Napoleon in Exile, a Voice from St. Helena Volume 2 of 2

NAPOLEON IN EXILE, A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA VOLUME 2 OF 2

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Barry O’Meara

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Napoleon in His Own Words

Napoleon in Exile, a Voice from St. Helena Volume 2 of 2

By Barry O’Meara

NAPOLEON IN HIS OWN WORDS

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7th.

—Napoleon very particular in inquiring about Captain Meynell, whose death he observed would grieve him, as he had rair d’un brave home. Had some more conversation with him relative to the prisoners made at the commencement of the war. I said, that I believed he had demanded that the ships as well as the prisoners made in them should be given up in exchange for those detained in France. He replied, that he did not recollect that he had demanded the ships. The only reason, added lie, that your government would give as a right for detaining them as prisoners was, that they had always done so in preceding wars, and that it would be lessening to the dignity of the government to give them up, or to consider as prisoners of war those who had been detained by me in France. To this I answered, that they had always done so, because they had to deal with imbeciles, and people who knew not how to act vigorously, and were afraid to retaliate. As to the exchange of prisoners, I offered to effect it in the following manner, viz. to send three thousand men, consisting of two thousand Spaniards and Portuguese, and one thousand English to a certain place, there to be exchanged for three thousand French, and so on until all were exchanged. Your government would not consent to this, but required that all the English should be exchanged at first; though the others were your allies, and were taken fighting by your side. As soon as the French prisoners in England heard of this proposal, they wrote over the strongest letters possible, protesting against and praying me not to consent to such terras, alleging, that as soon as your ministers had got all the English prisoners, amounting I believe to ten thousand, they would under some pretext break off the exchange; and that they (the French prisoners) who were already treated badly enough, would then be subjected to every species of brutality and ill-treatment, as the English would no longer be afraid of reprisals. What I most regret, added he, and am most to blame for is, that during my reign I had not caused the English prisoners to be put on board of pontons, and treated exactly as you treated mine in England. Indeed I had given orders to have it done, and to place them in ships in the Scheldt. Decres, the minister of marine, though he hated you as much as a man could do, opposed it on the ground of the expense, the difficulty of effecting it, and other reasons. There were numbers of reports also from your transport board, testifying the good treatment which the prisoners enjoyed, which imposed upon me for a time; but, as I found out from the prisoners themselves afterwards, they were filled with lies, like the reports that are sent from this island. I was also so much occupied with affairs of a more important nature, that I forgot it. I took the liberty of observing, that I hoped he did not credit what he saw in Fillet’s libel. No, no, replied Napoleon. I believe no exaggerated statement of the kind. I reason from the testimonies of the prisoners themselves and from the circumstances. In the first place, it was le comble du harharie to put any prisoners, especially soldiers, in ships at all. Even sailors like to be on shore. I see that the admiral likes to live on shore, as well as every officer and seaman who can effect it. Man was born on shore, and it is natural for him to like it. Your ministers said that they had not any fortresses to put them in. Then, why not have exchanged or sent them to Scotland, instead of massacring them in pontons? I am very sorry that I did not carry my intentions into execution, as in the event of a war fifty or sixty years hence between the two countries, it will be said, but even Napoleon suffered the English to put the French prisoners in pontons without having retaliated. My intentions were to have put all the milords and the principal prisoners in pontons, and to have made them undergo precisely the same treatment as that practiced upon my prisoners in the prison-ships in England. This would have had the desired effect, and would have been beneficial to both parties. For the complaints of ‘ my lords,’ to which I would have allowed every publicity to be given, would have produced such an outcry, such a sensation amongst you English, who are egdistes, by making you feel yourselves that which you inflicted upon others, that your oligarchy would have been obliged to remove the French prisoners from the place, which would have been followed by a similar step on my part. I would have left th3 canaille in the fortresses, as they, poor devils, had nothing to do with the measures of your ministers, who, indeed, cared but little what they suffered. I would not, continued Napoleon, desire a better testimonial in my favor than that of the prisoners of the different nations who have been in France, Many of your English sailors did not want to be exchanged. They did not wish to be sent again on board of their floating prisons. The Russians declared, that they were much better than in their own country, after they discovered that their heads were not to be cut off, which they at first had been persuaded to believe; and the Austrians would not have escaped, even if allowed."

