Chapter I: Commencement of the Author's military career.—His

promotion.—Certificate from Desaix.—Good fortune
in Egypt.—Introduction to, and character of, Napoleon.—Servile
conduct of the old nobility. 1

CHAP. II.—Napoleon's temper.—His flatterers.—His clemency. 8

CHAP. III.—Napoleon's attachment to his family.—Lucien's
opposition to the views of Napoleon.—Napoleon's bounty to
Rapp.—Rapp's intercession for Requier and Damas.—Is
unsuccessful.—Writes to Requier.—Letter intercepted and
carried to Napoleon.—The Emperor greatly incensed at it.—Rapp
apologizes.—Is restored to favour.—Marries.—Bernadotte's
disgrace with the Emperor.—His restoration to favour. 12

CHAP. IV.—Napoleon's courage.—Infernal machine.—The
Emperor's escape. 19

CHAP. V.—Napoleon's readiness to receive advice.—His contempt
for ignorance.—His partiality to the game of _vingt et un_. 22

CHAP. VI.—The third Austrian war.—The French victorious.—The
Austrian army shut up in Ulm.—Summoned to
surrender.—Negotiation conducted by M. de Segur.—The
enemy surrender.—Napoleon's joy. 26

CHAP. VII.—The remainder of the Austrians pursued.—Defeated
by Murat.—Werneck's capitulation; disregarded by
Count Hohenzollern.—Correspondence.—Napoleon's proclamation. 40

CHAP. VIII.—The French march towards Vienna.—The
Russians defeated.—Napoleon's instructions to Murat on the
occupation of Vienna. 50

CHAP. IX.—Anecdote of the Emperor and Madame de
Brunny.—The advance of the French troops.—Stratagem
in crossing the Danube.—Austerlitz.—The advance-guard
of the French repulsed by the Russians.—The Russians
completely defeated.—Rapp wounded.—His promotion.—Napoleon's
kindness to him.—His recovery.—The Emperor's
instructions to Rapp.—Peace concluded. 54

CHAP. X.—The conduct of Prussia.—Rapp's mission.—Its
object.—His return.—The Grand Duchess of Darmstadt
offends the Emperor.—Her punishment.—The French troops
attacked by some Prussian detachments.—Rapp's appointment
to the command of the military division at Strasburg.—He
receives instructions.—The Emperor arrives at Mentz.—Rapp
joins him at Wurtzburg.—His mission to the Grand
Duke of Baden.—The impatience of the Prussian Generals to
commence the war.—Character of Prince Louis.—Demand of
Prussia.—Napoleon's proclamation.—Prussians defeated at
Schleitz.—Rapp sent to the King of Prussia.—Recalled.—Mission
of De Montesquiou.—His treatment. 66

CHAP. XI.—The calculations of the Duke of Brunswick.—He is
disconcerted at the movement of the French.—Manœuvres.—Napoleon
issues orders.—Battle of Auerstadt and Jena.—The
French victorious.—Rapp instructed to pursue the Russians.—He
enters Weimar.—The King of Prussia makes overtures.—Napoleon's
conduct.—He sends Duroc to visit the wounded.—Head-quarters
established at Weimar.—Movements of
the enemy.—Attacked and routed by Bernadotte at Halle.—Napoleon
visits the field of battle.—Goes to Dessau.—His treatment of the
old Duke. 79

CHAP. XII.—The Prussians closely pursued by the French.—Surrender
of a corps before Magdeburg.—Misfortunes of Prussia.—The French
prepare to march on Berlin.—Napoleon's instructions to Davoust. 89

CHAP. XIII.—The French set out for Potsdam.—Anecdote of
the Emperor and a female native of Egypt.—State of Potsdam.—Flight
of the Court.—Deputations to the Emperor.—Their
reception.—Napoleon's observations to the Duke of Brunswick's
envoy.—Head-quarters at Charlotteenburg—Napoleon's proclamation. 93

CHAP. XIV.—Napoleon reviews the third corps.—Effect of
the proclamation on the troops.—Surrender of 25,000
Prussians.—The Duke of Weimar abandons his command.—Blucher
surrenders.—Napoleon's despatch to General Belliard.—Blucher
allowed to retire to Hamburg. 101

CHAP. XV.—Arrest of Prince Hatzfeld as a spy.—Napoleon's
determination to have him executed.—Intercession
for him.—The release of the Prince.—His letter to Count
Rapp.—Embassies to the Emperor.—Rapp authorised to
settle the affairs of the Court of Weimar.—The Duke permitted
to return to his estates.—His letter of thanks to Rapp. 107

