted something more 
 solid. He politely refused my proposal, but I 
 would not take ' No ' for an answer. We set Colonel 
 Beurnonville, since Marshal of France, to work ; 
 he was well acquainted with the family, and had 
 
 * Mademoiselle Jacob, by whom he had two daughters, the 
 Duchesse de Massa and the Comtesse de Perregaux. See 
 Michaud, ' Biographie Universelle, Ancienne et Moderne,' 
 Paris, Desplaces, vol. xxv., art. 'Macdonald.' — Translator's 
 note. 
 
1791] MARRIAGE. 135 
 
 the ear of the father, who was his wife's uncle. 
 The latter, who was afraid of the Colonel, though 
 he had declined my offer, thought fit to make 
 inquiries among the patrons already named, and 
 whom I had mentioned to him. At last, worried 
 and tormented, he finished by giving his con- 
 sent to our union, which was celebrated May 5, 
 1 79 1. From that time to the day of his death he 
 was very good to me ; he became very fond of 
 me, and I honestly reciprocated his affection. 
 
[ '36 ] 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 First Campaign — Battle of Jemmappes — Appointed Colonel — 
 Arrival at Lille — Dumouriez's Treachery — Events at Lille — 
 Interrogation — End of the Incident. 
 
 The Revolution made giant strides ; war seemed 
 imminent. I was recalled to my regiment. War 
 broke out at the beginning of 1792. Beurnon- 
 ville was employed in a command, and took me as 
 his aide-de-camp. 
 
 There had been considerable emigration among 
 the officers of the army, and particularly among 
 those of my regiment. Efforts were made to 
 induce me to go, too ; but I was married, and 
 very much attached to my wife, who was near her 
 confinement. These were surely good reasons ! 
 Besides, I cared nothing about politics. 
 
 The campaign opened, and its first start was 
 not happy ; there was no feeling of community, 
 and a great deal of insubordination. General 
 Dumouriez came to take command of the northern 
 frontier ; his head-quarters were at the camp at 
 Maulde, then under the orders of General Beur- 
 nonville. He gave me several commissions, which 
 
1792] FIRST CAMPAIGN 
 
 137 
 
 I carried out satisfactorily, and wished to keep 
 me near him, with the rank of Captain. Beurnon- 
 ville, seeing that it was for my interest, strongly 
 urged me to accept. Gratitude and friendship 
 compelled me to refuse, and I resisted, but ended 
 by submitting to reiterated pressure, the more 
 readily that he and I should still continue in the 
 same corps d'arm^e. 
 
 I will enter here into no details of the events 
 of the war, even so far as they concerned me 
 personally ; they have passed into the domain of 
 history, and to do so I should have to write 
 memoirs, which is not at all my intention. Perhaps 
 I will collect them some day, if I can find time 
 and my papers ; but now I have too much to do, 
 and my career (except the circumstances of which 
 I spoke at the outset) has been too full to admit 
 of my undertaking such a lengthy task. 
 
 Some months later, General Dumouriez received 
 orders to join the Army of the Ardennes. He 
 took up his quarters at Grandpre, then at St. 
 Menehould, called Valmy, or Camp cie la Ltme. 
 The Prussians attacked him there ; he resisted ; 
 the enemy retired."" I was not forgotten amid 
 the numerous promotions that took place. J 
 
 * This is the actual text of the original manuscript. Had 
 the Marshal, who wrote very rapidly and never re-read what he 
 had written, looked over this peculiarly laconic passage, he 
 would doubtless have thought that, even in a resume, he might 
 have found more to say concerning the Argonne campaign, and 
 would have expressed it better. 
 
138 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 was made Lieutenant-Colonel, now called Chefde 
 bataillon. General Dumouriez left orders with 
 Beurnonville, who was Lieutenant-General, to 
 lead a body to the assistance of Lille, and went 
 himself to Paris to devise the ulterior plan of 
 action. I followed him thither. 
 
 After a short stay, we rejoined the army 
 assembled under .the walls of Valenciennes. The 
 plan decided upon in Paris was to invade Belgium. 
 For the execution of this enterprise the Com- 
 mander-in-chief caused attempts to be made the 
 whole length of the frontier, and his aides-de- 
 camp were sent to all the principal points of 
 attack, in order to report to him upon the strength 
 of the troops opposed to him. He was to decide 
 from these reports where to concentrate his troops 
 and commence the attack. ^ He sent me to Lille. 
 I accompanied the reconnoitring party sent to 
 Tournai, and commanded by General Lamarliere. 
 
 Our men were now to meet an enemy for the 
 first time face to face, upon his own ground. We 
 were not to precipitate a pitched battle ; our chief 
 object was to gauge the strength of the enemy 
 by the resistance opposed to us. We were very 
 superior to them, besides which a strong reserve, 
 following us at a distance, had orders to support 
 our movements, or to receive us in case of a 
 repulse. This was the last part played by this 
 troop, commanded by Lieutenant-General la Bour- 
 donnaie in person ; he bore the title of General- 
 
1792] RECONNAISSANCE TO LILLE 139 
 
 commanding, but was subordinate to Dumouriez, 
 who was a 'General of the Army' {Gdniral 
 d'armde), a rank corresponding to that of Marshal, 
 which title had been abolished, 'though such as 
 already bore it were allowed to keep it. 
 
 At the first gunshot, our reconnoitring party 
 broke and fled to Lille, carrying with them the 
 terror that had seized them. However, the enemy 
 did not deploy more than twelve hundred men of 
 all arms and two pieces of cannon, and I am 
 confident that they had no more at that particular 
 spot. Vainly did we try to stop our runaways ; 
 but the enemy did not advance much, and the 
 reserve, on being brought up, made a good stand. 
 
 I reported" the event, which was absolutely the 
 second Pas de Baisieux on the frontier.* The 
 Generals were kind enough to quote the efforts I 
 had made to carry out the mission with which I 
 was charged, as well as my demeanour during the 
 skirmish, and, in truth, I was able to render some 
 services upon this occasion. The receipt of com- 
 plete intelligence satisfied us that the enemy's 
 forces, commanded by Duke Albert of Saxe 
 Teschen, were drawn up before us in an en- 
 trenched camp upon the heights of Mons and 
 Berlaimont, covering the latter town, and General 
 Dumouriez resolved upon giving battle. 
 
 * The Marshal here makes allusion to the rout of April 29, 
 1792, on the same ground, after which the fugitives, hurrying 
 from Baisieux to Lille, massacred their General, Theobald Dillon. 
 
I40 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 After all our preparations were made, the army 
 advanced and took up a position parallel to that 
 of the entrenched camp. Orders were given along 
 the lines for a general attack at noon on the fol- 
 lowing day. Every watch was set by that of the 
 General in command. Feints were to be made 
 upon the principal points on the frontier, and at 
 the same time. It was somewhat late for a battle, 
 but the plan had been regulated by the march of 
 General d'Harville, who was bringing 10,000 men 
 from the camp at Maubeuge, and was to turn 
 Duke Albert's left wing. 
 
 A discharge from the twelve-pounder battery 
 announced the hour of noon. The army advanced 
 upon the enemy, and opened the attack with 
 plenty of determination.* The firing became very 
 brisk, and the resistance obstinate. Obstacles such 
 as entrenchments, epaulments, coupures, abattis, 
 and chevaux de frise, favoured the defence ; 
 they were difficult, but not insurmountable. How- 
 ever, our lines began to reel, and even to fall 
 back. Dumouriez was at hand with a remedy ; 
 but General d'Harville, who was to support our 
 right and turn the enemy's left, did not arrive, 
 notwithstanding repeated orders to him to hasten 
 his march. Our left did not advance ; the General 
 went to discover the reason, and recognised the 
 difficulty of forcing the Austrians' right. Our 
 advanced guard, commanded by Beurnonville, on 
 * Battle of Jemraappes, November 6, 1792. 
 
1792J BATTLE OF JEMMAPPES 141 
 
 the right of the line, had just been repulsed ; a 
 second charge had produced no better result. 
 Our centre was stationary, and losing many men. 
 The Due de Chartres, who was commanding it, 
 received orders to try to pierce that of the enemy, 
 or so to fix their attention as to prevent them from 
 withdrawing any men, while, with a few fresh 
 troops, whom he would himself command, Du- 
 mouriez would make another effort on his right. 
 
 I had just informed him that the head of General 
 d'Harville's column had appeared at last, but that 
 he would require some hours and a little rest 
 before he could execute the movement required 
 of him, in order to turn the enemy's left from the 
 formidable position it occupied. Dumouriez left 
 me with the Due de Chartres, who desired me 
 to bring him a regiment of dragoons left in re- 
 serve. While this regiment was coming up, we 
 saw Dumouriez and Beurnonville rush forward 
 at the head of the advanced guard, and, after a 
 feeble resistance on the part of the Austrians, we 
 saw the advanced guard crowning the heights. 
 This rapid and decisive attack, joined to the 
 movement of D'Harville, who was advancing on 
 our extreme right, appeared to decide the enemy 
 to retreat, as they did not wish to expose them- 
 selves to having the road to Brussels closed 
 against them, an operation which was clearly 
 indicated by the movement of this body. The 
 Due de Chartres, as soon as he perceived the 
 
142 MARSHAL -MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 progress and success of the advanced guard, 
 ordered his troops to charge. The obstacles so 
 long defended were overcome, and I myself led 
 the regiment of dragoons at a gallop to the heights, 
 where they still found some Vk'ork to do ; but we 
 only entered Mons the next day, after the Austrians 
 had evacuated it. 
 
 During the battle, Beurnonville received orders 
 summoning him to take command of the Army 
 of the Moselle. Dumouriez, who had appointed 
 him Lieutenant-General, and hoped to keep him 
 with his army, was displeased at this arrangement, 
 and I was very vexed at it. However, there was 
 nothing for it but to obey, and Beurnonville took 
 leave of us, promising specially not to forget me. 
 
 The army continued its march, skirmishing as 
 it went, and took up winter-quarters on the Meuse 
 and the Roer, instead of pushing on to the Rhine. 
 Dumouriez started for Paris, permitting me to 
 accompany him. He only remained there just 
 long enough to plan the invasion of Holland, and 
 prolonged my leave. 
 
 While Dumouriez was subduing the fortresses 
 on the Dutch frontier, the army left on the Roer 
 and Meuse was surprised in its cantonments, and 
 sought to rally on the hitherward side of Liege. 
 Dumouriez received orders to hasten there. All 
 officers on leave were ordered to join, and I was 
 just preparing for my departure, when I learned 
 that Beurnonville had arrived in Paris, and had 
 
1792] APPOINTED COLONEL 143 
 
 been appointed War Minister. I went to see 
 and take my leave of him ; but he retained me, 
 and a few days later presented me with my 
 appointment as Colonel of the Picardy regiment. 
 Two important promotions in six months surely 
 ought to have satisfied the most boundless ambi- 
 tion ! I had no right to expect such a rapid 
 rise, and was consequently the proudest and 
 happiest man in the world. I could only hope, 
 supposing that there had been any favouritism, 
 any real friendship on the part of Beurnonville, 
 that the regiment I was about to command would 
 not find me unworthy of such a rank, especially 
 as it was one of those that I had supported during 
 our reconnoitring expedition at Tournai. 
 
 We soon had news of the loss of the battle 
 of Neerwinde, and of Dumouriez's retreat. His 
 enemies declared that treason had been at work ; 
 from that moment he was lost, and the important 
 services he had rendered in Champagne, Flanders, 
 and Belgium were forgotten. Such is the fate of 
 men who serve revolutions ! Mine only hung by 
 a thread. 
 
 Scarcely had I crossed our frontier when I 
 met bands of fugitives returning to France, and 
 shouting national songs at the top of their voices. 
 I reached Brussels, where I found the staff not 
 yet recovered from the confusion consequent upon 
 the loss of the battle. No one knew whither 
 the troops had betaken themselves, especially the 
 
144 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Picardy regiment. Dumouriez was covering the 
 army, or what remained of it, with the rear-guard, 
 which was on its way back from Louvain, so I 
 waited for him. Some hours later I was told that 
 an officer had come from my regiment for orders ; 
 I sent it into temporary quarters in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Tournai. 
 
 I saw Dumouriez on his arrival. He reproached 
 me, as he had previously done Beurnonville, with 
 having abandoned him. I answered that the 
 friendship of the latter for me had caused him 
 to reward and encourage some small efforts on 
 my part, and that no doubt, under more fortunate 
 circumstances, he (Dumouriez) would have ob- 
 tained an appointment for me. I added that I 
 was not abandoning him, as my regiment formed 
 a part of his army. This reasoning soothed him. 
 He talked over our unlucky position with me, 
 begging me to hasten to my post, and desiring 
 me to do my utmost to keep my regiment together, 
 and to preserve it from the bad influences caused 
 by the disorder into which everything had been 
 thrown. I embraced him, and departed ; each of 
 us had tears in his eyes. Little did we think that 
 this was our last farewell. 
 
 I reached my quarters, and made myself known, 
 to the indignation of a Lieutenant-Colonel, who 
 exclaimed to all who would listen to him that the 
 most outrageous injustice had been done him by 
 the appointment of a superior officer. He asked 
 
[793] AN UNEXPECTED SUMMONS 145 
 
 for leave, which I granted him, and never reap- 
 peared. 
 
 As our retrograde movement continued, we did 
 not stop till we were once more on our own 
 territory. General Miaczinski's brigade, to which 
 I belonged, came to Orchies. I was struck by 
 the half-heartedness of the enemy, who never 
 attacked us. 
 
 A few days later, while at dinner, a corporal of 
 my regiment came to tell me that the War Minister 
 was changing horses at the post-house, and desired 
 to see me immediately. Surprised at this un- 
 expected arrival, I went to him. After embracing 
 me, he presented me to four Commissioners from 
 the Convention, who questioned me as to our 
 retreat. I was unable to give them much infor- 
 mation, as I had only arrived a few days previously, 
 a statement which was confirmed by the Minister. 
 They were in a hurry to go on and fulfil their 
 mission, the object of which was not disclosed to 
 me. I questioned Beurnonville, but he also was 
 discreet ; he recommended me, however, to hold 
 my regiment in readiness, as he would review it 
 on his return from the head-quarters at Boues de 
 St. Amand. 
 
 Next morning Miaczinski sent for me. I found 
 him in great spirits. His room was full of officers, 
 one of whom was reading aloud to the General a 
 despatch that had just arrived. I gathered simply 
 that the War Minister and the Commissioners had 
 
 VOL. I. 2 
 
146 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 been seized and taken to Tournai. Miaczinski 
 ordered me to have my regiment under arms, 
 adding that he would shortly send me further 
 instructions. I ordered the assembly to be sounded, 
 and all was ready in a few minutes. An aide-de- 
 camp brought me verbal instructions to take 
 command of the camp, to set the troops in motion, 
 and march them towards Lille, whither the General 
 would precede me. I sent forward my quarter- 
 masters,* and we followed. A halt being necessary, 
 I stopped at Pont-a-Marcq. Fresh orders from 
 the General desired me to hasten my advance, 
 and we started again. On the road, some of my 
 officers informed me of what had happened at 
 St. Amand ; our General had made no secret of 
 it, and it had gradually leaked out to the regi- 
 ment. They tried to discover what I thought ; 
 my answer was simply that we had to obey 
 orders without troubling ourselves about future 
 events. 
 
 The head of the column had just reached the 
 Faubourg des Malades (a suburb of Lille), when 
 I received a note from Miaczinski ordering me to 
 stop wherever this note reached me, to provide 
 refreshment for my men, and not to leave them. 
 They had just reached the glacis of the fortress. 
 I ordered them to face about, according to the 
 regulations, and pile their arms. No victuals ! I 
 
 * Officers charged with the duty of furnishing provisions and 
 lodgings. 
 
[793] ARRIVAL AT LILLE 147 
 
 sent to Lille for some. The gates and barriers 
 were shut, and the drawbridges raised. This 
 circumstance led me to the conclusion that some- 
 thing very unusual was taking place in the town, 
 seeing that the gates of a fortified town are not 
 shut, except for form's sake, on the arrival of a 
 fresh garrison. The proximity of the enemy could 
 not account for it, for we on the glacis were a 
 goodly number of defenders. While I was dis- 
 cussing this strange reception with some of my 
 officers, I was informed that a municipal official 
 wished to see me. I went to him, and found him 
 in considerable agitation. He told me that the 
 council, assembled at the town-hall, wished to 
 see me. I answered by showing him the note 
 from the General, in which I was ordered not to 
 leave my troops ; that I presumed that the object 
 of this municipal invitation was to concert measures 
 for food and quarters ; that the General was there 
 as well as my quartermasters ; that they should 
 address themselves to him ; that I only held the 
 command in his absence ; that I would send a 
 Captain to supply my place, and to bring me back 
 his orders. 
 
 Our disasters, which extended the whole length 
 of our frontiers, and especially in the north, were 
 all laid at the door of the leaders, and the policy 
 of the day was rather to sacrifice them than to 
 accuse the number of cowards who had brought 
 them into such straits. That is why Dumouriez 
 
148 MARSHAL MACDO'NALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 was declared a traitor to his country. A decree 
 of accusation had just been issued against him. 
 The four Commissioners whom I have mentioned 
 were sent to carry it out at head-quarters, and to 
 bring Dumouriez to the bar of the Convention. 
 Beurnonville was ordered to reorganize the army, 
 of which he was to take command. Dumouriez, 
 however, had been warned, and had taken such 
 measures that, after an excited discussion with 
 these gentlemen, he had caused them to be arrested 
 and carried to Tournai. Here they were handed 
 over to the enemy, with whom he had made a 
 secret treaty whereby he was to be supported in 
 his march upon Paris to upset the Convention. 
 
 After this coup d'etat, trusting too implicitly 
 upon the affection of his army, he divided it into 
 several columns, which were to march upon the 
 capital from different quarters, and, wishing at 
 the same time to secure the northern strongholds, 
 he ordered Miaczinski to take possession of them. 
 The latter, who had a cause of complaint against 
 the Commissioners, who had treated him very 
 abruptly at Orchies on the preceding evening, 
 because a detachment that was to escort them 
 was not ready at the moment they wished to start, 
 was enchanted at the prospect of having his re- 
 venge. He imparted his orders and all that had 
 happened to those who were about him, and one 
 of these, St. Georges, his friend, accompanied by 
 the courier who had brought Dumouriez's orders 
 
1793] TREACHERY OF DUMOURIEZ 149 
 
 to Miaczinski, started immediately for Lille and 
 warned the authorities of the danger threatening 
 their town, and all the others in the department. 
 Such were the reasons that had decided them to 
 shut their gates. Poor Miaczinski, urged by a 
 double desire to avenge himself and to lose no 
 time in executing his orders, hastened thither, and 
 thus rushed blindly on his ruin. He was to have 
 had an interview with the general officer in com- 
 mand of the place, but the latter, warned by the 
 information of St. Georges, hastened to join the 
 civil authorities, who promptly took all the 
 measures rendered necessary by the difficult cir- 
 cumstances in which they were placed. 
 
 While awaiting the return of the Captain whom 
 I had despatched into the town, I learned the 
 details of all that had happened at St. Amand, 
 and the orders that had been given in conse- 
 quence. My officer returned without any instruc- 
 tions for me. Night was coming on. The men, 
 who had heard something of what was going on, 
 put various interpretations upon the news, but I 
 paid no heed to them. I was, however, in the 
 utmost anxiety as to my position and that of my 
 men, who were loudly complaining that they had 
 a worse reception from their fellow-countrymen 
 than they would have had from foreigners. They 
 were ravenously hungry. This state of affairs could 
 only end in a crisis, when they cried to us from 
 the walls that the troops were to march to the 
 
I50 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Faubourg de la Madeleine, where we should find 
 rations, tents, victuals, etc. ; but that we must go 
 round the glacis, as the gates were not allowed to 
 be opened. 
 
 The men accordingly started, marching in a 
 disorderly manner, which I could see from some 
 distance off, but for which I could not account, 
 until I came close up to them, when I discovered 
 the reason. It was Impossible to bring this 
 multitude into order, so I contented myself with 
 accompanying them. On reaching the gate of 
 the Faubourg de Fives, we found the barrier of 
 the glacis closed. We summoned them to open 
 it, but our demand was refused. A voice from 
 within the gate added that the Colonel of the 
 Picardy regiment was to come at once to the 
 assembled council. My grenadiers mutinied, and 
 replied in the negative, adding that if their 
 Colonel went they would go too. This was re- 
 fused. I had nothing to reproach myself with. 
 I at once determined upon going alone. The 
 soldiers then raised very alarming cries, declaring, 
 
 among other things, that these had 
 
 killed their poor Capet (Louis XVI.), and so on. 
 They also began to shout, ' Long live the King !' 
 I addressed them with severity, threatening them 
 and pretending that I could recognise individual 
 voices, which frightened them ; and I then ex- 
 tracted from them a promise to remain quiet until 
 my return. The barrier was opened for me, but 
 
iSi 
 
 1793] EVENTS AT LILLE 
 
 I was not even allowed to take with me a servant 
 to hold my horse. 
 
 On passing under the gateway I was sur- 
 rounded by about thirty men. The officer in 
 charge said to me : 
 
 ' Colonel, don't be afraid.' 
 
 ' I have never been afraid of an enemy,' was 
 my answer ; ' why should I fear Frenchmen ?' 
 
 I put several questions to him, but could get no 
 intelligence. 
 
 I entered the great vestibule of the town-hall. 
 All the authorities were assembled. The meeting 
 was public, and a considerable number of inhabi- 
 tants were present ; profound silence reigned. 
 
 The president interrogated me. His first 
 question was as to my Christian name and sur- 
 name, rank, etc. I answered him. 
 
 ' Are you in command of the troops on the 
 glacis of the town ?' 
 
 ' Yes, in the absence of General Miaczinski, 
 who must be here.' 
 
 I looked round for him, but failed to see him. 
 
 ' By whose orders have you come ?' 
 
 ' By those of the General I have named.' 
 
 ' Can you show us his order ?' 
 
 ' It was given by word of mouth. We were in 
 camp. The General sent for me as the senior 
 Colonel, and ordered me to put my men under 
 arms. I obeyed, and immediately afterwards an 
 aide-de-camp came and told me, on behalf of the 
 
152 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 General, to march my troops forward to this town, 
 whither he would precede me.' 
 
 ' Did he tell you the reason for this move- 
 ment ?' 
 
 'No.' 
 
 ' What did you think ?' 
 
 ' That, having entered this territory, provision 
 was to be made to safeguard the different places, 
 and that we were intended to defend your town.' 
 
 ' What do your men say ?' 
 
 ' I cannot conceal from you that they are dis- 
 contented. The grief caused by their reverses, 
 the privations they have endured during the 
 retreat, their fatigues, needs, devotion, all tended 
 to make them anticipate help from their fellow- 
 citizens ; but, instead, they meet only distrust. 
 They are saying very unfitting things, and I have 
 had considerable difficulty in appeasing them. In 
 order to calm them I said that in all probability 
 you desired to concert with me as to the best 
 means of satisfying their pressing wants, and that 
 I would not delay in bringing them good news. 
 Unless such be the case, I cannot answer for 
 any disorders or excesses which they will most 
 certainly commit.' 
 
 I called upon the officer who had come with 
 me, and who had witnessed my efforts to calm the 
 irritation of the men who had put their trust in 
 me. He endorsed all that I had just said, and 
 even went beyond it. 
 
1793] DISAPPOINTMENT 153 
 
 The president, who at first had addressed me 
 very severely, seemed much appeased by my 
 speech, and, when the officer had concluded his 
 report, said to me : 
 
 ' Colonel, return to your post ; keep order 
 among your men. Lead them to the camp of La 
 Madeleine ; you will there find provision for all 
 your needs. Orders have been given that nothing 
 should be left unprovided.' 
 
 I saluted the assembly and returned to the 
 Faubourg de Fives. 
 
 ' Well, my friends,' I said to the soldiers on my 
 arrival, ' I knew that it was simply to discuss your 
 needs.' 
 
 They all began to cry, ' Long live the Re- 
 public !' 
 
 Such is the inconstancy of the multitude. 
 
 ' Forward !' I cried ; ' we shall soon find 
 plenty. ' 
 
 But what was my disappointment and theirs ! 
 On reaching the place we found nothing. I sent 
 to the town, and an answer was returned from 
 the ramparts that it was too late that night, but 
 that it should be attended to in the morning. On 
 receiving this answer, I could no longer con- 
 trol my men. They broke away and dispersed, 
 so much so that not a single soldier was left to 
 guard the flag of the regiment, which I carried to 
 the inn where I lodged. 
 
 I passed a wretched night, thinking over all the 
 
IS4 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 disorder that might be brought about by such a 
 state of things. Fortunately, there was less of it 
 than might have been expected ; but the town 
 authorities were very much to blame — hunger has 
 no ears. 
 
 Early next morning I caused the assembly to 
 be sounded, and a few hours later I had gathered 
 together nearly all my men. I was again sum- 
 moned into the town, but this time I went with 
 less anxiety. Fearing a fresh outbreak during my 
 absence, I ordered that the men should remain 
 under arms. 
 
 The meeting at the town-hall was less crowded, 
 but I quickly perceived that the feeling was less 
 friendly than it had been the previous night when 
 I left the town. However, I was soon reassured 
 by the advent of my friend Dupont,"'' Adjutant- 
 General, an old comrade in the Maillebois regi- 
 ment, charged by the authorities to settle with me 
 all military details. We decided upon provisional 
 cantonments until all that was necessary for a 
 camp could be distributed. 
 
 * It was this General Dupont who afterwards capitulated at 
 Baylen, and became War Minister at the first Restoration. 
 
[ '55 ] 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 General Lamarlifere— Macdonald appointed Adjutant-General 
 — Execution of Lamarlifere — Skirmishes at Linselles and 
 Commines — Entry into Lille — A Warlike Commissioner — 
 Denunciation— A Loyal Friend — A Broken Reed — Exten- 
 sion of Command — General Pichegru — Belgium and 
 Holland— Battle of Hooglfede— On the Waal. 
 
 Meanwhile, all the movements' ordered by 
 Dumouriez had been paralyzed. He himself ran 
 great dangers, and was compelled, to save his 
 head, to throw himself into the arms of the 
 enemy, with whom, according to the admission 
 made by himself in his memoirs, he had been 
 treating secretly. 
 
 The General who succeeded him''^ sent General 
 Lamarliere to take command of Lille and of the 
 northern frontier. Immediately upon his arrival 
 someone prejudiced him against the Picardy 
 Colonel, whose name he did not even know. He 
 was ' suspected. 't The General sent for the 
 
 * General Dampierre. 
 
 + Persons supposed not to be thoroughgoing revolutionists 
 were regarded as ' suspicious,' and were commonly known as 
 'suspects.' — Translator's Note. 
 
iS6 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Colonel, and when I appeared, great was his sur- 
 prise. He had not forgotten the Pas de Baisieux, 
 where he had noticed me ; and without further 
 explanation said to me : 
 
 ' Return to your post ; I will defend you.' 
 
 This magnanimity touched me. He himself 
 became shortly afterwards 'suspected,' and fell a 
 victim, although innocent. 
 
 Fresh Commissioners came to Lille from the 
 Convention. They were also biased, as General 
 Lamarliere had been, against me. One of them 
 had served as Captain in my regiment, and had 
 but recently left it. He was an intimate friend of 
 the Lieutenant- Colonel who was so vexed when I 
 arrived to take over the command. This man 
 chanced to be in Lille, profiting by the leave I 
 had given him. He also took advantage of his 
 friendship with the Commissioner to try to have 
 me removed as a 'suspect,' owing to my having 
 been aide-de-camp to Beurnonville and Du- 
 mouriez, the former of whom had also become 
 ' suspected ' since his arrest. 
 
 My conduct underwent severe inquiry. Poor 
 General Lamarliere justified it, adding that I had 
 ceased to be aide-de-camp some four or five 
 months previously. As they could not hurt me 
 on that score, they proposed to appoint me Ad- 
 jutant-General (now called Staff-Colonel), a rank 
 corresponding to that which I already held. My 
 kind General Lamarliere spoke to me about it. 
 
1793] APPOINTED ADJUTANT-GENERAL 157 
 
 pointed out the danger of a refusal, and, regard- 
 ing mere objections as equivalent to consent, 
 announced my acceptance, without my leave, to 
 the Commissioners. 
 
 The deed of appointment was then and there 
 drawn up, for they had plenary powers, and 
 worded in very complimentary terms, based upon 
 my excellent conduct, my patriotism, etc. Armed 
 with this document, I went straight to the General, 
 and, while thanking him for his kindness, declared 
 that I could not take advantage of it ; that in the 
 eyes of the army it would appear that I was 
 incapable of commanding a regiment ; that my 
 susceptibilities were wounded, my honour com- 
 promised, and that I would rather be deprived of 
 my command altogether ; that he, whose own 
 feelings were of the keenest and most honourable, 
 could, better than anyone else, feel for my posi- 
 tion ; that I already owed so much to him that I 
 should be glad to increase my debt by another 
 service, and, as I saw that he did not insist, I 
 added : 
 
 ' Besides, it will be just as much to the interest 
 of the Commissioners as to mine to let this affair 
 go no further, seeing that the dullest individual 
 will easily understand that they are protecting 
 private and not public interests ' (they had ap- 
 pointed the Lieutenant-Colonel to succeed me). 
 ' Moreover, this officer is unpopular with the 
 regiment ; he is narrow-minded and ill-tempered.' 
 
158 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I ended by saying that if they thought I should 
 make a good Adjutant-General, I considered that I 
 could render more service at the head of a regi- 
 ment. 
 
 ' By the way,' I exclaimed, ' why should they 
 not give him the title they have conferred upon 
 me ? He wants to be Colonel. Well and good, 
 his ambition would be gratified.' 
 
 This idea had not occurred to Lamarliere. It 
 seemed to strike him, and he said : 
 
 ' Give me the letter containing the orders, and 
 your commission. I will take them to the Com- 
 missioners, and beg them to make the exchange 
 you propose.' 
 
 ' No, certainly not. I cannot part with them. 
 They are much too flattering, and, besides, they 
 are my justification.' 
 
 The Commissioners could find no serious objec- 
 tion to the plan proposed by the General. It was 
 adopted, and I was left in peace. 
 
 I occupied myself seriously, with ardour and 
 activity, in exercising and drilling my regiment, 
 and in accustoming it to warfare by marches and 
 reconnaissances on the frontier. The enemy 
 occupied the adjacent woods, and I sometimes 
 obtained some little success in skirmishing. Other 
 corps followed my example, and we thus ac- 
 customed our men to see and face the enemy. I 
 forgot to say that my regiment had been divided. 
 I had but one battalion ; the second was with the 
 
[793] EXECUTION OF LAMARLIERE 159 
 
 Army of the Moselle, and the Commissioners had 
 appointed a Colonel to it. All communications 
 ceased between us as soon as our accounts were 
 settled. 
 
 Another Captain belonging to the regiment, 
 named Beru, who was away on leave, returned to 
 Lille. He was also an intimate friend of the 
 Commissioner, and was by him made General of 
 Brigade, and had command, under Lamarliere, of 
 the troops collected in our camp. Thus I saw 
 one of my subordinates put over my head ; how- 
 ever, I made the best of it, and set the example of 
 obedience. 
 
 The new General came to the camp with some 
 prejudices against me. A straightforward expla- 
 nation ensued ; he was honest, and we became 
 and remained friends. Shortly afterwards General 
 Lamarliere was deprived of his command, arrested, 
 and taken before the revolutionary tribunal, to 
 which he soon fell a victim. I regretted him 
 deeply. My superior Captain succeeded him with 
 the rank of General of Division, and I was ap- 
 pointed General of Brigade.'"' 
 
 This came upon me like a thunderbolt, as, 
 although for several months past I had performed 
 the duties of the office, I had not had the responsi- 
 bilities attaching to the rank. I represented that 
 
 * He received this appointment from Houchard, Commander- 
 in-chief, and it was confirmed by the representatives with the 
 Army of the North, Levasseur and Bentabole, August 26, 1793. 
 
i6o MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I was youthful and inexperienced, but tliey would 
 not listen. I had to bow to their decision under 
 pain of being treated as a 'suspect,' and arrested. 
 I resigned myself accordingly. My Captain, now 
 General of Division, who had also made some 
 observations on his own account, was not listened 
 to either, so we agreed to help each other mutually. 
 
 I was sent to command the frontier from Menin 
 to Armentieres, and my quarters were fixed at 
 Lannoy, if I remember rightly, for I have no map 
 at hand. 
 
 Partial and simultaneous attacks were made 
 almost daily at Linselles, Commines, Blaton, 
 Pont- Rouge, etc., and almost invariably termi- 
 nated in our favour, which gained me some repu- 
 tation.* These attacks were but the prelude to 
 a real onslaught, which the enemy at last made, 
 advancing with a large body of troops against my 
 lines. Linselles, Commines, and Blaton were all 
 carried at once. The General of Division and I 
 consulted together. He sent me some reinforce- 
 ments, raised his camp at La Madeleine, marched 
 upon Linselles and J upon, Commines and Blaton. 
 Having made all my dispositions, I charged the 
 enemy with the bayonet. They retreated ; we pur- 
 sued eagerly. We regained possession of the two 
 places, and our success was crowned by a large 
 number of killed, wounded, and prisoners. We 
 got ten pieces of cannon, all the ammunition, 
 '" These combats occurred in August, 1793. 
 
1793] ENTRY INTO LILLE i6i 
 
 ^^gg^e, etc. Affairs went otherwise at Linselles, 
 where we lost the same number of guns. My 
 poor General was in despair. He came to see 
 me, and I consoled him as best I could ; and 
 before he left me, we learned that the enemy had 
 retired from Linselles, which comforted him. 
 
 We entered Lille in triumph with our captures, 
 so as to dissipate the bad impression caused by 
 the reverses at Linselles. Everyone hailed us 
 as victors ; m.y troops who had taken part were 
 intoxicated, and, to say the truth, I enjoyed the 
 moment as much as anyone, though as modestly 
 as possible. My name appeared honourably 
 mentioned in the official despatches, and this 
 caused me to be regarded as an important 
 person, and roused jealousy and enmity against 
 me. 
 
 After these events I daily harassed the enemy, 
 but they had caused so much vexation to the 
 General of Division that he asked permission to 
 retire, which was granted. 
 
 The four Commissioners, to my great bliss, had 
 been recalled or sent elsewhere ; they were re- 
 placed by another, who, having heard of my 
 success at Commines, and other partial successes, 
 wished for my personal acquaintance, I went to 
 Lille, where he received me with civility, re- 
 turning my visit a few days later ; the outposts 
 thought he was making an inspection. In this 
 interview he expressed to me his desire to be 
 VOL. r. T, 
 
'i62 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 present at a little brush with the enemy. I 
 undertook that he should see one, and promised 
 to let him know the day, hour, and place at which 
 it should occur. 
 
 The enemy had replaced by fresh troops those 
 that had received the check related above ; among 
 the newcomers was a regiment commanded by 
 the Duke of York. They swaggered considerably, 
 and gave themselves great airs, and I determined 
 to give them a lesson. Having made all my 
 preparations, and taken my precautions, I sent 
 word to the Commissioner, who arrived in hot 
 haste towards the end of the affair. He saw the 
 rout of the enemy, and a good many prisoners 
 taken, after we had killed and wounded a con- 
 siderable number. He had heard balls and bullets 
 whistle past him, and was beside himself with joy. 
 I asked leave to quote his name in my report ; he 
 himself drew one up in which he praised me, and 
 was not too modest about his own share. Finally; 
 when the action was over, and my troops were 
 recalled, he complimented them, gave me the kiss 
 of fraternity, and said aloud that I might count 
 upon him till death. Such protection was by no 
 means to be despised during those horrible times 
 of revolutionary crises, and I thought myself safe 
 from all anxieties, whatever denunciations might 
 be brought against me from whatever quarter. 
 
