Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text ; all goes well, and my heart is yours for
life.
Be sure to return to the Adjutant-General Miollis the box of medals
that he writes me he has sent you. Men have such false tongues, and
are so wicked, that it is necessary to have everything exactly on the
square.
Good health, love, and a prompt arrival at Brescia.
I have at Milan a carriage suitable alike for town or country; you can
make use of it for the journey. Bring your plate with you, and some of
the things you absolutely require.
Travel by easy stages, and during the coolth, so as not to tire
yourself. Troops only take three days coming to Brescia. Travelling
post it is only a fourteen hours' journey. I request you to sleep on
the 24th at Cassano; I shall come to meet you on the 25th at latest.
Adieu, my own Josephine. A thousand loving kisses.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_July 29th.--Advance of Wurmser, by the Adige valley, on Mantua,
and of Quesdonowich on Brescia, who drives back Massena and
Sauret._
_July 31st.--Siege of Mantua raised._
_August 3rd.--Bonaparte victorious at Lonato._
_August 5th.--Augereau victorious at Castiglione, completing the
Campaign of Five Days, in which 10,000 prisoners are taken._
_August 8th.--Verona occupied by Serrurier._
_August 15th._--(Moreau arrives on the Danube) _Wurmser retreats
upon Trent, the capital of Italian Tyrol_.
_August 18th._--Alliance, offensive and defensive, between France
and Spain.
_September 3rd._--Jourdan routed by Archduke Charles at
Wurtzburg.
No. 7.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Brescia, August 30, 1796._
Arriving, my beloved, my first thought is to write to you. Your
health, your sweet face and form have not been absent a moment from my
thoughts the whole day. I shall be comfortable only when I have got
letters from you. I await them impatiently. You cannot possibly
imagine my uneasiness. I left you vexed, annoyed, and not well. If the
deepest and sincerest affection can make you happy, you ought to
be.... I am worked to death.
Adieu, my kind Josephine: love me, keep well, and often, often think
of me.
BONAPARTE.
No. 8.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Brescia, August 31, 1796._
I start at once for Verona. I had hoped to get a letter from you; and
I am terribly uneasy about you. You were rather ill when I left; I beg
you not to leave me in such uneasiness. You promised me to be more
regular; and, at the time, your tongue was in harmony with your heart.
You, to whom nature has given a kind, genial, and wholly charming
disposition, how can you forget the man who loves you with so much
fervour? No letters from you for three days; and yet I have written to
you several times. To be parted is dreadful, the nights are long,
stupid, and wearisome; the day's work is monotonous.
This evening, alone with my thoughts, work and correspondence, with
men and their stupid schemes, I have not even one letter from you
which I might press to my heart.
The Staff has gone; I set off in an hour. To-night I get an express
from Paris; there was for you only the enclosed letter, which will
please you.
Think of me, live for me, be often with your well-beloved, and be sure
that there is only one misfortune that he is afraid of--that of being
no longer loved by his Josephine. A thousand kisses, very sweet, very
affectionate, very exclusive.
Send M. Monclas at once to Verona; I will find him a place. He must
get there before September 4th.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 1st.--Bonaparte leaves Verona and directs his troops on
Trent. Wurmser, reinforced by 20,000 men, leaves his right wing at
Roveredo, and marches via the Brenta Gorge on Verona._
No. 9.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Ala, September 3, 1796._
We are in the thick of the fight, my beloved; we have driven in the
enemy's outposts; we have taken eight or ten of their horses with a
like number of riders. My troops are good-humoured and in excellent
spirits. I hope that we shall do great things, and get into Trent by
the fifth.
No letters from you, which really makes me uneasy; yet they tell me
you are well, and have even had an excursion to Lake Como. Every day I
wait impatiently for the post which will bring me news of you--you
are well aware how I prize it. Far from you I cannot live, the
happiness of my life is near my gentle Josephine. Think of me! Write
me often, very often: in absence it is the only remedy: it is cruel,
but, I hope, will be only temporary.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 4th.--Austrian right wing defeated at Roveredo._
_September 5th.--Bonaparte enters Trent, cutting off Wurmser from
his base. Defeats Davidowich on the Lavis and leaves Vaubois to
contain this general while he follows Wurmser._
_September 6th.--Wurmser continues his advance, his outposts
occupy Vicenza and Montebello._
_September 7th.--Combat of Primolano: Austrians defeated. Austrian
vanguard attack Verona, but are repulsed by General Kilmaine._
_September 8th.--Battle of Bassano: Wurmser completely routed, and
retires on Legnago._
No. 10.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Montebello, Noon, September 10, 1796._
_My Dear_,--The enemy has lost 18,000 men prisoners; the rest killed
or wounded. Wurmser, with a column of 1500 cavalry, and 500 infantry,
has no resource but to throw himself into Mantua.
Never have we had successes so unvarying and so great. Italy, Friuli,
the Tyrol, are assured to the Republic. The Emperor will have to
create a second army: artillery, pontoons, baggage, everything is
taken.
In a few days we shall meet; it is the sweetest reward for my labours
and anxieties.
A thousand fervent and very affectionate kisses.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 11th.--Skirmish at Cerea: Austrians successful.
Bonaparte arrives alone, and is nearly captured._
No. 11.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Ronco, September 12, 1796_, 10 A.M.
_My dear Josephine_,--I have been here two days, badly lodged, badly
fed, and very cross at being so far from you.
Wurmser is hemmed in, he has with him 3000 cavalry and 5000 infantry.
He is at Porto-Legnago; he is trying to get back into Mantua, but for
him that has now become impossible. The moment this matter shall be
finished I will be in your arms.
I embrace you a million times.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 13th.--Wurmser, brushing aside the few French who
oppose him, gains the suburbs of Mantua._
_September 14th.--Massena attempts a surprise, but is repulsed._
_September 15th.--Wurmser makes a sortie from St. Georges, but is
driven back._
_September 16th.--And at La Favorite, with like result._
No. 12.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Verona, September 17, 1796._
_My Dear_,--I write very often and you seldom. You are naughty, and
undutiful; very undutiful, as well as thoughtless. It is disloyal to
deceive a poor husband, an affectionate lover. Ought he to lose his
rights because he is far away, up to the neck in business, worries and
anxiety. Without his Josephine, without the assurance of her love,
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