No. 4 To Josephine, at Paris
Milan.
I am at Milan, with a very bad cold. I can’t stand rain, and I have been wet to the skin for several hours, but all goes well. I don’t persuade you to come here. I shall be home in a month.
I trust to find you flourishing. I am just starting for Pavia and Stradella. We are masters of Brescia, Cremona, and Placentia.
Kindest regards. Murat has borne himself splendidly.
June 5th.—Massena gives up Genoa, but leaves with all the honours of war.
June 7th.—Lannes takes Pavia, 350 cannon, and 10,000 muskets.
June 9th.—Battle of Montebello. Bonaparte defeats Austrians, who lose 8000 men.
June 14th.—Bonaparte wins Marengo, but loses Desaix—“the man I loved and esteemed the most.” In his bulletin he admits the battle at one time was lost, until he cried to his troops “Children, remember it is my custom to sleep upon the battlefield.” He mentions the charges of Desaix and Kellermann, and especially eulogises the latter—a fact interesting on account of the false statements made of his ignoring it. In the bulletin of June 21st he blames the “punic faith” of Lord Keith at Genoa, a criticism the Admiral repaid with usury fifteen years later.
June 14th.—Assassination of Kléber, in Egypt.
June 16th.—Convention of Alessandria between Bonaparte and Melas; end of the “Campaign of Thirty Days.”
June 19th.—Moreau defeats Kray at Hochstedt, and occupies Ulm.
June 23rd.—Genoa re-entered by the French.
June 26th.—Bonaparte leaves Massena in command of the Army of Reserve, now united with the Army of Italy.
July 3rd.—The First Consul is back in Paris unexpectedly—not wishing triumphal arches or such-like “colifichets” In spite of which the plaudits he receives are very dear to him, “sweet as the voice of Josephine.”
September 5th.—Vaubois surrenders Malta to the English, after two years’ blockade.
September 15th.—Armistice between France and Austria in Germany.
September 30th.—Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between France and U.S.—agreed that the flag covers the goods.
October 3rd.—To facilitate peace King George renounces his title of King of France.
November 12th.—Rupture of Armistice between France and Austria.
December 3rd.—Moreau wins the battle of Hohenlinden (Austrian loss, 16,000 men, 80 guns; French 3000).
December 20th.—Moreau occupies Lintz (100 miles from Vienna).
December 24th.—Royalist conspirators fail to kill Bonaparte with an infernal machine.
December 25th.—Armistice at Steyer between Moreau and Archduke Charles (sent for by the Austrians a fortnight before as their last hope).