 I have said that the General of Division had 
 retired ; while awaiting the appointment of his 
 
1793] DENUNCIATION AND THREATS i6j 
 
 successor, the General in command at Lille held 
 his place. The successor came at last. He was 
 General Souham, who struck up a friendship with 
 me which still endures. Being easy in his mind 
 as to the point where I commanded, he turned 
 his attention to the others, and left me a free 
 hand. Security was re-established upon part of 
 the frontier, and I was determined to see that it 
 was respected. 
 
 It was then that the good idea occurred of 
 amalgamating all the volunteer battalions, whether 
 of old or new formation, with the regulars, putting 
 two of the former to one of the latter, and I was 
 charged to carry out the operation ; but such con- 
 fusion reigned that nobody seemed to know where 
 these battalions were quartered, because, as it 
 transpired, if they did not like the place where 
 they had been sent, or if it did not suit them, they 
 moved on somewhere else without giving any 
 notice, so that I was ordered to travel through all 
 the neighbouring departments, in order to send in 
 as, many battalions as possible to Lille. 
 
 While these events were in progress, two new 
 Extraordinary Commissioners arrived, with very 
 extended powers. I had been denounced to 
 them ; their first act was intended to be my dis- 
 grace, arrest, and eventual arraignment before the 
 revolutionary tribunal at Arras, from which no 
 one ever escaped. 
 
 I admit that I had made a terrible enemy of a 
 
i64 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 republican and superlatively revolution3.ry General 
 by laughing at him for cowardice in a skirmish at 
 Menin. He had become the butt and laughing- 
 stock of the troops, even of those who shared his 
 opinions. It was he, moreover, who had de- 
 nounced and ruined poor General Lamarliere ; 
 but Divine justice allowed him to perish eventually 
 by the same means. 
 
 Another enemy whom I strongly suspected was 
 a former and very bad comedian, now a General 
 commanding a revolutionary army,* who used a seal 
 engraved with a guillotine, but who nevertheless 
 pretended some friendship for me. His functions, 
 however, and his intimacy with the other, left me 
 no doubt, and I received a warning. I despised 
 these men too much to pay the least attention ; I 
 was wrong, and too self-confident, for in those 
 terrible times a clear conscience, upright conduct, 
 without blot or blemish, were no guarantees ; they 
 only excited jealousy by making others ashamed. 
 
 Gen'^ral Souham fought loyally and generously 
 against the accusations, denunciations, etc., and 
 succeeded in staving off the execution of the 
 warrant against me until the return of the Com- 
 missioners, who were to go to Dunkirk in order 
 to see and hear me. I was in ignorance of all 
 that was being plotted against me, and was quite 
 comfortable in my quarters, when the General 
 
 * It was not the revolutionary army of Ronsin and Rossignoli 
 which was specially attached to the Northern district. ; : 
 
[793] A DIFFICULT POSITION 165 
 
 sent for me and told me of all that had happened. 
 He then added : 
 
 ' Look here, you are done for ; therefore con- 
 sider what steps you had better take, and decide 
 quickly, for you are going to be suspended from 
 duty.' 
 
 He then advised me to put myself out of the 
 reach of the warrant, the execution of which was 
 only postponed. The Commissioners, in granting 
 the delay, had imperiously demanded that my 
 command should be taken from me, and that 
 Lille should be my temporary prison. Therefore 
 it was open to me to go abroad. But if I did, 
 what should I do ? What would become of me? 
 I should have found numerous enemies among 
 the emigrants, who never forgave those who re- 
 fused to join them in 179 1. 
 
 I then had recourse to the papers given to 
 me when I was appointed Adjutant-General, and 
 which I had kept. 
 
 'They will be no use to you,' said Souham. 
 ' The very men who signed them are now " sus- 
 pects " themselves.' 
 
 ' There is my friend the warlike Commissioner,' 
 said L ' I will go and see him.' 
 
 ' He !' replied Souham. ' Why, he was present 
 at the discussion. I called upon him to speak up 
 for you, but he was silent.' - 
 
 'Never mind,' I answered; 'maybe he was 
 intimidated by the presence of his colleagues and 
 
1 66 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 superiors. I should like to try him, and perhaps 
 inspire him with a Httle pluck, if he wants it.' 
 
 ' Go and try,' was the answer, ' and then come 
 back to me.' 
 
 I departed in search of my friend. 
 
 ' Look here ! you know that I have fallen into 
 disgrace, and I have come to ask your help. I 
 thought that my conduct and services would save 
 me, but I learn that damaging suspicions have 
 been sown broadcast by enemies who remain in 
 shadow, concealed like those whom we are fight- 
 ing every day.' 
 
 'Indeed!' he replied. 'Do you wish me to 
 speak quite openly to you ? I tell you you are not 
 a republican, and I neither can nor will mix myself 
 up with you.' 
 
 ' But,' I answered, ' I have not changed, as far 
 as I know, since the day when we met on the 
 frontier at the skirmish at Commines ; and on that 
 occasion you assured me publicly ' 
 
 ' I remember what you mean,' he said roughly, 
 interrupting me ; ' but times are changed,' and 
 thereupon he turned on his heel. 
 
 I returned directly to Souham and related this 
 conversation to him. He implored me to take 
 some steps for my safety. 
 
 ' They are already taken,' I said. ' I will be, if 
 necessary, one of the thousand victims sacrificed 
 daily. I shall remain.' 
 
 ' But have you thought it over carefully and 
 weighed all the consequences ?' 
 
1793] .EXTENSION OF COMMAND id? 
 
 .. 'Yes.' 
 
 I was right in acting as I did. The Extras 
 ordinary Commissioners were recalled to Paris 
 Jrom Dunkirk, and I was sent back to my post 
 and forgotten. 
 
 I continued to maintain respect for the frontier 
 under my command, which was considerably ex- 
 tended. In it was included all the territory 
 between Armentieres and the sea, and my head- 
 quarters were moved to Cassel. Although I was 
 only General of Brigade, I had eleven of the same 
 rank under my control, and about forty thousand 
 men scattered over this long frontier-line, which 
 vastly increased my responsibility. 
 
 I had made representations with a view to 
 being relieved, for, notwithstanding this force, 
 scattered as it was, we were weak everywhere. 
 A promise had been given me that I should be 
 replaced by the first General of Division who 
 should arrive, and I experienced great satisfaction 
 when he was at length announced to me. I was 
 to have returned to my former quarters, but my 
 destination was altered, and this change of plans 
 was coloured by a representation as to the neces- 
 sity of repairing some checks that one of my com- 
 rades had received. As a matter of fact, this 
 comrade had started in his career with the rank of 
 General, and his troops had no confidence in him. 
 I took his place, and the command extended from 
 Menin to Tournai. 
 
i68 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 About this time serious thoughts arose as to 
 the advisability of assembling the whole army and 
 taking the offensive. For this purpose a neW 
 Commander-in-chief* came down, accompanied by 
 two Extraordinary Commissioners. A decree had 
 just been published ordering all ' nobles ' to move 
 thirty leagues from the frontiers, to quit the army 
 and Paris. Under these circumstances I ought 
 to have retired. I had furnished the head- 
 quarters staff with all the information in my 
 possession upon the frontier, the enemy, their 
 strength, positions, weapons, etc. My services 
 and conduct had also been mentioned with praise, 
 and the Commander-in-chief begged the Com- 
 missioners to retain me, and' exempt me from this 
 measure. They desired me to come to them, and 
 informed me that, by virtue of their plenary 
 powers, they required my services. I answered 
 that I wished nothing better, and that they 
 might count upon my zeal and my efforts, but that 
 they should give me a written commission. I 
 added that, should we have the misfortune to 
 meet with reverses, I should assuredly be accused 
 of treachery, and of having remained with the 
 army in order to secure its defeat, notwithstand- 
 ing the decree of expulsion. Despite my argu- 
 ments, they refused to satisfy me, whereupon I 
 said: 
 
 'So be it. I shall send in my resignation.' 
 * General Pichegru. 
 
1794] BELGIUM AND HOLLAND 169 
 
 ' If you leave the army, we will have you 
 arrested and brought to trial.' 
 
 I had no choice but to submit, so I remained 
 where I was, in spite of the twofold odds against 
 me. 
 
 Success alone could ensure my position and 
 save me. After various ups and downs. Victory 
 at length declared herself for us. I took the most 
 important part at Lannoy, Roubaix, Tourcoing ; at 
 the battle of Hooglede, where I was alone in 
 command ;* at the capture of Ypres, Menin, 
 Courtrai, Ostend, Ghent ; at the passage of the 
 Scheldt, and of the canal at Mechlin ; then at the 
 taking of Antwerp ; at the battles of Turnhout 
 and Boxtel ; at the capture of Bois-le-Duc, which 
 the Dutch did me the honour of attributing to me 
 because I had been in their service and garrisoned 
 there, though in truth I did nothing but cover the 
 besiegers ; and finally at the passage of the Meiise 
 and the taking of Nimeguen. 
 
 The Waal stopped us. We took up quarters 
 for the winter, which promised to be very severe. 
 Mine were temporarily at Kronenburg. While 
 there I received, most unexpectedly, and above 
 all, without wishing for or desiring it, my com- 
 mission as General of Division,! and my quarters 
 were shifted to Nimeguen. 
 
 * At the battle of Hooglede, fought on the 26 Prairial, year iii. 
 (June 13, 1794), Macdonald commanded the centre. 
 
 t 8 Frimaire, year iii. (November 28, 1794). '' 
 
[ 17° ] 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Passage of the Waal — Its Results — Reconnaissance at Arnheim 
 — Arrival at Naarden — Capitulation of Naarden — On the 
 Banks of the Yssel— Delfzyl— The Peace of Basle— Com- 
 mand in Overyssel — Ordered to Walcheren — Fever — Re- 
 moval to Utrecht — Convalescence. 
 
 PiCHEGRU, the new Commander-in-chief, being 
 ill, had retired to Brussels, and the command was 
 meanwhile made over to Moreau, the senior 
 General of Division ; the latter's division was 
 added to mine, which extended my command 
 from Fort St. Andre to Urdingen, where I joined 
 the left of the Army of the Sambre and Meuse, 
 now in position on the Rhine. We took advan- 
 tage of this interruption of operations to revictual 
 our troops and reorganize them, and to train and 
 discipline our recruits. 
 
 We had no means, no possibility of crossing the 
 Waal, a considerable river, whose right bank was 
 defended by fortified dykes. The forts of Knod- 
 senburg, opposite Nimeguen, and Kekerdam, 
 opposite Kronenburg, were well armed. We 
 constantly exchanged shots along the entire line ; 
 from one point of view this meant a considerable 
 
1794] PASSAGE OF THE WAAL - 171 
 
 waste of ammunition ; from another, however, it 
 gave us a valuable chance of familiarizing our new 
 recruits with the fire of the enemy. 
 
 The frost came to our assistance. I had the 
 ice sounded two or three times a day. As regards 
 provisions we were unfortunately situated ; our 
 communications with our stores at Antwerp and 
 Bois-le-Duc were cut off, the bridge had been 
 destroyed, and the country between the Meuse 
 and the Waal was exhausted, while we could only 
 get very slender resources from our right towards 
 Cleves. I myself was reduced to regimental 
 bread and cheese, and that only occasionally. 
 The Nimeguen shopkeepers had closed their 
 doors, as we could only offer them assignats,* 
 which they would not accept. We were com- 
 pelled, therefore, to leave our present quarters 
 and cross the river in search of plenty. 
 
 All my preparations for crossing the river were 
 made, and instructions given to start at the first 
 signal. The ice was thickening, and we observed 
 that the enemy were making ready to retire, as we 
 imagined, when I suddenly received intelligence 
 that they had evacuated Thiel, opposite Fort St. 
 Andr6. I saw with my own eyes a cannon being 
 removed from the right bank. Never doubting that 
 a retreat had been determined upon, the General in 
 command at that point received orders to cross 
 the river, now sufficiently frozen, and to follow the 
 * Paper-money of the Revolution. — Translator's note. 
 
172 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 enemy, who had taken the direction of Arnheim. 
 I signalled to the rest of the troops that they were 
 to attempt the passage at the points indicated. 
 All the columns moved forward simultaneously at 
 break of day, and crossed the river, almost without 
 resistance, somewhat above and below Nimeguen. 
 The stream had not frozen in the middle of the 
 town. As soon as I could distinguish through 
 the fog the head of the first column nearing the 
 fort by the dyke, I caused several skiffs that I 
 had previously prepared to be launched, and 
 crossed to the other side with two companies of 
 grenadiers. The fort had just been evacuated. 
 I ordered my men to pursue slowly, so as to give 
 time for all our columns to come up with us, and 
 for the cannon to pass. That was the difficulty. 
 The small ordnance was brought up without 
 trouble, then the larger, and finally the howitzers. 
 ' During this operation we heard a violent ex- 
 plosion, which made the very ground tremble. It 
 was, as I imagined, the enemy blowing up their 
 magazines and setting their camp on fire. Fear- 
 ing lest this terrible explosion might astonish the 
 troops, Isent the Generals, who had come to take 
 my orders, to their posts, desiring them to explain 
 this event, which signified the absolute retreat of 
 the enemy, and to watch our right, while I took 
 upon myself the charge of the centre. 
 
 They arrived just in time, for a hot and well- 
 sustained fire had broken out. My troops were 
 
1794] RESULTS OF THE ACHIEVEMENT 173 
 
 engaged and attacked by a considerable force. 
 The right division had only succeeded in putting 
 one regiment across, and was repulsed on the left 
 bank of the river ; but the General who had pro- 
 visional command of this division arrived with 
 two other brigades, rallied the first, and finally, 
 after a severe struggle, broke the enemy's ranks. 
 The intermediate division, which was mine, had 
 left its place, and so had the centre, where I was ; 
 we were without news from the left. I advanced 
 my lines as far as the Linge, the point which I 
 had named in my orders as that at which we were 
 to concentrate. 
 
 This day brought about two important results : 
 first, it facilitated the invasion of Holland by 
 separating her cause from that of her allies, who 
 were forced to evacuate the country ; secondly, it 
 put into our hands at least a hundred pieces of 
 cannon, with which the dykes and fort of Knod- 
 senburg, which served us as a tite-de-pont* were 
 armed, besides ammunition and a large number of 
 prisoners. 
 
 This event proves that in war it is necessary on 
 many occasions to trust to chance ; for I repeat 
 nQW what I said at the time, that I owed more to 
 luck than to wisdom, although success is generally 
 supposed to depend upon plans, schemes, and ar- 
 rangements. On this occasion the evacuation of 
 Thiel seemed to me the evident result of a retro- 
 * Works covering the approach to a bridge. 
 
174 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 grade movement, whereas in reality thatmovement 
 was caused by a misunderstanding. The General 
 commanding my left wing had conscientiously car- 
 ried out his instructions, and begun his march, when 
 he met the evacuating body, who, having notified 
 their retreat, received injunctions to return to the 
 post they had quitted. But it was too late — the place 
 was already occupied. The two bodies marching 
 in contrary directions met, and an engagement 
 was the result ; but, notwithstanding the numerical 
 superiority of their adversaries, our men kept their 
 ground. The successful crossing of the Waal 
 above and below Nimeguen, together with the 
 advantages gained by my extreme right, which 
 took the offensive after its first brigade had been 
 repulsed, checked the enemy who were opposed 
 to them and broke their lines. Our success was 
 complete. Shortly afterwards the enemy's corps 
 sent to Thiel was recalled to Arnheim. This is a 
 very simple explanation of the reasons that caused 
 my left to remain stationary ; it could not come up 
 or set out for the Linge until the following day. 
 
 I went to Nimeguen to make my report. The 
 Commander-in-chief* and the Commissioners came 
 to meet me. I was almost ashamed to receive 
 their congratulations, because chance had had a 
 much greater share in the success of the day than 
 my combinations, which, as a matter of fact, were 
 only founded upon the apparent retreat of the 
 ■ f 'Pichegru had returned from Brussels. 
 
ij94]RECONNAISANCE TOWARDS- ARNHEIM 175 
 
 forces opposed to me, who in reality had no idea 
 of such a thing ; but the manner I had adopted in 
 spreading out my lines, and the various points I 
 had attacked, had made the enemy believe that 
 they were bearing the brunt of the whole French 
 army, while their own was scattered over a wide 
 extent of territory. 
 
 Next evening, towards dusk, we made a recon- 
 naissance in the direction of Arnheim. The noise 
 and shouting that we heard, combined with the 
 accounts of some deserters and country folk, con- 
 firmed our unanimous opinion that a general 
 retreat was going on, and the Commander-in-chief 
 gave his orders in consequence. We were, how- 
 ever, too weak to pursue the enemy, invade 
 Holland, and surround the strongholds at one and 
 the same time. This condition of affairs was 
 explained to the Commissioners, and they were 
 requested to write to their colleagues with the 
 Army of the Sambre and Meuse, to which we 
 had now come very close ; while our Commander- 
 in-chief asked his colleague* to lend him for the 
 time two divisions to replace those under my 
 command. This request, approved by the Com- 
 missioners, was granted without delay, and I 
 quitted my position in order to strengthen my left. 
 
 A general movement had been caused on the; 
 one side by the enemy's retreat, and on the other 
 by the general advance of the army. I crossed 
 * General Jourdan. 
 
176 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 the Leek at Amerungen without meeting any 
 enemies, and advanced towards Amersfort, after 
 having turned the Hnes of the Greb, armed with 
 two hundred guns. The Dutch troops were 
 drawing away from their alHes, but being too 
 weak to make a stand against us, they retired into 
 fortresses or distant provinces. 
 
 None of our corps remained long bivouacked. 
 They only needed a few hours' rest, for great 
 emulation existed as to who should first reach and 
 take Amsterdam. I did not waste any time, but 
 I had a diagonal line to follow, while the others 
 could march straight ahead. The floods were 
 out and the roads under water, but that was no 
 obstacle, on account of the frost. I arrived in 
 front of Naarden, one of the strongest places in 
 Europe, on the ice. This is the masterpiece of 
 Cohorn, emulator and rival of Vauban ;* but the 
 water, the principal defence of the place, was 
 now useless. I invested it, and ordered the gates 
 to be opened. The garrisons had orders to 
 commit no act of hostility, to offer no resistance, 
 and to make the best terms possible. They 
 therefore parleyed with us. 
 
 The cold was very sharp, and we warmed our- 
 
 * Cohorn (1641-1704) was a famous Dutch engineer and 
 General of artillery, and was afterwards made Governor of 
 Flanders. He defended Namur against Louis XIV. Vauban 
 (1633-1707) fortified Dunkirk, Lille, Maestricht, Ghent, etc., 
 and was created a Marshal of France by Louis XIV. — Trans- 
 lator's note. 
 
1795] CAPITULATION OF NAARDEN 177 
 
 selves at our bivouacs on the ice. My injunctions 
 were to agree to everything, provided that the 
 place were handed over to me on the spot. The 
 articles of capitulation were at length signed, and 
 I took possession of the town. As I reached the 
 gates, a Dutch officer, who had just been replaced 
 by one of ours, and who was drunk, threw himself 
 at the feet of one of my aides-de-camp, exclaiming : 
 
 ' Brave republican, I owe you my life !" 
 
 Observe that we had fired neither cannon nor 
 musket, and that we had not even drawn our 
 swords from their scabbards ! 
 
 At sunrise next day, leaving a strong garrison 
 at Naarden, I started for Amsterdam, and on the 
 road learned that the capital of Holland had been 
 occupied by our troops the previous evening. 
 Mine thus became useless, so I sent them into 
 cantonments, going myself to Amsterdam to take 
 the news of the capitulation of Naarden, and to 
 receive fresh orders. On arriving in presence of 
 the General in command, I presented him with 
 the signed articles. He answered jokingly : 
 
 ' I pay no attention now to anything less than 
 the surrender of Provinces !' 
 
 As a matter of fact, and since the general 
 capitulation of the Netherlands, with the excep- 
 tion of a few places still held by the enemy, my 
 conquest decreased in importance, whereas under 
 othef circumstances it would have redounded to 
 the credit of the General who had succeeded in 
 
 VOL. I. 4 
 
178 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 bringing it to submission. It was against this 
 very place that Louis XIV. with all his might, 
 and himself there in person, failed. 
 
 I received orders to retire, to make for the 
 Yssel, to take possession of Harderwick, Kampsn, 
 Zwolle, Zutphen, Deventer, and to replace the 
 troops of the Sambre and Meuse Army at Arn- 
 heim. The enemy retreated at our approach. 
 
 The weather had become milder during my 
 short stay at Amsterdam, and the thaw had 
 begun. It was thawing rapidly when I reached 
 the Yssel, and the ice had broken in several 
 places, causing a dyke to burst. The bridge 
 of boats at Kampen could not be removed, and 
 the ice accumulated round it. Half my men had 
 already crossed ; the remainder had halted, on 
 learning from the inhabitants that they could only 
 cross at imminent risk, as the bridge must in- 
 fallibly be carried away. At this moment I came 
 up. Reflecting that the troops already on the 
 other side ran a great risk of falling into the 
 hands of the enemy, I determined to chance it, 
 and gave orders to advance, rapidly crossing 
 the bridge, which was already much strained. 
 The bridge bore us because the waters that had 
 carried away the dyke on the right bank had 
 found an outlet, and were spreading over the 
 country ; but then we incurred another danger, 
 that, namely, of inundation. However, all my 
 men got safely across ; we reached higher ground, 
 and escaped with nothing worse than wet feet. 
 
1795] THE PEACE OF BASLE 179 
 
 Having thus carried out my orders, I received 
 fresh ones to drive the enemy out of the provinces 
 of Frisia, Groningen and Drenthe. This portion 
 of the campaign was very difficult because of the 
 thaw ; the roads were shocking, and for the most 
 part under water. The country through which 
 we were marching was perfectly flat. We had 
 to redouble our speed and activity, so as to pre- 
 vent the enemy from fortifying and victualling 
 Groningen, Delfzyl, and Coevorden. Frisia, 
 owing to its situation, had been already evacuated, 
 but the inhabitants of Groningen came to me very 
 frequently, imploring me to hasten our march, and 
 to deliver them from our common enemies, as they 
 expressed it ; in making this request they were 
 almost asking for a change of enemies, although 
 my troops kept most rigorous discipline. My 
 advance-guard entered the town as the enemy 
 quitted it. We pursued, overtook, and defeated 
 their rear-guard near Delfzyl. At the same time 
 I heard that Coevorden had opened its gates, 
 and I extended my line as far as the Ems, which 
 the enemy had recrossed. We respectively took 
 up our positions on either side of the river, having, 
 both of us, great need of rest. 
 
 While I was inspecting my lines, I was informed 
 
 of the march of the Prussian army, and shortly 
 
 afterwards a messenger with a flag of truce* brought 
 
 * The bearer of a flag of truce is called in French un par- 
 lementaire, for which we have no concise English equivalent. 
 I shall therefore in future use the word parle/neniaire without 
 further explanation. — Tratislator' s note. 
 
i8o MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 me a letter announcing that the latter Power had 
 just concluded the Peace of Basle ;'" but as I had 
 no official notification, I at once communicated 
 with the Commander-in-chief, who was also in 
 ignorance of the event. I asked for large re- 
 inforcements, and meanwhile kept a very strict 
 look-out. Two fresh divisions were sent to join 
 and precede me, and these would not have been 
 too many had the first news of this unexpected 
 peace proved untrue, because the Prussians would 
 ha\'e effected a junction with the allied army that 
 I already had in front of me. We at length 
 received confirmation of the news, to the great 
 joy of both sides. 
 
 The line of demarcation laid down by the treaty 
 followed the right bank of the Rhine and the 
 Ems to its mouth ; the Prussians took the place 
 of their former allies on this bank, while we 
 occupied the left. Territorial divisions were 
 formed, of which I had command of the first, 
 composed of the provinces of Drenthe, Frisia, 
 and Groningen, and I established my head- 
 quarters in the town of that name. 
 
 After three months' rest, of which we all stood 
 in great need, I was called to the command of the 
 provinces of Overyssel and Gueldres, and later on 
 to Utrecht and Holland. 
 
 Zealand being at this time threatened by the 
 
 * The treaty of peace between France and Prussia was 
 signed on the i6 Germinal, year iii. (April 5, 1795). 
 
1795] FEVER i8i 
 
 English, I was ordered to go either to Middle- 
 burg or Flushing, whichever I preferred, in the 
 island of Walcheren, and a most unhealthy 
 country. Five-sixths of my men were soon down 
 with fever, and I was so violently attacked that, 
 in fear of my life, I was ordered back to France 
 to recover. All the events I have just described 
 occurred in the years 1794-5. It was towards the 
 end of the latter year that I returned to France, 
 where my fever, which had been somewhat 
 checked before I left Flushing, seized me again at 
 the end of six weeks. 
 
 By the end of the summer, 1795, I had re- 
 covered, and was ready to return to my duty, 
 when I had the pleasure of greetihg Beurnonville, 
 who had just been exchanged and restored from 
 his captivity. The command of the army in 
 Holland had been given to him. He offered to 
 exchange with me. I refused from a mistaken 
 sense of delicacy, on account of our friendship, 
 fearing lest this preference should prejudice other 
 Generals against him. 
 
 Scarcely had I returned first to Flushing, and 
 then to Middleburg, when, coming back from a 
 tour of inspection round the island, I was again 
 seized with fever, and notwithstanding all the 
 measures employed, especially quinine in large 
 quantities, it could not be subdued until the fol- 
 lowing spring, when the doses were trebled, and 
 I was removed from that horrible climate. 
 
i82 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 My friend Beurnonville had his headquarters 
 at Utrecht. He summoned me thither to recover. 
 I had to diet myself very severely ; but my re- 
 lapses, though still acute, were but the prelude to 
 a fresh attack, which I believe has remained 
 unparalleled. Beurnonville was away at the time. 
 On hearing of the danger i was in, he hastened 
 back at once. At length skill and perseverance 
 checked the fever, and I was sent to pass my 
 convalescence at Deventer, in Overyssel, where 
 troops were assembling for the manoeuvres at 
 Gorssel. They were put under my command. I 
 spared no pains to instruct and train them, and 
 thus got much exercise, which was good for my 
 health. Beurnonville came to inspect us. 
 
[ 183] 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Army of the Sambre and Meuse — Donauwerth — Operations on 
 the Rhine — Neuwied — Mistake of General Castelvert — His 
 Excuse and Recall — At Diisseldorf — Fresh Hostilities on 
 the Rhine — Arrival of General Augereau — Politeness and 
 Literary Attainments of General Lefebvre — Macdonald 
 Summoned to Paris. 
 
 We foresaw that we should be called ere -long 
 to play a part in the events that were in progress 
 on the other side of the Rhine. The Army of the 
 Sambre and Meuse was commanded by General 
 Jourdan, that of the Rhine by General Moreau ; 
 each acted without any unity or consideration for 
 the movements of the other. The new campaign 
 had opened brilliantly and decisively, but this, 
 unfortunately, did not last long. A clever and 
 well-designed feint on the part of the Archduke 
 Charles of Austria deceived General Moreau. He 
 (the Archduke) unexpectedly crossed the Danube at 
 Donauwerth, and fell, with overwhelming numbers, 
 upon the right flank of the Sambre and Meuse 
 Army, which was on the Rednitz, while that which 
 General Jourdan was driving from the Rhine 
 
i84 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 suddenly turned and retaliated in front. The 
 inequality of numbers and the extent of ground 
 occupied by the French army compelled a re- 
 treat. 
 
 Prompt succour was necessary. In September, 
 1 796, the camp at Gorssel was raised and set in 
 motion, as well as another division of the Army 
 of the North stationed in Belgium. The latter 
 advanced to the tite-de-pont at Neuwied, while, 
 with the former, I advanced to the enormous 
 entrenched camp at Dusseldorf During our 
 march the Sambre and Meuse Army, being hard 
 pressed, drew back towards the Lahn, where it 
 proposed to remain until our arrival. 
 
 General Castelvert, who commanded the Belgian 
 division, was ordered to put himself in line on the 
 right of this army, touching the division temporarily 
 under the command of General Marceau, which 
 extended along the right bank of the Lahn as far 
 as its mouth. General Castelvert's orders, in 
 case the enemy should force the passage of the 
 river, were to retire to the tite-de-pont of Neuwied, 
 and to preserve that post on the Rhine at all costs. 
 For this he was to answer with his head. Com- 
 pletely engrossed with this responsibility, he 
 learned that the enemy had taken possession of 
 the town of Nassau, and, without reflecting that 
 this town was situated on the left bank, and that 
 its occupation was consequently immaterial to his 
 position, he hastily retreated to the tete-de-pont 
 
1796] OPERATIONS ON THE RHINE 185 
 
 without giving notice to General Marceau,* and 
 thus left absolutely uncovered the extreme right 
 of the Sambre and Meuse Army, which that 
 very day was defeated and compelled to retire. 
 This army, of course, threw all the blame upon 
 Castelvert, and there is no doubt that he had 
 committed a serious blunder in compromising his 
 position. The excuse that he made to me is too 
 curious not to be quoted. 
 
 'Why,' I asked him, ' did you retire without 
 being compelled to do so, and without giving 
 any notice i^' 
 
 ' There !' he replied. ' Of course they want 
 to throw all the blame for their defeat upon the 
 Army of the North ; but they were dying to have 
 an excuse to get away, and as they were retreating 
 eight leagues, surely I had a right to retreat ten, 
 and be d d to them !' 
 
 He was recalled. 
 
 I advanced from Dlisseldorf to Miilheim, but 
 the enemy left us in peace on the Wupper and 
 the Sieg. General Beurnonville succeeded General 
 Jourdan, bringing with him imperative and reiter- 
 ated orders to take the offensive ; but over and 
 above the lateness of the season, the Army of the 
 Sambre and Meuse was really not in a condition 
 
 '■''■ This General was mortally wounded on September 20, 
 1796. His remains rest in French territory in Germany on 
 the banks of the Rhine. The spot was recently visited, we 
 believe, by President Carnot. 
 
i86 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 to advance ; it had scarcely anything. A tacit 
 understanding was arrived at between the two 
 opposing Generals to the effect that the troops 
 should have a rest on condition of ten days' notice 
 being given on each side should either Govern- 
 ment order the reopening of hostilities. I took 
 up my quarters on the right bank of the Rhine, 
 touching on my left the line of demarcation settled 
 by the Prussians at the Treaty of Basle. I 
 established my headquarters at Diisseldorf, and 
 thus we passed the winter. 
 
 In February, 1797, I recrossed the Rhine, in 
 order to execute a mission in Belgium, leaving 
 my command at Diisseldorf to General of Division 
 Desjardins, and that of my titular division to 
 General of Brigade Gouvion. In my absence the 
 troops of the Army of the North were echeloned 
 from Diisseldorf to Arnheim. I rejoined at 
 Nimeguen. 
 
 Hostilities broke out afresh upon the Rhine. 
 General Hoche was in command of the Sambre 
 and Meuse Army, when he died suddenly. I 
 have never heard that the cause of his death was 
 cleared up. It was said that he had been poisoned 
 by an opposing faction. This corJ>s d'annec of 
 the North, under my orders, returned to the 
 Rhine ; but on the road we heard of the Treaty 
 of Campo Formio, which stopped the Armies of 
 the Rhine and of the Sambre and Meuse in the 
 thick of their successes. 
 
1797] ON THE RHINE 187 
 
 A political revolution occurred in Paris,* and 
 General Augereau came to take command of the 
 three armies reunited under the name of the Army 
 of Germany. He reviewed us at Cologne, and 
 was struck with the smart appearance of the Army 
 of the North, directly under my orders. Instead 
 of praising it, he said : 
 
 ' I observe and understand that these troops 
 are drilled in the Prussian manner, but I will soon 
 put a stop to that.' 
 
 A halt was called before the march past. The 
 soldiers crowded round the new Commander-in- 
 chief. His dress was startling ; he was covered 
 with gold embroidery even down to his short 
 boots, thus contrasting strongly with our simple 
 uniforms. He related his Italian campaigns, spoke 
 of the bravery of the troops, but without even 
 mentioning the leader of that army.f He said 
 that the soldiers were very well treated there, and 
 that there was not a man among them, bad 
 character as he might be, who had not ten gold 
 pieces in his pocket and a gold watch. This was 
 a hint to our fellows. 
 
 On one occasion the theatrical manager came 
 to offer him a choice of plays. He insisted on 
 something very revolutionary, and chose, if I 
 remember rightly, either ' Brutus ' or the ' Death 
 
 * The couj) d'etat of the 18 Fructidor, to which Augereau 
 had given his support, 
 t Bonaparte. 
 
MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 of C£esar.'* General Lefebvre, who had held the 
 command temporarily, was his principal lieutenant. 
 Trigny, commandant of Cologne, had offered his 
 carriage, in the hope, probably, that the Com- 
 mander-in-chief would give a seat in it to his 
 wife. This idea, however, never seemed to occur 
 to the latter, so Trigny very respectfully suggested 
 it. Lefebvre, seated beside General Augereau, 
 put his head out of window, and inquired : 
 
 ' What did you say ?' 
 
 Trigny repeated his proposition. 
 
 ' Go to blazes !' replied Lefebvre ; ' we did not 
 come here to take your wife out driving !' 
 
 Lefebvre, who had not the remotest acquaint- 
 ance with literature, applauded heartily with his 
 clumsy hands, believing that the play had been 
 written that very morning in honour of the occasion. 
 He kept nudging me with his elbow, and asking : 
 
 ' Tell me, where is the chap who wrote this ? 
 Is he present ?' 
 
 On the conclusion of peace, I think in Novem- 
 ber, I returned to Holland. General Beurnonville 
 was recalled. General Dejean, who held the 
 command provisionally, made it over to me, and 
 I exercised it through the winter, until the moment 
 when General Joubert came to take it over per- 
 manently, and I received orders to go to Paris. 
 
 * Both by Voltaire. 
 
[ i89 1 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Ordered to Italy — The Army of Rome — General Championnet 
 — Insurrection in Rome — Championnet 's Flight — Evacua- 
 tion of Rome — General Mack — Nepi and Otricoli — Differ- 
 ences with Championnet — Explanation. 
 
 In the spring of 1798 I was ordered to betake 
 myself to Italy. The Egyptian expedition was 
 prepared and ready to set sail. I had no doubt 
 that at Milan I should receive orders to go either 
 to Genoa or Civita-Vecchia. I had been able 
 to gain no intelligence in Paris, but on arriving 
 I found, with pleasure, that the expedition had 
 already started. 
 
 Italy was denuded of troops. They had all 
 been embarked, but more were expected from the 
 interior of France. General Brune, who was in 
 command, allowed me to make a journey to Rome 
 and Naples. I passed two well-employed months 
 in the first-named city, but was refused permission 
 to enter Neapolitan territory, as I was both a 
 Frenchman and a soldier. I returned to Milan, 
 whence I made various excursions, one of which 
 was nearly fatal to me. I was almost drowned 
 
190 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 while bathing in the canal at Mantua. General 
 Delmas, then in command, rendered me every 
 service that friendship could suggest — he has 
 since been killed in Saxony — and Mayer, now 
 General, saved my life. 
 
 Shortly afterwards I was sent to Rome to take 
 up a command under General Gouvion St. Cyr. 
 He was, I believe, at that time engaged in a 
 quarrel with the Commissioners of the Directory ; 
 he was recalled, and I succeeded him. 
 
