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 better) has a thoughtful comment on what really occurred. "All
history demonstrates that there is one stage of civilisation when the
inhabitants of a metropolis are capable of such a sacrifice in defence
of their country, and only one; and that when passed, it is never
recovered. The event has proved that the Russians, in 1812, were in
the state of progress when such a heroic act was possible, but
that the inhabitants of Vienna and Paris had passed it. Most
certainly the citizens of London would never have buried themselves
under the ruins of the Bank, the Treasury, or Leadenhall Street
before capitulating to Napoleon." 1870 and the siege of Paris modify
this judgment; but the Prussian bombardment came only at the last,
and barely reached the centre of the city.

No. 5.

_Ebersdorf._--Written five days after the murderous battle of Essling.
Montgaillard, whose temper and judgment, as Alison remarks, are not
equal to his talents, cannot resist a covert sneer (writing under the
Bourbons) at Napoleon's generalship on this occasion, although he adds
a veneer by reminding us that Caesar was defeated at Dyrrachium,
Turenne at Marienthal, Eugene at Denain, Frederick the Great at Kolin.
The crossing of the river was one which none but a victorious army,
with another[76] about to join it, could afford to risk, but which
having effected, the French had to make the best of. As Napoleon said
in his tenth bulletin, "The passage of a river like the Danube, in
front of an enemy knowing perfectly the localities, and having the
inhabitants on its side, is one of the greatest operations of war
which it is possible to conceive." The Danube hereabouts is a thousand
yards broad, and thirty feet deep. But the rising of its water
fourteen feet in three days was what no one had expected. At Ebersdorf
the first branch of the Danube was 500 yards across to an islet,
thence 340 yards across the main current to Lobau, the vast island
three miles broad and nearly three miles long, separated from the
farther bank by another 150 yards of Danube. Bertrand had made
excellent bridges, but on the 22nd the main one was carried away by a
floating mill.

_Eugene ... has completely performed the task._--At the commencement
of the campaign the Viceroy was taken unprepared. The Archduke John,
exactly his own age (twenty-seven), was burning with hatred of France.
Eugene had the impudence, with far inferior forces, to attack him at
Sacile on April 16th, but was repulsed with a loss (including
prisoners) of 6000 men. It is now necessary to retire, and the
Archduke follows him leisurely, almost within sight of Verona. By the
end of April the news of Eckmuehl has reached both armies, and by May
1st the Austrians are in full retreat. As usual, Napoleon has already
divined their altered plan of campaign, and writes from Braunau on
this very day, "I doubt not that the enemy may have retired before
you; it is necessary to pursue him with activity, whilst coming to
join me as soon as possible _via_ Carinthia. The junction with my army
will probably take place beyond Bruck. It is probable I shall be at
Vienna by the 10th to the 15th of May." It is the successful
performance of this task of joining him and of driving back the enemy
to which Napoleon alludes in the letter. The Viceroy had been reproved
for fighting at Sacile without his cavalry, for his precipitous
retreat on Verona; and only two days earlier the Emperor had told him
that if affairs went worse he was to send for the King of Naples
(Murat) to take command. "I am no longer grieved at the blunders you
have committed, but because you do not write to me, and give me no
chance of advising you, and even of regulating my own affairs here
conformably." On May 8th Eugene defeats the Austrians on the Piave,
and the Archduke John loses nearly 10,000 men and 15 cannon. Harassed
in their retreat, they regain their own territory on May 14th--the day
after the capitulation of Vienna. Henceforward Eugene with part of the
army, and Macdonald with the rest, force their way past all
difficulties, so that when the junction with the Grand Army occurs at
Bruck, Napoleon sends (May 27th) the following proclamation: "Soldiers
of the army of Italy, you have gloriously attained the goal that I
marked out for you.... Surprised by a perfidious enemy before your
columns were united, you had to retreat to the Adige. But when you
received the order to advance, you were on the memorable fields of
Arcola, and there you swore on the manes of our heroes to triumph. You
have kept your word at the battle of the Piave, at the combats of
San-Daniel, Tarvis, and Goritz; you have taken by assault the forts of
Malborghetto, of Prediel, and made the enemy's divisions, entrenched
in Prewald and Laybach, surrender. You had not then passed the Drave,
and already 25,000 prisoners, 60 cannon, and 10 flags signalised your
valour." This is the proclamation alluded to in this letter to
Josephine.

No. 6.

_May 29th._--The date is wrong; it should be May 19th or 24th,
probably the latter. It sets at rest the vexed question how the Danube
bridge was broken, and seems to confirm Marbot's version of a floating
mill on fire, purposely sent down by an Austrian officer of Jaegers,
who won the rare order of Maria Theresa thereby--for performing _more_
than his duty. Bertrand gained his Emperor's lifelong admiration by
his expedients at this time. Everything had to be utilised--anchors
for the boat bridges were made by filling fishermen's baskets with
bullets; and a naval contingent of 1200 bluejackets from Antwerp
proved invaluable.

No. 7.

_I have ordered the two princes to re-enter France._--After so
critical a battle as the battle of Essling the Emperor's first
thoughts were concerning his succession--had he been killed or
captured. He was therefore seriously annoyed that the heir-apparent
and his younger brother had both been taken out of the country without
his permission. He therefore writes the Queen of Holland on May 28th
from Ebersdorf: "My daughter, I am seriously annoyed that you have
left France without my permission, and especially that you have taken
my nephews out of it. Since you are at Baden stay there, but an hour
after receiving the present letter send my two nephews back to
Strasburg to be near the Empress--they ought never to go out of
France. It is the first time I have had reason to be annoyed with
you, but you should not dispose of my nephews without my permission,
you should realise what a bad effect it will have. Since the waters at
Baden are doing you good you can stay there a few days, but, I repeat,
lose not a moment in sending my nephews back to Strasburg. If the
Empress is going to the waters at Plombieres they may accompany her
there, but they must never pass the bridge of Strasburg.--Your
affectionate father, Napoleon." This letter passed through the hands
of Josephine at Strasburg, who was so unhappy at not having heard from
her husband that she opened it, and writes to Hortens

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