Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte (1892) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER HI. 1805. My functions at Hamburg?The King of Sweden at Stralsund?My bulletin describing the situation of the Russian armies?Duroc's recall from Berlin?General Dumouriez?Recruiting of the English in Hanover?The daughter of M. de Marbeuf and Napoleon?Treachery of the King of Naples?The Sun of Austerlitz?Prince Dolgorouki ?Rapp's account of the battle of Austerlitz?Gerard's picture? EugOne's marriage. I Must now relate how, in conformity with my instructions, I was employed in Hamburg in aiding the success of the French army. I had sent an agent to observe the Russian troops, which were advancing by forced marches on the banks of the Elbe. This agent transmitted to me from G.idbusch an account of the routes taken by the different columns. It was then supposed that they would march upon Holland by the way of Bremen and Oldenburg. On the receipt of this intelligence the Electorate of Hanover was evacuated by the French, and General Barbou, who had commanded there, concentrated his forces in Hamelin. On the 2d of November 1805 the King of Sweden arrived at Stralsund. I immediately intimated to our Government that this circumstance would probably give a new turn to the operations of the combined army, for hitherto the uncertainty of its movements and the successive counter-orders afforded no possibility of ascertaining any determined plan. The intention seemed to be, that all the Swedo-Russian troops should cross the Elbe at the same point, viz., Lauenburg, six miles from Hamburg.1805. DTJROC AND THE KINO OF PRUSSIA. 21 There was not on the 5th of November a single Russian on the southern bank of the Elbe. The first column of the grand Russiau army passed through Warsaw on the 1st of November, and on the 2d the Grand-Duke Constantine was expected with the Guard...