 The Roman States had been erected into a 
 republic, and were then in a state of ferment. 
 Their neighbours, the Neapolitans, were threaten- 
 ing. Austria sent the famous General Mack to 
 command their army, while she herself was making 
 ready to break the Peace of Leoben. Partial 
 insurrections and considerable risings took place, 
 especially at Terracina. I suppressed and kept 
 them under. These events were merely the pre- 
 cursors of much more serious and important 
 matters. I administered the courttry under the 
 eye of the Commissioners, but not in blind accord- 
 ance with their wishes or authority, although the 
 latter was very limited. 
 
 I had but 12,000 men under me, but they were 
 good, trustworthy troops. In my correspondence 
 I informed the Government and the Commander- 
 in-chief of the army in Italy of our situation. I 
 begged for speedy reinforcements, but no one 
 would believe the danger imminent, albeit it was 
 
[798] THE ARMY OF ROME 19, 
 
 apparent. I had arranged my men so as to be 
 ready for any emergency. The NeapoHtans were 
 organized under no less a chief than General 
 Mack, whose reputation was almost European 
 (and who by no means justified it, whether at the 
 head of the Neapolitans, or later on when in 
 command of the Austrian army), and at that time 
 he had not the difficulties to contend with that he 
 had in later years. 
 
 An ' Army of Rome ' was created in Paris and 
 a leader appointed to command it, * and a few bat- 
 talions were ordered down from the north of Italy. 
 
 The Neapolitans, to the number of 70,000 or 
 80,000 men,t marched to the extreme edge of all 
 their frontiers, which I caused to be feebly watched 
 and guarded. Everything pointed to a speedy 
 outbreak of hostilities. 
 
 The Commander-in-chief Championnet, arrived 
 
 * General Championnet. 
 
 t Such was the calculation of the Neapolitan forces trans- 
 mitted from divers sources, in particular from the French legation 
 at Naples, since confirmed by prisoners, and made in their very 
 capital itself, and yet a note attributed to General Mack only 
 gives the active and effective army assembled on the frontier as 
 40,000 men. Perhaps, too, he wished to diminish his forces in 
 order 10 excuse or attenuate his reverses ; perhaps he does not 
 include in this calculation detachments, depots, garrisons, etc. 
 He numbers the French forces at 20,600 men, whereas, at the 
 commencement of hostilities, I had not more than from 10,000 to 
 12,000 between Terracina and Fermo. We were by no means 
 formidable, and I declare that no preparation was made, no 
 order transmitted to me ever to instigate hostilities with the 
 kingdom of Naples. — Note by Marshal Macdonald. 
 
192 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 in Rome while matters were in this position, and 
 with the assurance, given him by the Directory, 
 that the Government of Naples would not dare 
 to take upon themselves the renewal of the war. 
 Both were mistaken, as was proved by the events 
 of the next few days. I thought otherwise, and 
 had arranged to be able to draw off my troops, 
 evacuate Rome, and recross the Tiber. My forces 
 at this point numbered about 6,000 men ; the 
 remainder, about the same number, were scattered 
 towards Narni, Sulmona, and Fermo, at the 
 entrance of the Abruzzi. 
 
 General Championnet had not been more than 
 forty-eight hours in Rome, I think, when I re- 
 ceived intelligence, at eleven o'clock at night, that 
 the Neapolitans had crossed their frontiers with- 
 out any preliminary declaration of war. I in- 
 formed the Commander-in-chief, and at daybreak 
 we mounted our horses and rode out towards 
 Tivoli, the nearest outlet to Rome. All was 
 quiet there, but I anticipated that the hostile body 
 that intended to invade us at this point was wait- 
 ing for news of the principal corps coming from 
 San Germano to Velletri through Terracina. With 
 a small detachment, I could easily have kept in 
 check the enemy's troops at the end of the road 
 which crosses the Pontine Marshes, but their 
 principal body would come by the old road. My 
 troops therefore, retired upon Rome. It was easy 
 to foresee that the Neapolitans would debouch 
 
1798] INSURRECTION IN ROME 193 
 
 simultaneously from many points on the frontier, 
 and that is exactly what occurred. 
 
 The Commander-in-chief opened negotiations 
 for the evacuation of the capital and retired, 
 leaving me saddled with the burden of the retreat. 
 I saw among the people signs of an approaching 
 rising, of which, moreover, I had already received 
 warning. I made serious representations to him, 
 to which he seemed at first inclined to give atten- 
 tion.' All my troops were drawn up outside the 
 town ; the first thing 10 be done was to conclude 
 the victualling of Fort Sant'-Angelo. I had one 
 or two detachments in the town, a hundred and 
 fifty cavalry on the Piazza del Popolo, and cannon 
 pointing down the three streets which opened on 
 to this space. 
 
 I had just returned home to give some orders, 
 when I heard shouting and hooting in the street. 
 I hastened to the window, whence I saw my Com- 
 mander galloping as fast as he could, making for 
 the gate, and taking my cavalry with him. The 
 effect of this departure — I soften the expression, 
 and refrain from using one more energetic and 
 more correct — was the signal for the rising that 
 1 had foreseen. All stray Frenchmen, whether 
 military, civil, or attached to the Government, 
 were pursued and massacred, and the shops 
 pillaged. 
 
 All who could escape the popular fury took 
 refuge in the churches, the large shops, and 
 
 VOL. I. 5 
 
194 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 the fortress of Sant'-Angelo, and some in my 
 house. My aides-de-camp and staff officers were 
 on horseback, trying to convey orders to the troops 
 to re-enter the town, but they could not make a 
 way through the crowd ; those Generals who could 
 not come into the city were in the same i:)light. 
 
 During this crisis, the danger of which in- 
 creased with every minute, I summoned the 
 artillery from the Piazza del Popolo. It was 
 drawn up in front of my door, and several charges 
 of grape-shot were fired ; but the gunners, assailed 
 from the windows, abandoned their posts. Every 
 instant brought news of fresh outrages. Com- 
 munication between one quarter of the city and 
 another, nay, between one street and another, was 
 cut off, when a band of insurgents was seen coming 
 from the Piazza Navona, and marching upon my 
 lodgings. I sent my small guard — twelve or 
 fifteen men — to meet them. They fired several 
 shots, which checked the boldest of them for a 
 moment ; but were finally compelled to give way. 
 Seeing them return, I determined to mount my 
 horse and make a way for myself. My guard 
 received orders to re-enter and barricade my 
 house. Sword in hand, we galloped through the 
 Via del Popolo as far as the Piazza di Venezia, 
 receiving some shots here and there, and a serious 
 discharge from the street leading thence to the 
 Palazzo Colonna. One of my suite was killed 
 and one wounded. 
 
1798] INSURRECTION IN ROME 195 
 
 Pursuing my road with the intention of rejoin- 
 ing my troops outside the town, I met near the 
 Forum the head of the column commanded by 
 General Maurice Mathieu, who, not being able to 
 communicate with me, and having heard what 
 was going on inside the walls, had at once started 
 to effect an entrance. It was the 31st regiment 
 of infantry, led by Colonel d'Arnaud — now a 
 Lieutenant-General with a wooden leg — that had 
 succeeded in making their way. 
 
 I returned to the Piazza di Venezia, where I 
 distributed companies at the entrances of all the 
 streets. They kept up a fire along the streets at 
 the windows, and swept all before them. Orders 
 were successfully conveyed, and at the end of two 
 hours quiet was restored. No one was to be 
 seen out of doors or at their windows, for they 
 were fired upon as soon as they appeared. For- 
 tunately the enemy was still twenty-four hours' 
 march distant, otherwise it is impossible to say 
 what misfortunes might not have resulted from 
 this day. 
 
 I still think that, had the Commander-in-chief 
 not gone off so inappropriately, or had he left 
 during the night, as I implored him to do, we 
 should have quelled the mob by our presence, for, 
 as I have since learned, they believed that the 
 town was entirely evacuated, and that the Nea- 
 politan troops would re-enter it by the old 
 road. 
 
196 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I took advantage of the quiet of night to 
 complete my arrangements for both exterior and 
 interior. A proclamation was printed and pub- 
 lished, which remained without effect ; for some 
 hours before dawn groups began to form. I 
 would not, however, give them time to concen- 
 trate themselves, and they were easily dispersed 
 by a few charges of cavalry. Tranquillity was 
 maintained, notwithstanding the presence of the 
 enemy, who arrived within sight of our outposts. 
 
 I had refused to admit any parlenientaire, as 
 the town was to be evacuated that evening. 
 Having settled everything, and while the last 
 provisions were being carried to Sant'-Angelo, 
 which was not included in the convention, while 
 the bread was being baked and distributed as fast 
 as it was ready, I went to the gate of St. John 
 Lateran. On the way I met one of General 
 Mack's aides-de-camp, who had been admitted 
 by mistake, and who summoned me to yield up 
 the city. I made him turn back. 
 
 On reaching the gate, the Neapolitan colonel, 
 Mollterno, and a General of the same nation, 
 whose name I have forgotten, reiterated the 
 demand with considerable arrogance. I had a 
 detachment of men masking a strong ambuscade, 
 and a battery containing several guns loaded with 
 grape-shot. The officer in command, who had 
 heard the threats uttered by these gentlemen, 
 whispered to me : 
 
[798] EVACUATION OF ROME 197 
 
 ' Will you allow me to fire ?' 
 
 ' No,' I answered ; ' no fighting to-day. To- 
 morrow we may be able to make them regret their 
 impertinence — perhaps even to-night.' 
 
 A partial engagement might have spoiled all my 
 arrangements, roused the town afresh, stopped the 
 distribution of food, and disorganized my ranks. 
 I wished to recross the Tiber without trouble and 
 in broad daylight. 
 
 On learning that the food was all distributed 
 and the troops assembled, I gave the signal to 
 retreat, and it was effected in the most orderly 
 manner by the three streets that I have men- 
 tioned. Gradually the inhabitants emerged until 
 they appeared in crowds, red cockades in their 
 hats, going out to meet the Neapolitans, but 
 without insulting us. My rear-guard came on 
 slowly, followed by the advance-guard of the 
 Neapolitans. While my columns were crossing 
 the river, I went through the Via del Popolo, in 
 the thick of the crowd, as far as the Piazza di 
 Venezia, unaccompanied save by my aides-de- 
 camp, without seeing any token of rebellion, 
 without hearing any insolent word. The people 
 had calmed down. The upper classes may have 
 fomented ■ the disturbances of the previous day, 
 but they took no obvious part in them. Well-dis- 
 posed people had remained at home, and had even 
 saved many Frenchmen who, but for them, would 
 probably have fallen victims to the insurrection. 
 
198 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 When at last all my men had left the city, I 
 sent orders to the Commandant of the fortress, 
 which was not mentioned, and consequently not 
 included in the convention relating to the evacua- 
 tion of Rome, to withdraw all his men, to close 
 his barriers, and to consider himself as besieged 
 by a hostile army. I had entrusted our wounded 
 in hospital to the generosity and humanity of 
 General Mack, and left fifty men to guard them, 
 begging him to replace and send them on to 
 me. After taking all these precautions, I left 
 Rome, assuring our friends and partisans that we 
 should not be away more than a fortnight ; and 
 I undertook not to shave my beard during our 
 absence. I kept my word, and wore it for seven- 
 teen days. 
 
 After leaving Rome in good order, and re- 
 crossing the Tiber, I marched all night. I 
 encamped at Monterosi, whence two roads branch 
 off, one to Viterbo, and one to Ancona. There 
 I waited for fresh intelligence concerning the 
 march of the Neapolitans ; but after hearing a 
 rumour of a successful engagement at Fermo, on 
 the extreme eastern frontier of the States of 
 Naples, I raised my camp, and chose another at 
 Civita-Castellana, a strong and good position, 
 naturally defended by several ravines and by a 
 castle. 
 
 General Mack took my place at Monterosi, and 
 came to attack me with over 40,000 men ; I had 
 
FACSIMILE OF 
 
 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S 
 
 HANDWRITING 
 
(>«^^*<-'i-^-«--t:^ _ 
 
 "> 
 
 Z^C^t/cu-L^ 
 
Translation of Ihe Foregoing Facsimile 
 Letter. 
 
 COURCELLES-LE-ROI, 
 
 September 6, 1833. 
 
 It was my intention, my dear neighbour, when 
 I quitted Paris to come and give you greeting as 
 I passed, but an event, at the thought of which I 
 still tremble, has been almost fatal to me. My 
 son has been all but drowned at Montargis, where 
 I stopped to breakfast with a friend. He was 
 rescued by an Italian just as he was about to 
 disappear. This circumstance delayed me con- 
 siderably, and I was only able to make my bow as 
 I passed St. Brisson, and since then the bad 
 weather has prevented me from going out. 
 
 In sending to fetch [two words illegible], I beg 
 for news of you, of your husband and children, of 
 D'Argant, of his mother, and of Madame de 
 Chabans, and I pray you to send me some. 
 
 Receive, my dear neighbour, my homage, re- 
 spects, and attachment. 
 
 Macdonald. 
 
FACSIMILE OF 
 
 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S 
 
 HANDWRITING 
 
1798] NEPI AND OTRICOLI 199 
 
 at most 5,000 or 6,000 to oppose to him. I re- 
 inforced as well as I could my advance-guard at 
 Nepi, and determined to go out to meet them. 
 The shock was violent, but the Neapolitans did 
 not make a stand, and retreated. We pursued 
 them as far as their camp, which was still stand- 
 ing, and which they abandoned to us, continuing 
 their flight to Rome. This was the principal 
 point of attack. During the action three other 
 columns advanced along the old road, on the 
 right bank of the Tiber, passing by Santa Maria 
 di Falori. I retraced my steps, repulsed all 
 partial attacks, and thus dislodged this magnifi- 
 cent and haughty army, with less than 3,000 men 
 engaged. Our gains were considerable : a large 
 number of prisoners, artillery, arms, baggage, the 
 camp, the military chest, etc. 
 
 Learning that General Mack had rallied his 
 troops, and was passing along the right bank of 
 the Tiber in order to help one of his columns that 
 was descending upon Otricoli, I, too, recrossed 
 the river at the bridge of Borghetto, and sup- 
 ported my right. It was not until after this 
 change of position that I was informed by my 
 scouts that this column was marching upon 
 Otricoli, where I had established my depots of 
 wounded and my provisions. 
 
 This road was my only means of communica- 
 tion with headquarters and with the rest of the 
 army. I was not yet certain that the Neapolitans 
 
20O MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 had occupied Otricoli, and wished to discover their 
 strength and their position. With this object I 
 took a good detachment from my camp at Bor- 
 ghetto and started. 
 
 The fog was so dense that we could not see 
 four yards ahead, but we could tell the presence 
 of the enemy by a tolerably long line of fire, to 
 which our men answered. From the enemy's 
 hesitation I concluded that they were not in very 
 good order. The thick fog was fortunate for both 
 of us : it covered our movements and concealed 
 our weakness, while it hid from us their direction. 
 I made my cavalry charge them, on the chance, 
 along the highroad. A discharge of artillery did 
 not check my men ; the enemy's advance-guard 
 were surprised and put to the sword, and a battery 
 of light artillery abandoned. 
 
 The fog lifted, and we continued our pursuit 
 with a better light. I then discovered that I was 
 dealing not with regulars, but with assassins, 
 who had foully murdered my sick and wounded. 
 The sight of some of these poor fellows, horribly 
 mutilated, but not dead, increased our fury and 
 thirst for vengeance. Learning that these 
 banditti were making for Calvi, we followed them 
 thither, and I at the same time sent orders to 
 General Maurice Mathieu to start from camp im- 
 mediately with his brigade, so as to cut off their 
 flight to Rome. We surrounded Calvi, situated 
 on a high escarped mountain ; we were inferior in 
 
1798] GENERAL CHAMPIONNET 
 
 numbers, but superior in pluck. The enemy- 
 offered to surrender. I answered in these words : 
 
 ' Lay down your arms, or else run the gauntlet 
 of my troops !' 
 
 They yielded to the number of about 7,000 
 men, commanded by Generals Moesk and .* 
 
 After I had thus re-established my communica- 
 tions, I received orders from the Commander-in- 
 chief to join him on the road to Rome ; he was 
 starting from Narni. General Mack was also on 
 the way to support General Moesk in his retreat ; 
 the latter had written to him not to hurry, that he 
 was in a very strong position at Calvi, and that 
 after having rallied and rested his men he would 
 join him. They apparently counted upon our 
 inaction, and that ruined them. General Mack, 
 warned by fugitives of what had happened, turned 
 back towards Rome ; we hastily followed him. I 
 had left General Kellermann at Borghetto with a 
 strong detachment. I sent him orders to march, 
 and to drive before him, sword in hand, all that 
 he found on the road. 
 
 These unexpected successes aroused the bitter 
 jealousy of General Championnet, a very brave 
 man, it must be acknowledged, but without much 
 capacity. He had acquired a certain reputation 
 while with the Sambre and Meuse Army, whence 
 he came, by commanding a division that had 
 taken part in several actions always with success. 
 * The second name is omitted in the Marshal's MS. 
 
202 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 A party had obtained his nomination as Com- 
 mander-in-chief. He himself was a man of 
 pleasant temper, easy to live with ; but he was 
 surrounded by envious, pretentious, and ambitious 
 men, one of whom in particular, Romieux, principal 
 aide-decamp, had the reputation of being the real 
 wire-puller. There was another man, General 
 Bonnami, chief of his staff, who had not borne a 
 very good reputation on the Rhine, where his 
 conduct in regard to money matters had not been 
 quite straightforward. These charges were es- 
 tablished later on in Naples, and this man had the 
 impertinence to wish to direct and lead opera- 
 tions. 
 
 The orders I had received were insignificant, 
 and eventually proved impossible of execution. 
 I had been unfortunate enough to see this from 
 the beginning, and made the mistake of answer- 
 ing : 
 
 ' Let me know what the complete plan is, I 
 will act accordingly, and do not trouble about the 
 details.' 
 
 I spoke really in good faith, having a better 
 knowledge of the localities, and also that confi- 
 dence which always comes after a success gained 
 over an enemy. The orders I received were 
 timid to a degree, whereas they ought to have 
 displayed courage and dash, which would have 
 been quite justified by our successes, and by the 
 spirit that animated my men as well as myself. 
 
1798] DIFFERENCES WITH CHAMPIONNET 203 
 
 I only discovered these annoyances from the 
 increasing coldness of our correspondence ; mine 
 was gay rather than serious, especially so in those 
 reports in which I related our skirmishes, always 
 brilliant and successful. I joked about them with 
 no other intention than that of showing how little 
 glory was to be obtained from fighting enemies 
 who, a few days previously, had proved them- 
 selves both boastful and cowardly. Had they 
 not massacred our sick and wounded at Otricoli, 
 and threatened with a like fate those whom we 
 had left in Rome, together with a detachment of 
 fifty men to guard and preserve them against the 
 fury of the populace ? These men had been dis- 
 armed and made prisoners contrary to every law 
 of war or of nations ; and yet it was Mack, the 
 General with a European reputation, who did 
 these things, who wrote and published the fact ! 
 I think I said above that I had given him notice 
 of our precautions, had appealed to his humanity 
 on behalf of our sick, and begged him to send 
 back our detachment after replacing it by another. 
 I was indignant, furious, and in my turn published 
 a general order and an energetic proclamation, 
 which I hope will be considered justified when 
 my correspondence is examined.* 
 
 When I joined the Commander-in-chief on the 
 new road to Rome, he received me with consider- 
 
 * This correspondence is preserved among the historical 
 archives of the French War Office. 
 
204 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 able abruptness, instead of with congratulation 
 upon our successes, which had already almost 
 annihilated the Neapolitan army. I was much 
 vexed, and an angry explanation ensued. 
 
 ' You want to make me pass for a fool,' he said. 
 
 This speech was clearly produced by vanity. 
 
 ' What foundation or proofs have you for your 
 statement ? How dare anyone suggest that I could 
 display such a want of courtesy to my chief ?' 
 
 ' Here is your correspondence,' he replied. 
 
 It had been wickedly misconstrued, and pre- 
 sented to him as satirical instead of as the joke 
 that I had intended it to be. I explained this to 
 him, and he softened somewhat. General Eble, 
 commanding the artillery, came up at this moment ; 
 he was a friend of mine, and explained matters, 
 and the General and I were outwardly reconciled. 
 I then proposed a series of operations whereby 
 we should immediately re-enter Rome (feeling 
 persuaded that the Neapolitans there must be in 
 confusion, which proved to be the case), and cut 
 off the passage of a column which was being pur- 
 sued by General Kellermann on the other side of 
 the Tiber. Championnet consented. 
 
[ 2°S ] 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 At Fort Sant'-Angelo — Junction with Kellermann — Return to 
 Rome — A Speedy Decision — Before Capua — A Truce — 
 Arrest of Mack — Commander-in-chief of the Army of 
 Naples — Arrival at Naples — ^ Rising in Naples — Insur- 
 rections in the Country — Miracle of St. Januarius — Pre- 
 parations. 
 
 I SENT forward messengers to inform the com- 
 mandant of Sant'-Angelo of all that had happened 
 in the sixteen days that had elapsed since we 
 quitted Rome, and of our approach ; we intended 
 to return the following day. I told him to assist 
 us by means of sorties, and to try to seize the 
 King of Naples, who was there, and anyone else 
 that he could lay hands upon ; but, unfortunately, 
 he was lulled to security, and asleep. The blockade 
 had been removed, and he received intelligence of 
 the misunderstandings in the town by means of 
 our partisans. He was besides overjoyed at having 
 held his own, and, until our arrival, it was abso- 
 lutely hopeless to arouse him from his sense of 
 safety, and thereby he missed making several 
 important captures. To justify himself he told 
 me that he was afraid that a trap was being laid 
 
2o6 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 for him, that he had suspected my spies of serving 
 the enemy, although there was no mistaking the 
 signs agreed upon between us, especially when my 
 cannon was drawing near and becoming perfectly 
 audible. But such is the pusillanimity of some 
 men ; everything frightens and terrifies them when 
 they are not actually kept in leading-strings ! 
 
 The Commander-in-chief, hearing that Rome 
 was evacuated, had preceded me ; I was to join 
 him at Ponte Molle. He informed me that a 
 column of the enemy, which had come up too late to 
 cross the town and follow General Mack, who had 
 retired to Albano, had stopped at sight of some of 
 our scouts, and that Bonnami, his chief of the 
 staff, having parleyed with them, had granted them 
 three hours to decide whether to lay down their 
 arms. 
 
 'An excellent plan,' I replied; 'nothing could 
 be better devised for the purpose of enabling 
 them to escape by the Presides* !' 
 
 Our junction with General Kellermann had 
 been meanwhile effected. He, as I have already 
 said, followed, without overtaking, the troop since 
 his departure from Borghetto for Civita-Castel- 
 lana, because he had taken the old road to 
 Roine, while the others marched in a parallel line 
 with him by Monterosi, Bucano, La Storta, and 
 
 * The Neapolitan enclaves in Tuscany, part of the State 
 degli Presidii, which were safely reached by this column under 
 Comte Roger de Damas. 
 
1798] A DECEPTION 207 
 
 had taken up a position masked by considerable 
 heights. 
 
 General Bonnami came to us and said wich 
 emphasis : 
 
 ' We have got this troop ; within an hour they 
 will have laid down their arms.' 
 
 ' No doubt,' I replied, ' if they are still there. 
 But do you suppose that a troop with free com- 
 munication behind it, and commanded by an 
 dTnigrd* Comte Roger de Damas, will have the 
 kindness to come and yield to us ?' 
 
 ' Why not ?' he retorted. ' I told them they 
 should have no quarter if they did not. And 
 their vedettes are still there.' 
 
 ' What proof is that } Of course they are there 
 to conceal the movements ; they will remain there 
 as long as they are left ; besides, to carry out 
 your threat, they should be surrounded, and their 
 rear is quite open !' 
 
 The Commander-in-chief had listened in silence 
 to this conversation, but at last, stung by my 
 remarks, he said : 
 
 ' Well, let us go and see what has really hap- 
 pened.' 
 
 We went, and found exactly what was to be 
 expected, not a creature ! Then we had to 
 
 * Namegiven to the Frenchmen who left their country in 1789. 
 Many of them came to England, and supported themselves by 
 giving music and dancing lessons, etc. They could not return 
 to France until after the Restoration. — Translator's note. 
 
2o8 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 follow ; but the small number of our troops in 
 front were resting, or dispersed, believing that 
 an armistice had been concluded, and mine had 
 halted behind, so that it took us some time to 
 collect a small force of cavalry. At about the 
 distance of a league they came upon a very well- 
 posted rear guard ; a brush took place, but with 
 no result, and, as night was coming on, we recalled 
 the detachment. 
 
 I asked for orders, and was told to guard the 
 Ponte Molle and the town ; I remarked that the 
 important point was the road to Naples, but was 
 told that it would be attended to. Nevertheless, 
 I sent a regiment to the Lateran Gate, another in 
 reserve to the Coliseum, and the Piazza di Venezia. 
 Thus echeloned, I went to see the Torlonias'" 
 and get some news, as the commandant of Sant'- 
 Angelo knew nothing, and I re-entered my former 
 dwelling, which I had quitted seventeen days previ- 
 ously. I had kept my promise within two days. 
 
 About eleven o'clock the same night, I received 
 news from the Lateran Gate and from General 
 Championnet that a body of the enemy was 
 advancing on that side ; the General himself, in 
 great anxiety, rode up with his staff. 
 
 ' Make yourself easy,' I said ; ' I have seen 
 to everything ; my reserves are now marching 
 towards that point. I know the way ; let us 
 
 go-' 
 
 * Well-known Roman bankers. — Translator's note. 
 
1798] A SPEEDY DECISION 209 
 
 But it was unnecessary. On reaching the gate 
 we found that the regiment I had placed there, 
 the 1 1 th, if I recollect rightly, had sufficed to 
 repulse the assailants to the number of 5,000 or 
 6,000 men, as I learned from some prisoners, led 
 by General Mack in person. This was nearly 
 all that remained to him of the formidable army 
 which had so boastfully declared that in a very 
 short time it would drive us out of Italy. General 
 Mack did not think that we were again occupying 
 Rome, or else he hoped to surprise us, and enable 
 Comte Roger de Damas to get through. This 
 expedition having failed, the General, no longer 
 hoping to effect a junction, gained the road to 
 Capua, and we returned to Rome. 
 
 I was just about to get into bed, when a 
 parlementaire was brought to me, asking leave for 
 another column to pass through the town on its 
 way from Viterbo to Ponte Molle. 
 
 ' Are you in earnest in making such a request Y 
 I asked. 
 
 ' Certainly ; they tell me a truce has been pro- 
 claimed.' 
 
 ' You have been misinformed ; lay down your 
 arms, that is the best thing you can do.' 
 
 ' What ! lay down our arms ? We will defend 
 ourselves. We are in force.' 
 
 'Very good,' I said ; then, turning to the officer 
 who had introduced this man, I continued : ' Take 
 him back, and give orders from me to the com- 
 
 VOL. I. 6 
 
2IO MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 mandant of Ponte Molle to put all these gentle- 
 men to the sword ; I am going to bed.' 
 
 ' Is that your final decision ?' asked the mes- 
 senger. 
 
 'Yes, it is.' 
 
 ' In that case I will surrender.' 
 
 I discovered that he was the chief of the band 
 of from 1,200 to 1,500 men, which had been 
 skirmishing about my right flank while we were 
 at Civita Castellana, and had given us a consider- 
 able amount of trouble. Next morning I sent 
 a report of what had occurred to the Commander- 
 in-chief, adding that I had not cared to disturb his 
 slumbers for so small a matter. 
 
 A general order emanating from headquarters 
 announced all these happy results ; to our great 
 surprise, my division was hardly mentioned, al- 
 though the army did us justice and gave us the 
 honours of this short campaign ; but what will 
 scarcely obtain belief is that the staff received 
 all the promotions and rewards. This injustice 
 and partiality made me as angry as the rest of the 
 army. I went straight to the General, and a 
 second and very sharp altercation followed, but 
 without producing any favourable result for my 
 division, and, as if to punish it for the advantages 
 it had secured, it was ordered to march at the 
 rear of the column. We had to swallow this 
 insult ; but a few days later, as we met some rear- 
 guards, they sent us forward to the front again. 
 
1798] BEFORE CAPUA 211 
 
 We thus arrived at the intrenched camp at 
 Capua, where we received overtures for a sus- 
 pension of hostihties which tempted the Com- 
 mander-in-chief I, however, opposed them 
 strongly at the meeting that was called of all the 
 Generals of Division. Nothing was settled that 
 day, but on the following a delay of forty-eight 
 hours was granted in my absence. I was furious; 
 but I had to submit, and made all my preparations 
 for a desperate attack at the expiration of the 
 delay allowed. 
 
 The excuse given for this ill-timed concession 
 was the absence of news of Generals Duhesme 
 and Lemoine, who were marching upon Naples 
 by the Abruzzi ; but the excuse was a bad one. 
 The terror of the Neapolitans was increasing, 
 disturbance was rife in the country, fear in the 
 capital, the court was fleeing to Sicily ; therefore 
 there should have been no cessation of hostilities. 
 This state of things might have been taken for 
 granted even had it not been officially known to 
 exist, and there was every reason, nay, necessity, 
 for advancing to assist our troops in crossing the 
 Abruzzi by the prompt and decisive occupation of 
 the capital, instead of allowing time for a re- 
 organization of the remains of the army, for the 
 defence of Capua and its intrenched camp, and 
 insurrection and rebellion among the inhabi- 
 tants. 
 
 At the conclusion of this ill-advised armistice 
 
212 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I ordered a reconnaissance ; General Maurice 
 Mathieu commanded it, and I followed to support 
 him. All the Neapolitan outposts gave way, and 
 vanished as fast as their horses could carry them. 
 They gave the alarm in the camp and town, 
 whence the defenders began to retire, when 
 General Mack conceived the idea of sending a 
 messenger with an offer of capitulation. In accord- 
 ance with an old custom, the advance-guard stopped 
 the officer and conducted him to General Mathieu, 
 who sent him on to me. I, unfortunately, was 
 at some distance supporting a detachment of our 
 troops, who had met with some resistance in 
 trying to cross the Volturno. I was furious, and 
 ordered the attack to be continued. I desired, 
 and should have been able, had it not been 
 for this circumstance, to force the intrenched 
 camp, cross the Volturno by the bridge, and seize 
 Capua ; but the Neapolitans had had time to 
 consider their position, and to put themselves 
 behind their intrenchments and ramparts. I was 
 in advance of the reinforcements that I was bring- 
 ing up, and arrived just in time to see General 
 Mathieu's arm broken by a discharge of grape- 
 shot ; at the same moment I received an order 
 from the Commander-in-chief to cease firing, and 
 return to my position, just as I had hopes of being 
 able to carry the enemy's camp. 
 
 I heard next day that Capua was to be handed 
 over by capitulation, and that an armistice for an 
 
1798] ARREST OF MACK 213 
 
 indefinite period had been signed, instead of our 
 rapidly occupying the capital. I was bitterly 
 disappointed at being thus balked of a conquest 
 not only easy in itself, and which would have 
 crowned our efforts, but which must have pro- 
 duced a striking moral effect in the Kingdom of 
 the Two Sicilies, in Europe, but especially in 
 Italy and Austria. A fresh altercation took place 
 at Capua ; as hostilities were at an end, I asked 
 to be relieved of my command, a request that was 
 granted with pleasure and alacrity, and I wrote 
 to the War Minister and to the Directory, asking 
 to be employed elsewhere. While awaiting an 
 answer, I stayed at Capua. 
 
 Shortly afterwards the truce was violated, I 
 forget on what pretext. The lazzaroni* organized 
 themselves for the defence of Naples, the troops 
 were disarmed. General Mack resigned and asked 
 for a passport into Austria, which the Commander- 
 in-chief granted. The French Government, how- 
 ever, on being informed of this refused its consent, 
 caused Mack to be arrested at Ancona, contrary 
 to the law of nations, and taken as a prisoner of 
 war to Paris. On passing through Capua the 
 General paid me a visit ; it was five o'clock in 
 the morning, and I was in bed. I was soon up, 
 however, and- said to him : 
 
 ' Well, General, a fortnight ago you would not 
 have caught me napping.' 
 
 * Neapolitan beggars. — Trans/ator's fio/e. 
 
214 ^lARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 'Ah!' he replied; 'you did for me ahogether 
 at Calvi.' 
 
 In the course of conversation upon past events, 
 he told me that an attempt had been made to 
 poison him at Capua, and to assassinate him at 
 Naples ; he was then very far from well, and I 
 saw him again the following year, in Paris, in the 
 same state. 
 
 'How,' I asked at our first interview, 'could a 
 general so distinguished by his talents expose his 
 military reputation as a great tactician by putting 
 himself at the head of such an army ?' 
 
 ' I was urged, entreated by the King of Naples,' 
 he replied ; ' I resisted, but my Sovereign com- 
 manded me. I was compelled to submit ; and 
 on seeing the army, well drilled, well organized, 
 well equipped, displaying such devotion, and, 
 above all, such determination to make war upon 
 you and to liberate Rome and Italy, I was 
 seduced.' 
 
 ' Perhaps also,' I added, laughing, ' the prospect 
 of coming into France and to Paris had some- 
 thing to do with it' 
 
 ' All that army wanted,' he replied, ' was to 
 have been led by a French general.' 
 
 After that compliment he took leave of me and 
 departed. I recommended him to the special care 
 of all our commandants. He passed near Gaeta 
 first, as that fortress was yielding to our troops, 
 and to General Rey, who was in command. 
 
1799] COMMA NDER-IN-CHIEF IN NAPLES 215 
 
 although it had only been threatened with 
 shells. 
 
 After the violation of the truce, as I have said, 
 the army marched upon Naples ; the lazzaroni 
 made some resistance, but the city was eventually 
 occupied. Being so near, I could not help visit- 
 ing it. I spent a week there, and learned what 
 abominable exactions were being levied. I de- 
 plored them, and left for Rome, where I awaited 
 my next instructions. 
 
 One day, on returning tired from a ride in the 
 neighbourhood, I had allowed myself a siesta, 
 when I was aroused by the arrival of a courier. 
 1 looked at the despatch, and, to my great sur- 
 prise, read my nomination as Commander-in-chief 
 of the Army of Naples in place of General 
 Championnet.* The Directory, dissatisfied with 
 the want of stability in the conduct of the cam- 
 paign, with the armistice at Capua, and with the 
 extortions that had been committed, had decided 
 to recall and make him give an account of his 
 conduct. I am bound to say that this proceeding 
 was too severe, that the greater part of the army 
 was innocent of these iniquities, that they were 
 regretted by everybody ; but none had any con- 
 fidence in the leader whose weakness was uni- 
 versally deplored, so that with truth, and without 
 either vanity or conceit, I may say that great 
 
 * The decree conferring this appointment bears the date of 
 25 Pluviose, year vii. (February 13, 1799). 
 
2i6 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 pleasure was manifested in my appointment, 
 especially by those troops that had served under 
 me while I had had the command in the Roman 
 States and during the campaign. 
 
 I started and passed General Championnet at 
 Aversa. We neither stopped nor spoke. I 
 knew that a magnificent reception was being pre- 
 pared for me at Naples ; out of modesty I avoided 
 it by arriving at eleven o'clock at night, whereas 
 I was only expected the next morning. 
 
 Everything was disorganized. Communications 
 between the divisions were interrupted, and those 
 that occupied Salerno and the places nearest at 
 hand were cut off even from the capital. I re- 
 arranged all the communications, reassembled a 
 few scattered troops, and restored order in the 
 town. In order to re-establish confidence and 
 tranquillity, I issued proclamations, backed up by 
 effectual demonstrations. I organized a new 
 government in concert with Abrial, the Com- 
 missioner sent by the Directory, a very good and 
 worthy man, now count and peer of France. 
 