Another shocking act of your ministers, said Napoleon, was the bundling (jete) of some hundred wounded and disabled soldiers who had been born in countries under me, and were wounded fighting your battles against me, on the coast of Holland, where they were liable by the laws of the country to be rod and shot within twenty-four hours, for having carried arms against it. When it was reported to me, and application made to try them, I said, ‘Let them go on. Let them land as many as they like. They will tell what treatment they have received, and will prevent others of my troops from deserting and joining the English.’ To say nothing of the inhumanity of the practice, said Napoleon, lifting up his hands with emotion, it was very bad policy on the part of your ministers, as these poor mutilated wretches told it everywhere ; and I also caused the names, countries, where wounded, &c., of many of them to be published in the Moniteur.

I endeavored to controvert the tenor of some of his assertions; but in consequence of not being sufficiently well acquainted with the circumstances, I could make but a feeble effort against a man who was master of the subject, to say nothing of the difficulty of contending against such an antagonist.

11th.

—Told Sir Hudson Lowe what Napoleon had said relative to the restrictions, and the commissioners, &c. His Excellency asked why I had not told him this before? I replied, because it had only occurred yesterday, and that having often made him communications of a similar nature before, I had not thought it important. He observed that it was of great importance, as having taken place since he had sent his answer to their observations upon his restrictions. He then observed, that the principal cause of all the difficulties which he had to combat with the French people had arisen from Sir George Cockburn’s having, upon his own authority, and beyond his instructions, taken upon himself to grant much more indulgence, and a much greater space for limits without being accompanied by a British officer, than he had any right to do ; not only had he not the right, but it was contrary to his instructions, and that on his arrival, he had been astonished at Sir George Cockburn’s conduct. He then spoke for some time about the letter which had been written by Madame Bertrand to Marquis Montchenu; which he seemed to consider as a very heinous offence. 1 observed that Count Bertrand had said that, at the time the letter was written, there had existed no prohibition against epistolary correspondence with persons domiciliated in the island as the marquis was, and that since that letter had been written by Madame Berlrand, six sealed letters had been received by her, amongst which was one from Sir George Bingham. His excellency did not appear to be wed pleased with this observation of Count Bertrand’s.

The quantity of wood and coals allowed not being near sufficient, Count Monlholon desired me to represent to the governor, that in the admiral’s time, when there were not near so many fires as at present, there was more than double the quantity of fuel allowed; that for some time they had been obliged to burn the wine-cases, and to request of him, if he did not think proper to increase the quantity furnished by government, that he would give directions that the purveyor might supply it, on their paying for it themselves. Went to Plantation House, and explained to the governor the above communication, particularizing the number of fires; who, after some discussion, replied, that he would give orders for an additional supply to be furnished.

12th.

—Napoleon in his bath. Had some conversation about the governor. If, said he, the governor on his arrival here had told Bertrand that, in consequence of orders from his government, he was under the necessity of imposing fresh restrictions, and had described the nature of them, directing that in future we should conform ourselves to them, instead of acting in the underhand manner he has done, I would have said, this is a man who does his duty clearly and openly without tricks or shuffling. It is necessary that there should be in this world such men as jailers, scavengers, butchers, and hangmen; but still one does not like to accept of any of those employments. If I were in the Tower of London, I might possibly have a good opinion of the jailer for the manner in which he did his duty; but I would neither accept of his situation, nor make a companion of him. Captain H told Madame Bertrand, that in the whole British dominions, a worse man than this jailer could not be selected as governor; and that we should very shortly find such to be the case. In fact he described him to be just as we have found him. But as we thought that he was desirous to induce Madame Bertrand to leave the island with her family, it was supposed that he had exaggerated the imperfections of this man, though we evidently saw that there was something in it.