 I next turned my attention to military matters. 
 Our successes against the insurgents were uni- 
 versal, but no sooner was the insurrection crushed 
 at one point than it broke out at another. Com- 
 munication with Rome had been frequently in- 
 terrupted. Large escorts, and even cannon, were 
 necessary generally to ensure a safe journey from 
 
1799] RISING IN NAPLES 217 
 
 Mola di Gaeta and Fondi to Terracina ; but some- 
 times impatient travellers would start alone or 
 with slender escorts, and then fell victims to 
 the banditti and brigands, who inflicted upon 
 them- the most abominable cruelties. 
 
 I passed several months amid these agitations, 
 not only in the kingdom of Naples, but also in 
 the Roman States and in Tuscany, whither my 
 command extended ; but I succeeded in main- 
 taining perfect order in the capitals, especially in 
 Naples, by means of a national guard that I 
 formed, and of the leader of the lazzaroni, whom 
 I gained over by presents, and by conferring on 
 him the rank and distinctive marks of a colonel. 
 I also formed the remains of the Neapolitan army 
 into detachments of troops, in order to employ 
 those among their officers who displayed the 
 greatest zeal for the new order of things — that 
 is, for the Parthenopeian republic ;* but these 
 troops soon betrayed us, giving up the tower of 
 Castellamare to the English, after massacring 
 some of their own officers. 
 
 I had resolved to induce Admiral Caracciolo to 
 take service in the new fleet ; he equipped a 
 flotilla which secured respect for the port and 
 coasts of Naples, frequendy threatened by the 
 fruidess attempts of the English, who occupied 
 the islands and were stationed in the roads. I 
 
 * Parthenopeia, ancient name of Naples. — Translatot' s, 
 note. 
 
2i8 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 had a somewhat acrimonious correspondence 
 with one of their captains, Commander Throw- 
 bridge [sic].'^ 
 
 Castellamare was a very important point, and 
 so near Naples that its loss was likely to raise the 
 flagging spirits of the insurgents. They were 
 prepared to band together, and this treachery 
 was the signal ; but I lost not an instant, and 
 marched in person upon Castellamare. As I 
 crossed Naples I noticed many people who had 
 already placed the red cockade in their hats. It 
 became necessary now to strike a decisive blow, 
 so as to prevent this rising from gaining ground 
 in Naples, where my garrison was but small, 
 (except in the forts, which were well occupied, 
 especially that of Sant'-Elmo, that existed as a 
 standing menace to the town ; the fear that this 
 fort might set fire to Naples had acted as a 
 salutary check upon the inhabitants). The in- 
 surgents from Calabria and Salerno had advanced 
 to the tower of the Annunziata, and were posted 
 near a brook ; I attacked them ; to rout and put 
 them to flight was the work of an instant. 
 
 While they were being pursued and sabred in 
 all directions, those who held Castellamare took 
 fright ; some, after a few discharges of cannon, 
 seeing the English put to sea, rushed into the 
 water to save themselves ; the rest yielded ; the 
 principals in the rising were shot. The flags of 
 * Afterwards Admiral Sir Thomas Trowbridge. 
 
1799] SUPPRESSION OF THE RISING 219 
 
 England and Naples still remained flying side by 
 side : I promised a reward of twenty-five louis 
 (^20) to whomsoever should bring them to me ; 
 half an hour later they were in my hands, though 
 they were not obtained without some loss. 
 
 Once more in possession of the tower, I turned 
 the guns upon the vessels and those who had 
 taken to flight. I must say here that the skilful 
 and brave Admiral Caracciolo contributed -largely 
 with his flotilla to the success of the expedition. 
 He afterwards fell a victim to the English 
 admiral Nelson, who cruelly and ignominiously 
 caused him to be hanged from the yard-arm of 
 his own ship, a death with which I have always 
 deeply reproached myself, as it was I who over- 
 came his reluctance, and attached him to our side. 
 
 After re-establishing order, giving all the com- 
 mands necessary to put an end to the rising, and 
 pursuing those in flight to beyond Salerno, I re- 
 entered Naples, preceded by the banners and 
 flags of the insurgents, which were burned next 
 day on the Piazza Reale by the public executioner. 
 The red cockades had disappeared, and the heat 
 occasioned by this incident had quite cooled down 
 in the capital. Still more important events were, 
 however, looming in the distance. Russia was 
 marching an army into Italy to join the Austrians, 
 our troops were assembling on the Adige under 
 General Scherer, and hostilities soon began. 
 
 While these events were in preparation I was 
 
220 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 not inactive ; I concentrated my troops. A fresh 
 insurrection broke out in the provinces ; another 
 assemblage was dispersed at Cannae at the 
 mouths of the Ofanto. I attempted to carry out 
 orders by revictualling Maka and the Ionian 
 Islands ; convoys started, but not one reached 
 its destination ; they were either taken or sur- 
 rendered. 
 
 I begged the French Government to evacuate 
 Naples and Rome, keeping only the fortresses. 
 ' If our troops are victorious on the Adige,' I 
 said, ' they will require to make good their losses ; 
 if they are beaten, they will need reinforcements 
 and support. There are no troops nearer to 
 them than mine, and these, in the latter case, will 
 be cut off from all communication. In the former 
 case, supported by the fortresses, I could return 
 and reoccupy the two States.' But the principle 
 of keeping everything, and of not yielding a foot 
 of ground, even to imminent danger, gained the 
 day, and my suggestions were passed over. 
 
 Nevertheless, seeing that this might come to 
 pass, I continued my preparations, pretexting the 
 necessity of concentration, in order to parry any 
 attack that might be made on the shores of the 
 Mediterranean, the Adriatic, or the interior. I 
 pointed out a place which I had not the remotest 
 intention of occupying, feeling persuaded that I 
 should receive serious remonstrances from various 
 private interests affected ; nor was I disappointed. 
 
1799] PREPARATIONS 221 
 
 I pretended to give way, and succeeded in having 
 pointed out to me the very place whither I 
 wished to go — namely, the neighbourhood of 
 Caserta, on the left bank of the Volturno. No 
 doubt it would have been better from a military 
 point of view to take the right bank, but to do 
 that I should have had to disclose my plan ; 
 moreover, I had no army in front of me, and 
 should always have time to cross the river. 
 
 1 provisioned the forts at Naples, Capua, 
 Gaeta, Sant'-Angelo at Rome, Civita-Vecchia, 
 Civita-Castellana, and Ancona. Rome was in 
 want of food ; famine was beginning to make 
 itself felt there. I sent them provisions. The 
 national guard and the lazzaroni at Naples were 
 increased ; I reviewed them, they took over the 
 duty, and I withdrew my men. I called in the 
 divisions scattered in the provinces, and concen- 
 trated all before Caserta, where I established my 
 headquarters. Finally, . I caused the miracle of 
 St. Januarius* to be worked for our benefit, 
 being myself present on the occasion ; I will give 
 a description of it later on, as I think that no one 
 has ever been in so good a position to observe 
 it as Commissioner Abrial and myself I had 
 taken careful measures in consequence of the 
 great concourse of people, and tranquillity was not 
 
 * The saint whose blood is preserved, and is said to liquefy 
 on special occasions. He was martyred at Naples by the 
 Emperor Diocletian, a.d. 284. — Translator's note. 
 
222 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 disturbed. The camp of Caserta was moved, and 
 brought to surround Naples during the ceremony, 
 and the troops did not return till the evening. 
 
 This display of force and other similar demon- 
 strations maintained order in the capital and 
 neighbourhood. The victualling of the forts and 
 fortresses went on quickly, as did also that of 
 Rome ; but it was more difficult to keep open 
 communications, especially with the Adriatic 
 provinces ; strong escorts were necessary, and 
 flying columns showed themselves everywhere. 
 
 While these arrangements and preparations, 
 which excited no suspicion, were going on, I 
 caused all useless matter — all that could embarrass 
 or encumber the march of an army — to be sent to 
 Rome, and thence into Tuscany ; strict orders 
 were given and published for the purpose. The 
 Commander-in-chief of the army in Italy had 
 asked for a considerable number of ammunition 
 waggons ; they were despatched to him, drawn 
 by horses hastily requisitioned. General Eble, 
 whose skill is so well known, organized a pontoon- 
 bridge at Capua in order to facilitate the crossing 
 of the rivers Volturno, Garigliano, and Tiber, 
 which would help us in our march, and enable 
 us to effect a junction with the Army of Italy, 
 supposing it were beaten; or, if it stood in need of 
 reinforcement, would enable us to cross the rivers ; 
 or, on the other hand, would be of service to us 
 both alike, supposing we were obliged to retreat. 
 
[ 223 ] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Bad News — Advance to Rome — Alarm for Naples— Departure 
 from Rome — -Sarzana and Pontremoli — Rising in Tuscany 
 — Surrender of Fort Sant'-Elmo — A Brave Action — Capitu- 
 lation of Ferrara — Generals Montrichard and Scherer — 
 Offer of Resignation. 
 
 While in the thick of these preparations, I 
 heard at one and the same time of the declaration 
 of war, of the loss of a battle,'"' of the retreat 
 of the Army of Italy, and received orders to 
 advance immediately, leaving garrisons in such 
 forts and fortresses as I proposed to retain in the 
 two States, and especially taking steps to keep 
 possession of Rome. My foresight had been of 
 the utmost service. I only needed to recall the 
 divisions concentrated in the provinces of Lecce 
 and Bari and the flying columns. I hastily sum- 
 moned the members of the Neapolitan Govern- 
 ment, who were terror-stricken on hearing of 
 what had happened on the Adige and of my 
 marching orders. I begged them to remain at 
 their posts under the protection of the forts and 
 
 * Battle of Magnano, lost by Scherer, who was replaced by 
 Moreau. 
 
224 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 of the national guard. Not one of them, not one 
 even of my own men, had divined the secret 
 of my preparations. I am not now sure if I 
 even confided them to Abrial, the Government 
 commissioner. 
 
 The troops returned by forced marches to 
 camp. Scarcely had those who held Brindisi left 
 it, when the French man-of-war, the Ghidretix, 
 which had escaped from the fatal battle of Aboukir 
 Bay ( 1 798), came to cast anchor there, feeling con- 
 vinced that it was yet in our hands. She tried to 
 force an entrance, and was fired upon by such guns 
 as had not been rendered useless. The firing 
 was heard by our retiring troops ; they turned 
 back immediately and saved the ship, which set 
 sail again at once, and the troops reached their 
 destination, followed, however, by large crowds of 
 insurgents, who compelled them to face about 
 several times. The latter collected at Avellino, 
 but their proximity was so dangerous for Naples, 
 and kept the camp so constantly on the alert, that 
 I determined to attack them. I did so. They 
 made no resistance, and were speedily put to 
 flight. This is the site of the ancient Caudine 
 Forks, where a Roman host laid down their 
 arms and passed under the yoke. 
 
 Meanwhile we were hurrying on the victualling 
 of the castles of Naples, and the fortresses of 
 Capua and Gaeta, of the fort Sant'-Angelo at 
 Rome, of Civita-Castellana, and of Civita-Vecchia 
 
[799] BAD NEWS 
 
 225 
 
 and Ancona. A certain amount of baggage and 
 artillery, and a pontoon train and other encum- 
 brances, were forwarded to Rome. I received 
 dismal intelligence of the results of the battle of the 
 Adige, and of the retreat of the Army of Italy, of 
 risings in the Cisalpine Republic, in Tuscany, in 
 the Roman States, and in the Abruzzi provinces. 
 Every despatch, while informing me of these 
 occurrences, exhorted me to hasten my move- 
 ments. I was, of course, most anxious to do this, 
 but I could not make greater speed. I had 
 already sent forward some troops into Tuscany, 
 echeloning them from Rome to Florence. A 
 number of empty ammunition-waggons under 
 convoy had started through the Marches* for 
 Italy ; they were compelled to retire upon Rome. 
 Many of my orders were rendered nugatory, or 
 were misunderstood by other Generals, especially 
 by the one in command in the Roman States. 
 No one considered or thought of anything but his 
 own immediate business, without any regard for 
 unity of plan. 
 
 Instructions had been issued to the command- 
 ants of all the strongholds and castles, which pre- 
 scribed for them carefully their conduct in every 
 extremity. I told them that they could only be 
 invested, and not attacked, as there were no 
 regular troops to fear, and the Neapolitan artillery 
 
 * Name formerly given to the Papal States between Romagna 
 and Naples. — Translator's note. 
 
 VOL. I. 7 
 
226 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 had been assembled at Capua. I further told 
 them to collect all the provisions they could 
 about them, and, as far as lay in their power, to 
 be careful how they were used. I added that I 
 would soon come to their relief imagining that 
 France was about to make great efforts to help 
 the Army of Italy, and that by means of our 
 junction we ought to be soon able to regain our 
 advantages and repulse the enemy. 
 
 With this object, in the event of our being 
 victorious, or of my being prevented passing into 
 Tuscany, I had taken endless pains and trouble 
 to form a pontoon train, wherewith I could cross 
 the Garigliano and Volturno, after defending the 
 ground inch by inch. My one fear was that I 
 might be unable to effect my junction with the 
 Army of Italy. This army had been repulsed in 
 Piedmont, and the risings, fomented by the 
 enemy, were increasing. General Gauthier, com- 
 manding in Tuscany, had but few troops, and the 
 detachments that I had been able to send up were 
 but very feeble reinforcements. My instructions 
 to him were to fall back upon me in case he found 
 it necessary to evacuate the territory. 
 
 Having thus provided for the garrisons charged 
 with the double task of ensuring the safety of our 
 numerous sick and wounded, and of providing me 
 with places of retreat in case I were beaten back, 
 I crossed the Volturno, and marched in two 
 columns on Rome, having with me only twenty- 
 
.1799] ADVANCE TO ROME 227 
 
 four battalions and squadrons. The right column 
 met with severe resistance at Lisola, but suc- 
 ceeded in forcing its way ; the left rounded the 
 Pontine Marshes, which I myself crossed, and we 
 reached Rome, whence troops were continually 
 starting for Florence. There I learned that the 
 Army of Italy hoped to make a stand upon the 
 Ticino, which encouraged me ; I learned at the 
 same time that a strong detachment which was 
 ■evacuating the Abruzzi by way of Sulmona had 
 Tiad much difficulty in forcing its way past Rocca 
 dAnzo. I think it had lost three hundred men, 
 together with artillery, baggage and provisions ; 
 •the bridges had been destroyed, and the roads 
 encumbered with obstacles of all kinds that had 
 •only been surmounted with difficulty. 
 
 I was in a state of terrible anxiety and worry, 
 •owing to the position in which I had left so many 
 French people in the State of Naples, so many 
 persons devoted to our cause, and who would be 
 exposed to the vengeance of the Court, now 
 sheltered in Sicily, if our efforts were to fail. At 
 Rome the difficulties in the way of organization 
 occupied me several days, though they did not re- 
 tard the march of my troops. The risings in Naples 
 had extended over the entire Roman States, as 
 ■over Tuscany, and, in fact, the whole of Italy was 
 disaffected. Despite my letters and apparent 
 ■confidence, I had good reason to fear that we 
 should be stopped on the road by the obstacles 
 
228 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 caused by this state of things ; for the communi- 
 cations, already interrupted on the right bank 
 of the river Po, were closed also between 
 Florence and Genoa. I at length quitted Rome, 
 after encouraging the French authorities, as well 
 as those of the Republic, to show a bold face in 
 these times of difficulty. I left a garrison, a small 
 one I admit, together with a few Roman troops, 
 upon whom I did not count, especially if they 
 once met with a reverse. I left there the pon- 
 toon train, baggage, and various things which 
 only encumbered my march. A party had pre- 
 ceded us without an escort, among whom were 
 the family of Mechin. They had all been seized 
 on the road by the insurgents. 
 
 General Monnier, who commanded the district 
 of Ancona, the only man who did his duty, had 
 sent to me for instructions. I merely answered : 
 
 ' You know what honour requires and what the 
 law demands ; I leave it to you.' 
 
 On the supposition that all my efforts were 
 going to fail, and that I was going to be com- 
 pletely stopped on my march, I intended to occupy 
 a strong position, and to keep the enemy in check 
 as long as I could, for I felt sure that they would 
 never dare to venture into the Roman and 
 Neapolitan Republics as long as the Army of 
 Italy was not obliged to recross the Alps. In 
 the contrary event, I determined to dispute every 
 foot of ground, falling back gradually upon 
 
1799] RETREAT OF MOREAU 229 
 
 Rome and the Neapolitan forts, to defend myself 
 to the last gasp, convinced that France would 
 spare no efforts to reinforce the Army of Italy, 
 and attempt fresh battles in order to set us free. 
 
 General Moreau, on his side, tried to check 
 the enemy, but mere pluck could do nothing 
 against forces very superior in number and 
 flushed with victory. His communications being 
 hampered, he ought, in my opinion, to have 
 managed to stretch out a hand towards me while 
 falling back upon Genoa. The junction could 
 alone have enabled us, if not to resume the 
 offensive, at any rate to await assistance from 
 France ; but he seemed to prefer to maintain his 
 communications through Piedmont, which was 
 already rising, instead of by the Cornice. This 
 last plan could have served the double purpose 
 of covering that road and of preventing any 
 obstacles being placed in the way of our junction 
 in Tuscany. Instead of executing a manoeuvre at 
 once so simple, so natural, and so useful to our 
 cause, finding himself compelled to retire and to 
 abandon the Ticino, he threw himself into Pied- 
 mont in order, as it was said, to attract thither 
 the Austro- Russians, and to return by a forced 
 march from Ceva to Genoa, I believe. The 
 latter place capitulated to a band of insurgents, so 
 that, deprived of this outlet, he was obliged to 
 abandon part of his equipment, and to make his 
 way over, the mountains. 
 
230 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I had left Rome in the hope that the Ticino 
 would be held long enough to allow me to effect my 
 junction, and on reaching Florence, or on my way 
 thither, learned the condition into which the Army 
 of Italy had been thrown. My plan had been 
 bold, hazardous perhaps ; but it was of the kind 
 that often succeeds in war. I had never shown 
 all my hand. Communication between Florence 
 and Genoa had been cut off, and it was not safe 
 to trust to the sea ; no ship was ready at the port 
 of Lerici, in the Gulf of Spezzia. I knew also that 
 Mantua was, in all probability, invested ; it was a 
 very strong position, well garrisoned, I had reason 
 to believe, well provisioned, and commanded by 
 General Latour-Foissac, father of the present 
 Major-General of that name. 
 
 I made for Pistoia, and my first proceeding 
 was to take up a position on the Apennines and 
 guard all the , passes. I made an attack on the 
 enemy at Sarzana and Pontremoli. Both places 
 were carried, and communication with Genoa re- 
 established. General Dessole, chief of the staff of 
 the Army of Italy, separated, I forget how, from 
 General Moreau, gave me all the sad details just 
 related. Montrichard and Victor had posted their 
 divisions, one at Bologna, and the other not far from 
 Genoa. I had matured my undeveloped scheme, 
 which was to bring about a junction between the 
 two, if they were placed under my orders, and to 
 precipitate myself from the summit of the Apennines 
 
1799] PROPOSED COMBINATIONS 231 
 
 against the enemy's left wing, which was posted in 
 the valley of the Po at the foot of the passes, and 
 the principal body of which was covering Modena. 
 
 I communicated this plan to General Dessole, 
 and he approved it, at the same time, however, 
 advising me to suspend its execution until the 
 arrival of General Moreau at Genoa, an event 
 which was shortly to take place. The operation, 
 if successfully carried out, would paralyze the left 
 wing of the enemy, if it did not utterly destroy it, 
 and would separate it from the main army by 
 cutting off its communications with it, and driving 
 it across the Po. Proceeding up the right bank 
 of the river, threatening to proceed to raise the 
 siege of Mantua, I hoped by that means to dis- 
 engage the Army of Italy by forcing the enemy to 
 retreat along the left bank, after which I should 
 have effected my junction with Moreau at Parma 
 or Piacenza. 
 
 Meanwhile, I had made preparations to suppress 
 a rising in Arezzo, but postponed it, as I required 
 all my forces. 
 
 It might perhaps have been better to effect the 
 junction by the Cornice ; at any rate, it would 
 then have been managed without obstacles, as it 
 eventually turned out ; but I think I have already 
 explained that there were not sufficient ships in 
 the harbour of Lerici to transport all the artillery 
 and baggage to Genoa, and the Cornice was 
 nothing but a mule-track. However, in proceeding 
 
232 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 to carry out the other plan, we did not neglect 
 to supply plenty of transports in case of defeat, 
 which, later on, saved all our most precious war- 
 material. 
 
 If, on the other hand, the expedition succeeded 
 it would bring about results of even greater im- 
 portance. The gain of a single battle would 
 enable us to reconquer all we had lost, and would 
 put a stop to the insurrections, which would no 
 longer have the countenance and support of the 
 enemy ; but to prevent failure, the simultaneous 
 concurrence of both armies was necessary, albeit 
 at a great distance apart. The sequel will show 
 how it failed owing to Moreau's irresolution. 
 
 All our reports tended to prove a determination 
 on the part of the enemy to keep their position 
 before Modena, and to prevent the Army of Italy 
 from quitting the passes of the Apennines. Mon- 
 trichard's division, stationed as I have said at 
 Bologna, as well as Victor's, at Pontremoli, I 
 think, were placed under my command. General 
 Lapoype, with 3,000 or 4,000 men, was at Bobbio. 
 The important matter was to retain Florence and 
 Leghorn in my absence, and the State of Tuscany, 
 being almost in arms, necessitated the presence of 
 a force sufficiendy imposing to maintain order and 
 give us security. General Gauthier took the 
 command.* 
 
 * I think I have made a mistake in quoting the Ticino for 
 the Bormida. It was behind the latter river that Moreau had 
 
1799] STATE OF THE ARMY OF NAPLES 233 
 
 General Moreau, unaware of these exigencies, 
 and imagining that I was marching with all my 
 troops, expected that I should collect about 40,000 
 men, including those belonging to his army, from 
 Tuscany and Genoa, that is to say, with Montri- 
 chard's, Perignon's, and Victor's divisions ; but of 
 the Army of Naples I left in that kingdom and in 
 the Roman States from 14,000 to 15,000 men, 
 including sick, and 4,000 or 5,000 in Tuscany. 
 General Perignon's division could not act with 
 me, for it was only later, on reaching Piacenza, 
 that I heard that the small body belonging to 
 General Lapoype at Bobbio would be at my dis- 
 posal. The Army of Naples was now able to 
 take the offensive, as with Montrichard's and 
 Victor's divisions, it reached the total of 25,000 
 men, well equipped. 
 
 After so long a forced rriarch as that from 
 Brindisi into Tuscany, the need of a few days' 
 
 retired, and whence he was driven during my march from 
 Rome to Florence. It will not seem strange to you, my son, 
 if, writing as I do from memory, after so many years crowded 
 with events, you find here and there little slips that you can 
 easily correct by examining my journals and correspondence, 
 which I have not by me, and which, even if I had them, are in 
 such confusion that they would be no real help to me. More- 
 over, I am writing for you alone, to give you a sketch of my 
 military career. I shall presently be compelled to have 
 recourse to some of my old journals, because a great event 
 which took place soon afterwards, the Battle of the Trebbia, 
 has given rise to much controversy, and will require more detail. 
 — JVb/e by Marshal Macdonald. 
 
234 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 rest, and for repairs to material, clothing, harness, 
 ironwork, etc., etc., will be easily understood. 
 The army therefore took up a position. I had 
 only very doubtful information regarding the 
 strength and position of the enemy, and it would 
 have been imprudent to risk anything. 
 
 We expected, and hoped, that the Mediterranean 
 squadron, commanded by Admiral Bruix, was on 
 its way with a reinforcement of 15,000 men; if 
 this were the case, and they could be disembarked 
 either at Spezzia or Genoa, and there joined to all 
 the men whom Moreau could tollect round the 
 town, we might hope for some success, and look 
 forward to repairing our losses ; but these rumours 
 were unfounded. 
 
 I learned at the same time news that had better 
 foundation in fact, namely, the appearance off 
 Ancona of a Turco- Russian fleet, conveying 
 troops to be disembarked ; but I was quite at ease, 
 knowing the promptitude of General Monnier. 
 Besides, the Italian business would have to be 
 settled before the reduction of that town, which 
 would take several months. I thought that I 
 might place the same reliance upon the com- 
 mandants left in the kingdom of Naples, but 
 shortly after my departure they allowed them- 
 selves to be intimidated by masses of insurgents, 
 supported by some English detachments, and' 
 yielded one after another. What was not the: 
 least unfortunate part of the matter was that they 
 
1799] SURRENDER OF FORT SANT'-ELMO 235 
 
 abandoned Fort Sant'-Elmo, giving up their com- 
 patriots to the vengeance of their sovereign, and 
 Admiral Nelson did not hesitate to tarnish his 
 glory and reputation by causing the unfortunate 
 Admiral Caracciolo to be hanged at his own mast- 
 head. Other patriots were courageous enough 
 to blow themselves up in the little fort called, I 
 think, the Maddalena, near Naples, on the road 
 to Castellamare. I have never heard that after 
 the French reoccupied this kingdom, which became 
 that of Joseph Bonaparte and Murat, any steps 
 were taken to honour this act of devotion. 
 
 While the troops were taking up the positions 
 assigned to them, the work of making and dis- 
 tributing necessary articles was pushed on as fast 
 as possible ; provisions were collected, either 
 to cross the Apennines or to fall back upon 
 Genoa. I discussed with General Dessole the 
 advantages and drawbacks of an offensive move- 
 ment ; if Moreau returned to Genoa with the rest 
 of his troops, and we acted in concert, we might 
 count upon a force of about 60,000 men. In any 
 case, I urged upon General Dessole the advisability 
 of sending all ships at his disposal from Genoa to 
 Spezzia, and I sent thither all mine from Leghorn. 
 The event proved that this was a wise precau- 
 tion. 
 
 I had just heard that the citadel of Ferrara had 
 capitulated, and that Fort Urbino was about to be 
 attacked. General Montrichard was at Bologna. 
 
236 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I did not know him personally, but presumed he 
 was a man of talent and courage, as he had 
 appeared to possess a reputation upon the banks 
 of the Rhine, a reputation no doubt usurped, as I 
 learned to my cost. I had praised him, never 
 dreaming that he had been the principal cause of 
 the loss of the Commander-in-chief, Scherer, on the 
 Adige, that he had retired from Legnago almost 
 without striking a blow, thus leaving the passage 
 open to the enemy. This had compelled the 
 unlucky Scherer to retreat, and his original ac- 
 ceptance of the command had been severely com- 
 mented upon without justice. He was reproached 
 with severity, even with harshness, I know not 
 on what ground. I have never found cause in 
 him for anything but praise, and certainly his 
 misfortunes did not arise from want of skill. 
 During his ministry he had quarrelled with 
 General Bonaparte, and consequently with the 
 Army of Italy. When the latter started for Egypt 
 with its chief and was replaced by other troops 
 from the Rhine and the interior, the hostile feeling 
 remained, and took root in the Italian soil. 
 
 My troops continued their march to take up 
 their position at the mouth of all the passes of the 
 Apennines, and I established my headquarters at 
 Lucca, after deciding with the commandant and 
 the Government Commissioner at Florence upon 
 the best means for keeping open communica- 
 tions in Tuscany. This had become a difficult 
 
1799] MONTRICHARD AND VICTOR 237 
 
 matter, owing to the partial insurrections, particu- 
 larly that at Arezzo. 
 
 I think I have already said that Pontremoli had 
 been retaken. I caused Sarzana to be occupied, 
 so as to help and support communications with 
 Genoa. I received good news from Naples, but 
 none from any of the fortresses. The squadron 
 under Admiral Bruix, which I believed to be 
 holding the Mediterranean, was at Toulon with- 
 out any troops. Porto- Ferraio, in the island of 
 Elba, was besieged and clamouring for help, but 
 I had none to give. I begged the General com- 
 manding in Corsica to see to it. Want made 
 itself universally felt, even at Genoa. I visited 
 Leghorn. Victor's division came to Sarzana to 
 replace the troops from Naples. I had not been 
 warned of this movement, which necessitated a 
 change of position. The civil agents with the 
 two armies* could not agree. Worn out with 
 these quarrels as much as with my work, and 
 considering it hopeless to bring all parts of the 
 service into perfect agreement — it even seemed 
 impossible to keep a friendly feeling between the 
 Generals of the two armies owing to their jealousy 
 — I explained the situation to the Directory, pro- 
 posing to it to unite the two under one Commander, 
 
 * The divisions of Montrichard and Victor, put provisionally 
 at the disposal of Macdonald, had not ceased to belong to 
 Moreau's army. They kept alive a spirit of dangerous rivalry 
 with the Army of Naples. 
 
238 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 that of the Army of Italy, at the same time offering 
 to resign and serve in the line. I thus sacrificed 
 myself to the public good, but it was long ere my 
 offer of patriotic devotion reached its destination, 
 and I obtained an answer. Meanwhile, events 
 were becoming more acute ; something had to be 
 done to stop the advance of the enemy and these 
 constant risings. 
 
[ 239 ] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Battle of Modena — The Marshal in Danger — Severely Wounded 
 — Montrichard's Mistake — Austrian Breach of Faith — 
 March towards the Trebbia and Tidone — Battle of the 
 Trebbia. 
 
 I HAD arranged a plan with Moreau whereby 
 our armies should join at Parma or Piacenza ; he 
 was to follow in person Victor's division, which 
 would debouch near Fortenuovo. 
 
 My entire army advanced towards Modena, 
 each column having orders to be in position by 
 the 2 2 or 23 Prairial (10 and 11 June, 1799). 
 Montrichard's and Rusca's divisions, escorting the 
 artillery, were to follow the high road to Bologna. 
 I followed Ollivier's division by Pistoia and 
 Formigine. Orders had been previously given 
 for a simultaneous attack upon the enemy stationed 
 at Modena, with a view to cutting off their retreat. 
 This attack was to take place on the 24th. On 
 the previous evening they attacked our advanced 
 posts at Formigine, and were beaten back. 
 
 The troops were full of ardour, and on the 
 morning of the 24th, at a meeting of all the 
 Generals, an action was decided upon. I had no 
 
240 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 news of Montrichard's and Rusca's divisions. It 
 was difficult to communicate with them. Their 
 cannon ought to have foretold their approach ; I 
 heard it in the direction of Fort Urbino. Then 
 I ordered a charge ; a furious combat began ; my 
 left wing even gave way a little ; I sent to support 
 it, and then ordered a simultaneous charge of 
 cavalry and infantry. The enemy were routed 
 and dispersed ; several regiments laid down their 
 arms. We entered Modena pell-mell with them, 
 encumbered with baggage. 
 
 The results of this affair nearly cost me my 
 life. My troops, unable to resist the attractions 
 of the baggage, threw themselves upon it, and 
 began to pillage. I knew by experience that if 
 we halted in our pursuit we should restore courage 
 to the terrified enemy, and make them turn again. 
 Some few shots were to be heard at the other 
 side of the town, almost at the gate ; by dint of 
 prayers more than by threats I succeeded in 
 getting together a handful of troops to follow 
 me, and drove off the Austrian sharp-shooters. 
 I was on the road to Bologna ; no trace of the 
 divisions coming from that direction. What could 
 have become of them ? I sent out a reconnais- 
 sance of fifty men, followed by another troop 
 of the same number, to support them if necessary. 
 Just as the latter were starting off at a trot, I 
 heard a cry : 
 
 ' There are the enemy's cavalry !' 
 
1799] AFTER MODENA 241 
 
 I looked round, and to the right perceived a 
 thick cloud of dust on a cross-road, with deep 
 ditches on either side, leading into the Bologna 
 road. This body was cut off, and was being 
 pursued by some of our cavalry. I sent the 
 Adjutant-General, Pamphile Lacroix, to summon 
 them to yield, promising them that they should 
 not be harmed. At the same moment a body 
 of my grenadiers issued from Modena ; I had 
 only to cry : ' Halt ! Front !' in order to bar the 
 road. My ' guides ' (guards attached to the Com- 
 mander-in-chief) deployed at right angles with this 
 battalion, but unfortunately without observing 
 that a broad ditch separated them from the road, 
 along which the enemy's cavalry were advancing ; 
 the guides thought they could attack it in flank. 
 When my battalion was drawn up, I ordered 
 them to present arms, but not fire without my 
 orders, and mechanically passed in front of it, 
 studying the map. I had advanced a few yards, 
 when I suddenly saw Lacroix throw himself back- 
 wards, and fall from his horse. The enemy's 
 detachment was advancing at a rapid trot, whether 
 animated by the courage of despair, pursued from 
 behind, barred in front, with large ditches on 
 either flank, or whether they had not noticed this 
 latter obstacle, I know not. They continued to 
 advance, and were only at a short distance from 
 me, when I wished to turn my horse, and get 
 behind my battalion, so as not to be in their line 
 
 VOL. I. 8 
 
242 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 of fire, and to draw my sword ; but a double 
 incident occurred. I was accustomed to carry 
 a stick with a spike at the end, a leather thong 
 passed round my wrist, and the spike resting on 
 my foot ; but the case for the spike had been lost, 
 so that, not to wound my foot, I had thrust the 
 end of the cane into my stirrup ; thus encumbered, 
 the thong entangled round my right arm, and the 
 left occupied in holding my horse, I could neither 
 reach nor draw my sword, and, in spite of my 
 orders, a shot was fired from the left of the 
 battalion ; that sufficed to produce a discharge, 
 though the bayonet would have been enough 
 to do the work. There I was, therefore, midway 
 between my own troop, which was firing, and the 
 advancing hostile cavalry. My horse was struck, 
 and the shock of the charge threw it with me on 
 its back, and at the same moment I received two 
 sabre-cuts — one on the head, and the other across 
 the right thumb. I was thrown senseless to the 
 ground, and there trodden under foot. I heard 
 afterwards that not one of the cavalry had escaped ; 
 they had all been either killed or made prisoners ; 
 and such must have been the case, for my guides, 
 having advanced and discovered the obstacle 
 presented by the ditch, had immediately turned 
 and drawn up behind the grenadiers, who were 
 then fighting with the bayonet, and, inspired by 
 the sight of my danger, were giving no quarter. 
 The most surprising — nay, almost miraculous — 
 
1799] SEVERELY WOUNDED 243 
 
 part of the circumstance is that I, although I was 
 the fifth or sixth to pass along the line of fire, 
 only lost one captain of engineers attached to my 
 staff He was killed on the spot. Not one of 
 the others was touched, not even by the enemy 
 who collected round me, perhaps as a means of 
 safety, perhaps because I was recognised, as I 
 was wearing the full uniform of a Commander-in- 
 chief. 
 
 The attentions that were lavished upon me 
 restored me to consciousness. On opening my 
 eyes I found myself in a house, surrounded by 
 Generals, among them being Montrichard. I 
 believe this was some three hours after the action. 
 I was suffering horribly, not so much from my 
 wounds, as I had lost a quantity of blood, and 
 was, in fact, covered with it, as from the trampling 
 of the horses, the combat having raged over 
 me. 
 
 ' This is your doing,' I said to General Montri- 
 chard. ' Had your troops taken part in the action, 
 this mischance would not have befallen me ; and 
 not an enemy could have escaped had my com- 
 binations been carried out.' 
 
 His excuse was that, on reaching Fort Urbino, 
 the regiment at the head of his column had no 
 cartridges ; that the train of artillery, at the end 
 of both divisions, was still at Bologna, and that 
 they had waited for it to come up. 
 
 ' What !' I exclaimed, ' regiments campaigning 
 
244 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 without cartridges ? Why did you not discover 
 it sooner ? Were they all without them ?' 
 
 ' No ; only the leading company.' 
 
 ' Why did you not throw it aside and let the 
 others take the lead ? A little more, and we 
 should have been driven back,' I added; 'and 
 it would have been your fault entirely, as you 
 could and should have made an important diver- 
 sion.' 
 
 He dropped his eyes and made no reply. I 
 should have done well to withdraw his command 
 from him then and there. We should have been 
 saved many disasters caused by him ; but he 
 belonged to the Army of Italy, and was only for 
 the time being under my orders. Moreau was 
 very vexed afterwards that I did not take this 
 prudent step. 
 
 They informed me that the enemy were being 
 followed, and prisoners brought in every moment. 
 I gave orders regarding our position, and was 
 transported to my headquarters at Modena. I 
 was suffering greatly, less from my wounds than 
 from the bruises caused by the trampling of the 
 horses. The Generals of Division had followed 
 me ; I felt that I was not in a condition to con- 
 tinue in command and to lead the army ; I offered 
 the succession to the senior among them, who 
 declined, and then to the others in turn. The 
 position beyond doubt was difficult. It was 
 pointed out to me that the main body of the 
 
1799] AUSTRIAN BREACH OF FAITH 245 
 
 enemy was still distant ; that, according to the 
 plan for the junction of the Armies of Italy and 
 Naples, which ought to take place in a few days, 
 and according to the marches calculated both to 
 Parma and Piacenza, they would naturally have 
 a chief in Moreau ; that I could be just as easily 
 transported to Genoa by Bobbio as by the route 
 we were now following, and even by the valley 
 of the Po, as our success would be assured after 
 this junction. These arguments decided me, and 
 orders were given to continue the movement. 
 We pushed on, therefore, towards the places of 
 rendezvous, manoeuvring on the right towards the 
 Po, and spreading a rumour that we were going 
 to raise the siege of Mantua, and that we 
 were gathering forces for that purpose ; this was 
 done in order to attract the enemy to the left 
 bank. 
 
 Embarrassed by the prisoners, among whom 
 were some of superior and many of inferior rank, 
 I caused them to be conducted to our outposts at 
 Ferrara, after exacting from them a promise not 
 to serve until an agreement could be arrived at 
 for an exchange of prisoners ; the baggage, in 
 order to relieve us, was sent to Fort Urbino. I 
 even gave the officers some pecuniary assistance, 
 although they were at no great distance from 
 their own troops ; but far from observing the 
 engagement promised, the Austrians had the bad 
 faith to keep as prisoners the detachment of 
 
246 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 cavalry sent to escort their officers to a place of 
 safety. 
 
 They followed me, having obtained some re- 
 inforcements for their broken ranks, but without 
 causing me much trouble. I felt sure that, sooner 
 or later, they would fall into our hands after our 
 junction was effected, which would certainly give 
 us a decisive victory. 
 
 General Victor had debouched near Castel- 
 nuovo, making for Parma or Piacenza, and driving 
 before him an Austrian division which had taken 
 up a position on the Tidone. It was between 
 these two towns, if I remember rightly, that this 
 General sent me a letter from Moreau, stating 
 that he was still in doubt as to the direction of 
 the rest of his army — whether it should follow 
 Victor, or whether it should debouch near Bobbio, 
 or near La Bocchetta. The day even of his 
 departure for either place was uncertain ; but he 
 said it would probably take place on the 20 or 
 21 Prairial, and it was now the 26th, so that 
 allowing for twenty-four hours' delay, according 
 to our calculations, and for the possible local 
 difficulties of the march — for he had no enemies 
 in either of the former directions — our junction 
 ought to take place at latest on the 27th or 28th 
 either at Parma or Piacenza. 
 
 The only obstacles were on my side ; but I had 
 declared positively, perhaps somewhat rashly, that 
 I would surmount them, and I had succeeded, 
 
i iSsajv^M.?--"^'' 
 
 DUKE OF BELLUNO 
 
 Pans, for Ricl^ard BenOey and Son 1892 
 
 Primed byChW,Um.i-nT, F'<.ria 
 
1799] BATTLE OF THE TREBBIA 
 
 247 
 
 inasmuch as I had defeated the hostile body that 
 awaited me at the outlet of the Apennines with- 
 out the help of the two divisions that were coming 
 up from Bologna. While waiting for the arrival 
 of the Army of Italy, I rapidly continued my 
 march towards the Trebbia and Tidone, and 
 gave orders that our position should be occupied 
 there without engaging in hostilities, as I had 
 two divisions behind, manoeuvring on the Po, 
 which I had called up in order to bring them 
 into line. 
 
 The enemy had sent a detachment into the 
 citadel of Piacenza. We had to guard the 
 entrance, and leave on our side of the town a 
 rear-guard to stop the remains of the combatants 
 at Modena from following us. 
 
 My sufferings were severely increased by the 
 movement of the carriage in which I was laid. 
 I anxiously expected Moreau, and could get no 
 news of him. I hastened the advance of the 
 two detached divisions, ordering them to come 
 into line with all speed on the Tidone. It was 
 on the 29th* that the others took up their 
 position. Victor's regiment, already in position, 
 had exchanged a few volleys ; unfortunately, he 
 had remained in person at Piacenza, where I was 
 myself, but without informing me of the circum- 
 
 * 29 Prairial, year vii. (June 17, 1799), first of the three 
 days' fighting which are together called by the name of the 
 Battle of the Trebbia. 
 
248 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 stance. He had charged his Brigadier-General, 
 Charpentier, with the care of settHng his position. 
 Dombrowski's and Rusca's regiments arrived 
 soon afterwards. All had orders not to fight ; 
 Rusca, notwithstanding the remonstrances of 
 General Charpentier, insisted upon trying to force 
 the passage of the Tidone ; he partly succeeded, 
 but was soon repulsed, in spite of the support of 
 the two other divisions, who were compelled to 
 take part in this unfortunate skirmish. All three 
 were thrown into disorder. 
 
 As I was unable to mount a horse, I had given 
 the command of the four divisions drawn up in 
 line* to General Victor, with orders to take up 
 his position on the Tidone, and drive the enemy 
 to the other side ; but this General had remained 
 at Piacenza, unknown to me. Thenceforward all 
 was confusion, and the disorder that followed the 
 engagement may in great part be attributed to 
 this cause. I could hear the firing at Piacenza, 
 but without being able to foresee or to fear the 
 consequence, as the great allied army could not 
 yet be entirely united, and ought to be harassed 
 on its right flank and rear if Moreau had attacked 
 those points. This was what he most likely had 
 done, as he did not appear on our left, and I had 
 no news either of his march or his direction ; 
 the junction was always intended to be the chief 
 object of our movements, especially of mine, 
 * Those of Victor, Dombrowski, Rusca and Salm. 
 
1799] BATTLE OF THE TREBBIA 249 
 
 with a view to attracting the enemy to me, and 
 distracting their attention when in Piedmont. 
 This junction was made — at least, virtually — when 
 I arrived in Tuscany ; and had it not been for the 
 difficulty attending the transport of baggage by 
 sea, the troops might have marched together 
 along the Cornice road to Genoa, as has since 
 been done. But the operations in the valley of 
 the Po would have been far more important if 
 the movements of the two armies had been 
 simultaneous, according to the original agree- 
 ment ; and I am still convinced, although it is 
 twenty-five years since the events, that our 
 success must have been infallible had it not been 
 for Moreau's hesitation. 
 
 By an inversion of the marching order, the 
 reason for which I have now forgotten. General 
 Salm, who commanded the advance guard, 
 found himself behind the other divisions that 
 were occupying positions on the Tidone, and 
 which, when routed, fell back upon him and dis- 
 ordered his lines. He had the presence of mind 
 to throw his men to the right of the road, and 
 draw up there in order of battle ; the enemy, 
 pursuing eagerly, thus found themselves exposed 
 to a flank fire, which compelled them to retreat. 
 On receiving a report of these events, I ordered 
 them to take up a position between the Tidone 
 and the Trebbia ; but it was urged against that 
 proposal that there was no place suitable, and 
 
250 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 that it would be better to recross the Trebbia, as 
 a large number of fugitives had already done. I 
 consented, although this could only be a rallying- 
 position ; the torrent was wide and fordable every- 
 where. Salm, however, received orders to remain 
 where he was, to cover the army, form his advance 
 guard, and send out scouts. Montrichard and 
 Ollivier, still behind, were desired to hasten their 
 advance, and to come and put themselves into 
 line and support us. It was clear that the enemy, 
 too, had made forced marches, and mustered on 
 the Tidone. But where was the Army of Italy ? 
 In what direction .'' I could not tell. 
 
 Until the junction was effected, prudence com- 
 manded me not to risk a battle with such unequal 
 forces. I had no choice but to retire ; but if I 
 went away, and the Army of Italy arrived over 
 the mountains in the expectation of finding that 
 of Naples, it would in its turn be isolated and 
 exposed to certain loss. What excuse could I 
 give if I did not venture it ? Of course, the cry 
 of ' treason ' would have been raised. But that 
 would not have been all. It was, indeed, stated 
 in the Army of Italy that I had given batde 
 before the junction from motives of personal 
 ambition. It will be seen from these writings 
 how devoid of foundation was this idea, and, 
 besides, my own condition would have sufficed 
 to prevent that. I passed a wretched night, 
 tormented by the fear of being attacked next 
 
1799] BATTLE OF THE TREBBIA 251 
 
 morning before all our forces had come up, and 
 also lest we should not be able to repair the 
 disorder that had been caused that evening. 
 
 Day broke at last. Acting upon the reports 
 received from the reconnoitring parties, I had 
 myself carried to Borgo Sant'-Antonio, near the 
 Trebbia, and thence along my line, which I found 
 drawn up in good order. General Salm and the 
 other Generals came to make their reports and 
 observations. I made a few alterations, such, for 
 instance, as changing the position to be occupied 
 by the advance-guard if it were compelled to 
 retreat ; the two divisions behind, which I sum- 
 moned back by means of a forced march, were 
 to remain in reserve. 
 
 All appeared tranquil, and our troops seemed 
 prepared to give the enemy a good reception. I 
 intended to be beforehand with the enemy as 
 soon as my two other divisions arrived, and 
 unless they previously made an attack. General 
 Salm, trusting in his troops and his position, 
 which I wished to preserve as far as possible, had 
 strict injunctions not to engage alone; immediately 
 the first serious demonstrations were made, he 
 was to fall back and take his place in the line. 
 So much did he trust in the apparent tranquillity 
 of the enemy, that he asked my leave to go and 
 spend a few hours in Piacenza ; I was less con- 
 fident, refused permission, and did rightly, for, 
 shortly afterwards, through my telescope, I per- 
 
252 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 ceived at some distance a mounted troop on the 
 look-out. Salm declared that it was a mounted 
 reconnaissance that he had sent out ; I answered 
 that it was facing us, and that if the detachment 
 belonged to us it would naturally turn its back to 
 us ; but he would not be convinced. I sent out 
 to reconnoitre, although I was almost certain of 
 what I had seen. 
 
 ' Make haste !' I said shortly afterwards to 
 him. ' Gallop to your position ; that reconnais- 
 sance is advancing, and another troop is coming 
 up behind it. You are going to be attacked ; be 
 ready to fall back.' 
 
 He went. 
 
 Firing soon began, and as from the wooded 
 nature of the ground it appeared that the whole 
 force opposed to us had not appeared, Salm sent 
 to ask me for a company of grenadiers, declaring 
 that with their help he could maintain his position. 
 I took a different view of the matter, and in send- 
 ing him the battalion asked for, which was to draw 
 up in echelon and support him, I also sent him 
 repeated orders to retire. This, unfortunately, he 
 only did at the last extremity, which very nearly 
 caused us serious loss. At the first gunshot my 
 men were under arms. Our vanguard at length 
 retired ; the firing increased. I saw five large 
 columns and a large body of cavalry approaching 
 behind our troops. Wounded and fugitives came 
 in in crowds. Salm, hard pressed, continued to 
 
1799] BATTLE OF THE TREBBIA 253 
 
 retire, fighting as he came ; being wounded, he 
 made over the command to General Sarrasin, 
 who, wounded in his turn, gave it to the brave 
 Colonel Lahure, who soon shared the same fate. 
 The men, finding themselves without a leader, 
 and not knowing what position in the line they 
 were to take up, recrossed the Trebbia in dis- 
 order at another point, and covered the artillery 
 and musketry that should have protected them. 
 If the enemy, whose advance was continuing, 
 had made an effort at this moment, I know not 
 what would have become of us. 
 
 At length my lines got clear, and my batteries 
 opened fire. The Austro- Russians made a vigor- 
 ous onslaught on my line, and renewed it several 
 times without causing us to move ; their strength 
 was great, and their cries and howls would have 
 sufficed to terrify any troops except French ones. 
 At length they drew off ; the artillery fire 
 gradually slackened on either side, and ceased 
 entirely about ten or eleven at night. 
 
 We had already a large number of wounded. 
 The close proximity of the armies required the 
 utmost watchfulness ; we passed the night under 
 arms. The two rear divisions arrived ; they re- 
 quired a little rest. They stopped for the time in 
 the second line, while the first reformed and pre- 
 pared to take the offensive, if opportunity offered, 
 instead of continuing on the defensive. 
 
 Daybreak found the two armies facing each 
 
254 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Other on either bank of the Trebbia. The 
 cannonade began, but without much effect ; it 
 sensibly diminished after a few hours, and finally- 
 ceased altogether on both sides. We piled arms, 
 as though a truce had been agreed upon. During 
 the night I had decided upon taking the offensive, 
 regardless of the superior strength of the enemy. 
 My troops were excellent, and the French char- 
 acter lends itself to attack better than to defence ; 
 moreover, this was earnestly desired. The 
 enemy did not expect to be thus taken unawares. 
 All my plans were laid and orders given for nine 
 o'clock in the morning, so that only one signal 
 would have been necessary ; but it only took 
 place at noon, for, notwithstanding repeated 
 orders, it was impossible to get the Montrichard 
 division out of its bivouac. It did come up at 
 last, but without its General, who remained 
 behind. 
 
 At the first movement to arms, the enemy 
 formed a line of battle, and the firing began. My 
 columns boldly crossed the Trebbia and scattered 
 the first line. Unluckily, the Montrichard division, 
 having no leader, sent out a party of sharp- 
 shooters, flanked by some cavalry. The enemy's 
 horse, weak at that particular point, made a sally 
 to drive back this body, which was causing it in- 
 convenience ; the latter, terror-stricken, fell back 
 upon the division and paralyzed its fire. Montri- 
 chard's cavalry, although superior, fell back, and 
 
1799] ■ ■ BATTLE OF THE TREBBIA 255 
 
 returned in disorder, followed by the enemy, and 
 the whole division was thrown into confusion. I 
 deployed my reserve of infantry to protect them, 
 but the cavalry reserve, having failed to take up 
 the positions indicated for them, so that they 
 might support our weak points, lost time in 
 coming up ; the enemy took advantage of this to 
 rally and make a charge. The gap made by the 
 retreat of Montrichard's division, which I stopped 
 and formed up at the edge of the river, left 
 Ollivier's division exposed to a flank attack. It 
 was compelled in its turn to retreat, as was also 
 General Vatrin on the extreme right, but the 
 movement was effected in good order, and it 
 recovered its position. The same movement was 
 executed upon the left, commanded by General 
 Victor, who had surprised the Russians and thrown 
 them into great disorder. 
 
 Meanwhile our cavalry reserves had come up 
 and joined the fray. The confusion into which 
 the enemy had been thrown gave us time to rally 
 and to form up again into a line of defence. The 
 enemy soon renewed the attacks of the previous 
 evening, but found only an immovable wall of 
 steel. Their loss of men was enormous, but un- 
 availing ; and at length, wearied and worn out, 
 they ceased their attack and retired to their posi- 
 tions. Night fell, but the cannonade continued 
 on both sides, lest either should forget the pre- 
 sence of the other; but it ceased at length. I 
 
2S6 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 received disastrous accounts of our losses. Nearly 
 all our Generals and superior officers were more 
 or less seriously wounded ; our loss of men, in 
 killed and wounded, was enormous for so weak 
 an army. Not the least serious part of it was 
 that nearly all our ammunition was exhausted. 
 These events occurred on the 29 and 30 Prairial, 
 and I Messidor (June 17, 18, 19, 1799). 
 
[ 257 ] 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Absence of Moreau — Victor's Delay — Flight of Victor — Plans 
 for Retreat — Difficulties of the March — Modena and 
 Sassuolo — ^Hesitation of Moreau — Blockade of Mantua — 
 Concentration near Genoa— The Army of the Alps. 
 
 No news arrived of Moreau, nor of the Army of 
 Italy, nor of the detachment from Bobbio, which 
 ought to have come up behind the enemy's right. It 
 was clear from the position of the Austro- Russians 
 in front of us that they felt no uneasiness as to 
 their rear. We had been very much weakened ; 
 we had scarcely any general or commissioned 
 officers left, scarcely any ammunition, a formid- 
 able army before us, the batteries of Piacenza, as 
 well as another considerable one on the other side 
 of the Po, barring our road, the survivors of the 
 battle at Modena, reinforced by some troops from 
 the blockade of Mantua, who had come up on our 
 rear near Piacenza — such was our situation. We 
 must infallibly be attacked next morning, and if 
 we were beaten, all would be lost. I had done 
 my utmost to effect a junction ; my efforts were 
 fruitless. We had to preserve the remaining 
 VOL. I. 9 
 
2s8 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 two-thirds of the army in order to get out of 
 this very awkward position, and try our fortune 
 elsewhere. It was, of course, painful to leave a 
 batdefield where the Army of Naples had so 
 much distinguished itself, and acquired so much 
 glory ; but its safety was the first consideration. 
 The Generals having explained to me their fears, 
 the superiority of the forces opposed to them, the 
 want of ammunition and provisions, I reluctantly 
 decided upon retiring from this bloody field, and 
 orders were given for the movement to be 
 made at midnight precisely, on the 2 Messidor 
 (June 20). 
 
 Our army was to march in three columns, leav- 
 ing behind the main-guard and outposts to form a 
 curtain to cover their movement, until the enemy 
 attempted to advance, when they were to fall back 
 upon their respective corps. Montrichard's divi- 
 sion was sent forward to open up the road that we 
 were to follow towards Parma and Modena. It 
 was necessary to avoid the battery on the Po and 
 to get round Piacenza ; a road was made during 
 the night. After I had assured myself that all my 
 orders had reached their destination and would be 
 fully carried out, the army moved noiselessly at 
 midnight precisely to recross the Nura ; the point 
 at which the three columns were to join was 
 Cadeo. Scarcely had Montrichard's division gone 
 a few miles ahead of us, scarcely had the right 
 and centre columns passed the Nura and formed 
 
[799] VICTOR'S DELAY 259 
 
 up beyond it, when the main- guard appeared, as 
 well as the small body that was observing the 
 castle of Piacenza, followed by the leading troops 
 of the enemy. It would have been very fortunate 
 for us if we could have passed this defile without 
 being harassed ; but unhappily Victor's division, 
 which, with the flank company of General Calvin, 
 made up the third column, only started at six in the 
 morning, instead of at midnight. Thus they lost 
 a start which would have been as valuable to them 
 as it was to the others, and also the precious 
 advantage of putting the defile of the Nura 
 between them and the enemy ; the bridges could 
 easily have been defended by a few troops. The 
 enemy, as yet unprepared to attack, noticed this 
 retrograde movement, pursued the column, and 
 discovered that there were only a few scouts left 
 along the whole line. 
 
 General Victor was pursued and hard pressed, 
 as I could hear plainly, being only a short distance 
 off; but I imagined that the battle was taking 
 place on both banks of the Nura. An aide-de- 
 camp from the General came to beg me for help. 
 In order to rescue him, I caused the whole centre 
 column to recross the river, half to drive back the 
 enemy in front, and the other half to execute 
 a flank attack on their left. We succeeded. 
 Being thus freed, both crossed the Nura once 
 more, and continued, without being too much 
 harassed, their movement upon Cadeo, where 
 
26o MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 the three columns were to join. Those of the 
 right and centre arrived there, but the left tarried ; 
 however, hearing no firing, I concluded that the 
 movement was being quietly carried out. Our 
 troops were resting, when some horsemen ap- 
 peared at full gallop from the direction of the left 
 column, followed by a crowd of fugitives in such 
 terror that I preferred allowing them to pass to 
 trying to stop them. An officer of General 
 Victor at length rode up to ask for help. I im- 
 mediately sent my reserve, but on reaching the 
 point mentioned, it found neither friends nor 
 enemies, only all the artillery abandoned by the 
 column. The troops had been scattered and 
 fled, some into the mountains, carrying alarm to 
 Genoa, others, as I afterwards heard, to Castel 
 Arquato. 
 
 One of the regiments lost its flags ; I have for- 
 gotten how. On hearing of this incident, I sent 
 out a number of artillery horses, and rescued all the 
 guns belonging to the column, which was brought 
 back to me by the reserve sent to the assistance 
 of General Victor, who was nowhere to be found. 
 Then we continued our march with no further 
 annoyance till the morning. 
 
 General Montrichard, who led the march, in- 
 formed me that the enemy were in front of him, 
 but not stationary. It was important to secure 
 the passage of the Taro, and I sent him word to 
 hasten his advance. At length I had intelligence 
 
1799] FLIGHT OF VICTOR 261 
 
 from General Victor, who stated briefly that his 
 troops, sorely pressed by the enemy, had dis- 
 persed, that the rout had begun, and that, to his 
 great regret, he had lost all his artillery ; that, 
 unless he received contrary instructions, he should 
 make for Borgo San Donino. That was the 
 very place for which I was bound. 
 
 'Set your mind at rest,' I replied, 'as to your 
 artillery. The detachment that I sent to your 
 help, when you begged for it at Cadeo, where I 
 then was, reached the spot where you ought to 
 have been, and found neither friends nor foes ; 
 but I caused your artillery to be brought in with- 
 out opposition. I will restore it to you the first 
 time we meet.' 
 
 This natural and simple remark cut General 
 Victor* to the quick, and I do not believe he has 
 yet forgiven it. 
 
 I have never received a satisfactory explanation 
 of this curious event. One grave fault was that 
 of not quitting the battlefield at midnight, which 
 would have given him six hours' start of the 
 enemy. It seems that later on, while crossing 
 the Nura, some disorder had occurred which had 
 not been repaired, and that the appearance of a 
 few Cossacks had sufficed to increase and turn 
 it into a rout ; for, although we were but a short 
 distance away, we heard no sound of musketry. 
 
 * Victor Perrin, created Marshal of France and Duke of 
 Belluno in 1807, after the Battle of Friedland. 
 
262 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I have since heard that Moreau only came down 
 from Genoa by the Bocchetta on the 2 Messidor, 
 the very day on which I was leaving the Trebbia, 
 that the Austro-Russians retreated from the Nura, 
 only leaving General Ott with a division, and 
 possibly another small troop, to follow us. If the 
 men of the third column were really as fatigued as 
 General Victor declared, there were certainly no 
 symptoms of it evident in their flight, and they 
 would have been much safer had they held their 
 ground. 
 
 On reaching Borgo San Donino, whither 
 Victor had preceded me, I drew up fresh instruc- 
 tions for continuing our retrograde movement. 
 The latter General was to return to the Apen- 
 nines by the pass through which he had come, 
 and troops were successively to hold all the 
 outlets, menace the flank of the enemy that was 
 pursuing me, and thus cover the march of the 
 rest of the army, which was to make for Modena 
 and Bologna with the baggage, place the guns 
 taken from the enemy in Fort Urbino, draw 
 thence fresh ammunition and provisions, take 
 from the two principal towns sufficient food to 
 last them for the five or six days necessary to 
 cross the Apennines, and go to Pistoia and Lucca. 
 It was the more important to guard the mountain 
 passes, as it was indispensable that our junction 
 should be effected near Genoa, and, if these passes 
 were left undefended, the enemy, by taking pos- 
 
1799] PLANS FOR RETREAT 263 
 
 session of them, might reach Pontremoli and 
 Sarzana before us, and again cut off our com- 
 munications by superior forces. True, they might 
 have forced these outlets, and thus isolated me 
 from the Army of Italy; I had foreseen this 
 possibility, and determined to defend myself inch 
 by inch. By my marches and movements I 
 should have attracted a large body of troops to 
 me in Tuscany, in the Roman States, even as far 
 as Naples, by relying upon the strongholds. It 
 was with this object that I had brought with me, 
 and left in Rome, a pontoon train to enable me to 
 cross the Garigliano and Volturno. 
 
 This movement, however, of the enemy's forces 
 was not much to be feared, for the Army of Italy 
 was certain to be doing something somewhere, 
 and it was not likely that Generals Souvorof and 
 Melas, leaders of the Allied Armies, would risk 
 themselves between two French armies; prudence, 
 nevertheless, necessitated these dispositions ; 
 nothing should be left to chance, and, as time 
 was precious, I lost none in having them carried 
 out. 
 
 I sent for General Victor in order to have 
 information from him : first, as to why he had 
 been so late in starting from the field of the 
 Trebbia; and secondly, upon all that had taken 
 place on each side of the Nura. He answered 
 that he was busy settling his men in camp, and 
 that he would come later. I wished also, to 
 
264 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 communicate my new instructions to, and to come 
 to a clear understanding with, him, as we were 
 about to part. An hour or two having passed 
 without his arrival, I sent again. He replied 
 that he was tired, and had gone to bed. It was 
 very obvious, therefore, that he wished to avoid 
 a disagreeable explanation upon all that he had 
 done. My instructions were therefore conveyed 
 to him, and we continued our march ; but scarcely 
 had I left Borgo San Donino when an aide-de- 
 camp came up at full gallop to tell me that the 
 division was attacked. We were not far away, 
 and he begged me to suspend my movement, and 
 even to come back to their help. General Vatrin, 
 who was beside me, said : 
 
 ' Nonsense ! it is only a few Cossacks, like the 
 other day.' 
 
 This speech was repeated to General Victor as 
 coming from me, and contributed not a little to 
 increase his bad temper. A few minutes later 
 I was told it was only a skirmish ; a piquet had 
 kept a bad look-out, and had been surprised by 
 the enemy. 
 
 I therefore answered merely, ' General Victor 
 has his instructions ; let him conform to them,' and 
 continued my route. 
 
 I have forgotten to say that we were constantly 
 followed by a large and ever-increasing number 
 of waggons, which added to our difficulties, not- 
 withstanding my repeated orders to do away with 
 
1799] DIFFICULTIES OF THE MARCH 265 
 
 them. Those who drove them, guessing that 
 prompt measures would probably be taken, 
 hastened to unharness and empty, and, even to 
 burn them. Nearly all our wounded had been 
 deposited at Piacenza, and, as usual, recommended 
 to the enemy's kindness ; some few had, however, 
 followed us. I had ordered that each baggage- 
 waggon and cart should take one or two, and this 
 had at first been done, but the proprietors of 
 these vehicles had left the poor fellows in the 
 places where we stopped for the night. I was 
 indignant at this. Several of them were put 
 under arrest, but nothing could be proved against 
 them at the inquiry. They declared that the 
 wounded could not bear the jolting of the waggons, 
 and, unluckily, now it was too late to verify this 
 statement. The burning of these carts freed us 
 somewhat, and it was the real owners who 
 suffered ; but it was a necessary sacrifice, because 
 of the trouble they caused us. We kept, how- 
 ever, a few for the transportation of our wounded 
 as far as the nearest towns. 
 
 The army continued its movement, occupying 
 the Apennines, or marching with the baggage 
 along the highroads. We had to seize Reggio, 
 and fight at Modena and Sassuolo. Had we not 
 been compelled to obtain provisions to take us 
 over the Apennines, I should have avoided every 
 engagement at these last places ; but as the 
 Apennines offered no resources, I took up my 
 
266 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 position at Modena, after opening the road to 
 Reggio. The enemy, who had at first displayed 
 but few troops, attacked my entire line with a force 
 very superior to mine, and rendered all the road 
 to Pistoia, where General Calvin was, very dis- 
 turbed. However, they made no stand, and 
 hastened into the mountains. My aide-de-camp, 
 Lacroix, followed them, and carried Sassuolo at 
 the point of the bayonet, an affair which gained 
 him much honour ; he compelled 600 men to lay 
 down their arms, took two flags and two pieces of 
 cannon, and thus opened the communication for 
 us who were engaged at Modena. We also 
 gained a victory there, and maintained our posi- 
 tion. Meanwhile, we collected provisions, and 
 levied a contribution, which brought in very little, 
 to punish the town for a rising that had taken 
 place, in which many soldiers had been assas- 
 sinated and pillaged ; some of them could thus be 
 indemnified. The combat finished at nightfall. 
 The enemy had passed the river Crossolo at 
 three or four points, but had always been repulsed. 
 We also made a few prisoners. 
 
 Before daybreak the army continued its march, 
 leaving its positions to return to the Apennines. 
 Montrichard's division, passing by Bologna, was 
 to bring away the ammunition from Fort Urbino, 
 and to leave there the artillery and military chests 
 taken from the enemy. I do not remember what 
 became of the prisoners ; they were perhaps 
 
1799] END OF THE RETREAT 267 
 
 returned, to the number of 500 men, for on such 
 a march they were a serious inconvenience, as 
 they had to be watched and fed. (They were 
 meant to have been exchanged later on for a 
 similar number of our men.) We thus regained 
 our old positions in the Apennines, without being 
 molested, although we were followed. My head- 
 quarters were established at Pistoia while waiting 
 for news of General Montrichard and the Army of 
 Italy, whom I presumed to have made a move- 
 ment towards Tortona, as they had not debouched 
 on our side when I expected them. 
 
 (It would be useless to follow the details of 
 our ulterior movements : all that bears upon my 
 military operations is entered in my registers of 
 correspondence. Besides, this historical narrative 
 is for you alone, my son ; I write it rapidly, dis- 
 connectedly. My public and military life belongs 
 to history ; the documents and materials in my 
 possession may serve to establish and to rectify 
 or refute errors. These are sure to exist, seeing 
 with what partiality historians describe the con- 
 duct of men who have figured on the world's 
 stage, and how, without having been either actors 
 in, or witnesses of, the scenes they describe, they 
 present men and facts according to their own view, 
 and according to the spirit of faction or party by 
 which they are animated. The plain truth is 
 narrated in my correspondence, and in this book. 
 I have only inserted circumstances which touch 
 
268 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 me closely, and which do not appear in my reports 
 or my official correspondence. I took care, out 
 of kindness, to erase all personal circumstances, to 
 spare the men who did not like me, because I 
 was able to convict them, either verbally or by 
 unofficial letters, of their cowardly or disloyal 
 conduct both towards the Republic and towards 
 myself personally.) 
 
 We took up, as I have said, our former posi- 
 tions, and re-entered into communication with 
 Moreau knd the Army of Italy. The latter had 
 descended the Apennines by the Bocchetta, and 
 had, at the foot of the mountains, a battle with 
 one of the divisions of the great Allied Army on 
 the very day upon which I retreated from the 
 Trebbia. Had they come down sooner, it is pro- 
 bable that all the forces of Generals Souvorof and 
 Melas would not have attacked me, as they would 
 have feared for their right flank had they placed 
 themselves between two fires, which they must 
 have done had the little body under General Belle- 
 garde been forced. General Moreau has never 
 explained his conduct, although I have often 
 pressed him to do so by word of mouth, by letter, 
 officially, and by public summons. Why these 
 delays ? I am sure there was no ill-will on his 
 part, but merely hesitation, which was in his 
 nature. I cannot say the same for his advisers. 
 Among them was one man in particular* who had 
 
 * General Gouvion Saint-Cyr. 
 
1799] BLOCKADE OF MANTUA 269 
 
 great influence, and was inspired by an unjust 
 animosity — it was more than unfriendliness — 
 against me. It was this man, I have since been 
 told, who most powerfully contributed to augment 
 this natural tendency to delay. What matters 
 any detriment to the public weal, so long as 
 private spite can be gratified ! An explanation of 
 this will come in good time, and I will not antici- 
 pate it. I prefer to take up the thread of my 
 narrative. Moreau returned to the positions 
 whence he had started, having been warned that 
 Generals Souvorof and M61as were retracing their 
 steps with a portion of their forces in order to 
 effect a junction with General Bellegarde. 
 
 While at Lucca I received a note from the 
 Commandant of the fortress of Mantua, informing 
 me that he was blockaded, but not attacked ; 
 that he had a good and well-disposed garrison, 
 and that the place was sufficiently well provisioned 
 to stand a long siege. I hastened to communi- 
 cate this reassuring report upon the condition of 
 a place so important to us. We continued our 
 retreat in order to concentrate ourselves with the 
 Army of Italy within the boundaries of Liguria. 
 All our baggage was embarked at Lerici, on the 
 Gulf of Spezzia ; the infantry and cavalry passed 
 over the Cornice road, and I went to Genoa, 
 whither I had been summoned by Moreau to 
 consult as to our future operations, although I 
 was under his orders. 
 
270 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 My health was in a very bad state indeed ; my 
 wounds were not yet healed, I spat blood, I had 
 violent pains in my chest, and a sort of general 
 inflammation, caused by the vexations and annoy- 
 ances to which I had been abandoned, by long 
 nights and excessive work, under most difficult cir- 
 cumstances ; and I was worried by many different 
 events which, with a little goodwill, loyalty and 
 honesty, could not have failed to be productive of 
 the best results. In fact, notwithstanding the 
 great superiority of the forces opposed to me, 
 which had been hitherto victorious, and notwith- 
 standing the great opinion entertained by the 
 world of the Russians, who now for the first time 
 had crossed swords with the French ; moreover, 
 although the Austrians never minded being beaten, 
 and always recovered their pluck, because they 
 were at least three hundred to one ; and finally, 
 in spite of the insurrections that had become almost 
 general, I maintain that the Army of Naples could 
 still have faced anything, if they had not had such 
 a number of wounded and sick to look after, as 
 well as having to provide all the garrisons in the 
 States of Naples and Rome. Nevertheless, with 
 our small resources, and the detached troops belong- 
 ing to the Army of Italy (which we should have 
 been better without, considering how one half 
 distinguished itself at the battle of the Trebbia, 
 and the other half on the banks of the Nura), we 
 faced every risk in order to free that army from 
 
1799] EXPLANATIONS OF THE DEFEAT 271 
 
 the position in which it was then placed, by draw- 
 ing upon ourselves the undivided attention of the 
 enemy's forces. And as a reward for this im- 
 mense service, and this absolute devotion to 
 public interests, we were left unsupported, at the 
 mercy of a victorious enemy, with three times our 
 strength, and no attempt was made to bring about 
 the junction that had been agreed upon, or to 
 attempt a powerful diversion, which was only 
 made at last when it was too late. 
 
 We had begun well, despite General Montri- 
 chard's first fault, but the untimely combat upon 
 the Tidone brought about a general engagement. 
 We could not retreat without fighting, but that 
 would have been, perhaps, the wisest course, as 
 we heard nothing about the co-operation of the 
 Army of Italy, which first hesitated, after announc- 
 ing its coming, then marched too late, after hesi- 
 tating too long, and finally only had to meet a 
 small body, while I had the combined armies on 
 my hands. We gained the third day's victory ; 
 w€ lost it afterwards by the terror-stricken rout of 
 Montrichard's division. The enemy gave way at 
 every point where they were attacked. In spite 
 of the bravery and the howls of the Russians, 
 they yielded like the Austrians, so much so that I 
 was told many times over that Souvorof, a man 
 of more bravery and originality than capacity, had 
 lain down on the ground, declaring that he would 
 kill himself if. they retreated another step ; but 
 
272 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 this determination would no doubt have been use- 
 less had not the division of which I have been 
 speaking been routed. Fresh troops came to fill 
 up the gap, which obliged us to withdraw our 
 wings, and thus gave the enemy breathing-space, 
 and then the latter took the offensive with re- 
 newed fury. All was in vain, however ; notwith- 
 standing their superiority in numbers and their 
 repeated attacks, they could not drive us from our 
 position on the Trebbia. 
 