After some conversation on the same subject, Napoleon said, When I was at Elba, the Princess of Wales sent to inform me of her intention to visit me. I, however, on her own account, sent back an answer begging of her to defer it a little longer, that I might see how matters would turn cut; adding, that in a few months I would have the pleasure of receiving her. I knew that at the time, it could not fail to injure the princess, and therefore I put it off. It is astonishing that she desired it, for she had no reason to be attached to me, as her father and brother were killed fighting against me. She went afterwards to see Marie Louise, and I believe that they are great friends.

Prince Leopold, continued he, was one of the handsomest and finest young men in Paris, at the time he was there. At a masquerade given by the queen of Naples, Leopold made a conspicuous and elegant figure. The Princess Charlotte must doubtless be very contented and very fond of him. He was near being one of my aid-de-camps, to obtain which he had made interest, and even applied; but by some means, very fortunately for himself, it did not succeed, as probably if he had, he would not have been chosen to be a future king of England. Most of the young princes in Germany, continued he, solicited to be my aid-decamps, and Leopold was then about eighteen or nineteen years of age.

18th.—Application made by me to Major Gorrequer (on the part of the maitre d’hotel) to request that the governor would give directions to Mr. Breame (the company’s farmer) to let the establishment have two calves monthly, as Napoleon was partial to veal, and Mr. Breame had refused to dispose of them without leave from the governor.

Permission was accordingly granted by Sir Hudson Lowe to let the French have two calves monthly, for which the farmer was to be paid by the French themselves.

14th.—Napoleon in very good spirits. Asked me why I had dined in camp yesterday? I replied, Because there was nothing to eat at Longwood. He laughed heartily at this, and observed, that certainly was the best reason in the world.

Afterwards he conversed for some time about Moreau, and said that he was by no means a man of that superior talent which the English supposed; that he was a good general of division, but not adapted for the command of a great army. Moreau was brave, said he, "indolent, and a bon vivant* He did nothing at his quartier game but loll on a sofa, or walk about with a pipe in his mouth. He scarcely ever read a book. His disposition was naturally good, but he was influenced by his wife and mother-in-law, who were two intriguers. I recommended Moreau to marry her at the desire of Josephine, who loved het because she was a creole. Moreau had fallen greatly in public estimation on account of his conduct towards Pichegru. After Leoben, the Senate of Venice were foolish enough to stir up a rebellion against the French armies, without being either sufficiently strong themselves, or having adequate assistance from other powers to promise the slightest hope of success. In consequence of this, I caused Venice to be occupied by the French troops. An agent of the Bourbons, the Count d’Entraigues, whom I suppose you have heard of in England, was there at the time. The Count d’Entraigues was so communicative, that I really felt obliged to him, and I may say that he almost gained me. He was a man of talent and acuteness, intelligent and pleasant to converse with, though he proved afterwards to be a mauvais sujet. Instead of putting him in confinement, I allowed him to go where he pleased in Milan, gave him every indulgence, and did not even put him in surveillance. A few days afterwards I received orders from the directory to cause him to be shot, or what in those times was equivalent to it, to try him by a military commission, and sentence to be immediately executed. I wrote to the directory that he had given very useful information, and did not deserve such a return ; and finally, that I could not execute it; that if they still insisted upon shooting him, they must do it themselves. Shortly after this, d’Entraigues escaped into Switzerland, from whence the coin had the impudence to write a libel, accusing me of having treated him in the most barbarous manner, and even with having put him in irons; when the fact was, that I had allowed him so much liberty, that it was not until after he had escaped for several days that his flight was discovered,

and then only by having seen the arrival of the Count d’Entraigues notified in the Swiss papers, which at first was thought to be impossible, but on sending to examine his quarters it was found to be true. This conduct of