 Precaution alone dictated our retrograde move- 
 ment. I was without ammunition. Only two 
 Generals remained unhurt out of the whole Army 
 of Naples ; we had scarcely any officers left, and 
 a third of the army was Aoj-s de combat. More- 
 over, we were surrounded. The enemy had 
 spread the report of our total annihilation, in 
 which they exulted. You have seen how, by 
 opposing pluck and determination to force, we got 
 out of our difficulties, taking with us about 
 5,000 prisoners, a dozen guns and flags, forcing 
 passages everywhere, surmounting every obstacle, 
 notwithstanding the misadventure on the Nura ; 
 and how we regained our passes and re-entered 
 them, in order to effect our junction, after 
 taking every precaution to fortify the outlets by 
 which the enemy might have made an entrance 
 and cut off our communications by Pontremoli 
 and Sarzana. However, as I think I have 
 already said, the larger portion of the enemy's 
 
1799] CONCENTRATION NEAR GENOA 273 
 
 forces retreated on learning that Moreau was de- 
 bouching from the Bocchetta, and had driven 
 back General Bellegarde. This operation was 
 performed too late ; had it been carried out four or 
 five days earlier, it could not have failed to bring 
 about happier results. 
 
 The concentration of the two armies in the 
 neighbourhood of Genoa was decided upon. It 
 was not without keen sorrow that we found it 
 necessary to abandon to themselves the garrisons 
 of the territories of Naples and Rome, to evacuate 
 Elba, Tuscany and Lucca. Instead of sending us 
 the reinforcements of which we stood so sadly in 
 need, a fresh army was formed on the Var or 
 at Chamb^ry, under the command of General 
 Championnet. It was called, I believe, the Army 
 of the Alps. I insisted more strongly than before 
 upon the fusion of the two armies, and up on 
 the necessity of leave of absence to recruit my 
 health. 
 
 VOL. I. 10 
 
[ 274 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A Valuable Collection Lost — Joubert Commander-in-chief — 
 Fall of Mantua — Death of Joubert — Back in Paris — Action 
 against Moreau — Landing of Napoleon — The i8th Bru- 
 maire — Reorganization of the Armies — Moreau's Double- 
 dealing — The Army of the Orisons — Peace of Luneville — • 
 Diplomatic Mission to Denmark. 
 
 During my first command in Rome I had 
 begun a collection of objects of art, of curiosities 
 and antiques, which I confided to the care of a 
 faithful friend at the time of the invasion by the 
 Neapolitan troops without any previous declara- 
 tion of war. On my return to Rome, seventeen 
 days later, I found it intact. It was considerably 
 augmented by presents of pictures from the 
 principal Romans, which I considered I might 
 accept in return for important personal services 
 that I was able to render them. 
 
 After the conquest of Naples, the French 
 Government divided the objects of art among the 
 Generals who had taken part in it, after a com- 
 mission of artists had selected objects wherewith 
 to enrich our museum in Paris. I had succeeded 
 General Championnet, and the commission was 
 
1799] A COLLECTION LOST 275 
 
 charged to set aside what should come to me. 
 Some pictures, Etruscan vases, and ancient fres- 
 coes from the walls of Pompeii were given to me, 
 valued at 800,000 francs (^32,000). I had 
 them all packed and forwarded to Rome, with the 
 treasures for the Government. In Rome I caused 
 to be added to them all that I had acquired in 
 that city, and the convoy continued its journey 
 into Tuscany ; its destination was Genoa, whence 
 it was to go to Marseilles. I thought no more 
 about it ; but on reaching Genoa I caused 
 inquiries to be made, unfortunately too late, at 
 the merchant's office to which they had been 
 consigned. They had never arrived, and I dis- 
 covered afterwards that the waggoners had not 
 been able to pass beyond Pisa in consequence of 
 the risings ; that having waited there a long time, 
 and spent all their money, they had deposited 
 these precious things there and gone away. We 
 had just evacuated Tuscany ; I had passed 
 through it, stopping at Pisa to review an army ; 
 the boxes were inscribed with my name, therefore 
 the intention of stealing them was clear, as I was 
 never told they were there. Had I been told, I 
 might have sent them on board a ship at Leghorn 
 or Lerici. They were rifled and sold. The follow- 
 ing year we returned to Tuscany. I made every 
 inquiry and a strict search, but the robbers and 
 pillagers had taken flight, so that I lost one of the 
 finest private collections of curiosities and objects 
 
2 76 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 of art then existing. Among them was a complete 
 imitation of a dessert, with all the fruit made of 
 marble, and a magnificent silver 6pergne ; also a 
 valuable collection of ancient and modern marbles, 
 carved lava from Vesuvius, etc. I had spent a 
 good deal of my own money. There were also 
 the presents that I had considered myself at 
 liberty to accept, and the greater portion — of 
 course the most valuable and rarest for a private 
 individual — came from the distribution made by 
 order of the French Government. My regret at 
 my loss was the greater inasmuch as I was able 
 to talk about it. I had no reason to blush for that 
 or for anything else in my long military career. 
 
 While I was in command at Naples, . I had 
 caused searches to be made, on my own account, 
 at Santa Maria di Gati for tombs containing 
 Etruscan vases. Six were discovered, and were 
 left closed until my arrival ; they were not to be 
 opened except in my presence. But events never 
 permitted me to think of them again, and they, 
 too, were thus lost to me. 
 
 The French Government at length appointed 
 a new Commander-in-chief Joubert, for the Army 
 of Italy, to replace Moreau. That of Naples 
 was suppressed — united to the other ; and I re- 
 ceived the permission, so earnestly longed for, to 
 return to France. 
 
 Moreau and I agreed to start together. I 
 then learned by private means that Mantua, for 
 
1799] CAPITULATION OF MANTUA 277 
 
 the sti'ength of which the commandant had so 
 readily answered, had capitulated. The details 
 of this event were so precise, the means through 
 which I had received the information so trust- 
 worthy, that doubt was to my mind impossible. 
 However, Generals Moreau and Joubert, and his 
 chief of the staff, Suchet, declared that the news 
 was false, and spread with a purpose, and that 
 they had much more recent and trustworthy in- 
 formation. Of course, I wished to believe them ; 
 but, on the other hand, I could not doubt the 
 honesty of my informant. This uncertainty was 
 terrible, on account of the events which would 
 soon come to pass ; for if Mantua had really 
 yielded, the besieging force would become an 
 important and valuable reinforcement for the 
 allies. Their very inaction proved to me that 
 they were waiting for the reduction of Mantua 
 in order to recommence active operations. At 
 length they marched. At the first intimation, 
 Joubert collected his forces and started ; I 
 cautioned him to be circumspect, to beware how 
 he advanced too far, and to assure himself of the 
 truth of the intelligence, because if Mantua had 
 fallen, the forces would no longer be of equal 
 strength. 
 
 Moreau and I had chartered some feluccas at 
 Genoa ; I had been waiting several days for him, 
 when he sent me word that General Joubert had 
 begged him to remain with him, so I started 
 
278 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 alone, hugging the shores of the Cornice towards 
 Savona, Oneille, Nice, and Toulon, not without 
 some uneasiness respecting the pirates who 
 swarmed in those waters. I was, however, 
 escorted by a small armed boat, which scoured 
 all the creeks and small harbours. I was within 
 two or three days of Genoa, when I heard that 
 Joubert had been killed,*' the army routed, and 
 the news of the fall of Mantua confirmed. 
 
 From Toulon I travelled by easy stages to 
 Paris, where the somewhat cool reception given 
 me by the Directory was made up for by public 
 opinion. No Government ever weighs in the 
 balance past services with a present check, and 
 never takes circumstances, means, etc., into con- 
 sideration. They must always have victories. 
 No doubt the principle is a good one, but justice 
 and equity demand that everyone should receive 
 some share of the recognition due to him. Now 
 and again newspaper articles would appear blaming 
 my recent operations. I had a correspondence 
 with Moreau upon the subject, as he and his staff 
 seemed not altogether strangers to these articles. 
 I was tired of his arguments and hesitation. He 
 was now back in Paris. At one moment he 
 advised me not to notice these diatribes ; at 
 
 * General Joubert was killed at the battle of Novi, July, 
 1799. His widow, nee Mademoiselle de Moiitholon, became 
 Marshal Macdonald's second wife. By this wife he had one 
 daughter, afterwards Marquise de Roche-Dragon. — Translator's 
 note. 
 
1799] LANDING OF NAPOLEON 279 
 
 another he undertook to refute them ; then his 
 papers, which ought to have come to him by- 
 road, had been mislaid. Losing patience, I at 
 length told him that I would bring an action 
 against him ; and I did so, honestly and straight- 
 forwardly, but especially prompdy. His defence 
 was pitiable and confused ; judgment was given 
 in my favour, and that ended the matter. 
 
 I was not yet cured of my wounds, and fears 
 were entertained respecting my chest. I was 
 put upon a diet of milk and sago. 
 
 France was groaning under the weight of her 
 arbitrary government. The Directory had neither 
 credit nor consideration. It had made itself 
 detested by the iniquitous ' Hostage Act,' and by 
 its forced loans. Intrigues were on foot to com- 
 pass its downfall, and I was asked to put myself 
 at the head of the movement : I declined. 
 I believe, but am not sure, that a similar applica- 
 tion was made to Moreau, who also refused. 
 
 All at once the news was spread of the un- 
 expected arrival at Fr6jus of General Bonaparte 
 from Egypt ; all eyes were turned to him, and 
 from thenceforward he was regarded as an anchor 
 of hope and salvation. He sought me out with 
 considerable eagerness. I was on fairly intimate 
 terms with his wife,* and some of his brothers 
 
 * Josephine, daughter of Monsieur Tascher de la Pagene, 
 and widow of General Vicomte Alexandre de Beauharnais, 
 married to Napoleon in 1796. — Translator' s note. 
 
28o MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 and sisters. He desired precise information upon 
 all that had passed in Italy. At a little dinner, 
 at which Moreau was present, we gave him an 
 account, and the opinion of my amphitryon was 
 thenceforward settled in my favour. 
 
 The 1 8 Brumaire arrived. I took a consider- 
 able share in it.* 1 was in command at Ver- 
 sailles, and my first care, on arriving, was to close 
 a Jacobin club, which was never reopened. The 
 great struggle was to take place at St. Cloud ; 
 it nearly failed. Had it done so, we should ■ 
 all have fallen victims to the party which, to the 
 misery of France, would have been triumphant. 
 
 The question of reorganizing the armies now 
 arose. Moreau was to have that of the Upper 
 Rhine, and I that of the Lower ,■ but he worked 
 so skilfully behind my back, that he succeeded in 
 having them united in one, and the entire com- 
 mand placed in his hands. I was indignant at 
 this double-dealing, and had a somewhat acri- 
 
 * Here occurs in the Marshal's MS. a paragraph that runs 
 thus : ' I have omitted to say that I was filhng then, or perhaps 
 later, the functions of infantry-inspector ; but I must repeat that 
 I am writing without maps or journals, only from memory, and 
 may be mistaken. I also write these Recollections in great 
 haste, without correcting or re-reading them, which I will do 
 later when I have more time.' The MS. has not been revised, 
 probably not looked at again, for it has remained just as it was, 
 without any correction or alteration. Macdonald was not 
 infantry-inspector at the time of the i8 Brumaire. He was 
 appointed by the First Consul on the i Pluviose, year viii. 
 (January 21, 1800). 
 
Pans, for Richard Benlley and Son 1892 
 
 Pnnieci by Ch Wittmann Pan.s 
 
iSoo] DISTRIBUTION OF THE ARMIES 281 
 
 monious conversation on the subject with the First 
 Consul, who admitted having yielded to Moreau's 
 pressure, but expressed his regrets to me. He 
 added that he had believed that Moreau and I 
 had agreed upon this together, and that Moreau 
 had certainly given him to understand that such 
 was the case. 
 
 ' How could it have been so,' I asked, ' after 
 all that passed between us in Italy, and after the 
 explanation of these events that you yourself had 
 from us at your own table ?' 
 
 'That is true,' he replied, adding, 'Your health 
 is not yet quite restored. Take care of yourself, 
 and I will fulfil my promise presently.' 
 
 The first Army of Reserve was being then 
 organized, and he kept for himself the command, 
 having Berthier under him. He attempted and 
 achieved the famous passage of the St. Bernard, 
 and the victory of Marengo crowned the bold 
 and dashing enterprise. 
 
 Later on a second Army of Reserve was formed 
 at Dijon, the command of which was given to 
 me. It crossed Switzerland, and took the name 
 of the Army of the Orisons,* which pointed 
 pretty clearly to the mission with which it was 
 charged. It was to act in the Rhetian Alps 
 between the Armies of Italy and the Rhine, and 
 to support them both. 
 
 A month's truce was arranged. I had orders, 
 
 * 6 Fructidor, year viii. (August 24, 1800). 
 
282 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 or authority, to concert operations with Moreau, 
 who was very anxious for an interview ; he was 
 even desirous of coming to my headquarters at 
 St. Gall ; but it was difficult for him to leave 
 his army, and I went to Augsburg, where he was 
 established, and thence to Ratisbon, Landshut, 
 and Munich, whence I returned to St. Gall. 
 We settled our plan, and Moreau took it to Paris 
 to explain and get it authorized. 
 
 I took with me on my journey General Mathieu 
 Dumas, my chief of the staff, Pamphile Lacroix, 
 and General Grouchy. I had been on distant terms 
 with the latter since we had been in Holland ; 
 but flattered by, and grateful for, my reception, 
 he related to me all the trickery and intrigue set 
 in motion at Moreau's headquarters in Genoa to 
 leave the Army of Naples unsupported, and to 
 get out of its difficulties as best it could. He 
 told us that the chief promoter had been General 
 Gouvion Saint-Cyr, who had not forgiven me for 
 having replaced him in Rome, as if I had had 
 anything to do with his quarrel with the Govern- 
 ment Commissioners who recalled him. Moreau 
 apparently failed to see the trap, and his hesita- 
 tion, prolonged as it was, became tantamount to 
 a desertion of me. You know the results and 
 consequences of his proceedings. 
 
 Moreau's presence in Paris brought about a 
 change in the commands. He was to take over 
 that of Italy, and I to succeed him with the Army 
 
i8oi} THE ARMY OF THE GRISONS 283 
 
 of the Rhine. I had orders to prepare for this 
 change ; but while I was doing so, a courier 
 informed me that the original plan was to be 
 adhered to — that Moreau was to return to his 
 post, and I to remain at mine. At the same time, 
 I received instructions to commence hostilities, 
 and to begin operations upon the lines agreed 
 upon with Moreau and the Army of Italy, to 
 which they had been communicated.* 
 
 Situated thus between the Army of the Rhine 
 on my left, and that of Italy on my right, com- 
 municating and acting as the centre for both, I 
 . had more natural difficulties to surmount than 
 enemies to conquer. The latter were entrenched 
 in all the passes of the Alps, which I had to cross 
 in all their breadth as far as Trent on the Adige, 
 especially the Splugen, Tonal, etc., which were 
 covered with snow and ice. More than once 
 discouragement nearly overcame my men. I 
 went in person to all the most dangerous places, 
 sounding the snow, trying the ice, and measuring 
 the depth of the abysses that surrounded us. 
 Avalanches had swallowed whole squadrons. 
 Finally, by dint of perseverance, boldness, or, I 
 perhaps should say, rashness, we succeeded — 
 more by good luck than good guidance, but not 
 without great losses — in gaining the plateau of 
 the Splugen where the monastery is situated, and 
 eventually the right bank of the Adige. Whether 
 * General Brune commanded the Army of Italy. 
 
284 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 I advanced or retreated the danger was equal. 
 I therefore could not hesitate. This adventurous 
 march forced the enemy to retreat precipitately 
 before us, to evacuate that portion of the Alps 
 from the Vorarlberg to the Tyrol, and helped the 
 other two armies in their operations. The first 
 thing done was to conclude armistices, to which I 
 was a party, and the peace of Lun^ville crowned 
 the campaign.* 
 
 I passed the remainder of the winter and the 
 beginning of spring at Trent, whence I was 
 ordered to bring my army back into Switzerland, 
 across Italy. I raised my cantonments and 
 started ; on the road a courier brought me my 
 nomination to the post of envoy extraordinary 
 and minister plenipotentiary to the Court of 
 Denmark,! with orders to return immediately to 
 Paris. All my tastes were opposed to such a 
 career ; but the post was offered to me as a 
 military operation covered by a diplomatic cloak. 
 
 * Treaty of Luneville, between France and Austria, signed 
 February 9, 1801. 
 
 t Nomination dated Germinal, year ix. (March, 1801). 
 
[ 28s ] 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 At Copenhagen — Diplomacy against the Grain — Recall to 
 France — Monsieur de Talleyrand — Trial of Moreau — 
 Napoleon elected Emperor — The Legion of Honour — In 
 Disgrace — Purchase of Courcelles — Recalled to Active 
 Service — Domestic Arrangements. 
 
 The kingdom of Denmark, especially its capital, 
 was threatened by an English fleet : I was in- 
 formed that the Government had asked for a 
 French General to undertake the defence of the 
 country, and that they had thought of me. I will 
 not deny that I was flattered by the choice, and 
 anxious to join my name to the events of which 
 that country was to be the scene ; but I had 
 the firmest intention, which I kept, of quitting 
 diplomacy as soon as the military part of it was 
 concluded. I therefore started for Paris. I did 
 not expect to get further than Nevers, for, while 
 changing horses in that town, I heard of the 
 disaster at Copenhagen^abandoned by Sweden, 
 Russia and Prussia, all of whom were bound by 
 treaties to make common cause with Denmark. 
 However, on reaching Paris, firmly convinced 
 that my mission was at an end, the First Consul 
 
286 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 informed me that there was still hope of renewing 
 the Quadruple Defensive Alliance, and desired 
 me to start, via Berlin, promising that if peace 
 were the result of the events at Copenhagen, he 
 would grant my request, and recall me imme- 
 diately. 
 
 On reaching the capital of Prussia, I soon 
 learned that Russia had broken away from the 
 alliance by a treaty with England, leaving power 
 to the three other countries to adhere to it. I 
 immediately sent a special messenger to the First 
 Consul with this news, and, foreseeing that the 
 other Powers would adhere, asked leave to 
 return ; the answer I received was that, as I had 
 got so far, I should go on and learn the intentions 
 of the Danish Government, and that if peace were 
 decided upon my expedition should be regarded 
 as a mere journey, and I should be recalled at 
 once. I thus went to replace your mother's 
 father,* who was awaiting my arrival to go and 
 take up the same position at Stockholm. I had 
 then no idea that I should ever be united to your 
 lamented mother, who was then quite young, and 
 whom I had hardly seen. That was in 1801, and 
 it was not till more than twenty years later that 
 the marriage took place, which was so sadly 
 terminated in less than four years. 
 
 Previous to my audience at Court, I was fully 
 
 * Monsieur de Bourgoing, whose daughter became the 
 Marshal's third wife. 
 
i8o2] RECALL FROM COPENHAGEN 287 
 
 confirmed in my opinion that Denmark could 
 never struggle alone against so formidable a naval 
 Power as England. The attack on the capital, 
 the destruction of a large number of her ships, 
 the successes of the bold and rash Admiral 
 Nelson, who continued to fight in spite of the 
 orders of his chief, and notwithstanding a brave 
 defence which merited a different fate, brought 
 about an armistice which was existing when I 
 arrived, watched by the English fleet as I passed 
 through the Great Belt. My mission, therefore, 
 brought about none of the anticipated results, and 
 my first despatch terminated by an urgent prayer 
 to be recalled. I renewed this prayer for five 
 months, but as peace was at that time being 
 negotiated with England, it was deemed advisable 
 to retain foreign ministers at their respective posts. 
 The preliminaries having been signed,* and 
 peace being momentarily given to all Europe, 
 it was presumed that the motives I had put 
 forward would no longer exist. I was therefore 
 sounded with respect to the embassy in Russia, 
 occupied by General Hddouville, who, like me, 
 was earnestly seeking his recall. At last I 
 obtained mine, and quitted Copenhagen in the 
 depth of winter. On my journey I experienced 
 every discomfort of the season, which was very 
 severe in the North, and after a month of painful, 
 
 * The treaty of Amiens between France and England, 
 signed March 25, 1802. 
 
288 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 fatiguing, and even dangerous travel I reached 
 Paris, whence the First Consul had gone to attend 
 the meetings at Lyons. 
 
 My stay in Denmark had not been without 
 interest and pleasure. 1 was distinguished at 
 Court, on good terms with the corps diplomatique, 
 and well received in society. I studied the history 
 of the country — its laws and customs. There I 
 found a people who, with unbounded love for, and 
 confidence in one of its sovereigns, blindly aban- 
 doned its liberty, and submitted itself to their 
 absolute power. So far they have had no cause 
 to regret their action, but I doubt whether any of 
 their powerful neighbours would ever employ the 
 same generosity in order to guarantee their 
 subjects from the abuses of violence, tyranny, or 
 despotism. 
 
 To return to what concerns myself I had 
 a suspicion that Monsieur de Talleyrand had some 
 motives, that I could not penetrate, for wishing 
 to keep me at a distance. I had written him 
 strong representations upon this point in private 
 letters, but as he might have been prejudiced or 
 biased against me, I called upon him. He 
 received me with cold civility. I warmly pointed 
 out to him, in presence of his wife and several 
 other persons, how ill he had behaved, and 
 abruptly quitted his house. Since then I have 
 ceased to hold any communication with this 
 personage, who afterwards degraded more and 
 
i8o4] NAPOLEON ELECTED EMPEROR 289 
 
 more his name and position. He has certainly 
 from time to time made overtures to me, but in 
 vain. I had judged correctly the sincerity of his 
 affection. His ambition, however, had been 
 amply satisfied at the Imperial Court as well as at 
 that of the Bourbons ; his supple mind, intrigues, 
 and insinuations had secured this. When at last 
 he came to be better known and understood, all 
 parties agreed to throw him aside, and to let him 
 extract what enjoyment he could out of a com- 
 paratively insignificant office,* and to live in 
 regret, if not remorse. I admit having said too 
 much about this individual, but it is because 
 I know that he did me serious injury in the eyes 
 of the First Consul by prejudicing him against 
 me, and suggesting that I was a foe to his 
 authority. 
 
 In 1804 commenced the famous trial of Moreau, 
 and an attempt was made to implicate me in it by 
 suggestions of an intimate friendship, which no 
 longer existed. It seemed, however, to be recog- 
 nised that my conscience was clear upon that 
 point, and so I was only watched, and all my 
 actions spied upon ; but I was left in pea,ce. 
 
 Shordy after this trial the First Consul was 
 elected Emperor, and the Government having 
 thus become monarchical, was surrounded by the 
 attributes of monarchy. In order to obtain the 
 dignity of Marshal, it was necessary to have had 
 * He was Grand Chamberlain. 
 
 VOL. I. 1 1 
 
290 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 the chief command of an army, and although this 
 condition was not wanting to me, I was not included 
 in the first or subsequent lists of nominations. I 
 therefore had to content myself with thinking that 
 I had deserved to figure upon them, and with the 
 pride natural to me, added to the feeling that I 
 was the victim of injustice, I took no steps to 
 destroy groundless prejudices. The time came 
 when I congratulated myself upon having acted 
 as I did, for circumstances so favoured me that 
 I was able to win my baton at the point of my 
 sword on the field of Wagram. 
 
 In the year in which the Legion of Honour was 
 founded, I was first made a simple Companion, 
 together with all those who, like me, had received 
 gifts of a sword of honour, and I was then 
 promoted to be a Knight Companion (Grand 
 Officier). My name must have passed unnoticed 
 among the others, for in the suspected position in 
 which I then was living it could only be regarded 
 as a favour. 
 
 Like everyone else, I had signed the address 
 of election to the Empire, but rather as a means 
 of warding off worries and persecution than with 
 any hope of obtaining good for myself I had 
 no reason whatever for opposing it, still less 
 for being jealous or desirous of it. My isolation 
 annoyed me on account of your elder sisters. 
 They had received an excellent education at 
 Madame Campan's, but the sight of their friends 
 
iSog] RECALLED TO ACTIVE SERVICE 291 
 
 making brilliant marriages at the Imperial Court 
 made me dread lest they should become enamoured 
 of these exalted positions. But their own good 
 sense, their judgment beyond their years, my 
 advice, and the affection they bore me, convinced 
 them that I was innocent of this disgrace, and 
 they resigned themselves to whatever fortune 
 might be in store for them. 
 
 I had just bought this property at Courcelles 
 whence I write to you, and which I intend you to 
 have some day; but notwithstanding the pleasures 
 of a country life, and the delight of being at rest, 
 my military ardour blazed up at the accounts of 
 every fresh victory. However, this ardour quieted 
 down when I remembered that my career was 
 advancing, so much so that it was not without 
 some alarm that I received orders to join the 
 Army of Italy, after five years spent in retirement, 
 to put myself at the disposal of Prince Eugene 
 Beauharnais,* Viceroy and Commander-in-chief 
 I was just about to return here with your sisters, 
 who had finished their education, and whom I had 
 removed from school. I was only spending a few 
 months with them in Paris during the winter to 
 perfect their accomplishments. 
 
 I think I received the order early in April, and 
 at first I concealed the nature of it from them. 
 
 * Son of the Empress Josephine, by her first husband.— 
 Translators ftote. 
 
292 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 The Minister could not tell me in what capacity 
 I was to go, nor did he know much about it. 
 He showed me the original of the Emperor's 
 letter, which was remarkable for its brevity. It 
 ran almost as follows : 
 
 ' Monsieur le Due de Feltre, 
 
 ' Convey orders to General Macdonald to 
 betake himself to Italy, where he will receive 
 fresh orders from the Viceroy, and I shall be 
 grateful to him for the services he will thus 
 render. 
 
 '(Signed) Napoleon.'* 
 
 Having but a few days left to make my 
 arrangements, it was natural that I should think 
 first of all of your sisters. I asked and obtained 
 from the Emperor admission for them into the 
 educational establishment founded for daughters 
 of members of the Legion of Honour at Ecouen, 
 and then under the control of Madame Campan, 
 their former schoolmistress at St. Germain. 
 Our separation, as you will easily believe, was 
 very painful ; they thought of nothing but the 
 fresh dangers to which I was to be exposed. 
 
 Before proceeding, I must go back a little to 
 mention a circumstance that I had omitted. 
 Some friends, placed by their rank near the 
 person of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples, 
 who was in command of an army in that country, 
 * The ministerial order is dated March 28, 1809. 
 
iSog] DEPARTURE FOR ITALY 293 
 
 represented to him that I might be of great 
 service, as I had fought there some years 
 previously. He had on several occasions testified 
 goodwill towards me, and it was suggested that 
 he should ask the Emperor for my services. 
 The latter, commanding the Grand Army in 
 the North of Germany, had, I believe, established 
 his headquarters at Osterode during the siege of 
 Dantzic, which followed the bloody Battle of 
 Eylau, where both sides claimed the victory, 
 although the best and most impartial judges on 
 our side considered it more than doubtful. The 
 Emperor consented, and caused orders to be sent 
 me by General Count Dejean, who was temporarily 
 holding the office of War Minister, to go at once 
 to Naples, and place myself at the disposal of his 
 brother.* This was not a military order; for, 
 contrary to the usual forms, no letter of service 
 was sent to me. It was therefore clear that King 
 Joseph was at liberty to employ me as he pleased, 
 either with the Neapolitan troops or as a civilian ; 
 for the Imperial Generals in the Army of Naples 
 have alone the right of commanding French troops 
 with their letters of service. 
 
 My blood boils even now, and my fury rises, as 
 I write these lines, and think to what a degree of 
 abasement I should have fallen had I been desired 
 to command Neapolitan soldiers. I, who had 
 fought and annihilated them at Civita-Castellana, 
 
 * The ministerial authorization is dated February 28, 1807. 
 
294 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 at Otricoli — who had completely finished them 
 at Calvi, although on all these occasions we were 
 less than one against twelve or fifteen ! I, who 
 had been witness of their cowardice, their deser- 
 tion, and their flight ! I, who had invaded their 
 territory but a few days later ! I say no more, 
 and return to my departure for the Army of Italy 
 in 1809. 
 
[ 295 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Departure for Italy — Untrustworthy Intelligence — A Bad Be- 
 ginning — Arrival at Vicenza — Prince Eugfene — Warnings 
 and Defensive Measures. 
 
 A FEW days after receiving my orders I was 
 informed that the Emperor, while at the opera, 
 had had intelligence that the Austrians had crossed 
 the Inn on April 12. It occurred to me as 
 probable, and my idea was eventually verified, 
 that on the same day they would most likely 
 commence hostilities and operations in the North 
 of Italy.; I therefore started the day after the 
 Emperor had received the news. I only halted 
 for a few hours at Turin to see General Cssar 
 Berthier, who was employed there, I forget in 
 what capacity. He informed : me that hostilities 
 had been recommenced, and told me of the first 
 success of our troops — five or six hundred 
 prisoners taken, and two pieces of artillery. He 
 had first transmitted the news to Paris in a tele- 
 graphic despatch, adding that the whole army 
 was advancing. I was still so far away, that I 
 feared I might not be able to come up with them 
 
296 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 before some important enoagement : and, in spite 
 of the entreaties of the General and his wife that 
 I would stay and rest at least four-and -twenty 
 hours, I started again immediately. 
 
 When I reached Milan, I found that no one 
 knew anything of the supposed victory that had 
 been telegraphed from Turin to Paris ; even the 
 whereabouts of the army was unknown. I was a 
 stranger in the town, though I had spent a few 
 weeks there in 1798, just before I was sent to 
 take the command in Rome ; I had then known a 
 few French officers, but they were all absent 
 now. 
 
 However, a certain Signor Bignami, a banker, 
 having accidentally heard of my arrival, came to 
 see me, and told me confidentially that he knew, 
 from commercial sources, that the army had 
 met with a check,* and was retreating, though 
 few people had as yet been informed. I tried to 
 prove to him that he was mistaken by quoting 
 what General Berth ier had said ; but he shook 
 his head, and his assurance began to make me 
 think that there really was som.ething in his 
 commercial intelligence. It was too late for me 
 to present my respects to the Vice-Queen ; but 
 among other names that he mentioned to me as 
 belonging to persons attached to her Court, he 
 spoke of Comte M^jean, whom I knew a little, 
 and offered to take me to the palazzo where he 
 
 * Battle of Sacilio, lost by Prince Eugfene, April 16, 1809. 
 
i8o9] UNCERTAINTY 297 
 
 dwelt. We learned that Monsieur M6jean was 
 at the Council. I gave my name to the usher, 
 desiring him to inform that personas^e that, as I 
 was only passing through Milan on my way to 
 the army, I should be much obliged if he could 
 tell me where the headquarters were, and whether 
 the Vice-Queen had any commissions for her 
 husband. On hearing my name, he quitted the 
 Council, and hastened to me ; he took me aside, 
 and confided to me that a courier, the previous 
 night, had brought intelligence even more dis- 
 astrous than that of which Bignami had spoken. 
 The letter brought by the courier was couched 
 in more or less the following terms : 
 
 ' Pressed by the enemy, and yielding to the 
 cries of the inhabitants that I was abandoning 
 them, and to the desire of the army, who wished 
 to fight for their homes, I have given battle, and 
 lost it !' 
 
 Thereupon I said that I must at once have 
 horses and start. He urged me to come and see 
 the Vice-Queen, and offered to accompany me, 
 assuring me that she would forego etiquette. 
 But, as I was in travelling dress, I begged him 
 to tell the Princess that I thought the best means 
 of showing my devotion, and of being agreeable 
 to her, would be to go direct to her husband's 
 headquarters. Before leaving Mejean, he begged 
 
298 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS. 
 
 me to say nothing to Bignami, who would be 
 sure to cross-question me. I hmited my replies 
 to saying that at Court they could add nothing to 
 the news he had already received, and that no 
 belief was placed in it. We separated, and I got 
 into my carriage very downcast at this rebuff. 
 
 A combat in Italy, however serious it might 
 be, could only be of secondary importance. The 
 decisive point was Germany, where the Emperor 
 was commanding in person. But it might have 
 a bad effect upon the Italian mind, already pre- 
 judiced against us, kept under as they were, but 
 not conquered ; and upon that of the Germans 
 and their armies, although they had been so often 
 beaten, and their territory so often invaded by 
 us. But they were like the teeth of Cadmus ; 
 no sooner was one army destroyed than another 
 came to take its place. They seemed to rise out 
 of the ground. 
 
 I had a high opinion of the military talents of 
 the Emperor, who had so often performed miracles ; 
 I trusted him now, and I was right. 
 
 Between Brescia and Verona, at a place called 
 Desenzano, on the Lake of Garda, I met a 
 Colonel whose name I have forgotten. Still 
 terrified at what he had witnessed and heard, 
 and believing that the enemy were at his heels, 
 he had just left headquarters, but was unable to. 
 tell "me where they were situated. He was 
 carrying. orders to arm and provision all the forts 
 
i8o9] A BAD BEGINNING 299 
 
 in Piedmont — in short, to put them into a proper 
 condition of defence. The disaster must have 
 been considerable to necessitate such hasty 
 orders ! This Colonel was in such a hurry, that I 
 could obtain no details from him. Some leagues 
 farther on I found the terror increasing, and it 
 became worse as I drew nearer to the scene. I 
 met a courier on his way from headquarters to 
 the Emperor ; not even he could tell me whence 
 he had started, and all that I could extract from 
 him was that he had been sent after this un- 
 fortunate battle. 
 
 At length I reached Verona. All was in con- 
 fusion. The wounded were coming in in large 
 numbers, as well as fugitives, riderless horses, 
 carts, baggage-waggons, carriages, crossing each 
 other, meeting, blocking the streets, and filling 
 the squares ; in short, all the horrors of a rout. 
 The siege artillery stationed on the glacis had 
 been promptly removed to Mantua. The authorities 
 were without news, and crowded round me to ask 
 for some. I could scarcely believe that I had 
 come there in order to obtain information myself 
 Rumour said that the army was marching for 
 Mantua, where it would rally; but it seemed to 
 me impossible that, however great might have 
 been the misfortune, they should abandon the 
 high road to the Milanese capital. Notwithstand- 
 ing all the warnings I received upon the dangers 
 I should meet along this road, I resolved to 
 
300 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 follow it, and was glad I had done so. Scarcely 
 had I left the gates early next morning, when a 
 courier appeared. He came from Vicenza, where 
 he had left the Viceroy, who was just preparing 
 to start for Verona. This courier was carrying 
 orders to the siege-train to make for Mantua, an 
 order which, as I have said, had been forestalled. 
 I did not stop to interrogate this letter-carrier, as 
 I was now within a few hours of headquarters. 
 
 I entered Vicenza, to the surprise of all who 
 saw a carriage coming in the opposite direction 
 to that followed by all the others, which would, 
 moreover, have soon been followed by troops, 
 had it not been for my unexpected appearance. 
 News of my arrival soon spread, and the inn 
 where I stopped was blocked with visitors and 
 inquirers. The army was to a great extent 
 formed of troops that 1 had had under my orders 
 when I commanded in the Roman States and in 
 Naples, so that I felt quite at home. Everyone 
 gave me a different version of what had occurred, 
 and, as usual, laid the blame upon the inexperi- 
 ence of their leader, the jealousy of the Generals, 
 and so on. 
 
 The Viceroy, who from his windows had seen 
 a post-chaise pass, suspected that I might have 
 come, and sent several aides-de-camp to find out 
 and to desire me to come straight to him. He re- 
 ceived me cordially, or, 1 might say, effusively. 
 He was even more taken up with what the 
 
i8o9] PRINCE EUGENE 
 
 301 
 
 Emperor would say and write than with the affair 
 itself. 
 
 ' I have been beaten,' he said, ' at my first 
 attempt in commanding, and in a bad place too. 
 The Emperor will be furious; he knows his Italy 
 so well !' 
 
 ' What induced you to fight ?' I asked. ' One 
 can generally refuse a battle. And in such a 
 position too, with that narrow gorge behind you, 
 which made retreat so difficult in case of neces- 
 sity ! You are very lucky not to have had to do 
 with a bold, enterprising enemy, otherwise every 
 hope of safety for your army must have been 
 abandoned.' 
 
 ' That is true,' he answered. ' I yielded too 
 easily to the prayers and complaints of the 
 Emperor's subjects. I was surrounded, deafened 
 by their cries that I was abandoning them with- 
 out striking a blow. The army grumbled at 
 having to retreat before a foe that they had so 
 often vanquished before. I consulted and asked 
 the advice and opinion of all the most experienced 
 Generals.' 
 
 It seems that all the latter had been satisfied 
 with a laconic answer, to the effect that he was 
 the chief, that he had only to give his orders, and 
 they should be carried out ; that the responsibility 
 was too great for them. Which, being inter- 
 preted, meant, ' Get out of the difficulty as best you 
 can.' These answers having roused his wrath, he 
 
302 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 only consulted his pluck, and without reflecting 
 on possible consequences, gave battle and lost it. 
 
 ' Nev^er in future,' I said, 'give way to annoy- 
 ance, or act precipitately. You see into what 
 straits it has brought you. Where are you going 
 now, and what do you mean to do .''' 
 
 ' Everyone is disheartened ; no one speaks of 
 anything but retreat. The orders are given and 
 are being carried out at this moment.' 
 
 ' Where is the enemy ?' 
 
 ' About three marches from here.' 
 
 ' Three marches, indeed ! What would you do 
 if they were on your heels ? Is not this the home 
 of trickery ? Let me look at your maps and see 
 if there is not some way out of the hole. If I 
 remember rightly, a little river runs across here 
 somewhere, with a canal and a number of brooks, 
 which might easily be defended ; dispute the 
 Alpone on your rear, then Caldiero, through 
 which I have just passed, but which would be a 
 better position for the enemy, then the Adige, 
 etc. Remember that the great issue will be 
 fought out in Germany. You will learn the 
 results, not from messengers, but from the move- 
 ments of your adversary^' ; if they are rapid, it 
 will mean that they have been victorious ; if they 
 are slow, as at this moment, it will mean that 
 nothing is settled yet ; if they are beaten, your 
 adversary will retire, because he will not wish to 
 * The Archduke John. 
 
i8o9] WARNINGS AND ADVICE 303 
 
 abandon his communications with the capital, nor 
 to be flanked and cut off by the victorious army 
 that has just defeated him.' 
 
 To these reasons I added others, not less 
 powerful and convincing : 
 
 ' If you retire without fighting from a position 
 so easy to defend, the enemy will follow you. 
 Where will you stop ? On the rivers, or on the 
 Alps ? Now, if the Emperor is successful, and 
 sends you orders to take the offensive again, you 
 will have to try and force your way across these 
 rivers. Shall you succeed with a discouraged 
 army ? It is doubtful. Do not let us there- 
 fore expose ourselves to such an accident, if we 
 can avoid it ; let us defend our ground foot by 
 foot, and compromise nothing ; finally, let us not 
 risk a second battle, and do nothing unless we are 
 sure.' 
 
 My arguments made an impression upon the 
 mind of this really courageous and high-spirited 
 young man. I continued : 
 
 ' Summon the Generals in whom you have most 
 confidence, tell them your intentions, and hear 
 what they have to say.' 
 
 ' I know that already,' he answered. ' Look here ; 
 there goes one of them with his division. He took 
 no part whatever in the action, and is now one of 
 the first to be off, besides giving the worst advice.' 
 
 He thereupon gave orders for the unharnessing 
 of his own carriages, which were preparing to 
 
304 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Start, and I returned to my lodgings to wait for 
 the hour agreed upon for the meeting. 
 
 My arrival had produced a favourable im- 
 pression in the army. I say it without vanity, 
 ostentation, or pride. I was liked by my men, 
 and they had confidence in me ; I had always 
 taken a paternal interest in them. It was well 
 known that my disgrace was the result of preju- 
 dice and injustice, and they thought better of me 
 for agreeing to serve in a capacity inferior to 
 those I had previously occupied. Hope began 
 to revive even amid these sad circumstances. 
 
 At the meeting there was present a large 
 number of Generals and superior officers. The 
 Viceroy explained the position of the army and 
 the suggestions that I had made to him, and then 
 desired me to lay before the meeting the exten- 
 sion that might be given to them, which I did 
 very carefully, for fear of hurting the feelings of 
 my audience. I was heard without Interruption, 
 but at the conclusion of my remarks General 
 Grenier said, addressing himself to the Viceroy : 
 
 ' Prince, no word has been said about the 
 moral of the army, or about its present dis- 
 organized condition ; I declare that it is such that 
 I will not answer for my own division until it has 
 had some days' rest behind the Adige at Verona.' 
 
 The others spoke on the same lines, and the 
 Prince, promising to consider what had been put 
 before him, broke up the meeting. 
 
i8o9] DEFENSIVE MEASURES 305 
 
 When we were alone, he asked me what I 
 thought of General Grenier. I had had nothing 
 to do with him, but we had met in the Army of 
 the Sambre and Meuse, when 1 was leading 
 thither from Holland fifteen or twenty thousand 
 men from the Army of the North, just after his 
 defeat in Germany and his retreat upon the Lahn 
 and the Sieg. He had a good reputation as a 
 General of Division. 
 
 ' As for moral^ I added, laughing, ' that of the 
 gentlemen who have just left us seems to me no 
 less shaken than that of their men. But you 
 have some who took no part in the action ; keep 
 them here and let the others go. They will 
 suffice for the time being, and you can recall the 
 others in a few days.' 
 
 He fell in with my suggestion. As a matter of 
 fact, we only needed a small number to guard the 
 passes, and if the worst came to the worst, we 
 were not far from the Alpone, a torrent enclosed 
 between high banks, which would serve us as 
 entrenchments. A portion of the troops, there- 
 fore, especially those belonging to General 
 Grenier, were allowed to go to Verona. General 
 Pully's cavalry, which either had not been called 
 up, or else had arrived too late to take part at 
 Sacilio, received orders to reoccupy Padua, 
 already evacuated by the general retreat that had 
 been ordered when I arrived, and to which I had 
 put a stop. 
 
 VOL. I. 12 
 
3o6 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 We had to consider the best provisional means 
 of defence for ourselves in this land of trickery, 
 and rode out to inspect them. The Viceroy was 
 good enough to make me a present of two horses, 
 as I was without my equipment, which did not 
 rejoin me, I think, until the month of August. I 
 had, however, procured what was necessary for 
 the time being. 
 
 The bridge of Vicenza could be easily defended 
 by means of slight works ; I pointed out to the 
 Viceroy what might be done, and asked him to 
 order the Major of Engineers stationed there to 
 carry them out. He called him and explained 
 to him briefly what was wanted. I noticed that 
 this officer did not understand a word of what 
 was said to him, although he replied that he 
 would carry out the instructions. I could not fail 
 to observe it, simply from noticing the face of the 
 officer in command of this important post, and I 
 communicated my idea to the Prince, who thought 
 I was joking. 
 
 ' Call him back then,' said I, ' and ask him to 
 repeat the orders you have just given him.' 
 
 The unlucky Major stammered and shame- 
 facedly admitted that he had not understood. 
 
 ' Why did you not ask me to repeat my orders 
 to you .'*' inquired the Prince. 
 
 'I was wrong,' he replied, 'and I beg your 
 Highness's pardon.' 
 
 A fresh explanation was given, and we rode away. 
 
i8o9] A WISE PRECAUTION 307 
 
 ' See,' I Siaid to the Prince, ' how easily mis- 
 takes occur. You would have gone away in 
 peace, thinking that your necessary orders would 
 be carried out. You did not observe that that 
 officer, no doubt a very brave, good fellow, was 
 not very bright ; for if Heaven had endowed him 
 with ever so small a share of wits, he would, on 
 his own responsibility, have caused some temporary 
 defences to be made at a point on which depended 
 so much of the safety of his own men and of the 
 army. Misunderstandings and blunders are often 
 fatal, particularly in an army ; therefore, when I 
 give a verbal order, I always have it repeated 
 ■over to me, and have found it a good plan.' 
 
 I advised him to adopt it, which he did in the 
 future with good results. 
 
[3o8 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Defence of the Alpone — Retreat of the Archduke John — 
 Combat on the Piave — An Incomplete Success — Capitula- 
 tion of Prewald — Siege of Laybach — Advance to Gratz. 
 
 We remained three days in our position, and 
 the moral of the troops was already improved. 
 While waiting for news of what was going on in 
 the heart of Germany, the enemy made some 
 feeble demonstrations ; but as we were determined 
 to risk nothing, we retired behind the Alpone, 
 where the advance-guard was stationed. The 
 rest of the army took up a position at Caldiero, 
 having three bridges over the Adige in case of 
 retreat, including that of Verona. We remained 
 there very quietly. We spent the time in a com 
 plete reorganization ; losses were repaired by 
 bringing up healthy men from the depots, and by 
 removing from hospital those who were cured of 
 their wounds or sicknesses. It was considered ad- 
 visable to skirmish a little, and to shoot every day, 
 so as to familiarize the fresh men with fighting. 
 
 I proposed to make a feint with a portion of 
 our troops, and orders were giyen. It sue- 
 
i8o9] RETREAT OF THE ARCHDUKE 309 
 
 ceeded at first, and then became more serious. 
 Unfortunately, our left met with a slight check, 
 which decided the Viceroy to give counter-orders. 
 I was unaware of this, as I was preparing to cross 
 the Alpone, the defence of which had considerably 
 given way before the violence of my onslaught ; 
 but the Viceroy came in person to the place to 
 desire me to retire, and I had to obey. We 
 returned to camp, regretting that we had not had 
 liberty to reap the full benefit of our first advan- 
 tages. Prince Eugene was still weighed down 
 by the recollection of Sacilio, and this made him 
 very nervous for long after, especially on two 
 important occasions, of which I shall have to 
 speak later. 
 
 We expected the enemy to make a similar 
 demonstration next day, and were prepared to 
 give them a warm reception ; but they stayed 
 at home. This immobility was not altogether 
 natural after their victory at Sacilio. I pointed 
 this out to the Viceroy, and urged him to order 
 a strong general reconnaissance. He did so. We 
 followed with our reserves, when, through my 
 telescope, I noticed a hurried movement of 
 carriages and baggage-waggons. 
 
 ' We have been victorious in Germany,' I said 
 to the Prince ; ' the enemy are retiring.' 
 
 He also looked through his glass, saw the 
 retreat, and gleefully stretched out his hand to 
 me, thanking me for my foresight and for my 
 
3IO MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 advice, which events had so well justified. He 
 sent orders to the camp to prepare to march, and 
 himself rode up to the advance-guard, who were 
 at the very moment sending back to tell him that 
 the enemy were hastily retreating. When he left 
 me to lead the march, I warned him to be prudent, 
 and not to be over-excited by this adventure. 
 
 Some insignificant brushes between our ad- 
 vance-guard and the enemy's rear-guard brought 
 us to the brink of the Piave, the bridge over 
 which had just been burned. It is a large and 
 very swift torrent, like all those in Italy ; but they 
 can all be forded except in case of heavy rain or 
 melting snow. The decision to cross was taken, 
 and carried out without difficulty ; but all was 
 nearly lost owing to precipitation. I was at the 
 rear, and hastened my movement, so that I came 
 up just in time to witness a check given to our 
 troops, especially to a body of cavalry which had 
 just possessed itself of, but had soon to abandon 
 again, one of the enemy's batteries. The charge 
 had been so impetuous that the gunners had had 
 no time to fire ; they were killed, and the artillery 
 General taken prisoner. The Viceroy thought 
 he was dealing only with a rear-guard, but the 
 captured General assured him on his word of 
 honour that the entire Austrian army, commanded 
 by the Archduke John, was there. This news 
 disconcerted the Viceroy. Only a quarter of our 
 army had crossed the water, and they were now 
 
iSog] COMBAT ON THE PI AVE 311 
 
 returning in the utmost disorder. Happily the 
 enemy only attacked feebly, being entirely oc- 
 cupied in covering their retreat. My troops* 
 began to come up. The Prince begged me to 
 cross the river in person to stop the fugitives, 
 and to take command of all on the left bank. 
 Preoccupied with what he had heard from the 
 Austrian General, he said to me : 
 
 ' What are we to do ?' 
 
 • The bottle is uncorked ; we must drink the 
 wine,' I replied. ' You were in too great a hurry, 
 and your troops can hardly escape ; but now that 
 they are on the other side, we must support them 
 as best we can.' 
 
 We settled that my men should cross as they 
 came up. I ordered that it should be in platoons, 
 and that each man should hold his neighbour's 
 arm. The river had increased considerably ; 
 stones slipped from under their feet; some were 
 carried away by the current. It was a sad 
 spectacle ; but I was destined, four years later, 
 to see one much more horrible.f When the 
 fugitives began to arrive in disorder, they threw 
 themselves into the water without observing the 
 stepping-stones. I myself rushed in, sword in 
 hand, to drive them back. After changing my 
 
 * General Macdonald commanded a corps formed out of 
 Lamarque's and Broussier's divisions of infantry and a brigade 
 of cavalry. 
 
 t In 181 3, at the passage of the Elster, after the Battle of 
 Leipsic. 
 
312 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 clothes, I managed to cross the swiftest part of 
 the current by means of a little pontoon which 
 chanced to be there, and the shoulders of two men 
 set me down dry-foot on the other bank. I 
 assembled the Generals, and announced to them 
 that the army also was going to cross. In fact, 
 the front column of my corps was a third of the 
 way through the river. This movement, no 
 doubt, stopped the enemy's attack, or, at any 
 rate, slackened it. As the troops that had been 
 pursued returned, they took up a position with 
 their back to the left bank, so that a violent attack 
 must either have precipitated them into the water, 
 or compelled them to lay down their arms. My 
 first care, after reassuring in a few words both 
 officers and men, was to change this position for 
 one perpendicular to the river, which thus flanked 
 their left. 
 
 General Grenier* had just crossed considerably 
 below me. He attacked and pursued the enemy 
 by the same movement that I was making, so that 
 we found ourselves placed perpendicularly to the 
 river, as I have said. My own troops had been 
 stopped and made to retreat by order of the 
 Viceroy when they were already half-way across 
 the river, because he had seen the rout of which 
 I have spoken, and the pursuit of the enemy. 
 He did not reflect that the best means of stopping 
 it was to reinforce us. He observed to me after- 
 * He commanded a corps of two divisions. 
 
i8o9] COMBAT ON THE PIAVE 313 
 
 wards, with some simplicity, that he regarded us 
 as dead men, and saw no object in sacrificing 
 more lives. I took the opportunity of addressing 
 to him some remarks which he admitted were 
 just, but by which, alas ! he did not profit, such 
 was the effect produced by the loss of the first 
 battle at Sacilio, which had intimidated him.* 
 
 He did not tell me what answer the Emperor 
 had sent on being informed of this defeat, but I 
 learned later that, after reading the despatch, the 
 Emperor had sent for the courier who brought 
 it, and asked whether he had met me, and if so, 
 whereabouts. 
 • * Near Verona,' answered the messenger, 
 
 ' That is all right,' replied the Emperor. 
 
 I had not seen this courier, but was flattered by 
 the reply, as it showed that the Emperor relied 
 upon me to restore his affairs in Italy. 
 
 We must return to the movement that I was 
 executing. When my body of troops joined me 
 the disorder was repaired. All who had crossed 
 the Piave marched in splendid order and attacked 
 ■the enemy, who now began to retreat. How- 
 ever, our extreme right, commanded by General 
 Grenier, halted, although the fire was not very 
 
 * The Viceroy at this time was very young. His after 
 career vindicated him from any charge of personal want of 
 courage. Indeed, after the rout of 181 2-13, on the retreat 
 from Russia, when even Murat deserted the army, it was the 
 Viceroy of Italy who had the difficult task of reorganising the 
 army during Napoleon's absence in Paris. 
 
314 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 hot. I also halted, but for another reason. I 
 perceived towards the middle of our front a mass 
 of the enemy's infantry, covered by a sort of for- 
 tification that was nothing more nor less than an 
 enclosure of sufficient extent to pen oxen during 
 the night — a sort of back {dossde) of a trench. Some 
 cavalry covered this infantry, who were firing at 
 us. We had not any guns across as yet, I think. 
 While our troops were halting, Colonel Vallin, of 
 the Hussars, came and begged me to give him 
 something to do. I told him not to stir without 
 orders, and added that I would soon find work for 
 him. Thereupon I hastened off to the right to 
 get a better view of the enemy's central position, 
 and to discover the motives of Grenier's in- 
 activity. He told me that his troops needed rest. 
 Just when they ought to have been pursuing 
 vigorously ! I gave orders to General Grouchy, 
 who was in command of the cavalry at this 
 point, and while he was conveying them to his 
 men, I turned back to regain the centre. I saw 
 Colonel Vallin and his squadron charging. I 
 foresaw what must inevitably, and eventually did, 
 happen. The enemy's cavalry hurriedly with- 
 drew, and allowed the squadron to advance, thus 
 exposing them to the hot fire of the masked 
 infantry, which I alone had perceived when I 
 commanded the halt. My intention had been 
 to outflank it on the right, and such were my 
 orders to Grouchy. The enemy's cavalry, seeing 
 
i8o9] COMBAT ON THE PI AVE 315 
 
 Vallin's regiment hesitate, charged, and from 
 where I was I could see that we were not getting 
 the best of it in the m^de that ensued. I spurred 
 my horse, and came up with the unlucky leader, 
 who Was wounded in the hand, and reproached 
 him furiously for having disobeyed my orders. 
 He told me that he had acted upon orders from 
 the Viceroy, who galloped up and said unreflect- 
 ingly : 
 
 ' Now then, hussars ! let me see you charge 
 those blackguards !' 
 
 Vallin had answered that he would have already 
 done it had not I forbidden him to stir. 
 
 'Never mind,' answered the Prince; 'charge 
 all the same !' 
 
 And he did so. 
 
 The Viceroy, who had been watching us from 
 the other bank of the Piave, had made up his 
 mind to cross, and had arrived just in time to 
 order this grand mistake while I was away on the 
 right. I rode up to him, and pointed out to him 
 that he had most inconsiderately deranged my 
 operation. He answered that he fancied there 
 were only a few musketeers there. 
 
 ' Do you suppose ^Aey would have stopped 
 me ?' I answered, and then proceeded to explain 
 my plan, which might still be carried out. 
 
 He applauded it, and congratulated me upon 
 all I had already done ; in doing so, he was 
 echoing the sentiments of the army, which was 
 
,3i6 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 full of spirit and determination. In replying to 
 the Prince's compliments, I asked to be allowed 
 to carry out my operation, adding that I would 
 show him that I knew what I was about. As I 
 am writing only for you, my son, I need not put 
 on any airs of mock-modesty ; I simply tell you 
 the truth with the frankness that I am universally 
 admitted to possess. 
 
 ' See !' I said to the Viceroy ; ' the enemy's 
 right wing is beating a hasty retreat ! I am going 
 to cut it off, and to-night I will make you a present 
 of 10,000 prisoners.' 
 
 ' I can see nothing,' he answered. 
 
 ' Can you not see that immense cloud of dust 
 gradually drawing away from us ?' 
 
 ' Yes." 
 I ' Well, from that it is easy to divine that a 
 general retreat is going on. Go to the left, make 
 a feint as if to stop that movement, while I bring 
 up the right, and order the centre to advance.' 
 
 We parted in a more amicable frame of mind ; 
 but it did not last long, for scarcely had he 
 ordered the left to advance, when a few cannon- 
 shot stopped him, and he sent orders to the 
 centre and to the right, for which I was bound, to 
 stop too. Amazed at such an order, I returned 
 to the centre, which I found halted ; and thus we 
 lost our chance. I went in search of the Viceroy, 
 whom I found at last. He told me that the 
 enemy seemed inclined to defend themselves, and 
 
i8o9] AN INCOMPLETE SUCCESS 317 
 
 that he was unwilling to risk his army ; that 
 enough had been done, and that evening was 
 advancing rapidly. Vainly did I point out to 
 him that the firing was already slackening, and 
 that its only object had been to cover the re- 
 treat of the right wing. He would pay no 
 heed. 
 
 ' In that case,' I said, ' I shall take no further 
 responsibility. You are in command ; give your 
 orders, and I will carry them out.' 
 
 However, he left me the general command, 
 and recrossed the river to spend the night upon 
 the other side ; while we remained in a huge 
 meadow, or pasture-ground, without any shelter, 
 and, what was worse still, without food for man 
 or beast, as no baggage could come across until 
 the bridge burned by the enemy had been re- 
 built. 
 
 The Viceroy joined us early next morning, 
 and General Grenier was ordered to follow him 
 closely. The advance-guard belonged to me as 
 the first corps, but for the present we formed the 
 centre. I accompanied the Prince to the town of 
 Conegliano. The principal official^ of the place 
 came out to greet him, and one of them said : 
 
 ' Ah, your Highness ! had you but pushed 
 forward two squadrons, you could have cut off 
 the entire right wing of the Austrians, numbering 
 at least 10,000 men. They were fleeing pell- 
 mell, in the most hopeless confusion of men. 
 
3i8 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 horses, baggage, artillery, etc. Their leaders 
 could not make their voices heard, nor rally a 
 platoon ; and the confusion and stampede lasted 
 all night.' 
 
 The Prince looked at me regretfully ; my only 
 answer was a smile. Indeed, he had stopped 
 my movement in a most untimely manner. 
 
 Nothing of importance occurred during the 
 next few days : the enemy continued their hasty 
 retreat, and we reached Udine. My corps was 
 detached, so I could act independently. The 
 rest of the army marched through Tarvis to 
 Klagenfurt, and I was charged to raise the siege 
 of Palmanova ; to cross the Isonzo ; to take 
 Goritz and Trieste ; to do my best to facilitate the 
 passage of General Marmont, Duke of Ragusa, 
 who was under orders to evacuate Dalmatia and 
 join us. Then I was to make for Laybach ; to 
 cross the Save, the Drave, and the Muhr ; to 
 take Gratz ; and, finally, to effect a junction with 
 the bulk of the Army of Italy, and to lead the 
 whole body to join the Grand Army on the Som- 
 mering. This was a large undertaking, and pre- 
 sented considerable difficulties ; but I did not 
 regard them as insurmountable. Besides, I had 
 £ar^e blanche. 
 
 The siege of Palmanova was raised at my 
 approach. The garrison and inhabitants received 
 us as deliverers. I sent a good detachment to 
 Trieste, and the General who commanded it 
 
iSocj] PREWALD AND LAYBACH 319 
 
 grumbled that I was ' sacrificing ' him ; but, as it 
 turned out, he met with no resistance whatever. 
 We crossed the Isonzo by main force, and took 
 Goritz, where large magazines were established. 
 We also found there some siege artillery from 
 Palmanova. 
 
 The heights of Prewald were fortified, and 
 connected by earthworks and blockhouses : I 
 battered down all that covered the approaches to 
 them. Our first attacks having been wanting in 
 vigour, I led them myself, and thus taught the 
 Generals that with more decision they would have 
 lost fewer men. They combined together to hinder 
 my operations, which I determined to head and 
 carry out in person. 
 
 This line of forts was flanked on the left by 
 precipices, and on the right by a range of very 
 lofty rocks. I sent some light infantry to escalade 
 it, and from below they looked like pigmies : we 
 even succeeded in hoisting up some field-guns. 
 These demonstrations were made with no object 
 but to deceive ; however, we succeeded in invest- 
 inor the forts. The detachment from Trieste 
 came up ; its leader was charged to send emis- 
 saries to the Duke of Ragusa ; none could pass, 
 and we had no news of him. 
 
 During these operations, I sent to reconnoitre 
 
 the passages leading to the quicksilver-mines of 
 
 Idria, and from thence to the highroad between 
 
 'Trieste and Vienna ; there were obstacles in the 
 
320 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 way of moving our baggage, but they might be 
 overcome. Leaving troops, therefore, to observe 
 the forts, I surveyed the base of the chain of 
 rocks, and came out upon the highroad with the 
 greater part of my forces. I sent reconnoitring 
 parties out in all directions. I marched towards 
 Laybach, where a battalion of the advance-guard 
 met an Austrian battalion in a bend of the road ; 
 both were very much in fault, as no scouts were, 
 out from either party. To see and to rush at 
 each other with the bayonet was the work of a 
 moment. Our men had the advantage of coming 
 downhill, and the enemy were crushed ; only a 
 very small handful of them remained to carry the 
 news of the defeat of the others to Laybach. So 
 little did the enemy count upon the possibility of 
 our march, that they had sent this battalion to 
 reinforce the forts of Prewald, and keep us in 
 check. 
 
 An immense entrenched camp was intended to 
 protect Laybach ; but the insufficiency of their 
 troops determined the enemy to disarm and abandon 
 the side on our left, as well as the town, and to 
 confine themselves to the defence of the fort, and 
 of the other side. I ordered a reconnaissance of 
 the approaches ; they were considered imprac- 
 ticable for a general attack ; to besiege it we had 
 no artillery, the bridge over the Save was in part 
 destroyed, and we had neither time nor materials 
 to restore it. I sent a summons, according to 
 
i8o9] RESULTS OF THE OPERATION 321 
 
 custom, to the Commandant of the camp and 
 forts : he refused to surrender. 
 
 The capitulation of the forts of Prewald set a 
 considerable number of my troops at liberty, and 
 the enemy were certain to have had intelligence 
 of this. Their communications with Hungary and 
 Croatia were still open ; the liberation of my 
 forces made it all the easier for me to intercept 
 them. The fort of Laybach, as well as the en- 
 trenched camp, was covered on our front by a 
 marsh of considerable extent, and on another side 
 by the Save. I could therefore only attack on the 
 •extreme right side, as the left was unapproachable 
 from the town. While, however, I was meditating 
 upon the best means of carrying the position, 
 imperative orders reached me to leave only a 
 detachment for purposes of observation, and to 
 make for Klagenfurt with the rest of my army. 
 I could no longer cross the Save, and therefore 
 could only start silently and by night in the direc- 
 tion indicated ; in order to prepare for my march, 
 I made active demonstrations against the fort and 
 the entrenched camp. I had caused the marsh 
 to be sounded, and had a road cut through it for 
 the cavalry, who could thus come out upon the 
 Croatian road. Orders were given that the troops 
 who were to start for Klagenfurt were to be ready 
 at nine o'clock that evening. Scarcely had we 
 started, when 2. parletnentaire was brought to me. 
 He was charged with a proposal of capitulation. 
 
 VOL. I. 13 
 
322 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 'You are doing wisely,' I said; 'I was just 
 going to sound the attacl<.'* 
 
 Having thus obtained every facihty for tempo- 
 rarily rebuilding the bridge, I made my way 
 direct by Marburg to Gratz, where I joined the 
 Viceroy, who had preceded me. 
 
 The results I obtained from this operation, 
 which I conducted alone, were the deliverance of 
 Palmanova, the passage by main force of the 
 Isonzo, the occupation of Goritz, Trieste, Lay- 
 bach, the forts of Prewald, of that of Lay bach, 
 as well as its entrenched camp ; ten or twelve 
 thousand prisoners, a hundred guns, ammunition, 
 weapons, flags in proportion, and an immense 
 quantity of provisions. The Emperor expressed 
 his satisfaction to me through the Viceroy. 
 
 While we were in front of Laybach I was 
 seized, as well as some of my men, with dysen- 
 tery, which weakened me terribly, and which was 
 increased by the work, and by the worries and 
 annoyances which were being secretly fostered 
 against me by two of the principal Generals. One 
 of them was weak enough in mind and wits to 
 allow himself to be intluenced by the other,t who 
 declared that the Emperor had only employed me 
 in order to ruin me, that they would be dragged 
 
 * As all the details of this extraordinary event are noted in 
 my correspondence, I will not repeat them here. — Note by 
 Marshal Macdonald. 
 
 t This was General Lamarque; the former was General 
 Broussier. 
 
i8o9] RESULTS OF THE OPERATION 323 
 
 into my disgrace, that neither they nor the troops 
 would obtain any favour or reward, etc. All this 
 was repeated to me. 
 
 I had indeed noticed that some of my orders 
 had been tardily executed when activity was 
 necessary, and I should certainly have failed in 
 some of my enterprises had I not directed them 
 myself, which served only to increase the resent- 
 ment of my antagonists, who foimd that they only 
 obtained a small share in the success that crowned 
 them. The situation, however, was becoming 
 critical, and an opportunity presenting itself — two 
 days before the capitulation of Laybach — I repri- 
 manded one of them sharply, and threatened to 
 put under arrest and send to the Emperor anyone 
 who did not obey orders on the spot. This was 
 in presence of a considerable number of officers 
 and men, who loudly applauded my decision. 
 Thenceforward my gentlemen did no more than 
 mutter, but that did not trouble me. 
 
[ 324 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Arrival at Gratz — Advance to Raab — Battle of Raab — Before 
 Komorn — The Eve of Wagram — Battle of Wagram — The 
 Marshal's Baton. 
 
 Shortly before my arrival at Gratz, I met a 
 Russian officer, who told me of the sad results of 
 the Battle of Essling. Our successes were such a 
 poor compensation for such an unhappy event, 
 that our joy was naturally turned into sorrowful 
 regret. I found General Grouchy, who had pre- 
 ceded me by a few hours, at Gratz, whence he 
 withdrew his troops to give place to mine. The 
 Archduke John, who had retired into Hungary, 
 had not thought it necessary to defend the town, 
 notwithstanding a well-basjioned rampart and the 
 river Miihr, which was not easy to cross without 
 pontoons. Grouchy had just concluded an agree- 
 ment whereby the elevated fort that dominated 
 Gratz was not to be attacked from the town, so 
 as to preserve the latter from all harm. By this 
 means, too, the bridge over the Miihr was given 
 up. I therefore contented myself with investing 
 the fort externally, and with preparing means to 
 
i8o9] ADVANCE TO RAAB 325 
 
 obtain possession of it eitlier by a cotip-de-maiu 
 or by blockade. 
 
 We were not even permitted to take the rest 
 we all needed, after so much labour and so many 
 forced marches. I received orders to march 
 into Hungary and to cause the fort to be ob- 
 served, and even attacked if I saw fit. My route 
 lay by Kermund, the Lake of Neusiedel and 
 Papa ; we were then on the tracks of the Arch- 
 duke's Austrian army, which was retreating to the 
 camp at Raab. The Viceroy followed it. His 
 cavalry had a sharp brush with the enemy, owing 
 to their having too lightly engaged with an in- 
 ferior force. One of our divisions lost its way 
 and missed the rendezvous. 
 
 Although the Viceroy had sent me orders to 
 take up my position at Papa, while awaiting fresh 
 instructions, I did not think in his interest and in 
 that of the army that I should obey. I was right, 
 and he afterwards thanked me cordially, for he 
 had much compromised the troops that he was 
 leading to Raab by a serious and very imprudent 
 engagement. I had started on my march, follow- 
 ing the cavalry, who preceded us. The distance 
 from Papa to the place where the engagement 
 was being fought was, if I remember rightly, 
 seven or eight leagues.''' When I had advanced 
 about two-thirds of the distance, I met an officer 
 
 * The French lieue, which I have rendered 'league,' is 
 about 2^^ miles in English measure. — Tra?islator's note. 
 
326 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 from the Prince, bearing orders to raise my camp 
 and join him. When the officer had left the 
 Viceroy they were only skirmishing. I made the 
 utmost speed, but it was impossible to arrive in 
 time to take part in the attack ; but at least we 
 should have been able to assist the retreat, if 
 such had unfortunately been necessary. The 
 Commander-in-chief was actively engaged, and 
 had already been repulsed several times when I 
 came up ; but as I turned the corner of a wood 
 and of the heights, the battlefield was disclosed to 
 my view. Several regiments were retreating 
 in disorder ; efforts were being made to rally 
 them. I galloped up and presented myself to the 
 Viceroy, who expressed delighted surprise at 
 seeing me so speedily. 
 
 ' I was very sorry,' he said, ' to leave you at 
 Papa ; you would have been very useful to me in 
 this critical situation.' 
 
 ' You have made a greater mistake than that,' I 
 answered ; ' that of giving and risking a battle 
 with only a portion of your army, when you have 
 that of the Archduke in front of you, in what 
 seems to me a fairly strong position. But take 
 comfort, here is my corps darmde.^ 
 ' Where ?' he asked quickly. 
 ' Look behind you ; here it is just debouching.' 
 ' How grateful I am to you for your fore- 
 sight !' said the Prince, affectionately pressing 
 my hand. 
 
i8o9] BATTLE OF RAAB 327 
 
 ' Now then,' I said, ' one more attempt. Here 
 is help ; I am going to send up my troops.' 
 
 ' No,' he rephed ; ' let them rest. We will call 
 upon them later.' 
 
 General Grenier, who commanded the right, 
 succeeded at length in routing the enemy and 
 crowning the heights. We joined him. The 
 sight of my men had revived the spirits of his. 
 We ought to have taken advantage of this and 
 pressed the enemy ; but he refused, thinking that 
 he had done enough, and saying that his men 
 were too tired and needed rest. I tried to induce 
 the Viceroy to give his orders, but recent events 
 had made him nervous. The enemy's infantry, 
 however, were in disorder ; we sent out some 
 horse, unfortunately without any cohesion, and 
 the enemy were allowed to retreat quietly. 
 
 No notice was taken of my energetic protests, 
 or of my saying that we should have to fight 
 these same troops again next day, and perhaps at 
 a disadvantage ; that the Emperor's first question, 
 on hearing of our victory, would be : 
 
 ' Where are the results- — the prisoners, guns, 
 baggage ?' 
 
 ' You are too enterprising,' said the Viceroy. 
 
 ' But,' I remonstrated, ' here, as at the Piave, 
 you have only to stoop to pick up everything.' 
 
 He replied that he feared a sortie from the 
 garrison at Raab if he followed in pursuit. I 
 pointed out that if the sortie were going to take 
 
328 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 place it would have been during the action, and 
 not when the troops were in full flight ; that the 
 very fact that no sortie had been made was a 
 proof of the weakness of the garrison, which 
 perhaps was doing its best with very inadequate 
 forces, but which could not fail to be disheartened 
 by what had just passed beneath their eyes. All 
 was in vain, and the Prince gave orders for the 
 camp to be pitched. 
 
 He took me to supper with him, and on the 
 way confirmed to me what he had already written 
 more than once, the tokens of pleasure that the 
 Emperor had given over my services, and the 
 rapid and surprising successes of my corps 
 darmde. 
 
 Next day I followed the enemy, who were 
 much in advance of us. They were making for 
 Komorn, a very strong place on the right bank 
 of the Danube. We learned that the disorder 
 into which they had been thrown at Raab had 
 not yet been repaired. We spent some time in 
 observation upon the river, vainly trying to 
 break the bridge between the fortress and the 
 left bank by floating down the stream against it 
 some large boats laden with stones, which the 
 enemy had not had time to sink. They had 
 destroyed many others laden with grain of all 
 kinds. There were nothing but water-mills there, 
 and their destruction was a great injury to us ; 
 but the French soldier, always ingenious and in- 
 
1809] BEFORE KOMORN 329 
 
 dustrious, found some smooth stones with which 
 to grind his corn. Without this discovery there 
 would have been no bread amid the abundance of 
 grain. 
 
 The Grand Army at Vienna and the inhabitants 
 suffered terribly from scarcity, chiefly of meat. 
 Hungary, a country rich in crops, wine, cattle, 
 etc., where also many horses are bred, offered us 
 boundless resources. I immediately sent large 
 convoys of wheat and oats, as well as 10,000 
 oxen, to the Emperor's headquarters. We also 
 levied a large number of horses to remount our 
 hussars and chasseurs, the breed being specially 
 well adapted to light troops. Except the serfs, 
 all the men wore hussar costume, and it is from 
 them that it has been so universally copied. 
 During the first days of our entrance into the 
 kingdom we took them for irregular troops ; 
 happily, we found them very peaceable. 
 
 After our fruitless attempt to destroy the bridge 
 at Komorn, I received orders to advance towards 
 Ofen, capital of Hungary; but shortly afterwards 
 was recalled by forced marches to the chief 
 headquarters at Ebersdorf, opposite the island 
 of Lobau. It was clear that a great operation 
 was being prepared. We were not the last to 
 arrive, and by nine o'clock in the evening of 
 July ^ we were at our posts on the Danube at 
 the crossing-place that had been selected for the 
 surprise of the enemy. We had marched sixty 
 
330 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 leagues in three days, and notwithstanding our 
 excessive fatigue, and the heat of the season, we 
 had but few laggards, so anxious were the men of 
 the Army of Italy to take part in the great events 
 that were preparing, and to fight in presence of 
 their brothers-in-arms of the Grand Army, and 
 under the very eyes of the Emperor. 
 
 That night an appalling storm burst upon us ; 
 rain and hail fell in torrents, driven by a raging 
 north wind, the whistling of which mingled with 
 the peals of thunder and roar of cannon. This 
 tempest was extremely favourable to our passage 
 of the Danube upon bridges built on piles, at 
 which they had been working since the fatal 22nd 
 of the previous May f they were masked by the 
 thickly-wooded island of Lobau. I landed upon 
 the island at about six o'clock in the morning ; 
 what we most wanted was a good fire to dry us, 
 but the sun soon came out and warmed us with 
 his kindly rays. Meanwhile, several corps of the 
 Grand Army, which had roused the enemy from 
 their security, were driving back their advance- 
 guard, and this, being supported from behind, 
 was slowly retreating towards the intrenched 
 position of the camp. 
 
 I moved forward in my turn, and was 
 momentarily placed in the second rank with the 
 remainder of the Army of Italy. Scarcely had 
 I deployed, being myself on the extreme right, 
 
 * The Battle of Essling had been fought on May 21 and 22. 
 
i8o9] THE EVE OF WAGRAM 331 
 
 when I heard cries of ' Long live the Emperor !' 
 coming from the left. 
 
 The soldiers, as he approached, raised their 
 shakos upon their bayonets in token of joy. He 
 turned his horse towards the direction whence the 
 cheering proceeded, and, recognising the Army of 
 Italy, rode down the line; as he approached the 
 right, I moved forward slightly. He spoke to 
 no one, merely saluting with his hand. In spite of 
 what the Viceroy had told me, that I should be 
 pleased with my first interview, I was not more 
 favoured than the rest. I do not know where 
 Prince Eugene then was, but immediately on 
 hearing that the Emperor had passed, he hastened 
 up and said : 
 
 'Well, I hope you were satisfied. No doubt 
 he confirmed by word of mouth all that I have 
 written to you ?' 
 
 ' He did not address a single word to me.' 
 
 • What ?' 
 
 ' Not a word. He merely nodded, as if to say : 
 " I can see through you, you rascal !" ' 
 
 The kind Prince was miserable, fearing, of 
 course wrongly, lest I should think that he had 
 been a well-meaning but clumsy interpreter ; and 
 he gave me his word of honour, of which I had 
 no need, so convinced was I of his friendly and 
 honest truthfulness, that he had only written to 
 me the Emperor's exact words. 
 
 It was already late. The troops of the Grand 
 
332 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Army, tired with marching and fighting since the 
 morning, formed into columns to let us pass. 
 We thus had the honour of becoming the front 
 rank and of pursuing the enemy, who only turned 
 now and again in order to check our ardour, 
 They eventually regained their positions, and we 
 halted within short cannon-range. I was then 
 in front of the position at Wagram ; the village 
 of that name was on the left, and that of Bau- 
 mersdorf on the right. A violent cannonade 
 continued along the whole line while we were 
 forming. 
 
 The Emperor came up to speak to the Viceroy, 
 with whom I was talking ; I fell back some yards. 
 He did not speak to me as yet, but I heard him 
 say somewhat carelessly ; 
 
 'Order General Macdonald to attack and carry 
 the plateau. The enemy are retiring, and we 
 must make some prisoners.' 
 
 Thereupon he went away. The Prince, joining 
 me, said : 
 
 ' Do you know what the Emperor has just been 
 saying to me ?' 
 
 ' Yes,' I replied ; ' I heard his orders.' 
 
 ' Well, what is your opinion ?' 
 
 ' I think the Emperor is mistaken ; the enemy 
 are not leaving, they are simply retiring to the 
 intrenched position they have selected for the 
 battle. Do you not see, the entire army is there, 
 looking very brave ? In order to carry through 
 
i8o9] THE EVE OF WAGE AM 
 
 333 
 
 such an undertaking, although we have but an 
 hour of daylight left, we should nedd to attack 
 with the whole army. Lose no time — go, or else 
 send these remarks of mine to the Emperor.' 
 But he was afraid of him, and answered : 
 ' Not I ! He ordered us to attack ; let us do it.' 
 ' So be it,' I answered ; ' but you will see how 
 we shall be beaten,' which of course happened, as 
 it could not fail to do. 
 
 We started, well protected by artillery, but our 
 leading columns soon stopped at the Russbach, 
 a stream with steep banks, which covered the 
 Austrian front. I sprang to the ground, made 
 my staff do the same, and sword in hand we set 
 the example of crossing it, and were followed by 
 the men. This bold stroke drove the enemy 
 back, and we obtained possession of the plateau. 
 We were obliged to halt near their huts, and form 
 into columns, in order to attack the enemy, drawn 
 up not far off, and also to wait till General 
 Grenier, who was crossing the stream with his 
 troops, could come up to our support. We had 
 passed the villages of Wagram and Baumersdorf, 
 which other corps of the Grand Army had failed 
 to take ; they had even retreated. The enemy 
 debouched in large numbers, and attacked one 
 flank, while the columns that we had held in check 
 advanced against us. 
 
 General Grenier's troops, amazed at this un- 
 expected onslaught, threw themselves in disorder 
 
334 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 among my men, breaking their lines and scatter- 
 ing them All my efforts to restrain them were 
 vain, although, sword in hand, with the majority 
 of the officers, I had drawn up a line to check the 
 disorder. The rout commenced, and we were 
 carried away, crossing the stream in the utmost 
 confusion. The Prince, who had remained on 
 the other side, tried to stop the fugitives. On 
 coming close to him, I pointed out that he could 
 not stop men under such a sharp fire, as they were 
 now terror-stricken, although a few minutes before 
 they had displayed such resolution ; that what he 
 should do was to send some detachments of 
 cavalry out of range, and that the fugitives would 
 naturally stop on reaching ihem. Fortunately, 
 the enemy was satisfied with having repulsed us, 
 and dared not cross the stream in pursuit, although 
 a few squadrons would have sufficed to disperse 
 us, for night had come on, and we should have 
 imagined ourselves charged by the entire Austrian 
 army, and the result would not be difficult to 
 imagine. My loss in killed, wounded, and 
 prisoners was enormous, amounting to nearly two 
 thousand men. General Grenier had his hand 
 shattered by a bullet at the beginning of this 
 ' brush,' as the Emperor called it. 
 
 I did not leave the Viceroy. We passed the 
 night out of doors, as did all the army, keeping 
 a sharp look-out while our officers tried to rally 
 the fugitives. 
 
i8o9] BATTLE OF WAGRAM 
 
 335 
 
 'What will the Emperor think?' asked the 
 Prince sadly. 
 
 ' Nothing detrimental to you or me. He will 
 realize, now that it is too late, that his orders 
 were ill-considered. Where you were wrong was 
 in not taking or sending to him the observations 
 that I had made to you before embarking upon 
 this unlucky attempt, the result of which was a 
 foregone conclusion.' 
 
 At daybreak, on July 6, a violent cannonade 
 began on our extreme right. We re-established 
 our line, and formed up. The enemy in front of 
 us remained motionless, but soon advanced some 
 troops on the right ; they slowly descended the 
 heights as if to cross the stream in front of 
 Bernadotte, who was posted on my left in front 
 of the village of Wagram. On the right was 
 Marshal Davoust,* who, marching against the 
 enemy, was either warned, or else met them 
 coming towards him. The firing was violent, 
 and, as the Marshal believed that he had the 
 entire Austrian force against him, all our reserves 
 were ordered up to support him, and effect a 
 diverbion. The Emperor came to the spot where 
 I was, and addressed himself directly to me, saying : 
 
 ' Last night you carried the plateau of Wag- 
 ram ; you know the way up to it ; carry it again. 
 Marmont will at the same time attack the village 
 
 * Duke of Auerstadt and Prince of Eckmiihl. — Translator's 
 note. 
 
336 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 of Baumersdorf ; you and he seem to understand 
 each other ; I will send him to you.' 
 
 Marmont soon came, and we agreed to support 
 each other mutually ; and, in order not to expose 
 ourselves to a repetition of the previous evening's 
 occurrences, the General quite understood that the 
 village should be carried before I commenced my 
 attack upon the plateau ; but while we were com- 
 mencinjj operations, other events were taking 
 place behind us on the left. 
 
 Massena commanded at the real point of attack. 
 The Marshal could not make a stand against 
 troops much superior to his own. He was 
 driven back with great loss on to the tite-de- 
 pont, by which we had passed after crossing 
 the Danube. The Austrians sent forward their 
 right. Davoust was kept in check ; Bernadotte, 
 repulsed before Wagram, left me uncovered. The 
 movements of the enemy on my left and rear 
 were concealed from me by little hillocks and 
 inequalities in the ground. I slowly advanced 
 towards the plateau, because Marmont had met 
 with considerable resistance at the village of 
 Baumersdorf, when the Emperor came up and 
 changed my destination. 
 
 The retreat of Massena, which I then learned 
 for the first time, and the retrograde movement 
 made by Bernadotte, had left the centre of the 
 army exposed. I therefore received orders to 
 change my direction — to turn almost completely 
 
€ 
 
 3} 
 
 lij] 
 
t8o9] BATTLE OF WAGRAM 
 
 337 
 
 round, and go and take up my position near the 
 hillocks. The Emperor betook himself to the 
 highest of these in order to observe, and kept 
 sending officers, one after another, to me to hasten 
 my movements. The manoeuvre that I was carry- 
 ing out, however, demanded some time, and, 
 besides, I thought it would be imprudent to arrive 
 disordered and straggling. 
 
 Vexed and anxious to know the reason for 
 these reiterated orders, I galloped towards the 
 Emperor, when I saw him leaving the hillock as 
 fast as his horse could go, followed by his 
 'numerous staff. I continued, however, and gained 
 the top of the hillock he had just quitted, when 
 at once I saw what was the matter. The enemy, 
 who were in great numbers at this point, were 
 marching the more boldly that they encountered 
 no resistance : I then understood (as the Emperor 
 afterwards admitted) that his intention in thus 
 hurrying me was to show that he was not in 
 retreat there, as he was on the left. It was 
 therefore necessary to risk something in order to 
 carry this out with the utmost speed ; but little 
 did I think that this spot was to become shortly 
 afterwards the principal point of attack, against 
 which the numerous forces of the enemy would 
 come to shatter themselves. 
 
 I therefore ordered four battalions, followed by 
 four others which I deployed in two lines, to 
 advance at the double ; and while my artillery 
 
 VOL. I. 14 
 
338 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 opened fire, and that of the Guard took up posi- 
 tion (which the Emperor called the hundred gun 
 battery), my two divisions formed themselves into 
 attacking columns. The enemy, who were still 
 advancing, halted ; and, redoubling their fire, 
 caused us terrible damage. However, in pro- 
 portion as my lines became unserviceable, I drew 
 them up closer together, and made them dress as 
 at drill. While I was doing this, I saw the 
 enemy's cavalry preparing to charge, and had 
 barely time to close my second line on the first 
 one ; they were flanked by the two divisions still 
 in columns, and the square was completed by a 
 portion of General Nansouty's cavalry that had 
 been put under my orders since the morning. I 
 ordered both ranks to open fire, my famous 
 battery mowing down the cavalry. My hot fire 
 broke them just as they were preparing to charge ; 
 many men and horses fell pierced by our bayonets. 
 The smoke rising disclosed to me the enemy in 
 the utmost disorder, which was increased by their 
 attempt to retreat. I ordered an advance with 
 levelled bayonets, after previously commanding 
 Nansouty to charge, at the same time desiring 
 the cavalry officers whom I saw behind me to 
 do likewise. Unfortunately, they were not under 
 my orders, and the Emperor was not there to 
 give any. 
 
 The enemy were in extreme disorder ; but 
 their fire during their retreat did us much harm. 
 
iSog] BATTLE OF WAGRAM 339 
 
 I was in despair at the slowness of General 
 Nansouty. Not far from us I saw a large number 
 of abandoned pieces of cannon ; the Austrian 
 ofificers were bringing up men, by dint of blows 
 with the flat of their swords, to remove them. 
 At last Nansouty moved, but too late to profit by 
 the gap that I had made in the Austrian centre. 
 I halted to allow his division to pass ; I was, 
 moreover, so weakened that I dared not venture 
 into the plain to pursue the enemy (the more so 
 as Nansouty's cavalry was repulsed, but not 
 followed) until the Emperor sent me reinforce- 
 ments. Unfortunately, the favourable moment 
 had been allowed to slip. The results would 
 have been enormous had Nansouty charged im- 
 mediately, supported by the cavalry which was in 
 the rear. 
 
 I had no staff-ofificers round me — one of my 
 aides-de-camp had been killed, as well as my 
 orderlies ; the others were either incapacitated 
 or away on a mission. While I was thus await- 
 ing reinforcements, a general officer in full uniform 
 rode up to me. I did no-t know him. After the 
 usual greetings, he paid me great compliments 
 upon the action that had just occurred, and 
 finished by inquiring my name, which I gave 
 him. 
 
 ' I knew you by reputation,' he said ; ' and am 
 happy to make your acquaintance on a field of 
 battle so glorious for you.' 
 
340 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 After replying to his compliment, I, in my turn, 
 asked him his name : he was General Walther, 
 of the Guard ; I had never heard of him. 
 
 ' Do you,' I asked, ' command that fine and 
 large body of cavalry which I perceive in the 
 rear ?' 
 
 ' I do.' 
 
 ' Then why in the world did you not charge 
 the enemy at the decisive moment, after I had 
 thrown them into such disorder, and after I had 
 begged you to several times ? The Emperor 
 ought to, and will, be very angry with his Guard 
 for remaining motionless when so glorious a share 
 was offered to them, which might have brought 
 about such enormous and decisive results !' 
 
 ' In the Guard,' replied he, 'we require orders 
 direct from the Emperor himself, or from our 
 chief. Marshal Bessieres. Now, as the latter was 
 wounded, there only remained the Emperor, and 
 he sent us no orders.' 
 
 He added that at the Battle of Essling, several 
 Generals had made use of regiments of Guards, 
 and that they had suffered very much ; where- 
 fore, since then. Marshal Bessieres had obtained 
 instructions that they should only act altogether 
 and under his orders, or under the direct com- 
 mand of the Emperor. 
 
 ' But,' I retorted, ' there are circumstances in 
 which such a rule cannot be considered as abso- 
 lute — such a case as this, for example. The 
 
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i8o9] BATTLE OF WAG RAM 341 
 
 Emperor could not have failed to approve your 
 action, as it would have secured the destruction 
 of a considerable portion of the Austrian army. 
 And, supposing that we had been repulsed 
 instead of gaining a success, would you not have 
 protected us ? and would you have retired from 
 the field without a blow because you had received 
 no orders ?' 
 
 These questions embarrassed him ; he saluted, 
 and returned to his troop. I afterwards learned 
 that the Emperor had treated him and the other 
 Generals of the Guard very severely indeed ; but 
 the fault really lay with the Emperor himself. 
 He should not have forgotten the restriction he 
 had imposed, and should have remained in person 
 at the principal centre of the action to direct 
 everything. Later on, in talking over these oc- 
 currences with me, he was still very bitter against 
 his Guard. 
 
 ' Why did you not make them act ?' he said. 
 ' I put them under your orders !' 
 
 ' I knew nothing about that,' I replied. ' I 
 limited myself to repeated, but fruitless, requests. 
 And how could I have made them charge, when 
 I had endless trouble to get General Nansouty to 
 move ? He wanted so much time to form his men !' 
 
 ' That is true,' said the Emperor ; ' he is rather 
 slow.' 
 
 The reinforcement I had asked for came at 
 last ; it was composed of General Wrede's 
 
342 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Bavarian division, and of General Guyot's brigade 
 of light cavalry of the Guard. The enemy's 
 retrograde movement had commenced, and I 
 began mine to follow them. I thought the whole 
 cor/>s d'armde were doing the same. Towards 
 evening I caught up the rear-guard close by a 
 village called Siissenbriinn, which was fortified 
 with earthworks. I made a feint of attacking in 
 front, while I made an oblique movement to flank 
 it ; but the Austrian General, discovering my in- 
 tentions, immediately beat a retreat. I called back 
 the outflanking party, and warned General Guyot 
 to hold himself in readiness to charge. He sent me 
 back word that his Guards were always ready, a 
 boast that he justified a moment later; for scarcely 
 had I given orders to attack, than both his men 
 and the Bavarians charged together. The two 
 troops stormed the camp, and cut off the 
 column, bringing me back 5,000 or 6,000 prisoners 
 and ten guns. Scarcely were these prisoners 
 removed, when a reserve, posted on a height 
 commanding the village, assailed us with bullets, 
 grapeshot, and a well-sustained musketry-fire. I 
 saw General Wrede fall, and hastened to his 
 assistance ; his men raised him up, and he then 
 said to me : 
 
 ' Tell the Emperor that I die for him; I recom- 
 mend to him my wife and children.' 
 
 He was being supported, and, to reassure him, 
 I said, laughing : 
 
i8o9] BATTLE OF WAGRAM 
 
 343 
 
 ' I think that you will be able to make this 
 recommendation to him yourself; and, what is 
 more, that your wife will continue to have children 
 by you.' 
 
 It proved to be a slight wound from a bullet 
 that had grazed his side. The wind of the bullet 
 had made him giddy. 
 
 The firing was then very severe, and the 
 flames of the burning village helped to display our 
 weakness, especially as night was coming on, and 
 the enemy could see to shoot straighten I 
 became seriously uneasy on looking round and 
 finding myself isolated ; I had been so occupied 
 in pursuing the enemy that I had failed to notice 
 that the army was not following. I did not know 
 what singular motive had stopped or suspended 
 its movement, for at five o'clock they had taken 
 up position, and I had received no orders counter- 
 manding my advance. 
 
 The Emperor, on the other hand, was much 
 surprised to hear such persistent firing going on 
 far off at one particular point of the battlefield. 
 He sent several officers to discover the cause. I 
 had no need to give explanations; our position 
 spoke for itself. From these officers I learned 
 that the whole army had been bivouacked since 
 five o'clock. 
 
 Massena also was a long way to the rear of my 
 left. He also sent to know which was the adven- 
 turous corps. 
 
344 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 Meanwhile, in the twiHght, and by lying at full 
 length on the ground, we could distinguish in the 
 distance some bodies of cavalry coming towards 
 us, or rather towards the fire, and this reassured 
 me ; but if the enemy had had any pluck, they 
 could have surrounded me with very superior 
 forces, seeing that all their reserves were collected ^ 
 on the heights. Fortunately, their one idea was 
 to cover the retreat and disorder of their wings. 
 
 The firing ceased on either side about eleven 
 o'clock, but we remained under arms till daybreak. 
 As I then perceived that the enemy had retired, 
 I sent my cavalry in pursuit while waiting for 
 orders. They kept on sending back numerous 
 prisoners, including those taken the previous 
 evening ; these amounted in the aggregate to 
 10,000, and fifteen guns. At the Island of Lobau 
 20,000 prisoners had been made. I had there- 
 fore captured half the total, and the artillery I 
 took was all that was captured. 
 
 A few hours later the Viceroy passed ; he 
 gave us great praise, and said that the Emperor 
 was very pleased with me, that he had as yet 
 given no orders as to our ulterior movements, 
 that I was to wait, and that he would follow my 
 cavalry. I then noticed for the first time that my 
 horse had received a bullet in the neck, but which 
 had remained between the skin and the flesh ; he 
 was taken away in order that it might be ex- 
 tracted. As for me, I went to one of the houses 
 
tSogJ END OF THE BATTLE ■ 345 
 
 in the town, where I had passed a few hours the 
 previous night, worn out, and suffering from a 
 kick given me by my horse the day before. 
 This is how it happened : I had had my sword in 
 hand during the action ; having dismounted 
 while waiting for the reinforcements, I mounted 
 again on their arrival. In doing so I pricked the 
 animal's crupper with the point of my sword, 
 which I still held, having lost my scabbard. Had 
 I been farther away, I should have had my thigh 
 broken, or it might have been even worse. 
 
 I soon fell asleep, but not for long, as I was 
 awakened by cries of ' Long live the Emperor !' 
 which redoubled when he entered my camp. I 
 asked for my horse, but he had been taken away. 
 I had no other, as the rest were far behind. As 
 I could not walk, I remained on my straw, when 
 I heard someone inquiring for me. It was an 
 orderly officer, either M. Anatole de Montes- 
 quiou, or his brother, who was afterwards killed 
 in Spain. He came by the Emperor's order to 
 look for me. On my remarking that I had no 
 horse and could not walk, he offered me his, 
 which I accepted. I saw the Emperor surrounded 
 by my troops, whom he was congratulating. He 
 approached me, and embracing me cordially, said : 
 
 ' Let us be friends henceforward,' 
 
 ' Yes,' I answered, ' till death.' And I have 
 kept my word, not only up to the time of his 
 abdication, but even beyond it. He added : 
 
346 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 'You have behaved valiantly, and have 
 rendered me the greatest services, as, indeed, 
 throughout the entire campaign. On the battle- 
 field of your glory, where I owe you so large a 
 part of yesterday's success, I make you a Marshal 
 of France'"'' (he used this expression instead of 
 ' of the Empire '). ' You have long deserved it.' 
 
 ' Sire,' I answered, ' since you are satisfied with 
 us, let the rewards and recompenses be appor- 
 tioned and distributed among my army corps, 
 beginning with Generals Lamarque, Broussier, 
 etc., who so ably seconded me.' 
 
 ' Anything you please,' he replied ; ' I have 
 nothing to refuse you.' 
 
 Thereupon he went away much moved, as I 
 was also. Thus did I avenge myself for all 
 the petty annoyances caused me by General 
 Lamarque, who, although he had heard me 
 mention his name first of all, still continued to 
 worry me. 
 
 Scarcely had the Emperor turned his horse's 
 head, when many exalted personages came to 
 congratulate and compliment me. The one who 
 showed me most affection was the Duke de 
 Bassano, at that time Secretary of State, then 
 Berthier, Prince of Neuchatel, Major-General of 
 the army. Both these men were in Napoleon's 
 most intimate confidence. 
 
 * Macdonald was the only Marshal created on a field of 
 battle. — Michaud, 'Biographie Universelle.' — Translator' s note. 
 
i8o9] MARSHAL OF FRANCE 347 
 
 ' No doubt you knew what he intended to do ?' 
 I said to the latter. 
 
 ' No,' he replied naively. 
 
 Then came embraces and handshakings that 
 I thought would never end. Many would have 
 passed me by had it not been for the Emperor's 
 favour. 
 
 The Emperor caught up the Viceroy, and re- 
 lated to him with considerable emotion the scene 
 which had just taken place and my elevation. 
 The latter promptly despatched an aide-de-camp 
 to congratulate me, to invite me to breakfast, and 
 to beg me to bring my troops forward on the 
 highroad between Vienna and Wolkersdorf. T 
 found the Prince in the hunting-lodge known as 
 the Rendezvous ; he was at table with the 
 Artillery- Generals Lariboisiere and Sorbier, the 
 former of whom was killed at Konigsberg, at the 
 end of the campaign of 1812, the latter still 
 living in the neighbourhood of Nevers. As soon 
 as I was announced, he hastened to meet me, and 
 we embraced each other effusively. 
 
 ' The good accounts that you have given of me 
 have procured me this honour,' I said to him. 
 ' I shall never forget it.' 
 
 ' It is you, and you alone,' he replied, ' who have 
 gained your baton.' 
 
 The others joined in congratulating me ; I only 
 knew Lariboisiere by reputation. 
 
 ' I am sure,' I continued to the Prince, ' that 
 
348 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 you knew what the Emperor had in contempla- 
 tion, though you concealed it from me this morn- 
 ing.' 
 
 He answered frankly, ' No,' and added after a 
 moment's thought, ' I remember now that while 1 
 was walking and talking with the Emperor in his 
 tent early this morning we spoke of the battle. 
 He regretted that so little had resulted from it, 
 and after a moment's silence said : "It is not 
 Macdonald's fault, though, for he worked ver)' 
 hard." I see now,' added the Prince, ' that he 
 was then thinking of rewarding you, and was 
 determined to give as much t^c/ai as possible to 
 your nomination.' 
 
 Such was the circumstance that raised me to 
 the dignity of which, I am convinced, I had been 
 deprived by intrigue when the first appointments 
 were made. It was necessary to have had the 
 chief command of armies to obtain it, and I had 
 had temporary command of that of the North, 
 full command of those of Rome, Naples, and the 
 Grisons, while several others had only commanded 
 large divisions or wings. I think that I have 
 already said that I had against me my intimacy 
 with a person belonging to the Emperor's family, 
 the Moreau trial, in which an attempt had been 
 made to implicate me, but which attempt signally 
 failed, as I was proved entirely innocent of any 
 complicity, and finally intrigue and jealousy. One 
 Marshal the less, and especially a man who had 
 
i8o9] A LETTER FROM THE MARSHAL 349 
 
 every claim to the dignity, was a victory for the 
 vain and the ambitious. 
 
 We are indebted to the kindness of Mr. Mac- 
 Nab for an interesting letter written by Macdonald, 
 then newly created Marshal, to his grandfather, 
 two days after the Battle of Wagram. 
 
 Stamersdorf, 
 
 yufy 8, 1809. 
 
 So highly do I value and cherish your esteem, sir, 
 and so convinced [am I] of the interest you bear 
 towards me, that I lose not an instant in inform- 
 ing you of an event which cannot fail to exercise 
 a powerful influence upon my future and that of 
 my children. 
 
 My misfortunes are over and done with. The 
 Emperor, who condescended to notice my conduct 
 at the two battles of Enzersdorf* -and Wagram, 
 especially at the latter, to the success of which I 
 was fortunately able to contribute, came next 
 morning to my camp, publicly expressed to me in 
 most flattering terms his appreciation of my con- 
 duct, restored to me his friendship and confidence, 
 and, embracing me upon the battlefield, raised me 
 to the dignity of Marshal of France. 
 
 Judge, sir, of my surprise and emotion, as I had 
 
 * This is the name given by Macdonald to the engagement 
 of July 5. 
 
350 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 no reason to anticipate so speedy and unhoped-for 
 a return to the good graces of his Majesty. 
 Therefore, with all my heart and soul, I have 
 vowed to him unlimited devotion and attachment. 
 
 The crossing of the Danube was a masterpiece 
 of prodigious genius, and it was reserved for the 
 Emperor to conceive, create, and carry it out. It 
 was performed in presence of an army of over 
 180,000 men. The enemy expected the attempt 
 to be made at the same point as that of May 21.* 
 They had prepared tremendous entrenchments, 
 and had brought up a formidable body of artillery ; 
 but, to their great surprise, they suddenly saw us 
 attack their left flank and turn all the lines of 
 their redoubts. We drove them back three 
 leagues, and when, next day, they tried conclu- 
 sions with us, they lost the game. 
 
 Never, sir, had two armies a mightier force of 
 artillery, never was battle fought more obstinately. 
 Picture to yourself 1,000 or 1,200 pieces of 
 cannon vomiting forth death upon nearly 350,000 
 combatants, and you will have an idea of what 
 this hotly-disputed field of battle was like. The 
 enemy, posted upon the heights, prudently en- 
 trenched in all the villages, formed a sort of 
 crescent, or horse-shoe. The Emperor did not 
 hesitate to enter into the midst of them, and to 
 take up a parallel position. 
 
 His Majesty did me the honour of giving me 
 * First day of the Battle of Essling. 
 
i8o9] A LETTER FROM THE MARSHAL 351 
 
 the command of a corps, with orders to pierce the 
 enemy's centre. I, fortunately, succeeded, not- 
 withstanding the fire of a hundred guns, masses 
 of infantry, and charges of cavalry, led by the 
 Archduke Charles in person. His infantry would 
 never cross bayonets with mine, nor would his 
 cavalry wait till mine came up ; the Uhlans alone 
 made a stand, and they were scattered. 
 
 I pursued the enemy closely with bayonet and 
 cannon for about four leagues, and it was only at 
 ten o'clock at night that, worn out and over- 
 whelmed with fatigue, my men ceased their firing 
 and their pursuit. 
 
 The same success attended us at all other points. 
 His Majesty, who directed everything, amazed me 
 by his calmness and by the precision of his orders. 
 It was the first time I had fought under his eyes, 
 and this opportunity gave me an even higher 
 opinion than I already had of his great talents, as 
 I was able to form my own judgment upon them. 
 
 The enemy's losses in killed, wounded, and 
 taken prisoners are enormous. The Archduke 
 Charles is himself wounded. My corps suffered 
 more than any other. Out of three aides-de- 
 camp, I have had one killed and another wounded ; 
 my chief of the staff and three out of my four 
 staff- officers were wounded, and their horses 
 killed. Out of two orderly officers, one was 
 wounded, and the other's horse was killed ; and, 
 finally, my four dragoon orderlies were killed, 
 
352 MARSHAL MACDONALD'S RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 together with their horses, close beside me. As 
 to myself, I came through it in safety with Seguin, 
 my aide-de-camp ; I received nothing worse than 
 a kick from a horse on the thigh, but it was a good 
 one. My horse received a charge of grapeshot in 
 his neck, and my sword, which I carried in my 
 hand, was broken by a bullet. 
 
 There, sir, is my plain, unvarnished little story. 
 You must send me many congratulations : first, 
 upon the recovery of his Majesty's favour ; 
 secondly, upon my new rank ; and thirdly, upon 
 having escaped so miraculously from so many 
 dangers. 
 
 I embrace you affectionately, and shall yet see 
 you again, 1 trust, at Courcelles. I embrace 
 Alexander, and would beg you to place me at the 
 feet of Mdlle. MacNab. 
 
 Macdonaij). 
 
[ 353 ] 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 For the subjoined note on the family of Marshal 
 Macdonald, and on his visit to the Hebrides, the 
 Translator is indebted to the kindness of Mr. 
 Alexander Carmichael. 
 
 Stephen James Joseph Alexander Macdonald 
 was the son of Vail Macachaim, who assumed the 
 name of Vail Macdonald. Vail Macachaim was 
 the son of Ronald Macachaim, a farmer at Hough- 
 beag, South Uist, in the Western Isles of Scot- 
 land. 
 
 The Macachaims of Uist are a far-away sept of 
 the Macdonalds of Clanranald. They came from 
 Morar, the mainland estate, to Uist, the insular 
 property of the Clanranalds. Vail Macachaim 
 had been studying for the Church, and attended 
 the Scotch College in Paris. He had given up 
 the Church, however, and was schoolmaster of the 
 parish and tutor in the family of Clanranald. 
 When Flora Macdonald undercook the perilous 
 task of taking Prince Charlie from Uisc to Skye, 
 it was arranged that Vail Macachaim should also 
 go in the twofold capacity of protector to Flora 
 
 VOL. I. 15 
 
354 NOTE 
 
 and interpreter, as he spoke French fluently. 
 More fortunate than Flora Macdonald, Vail effected 
 his escape to France in the same vessel that bore 
 the Prince. Here he changed his name to Mac- 
 donald, presumably because the name of his clan 
 was better known than that of his sept. 
 
 Through the influence of Prince Charlie and his 
 utility in interpreting between the Scotch and the 
 French, Vail obtained a commission in Ogilvie's 
 regiment of foot, as one of the two Scotch regi- 
 ments was known in France. He became a 
 Lieutenant, and his son rose to be Marshal of 
 France and Duke of Tarentum. 
 
 The Marshal used to remit money to his rela- 
 tives in Uist, and one of his cousins visited him 
 in France at his request. In 1825 the Marshal 
 visited Great Britain, and was everywhere re- 
 ceived with distinguished honour, both by the 
 Government and people. The cordiality of his 
 reception in London was only equalled by that of 
 his reception in Edinburgh and Inverness. He 
 visited the field of Culloden, and expressed strong 
 disapprobation at the Highlanders for engaging 
 the Royal troops in such a place. 
 
 Marshal Macdonald visited the Western Isles 
 in a revenue cruiser placed at his disposal by 
 Government, accompanied by Mr. Ranald Mac- 
 donald, Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh, who 
 was a son of Macdonald of Boisdale, a scion of 
 the Macdonalds of Clanranald. 
 
NOTE 355 
 
 The Marshal walked from the ford at Lochdar 
 to Houghbeag, a distance of ten miles. On coming 
 in sight of the river he exclaimed : 
 
 ' That is the river Hough ! I know it from 
 my father's description ! Many a salmon has he 
 caught there !' 
 
 He sent for all his relations in the neighbour- 
 hood. When his blind old uncle was brought to 
 him, he embraced him affectionately, saying : 
 
 ' You dear old man, how like you are to my 
 own father !' 
 
 He addressed his relations in French and broken 
 Gaelic, they answering him in Gaelic, for none of 
 them could speak any English. He distributed 
 sums of moneJ^ varying in value, among them, 
 giving to some ;!^20, and to others larger amounts 
 or fixed annuities. He took earth from the floor 
 of the house where his father was born, and pota- 
 toes from the garden, and these he placed in a bag 
 and carried home with him to France. He planted 
 the potatoes in his garden, and gave orders that 
 the earth should be placed in his coffin after his 
 death. 
 
 From Houghbeag he crossed the hills to Glen 
 Corrodail to visit the cave in which Prince Charlie 
 and a few faithful followers lived for six weeks 
 after CuUoden. It is a walk of about two hours 
 over very rough roads ; but the Marshal, then 
 about sixty years of age, travelled the mountains 
 with ease. 
 
356 NOTE 
 
 From Corrodail he re-embarked on board the 
 cruiser that had brought him to the island. Many 
 persons are still living who saw the Marshal when 
 in Uist. They all describe him as a man of about 
 the middle height, well built and muscular, but 
 not stout. They say that he resembled in form, 
 features and voice his kinsfolk in Uist, but in com- 
 plexion they differed, he being dark and sallow, 
 and they fair and ruddy. 
 
 Flora Macdonald and Vail Macachaim were 
 remotely, but very remotely, connected, through 
 the Clanranalds. Flora was nearly related to the 
 Clanranalds, and by the Lady Clanranald of the 
 day she was much beloved and admired, as indeed 
 she was by all who knew her. She was not born, 
 as many people, even natives of Skye, suppose, in 
 the island of Skye, but in the island of South Uist, 
 on the farm of Mitton. Some six miles farther 
 north is Houghbeag, where Vail Macachaim, father 
 of the Marshal, was born. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, GUILDFORD. 
 
 /. B. A' Co.