CHAP. XVI.—Surrender of the Prussian fortresses.—Arrest
of the Prince of Wurtemberg.—Head-quarters at Posen.—State
of Poland.—Entry into Warsaw.—The Emperor's reception.—Anecdotes
of the Poles and of the French soldiers.—Passage
of the Vistula. 114

CHAP. XVII.—Affairs with the Russians.—Battle of Pultusk.—Rapp's
wounds.—His appointment to the government
of Thorn.—Blucher's letter to him.—He intercedes
for Blucher.—Is made Governor of Dantzic.—Contributions
levied.—Napoleon's dissatisfaction with Prussia. 124

CHAP. XVIII.—Fourth Austrian war (1809.)—Battle of
Esslingen.—Schill's insurrection.—Napoleon's feeling.—Battle
of Wagram.—Rapp's accident.—Rapp obtains the pardon of some
conspirators. 136

CHAP. XIX.—Attempt of a young German to assassinate
Napoleon.—Conversation and conduct of the assassin. 141

CHAP. XX.—Execution of the young German.—Peace concluded.—Rapp's
reception in Munich.—Situation of Bavaria.—Trait
of the King of Wurtemberg.—Napoleon's return to Fontainebleau. 147

CHAP. XXI.—Divorce of Josephine.—Marriage of Napoleon
and Maria-Louisa.—Napoleon displeased with Rapp;
sends him to Dantzic.—Rapp at Dantzic.—Character of
his garrison.—He gives offence to the Russian Resident. 151

CHAP. XXII.—Napoleon's dissatisfaction with Rapp, for
evading the anti-commercial decrees.—_Douane_ established
at Dantzic.—Discontent in the North of Germany.—Rapp's
representations.—Napoleon's ignorance of the German Character. 158

CHAP. XXIII.—Napoleon repairs to Dantzic.—Conversation
between the Emperor and Rapp. 164

CHAP. XXIV.—Napoleon proceeds to Kœnigsberg.—His
intentions.—The advance of the French troops. Their
arrival at Wilna.—Commencement of the Russian war. 168

CHAP. XXV.—Flight of the Russians.—Their rear-guard
defeated by the King of Naples.—His report of the
engagement.—Dispute between the King of Westphalia and
Vandamme. 171

CHAP. XXVI.—Rapp leaves Dantzic.—State of the roads.—Arrives
at Wilna.—Opening of the Polish Diet.—Speech of the
President.—Eloquence and negotiations of the Abbé de Pradt. 176

CHAP. XXVII.—Activity of the Emperor.—His instructions
to Hautpoult.—Distress of the army.—Hopes of Napoleon.—The
Russian Patriarch's denunciation of the French. 186

CHAP. XXVIII.—Battle of Smolensko.—Escape of the Russian
army.—Junot's inactivity.—He is in disgrace with the
Emperor.—Intercessions in his favour.—Rapp named for
the command of the Westphalian corps, instead of
Junot.—Character of Junot.—He is allowed to resume his
command.—Irruption of Tormasoff.—Napoleon's instructions to the
Duke de Belluno. 190

CHAP. XXIX.—Kutusow takes the command of the Russian army.—His
qualifications; his losses.—Rapp sent to reconnoitre.—Napoleon's
conversation before the battle of Borodino.—Proclamation. 197

CHAP. XXX.—Battle of Borodino.—Rapp's wounds. 204

CHAP. XXXI.—Retreat of the Russians.—Occupation and burning
of Moscow. 209

CHAP. XXXII.—The Emperor's delay at Moscow; its
motives and consequences.—His instructions to the Duke
de Belluno.—Deplorable state of the French army.—Rapp's
recovery.—The Emperor's anxiety about the wounded. 213

CHAP. XXXIII.—Retreat of the French.—The Emperor's
despatch to Mortier.—Battle at Malojaroslawitz.—Napoleon
visits the field of battle.—Surprised by some
Cossacks.—Rapp's conduct: the Emperor loads him
with eulogiums.—General Winzengerode taken prisoner.—His
treatment. 221

CHAP. XXXIV.—Deplorable condition of the French.—Mallet's
conspiracy.—The Emperor's surprise.—The
French cross the Borysthenes.—Attacked by the Russians.—Retreat
of the French.—Marshal Ney's courage. 230

CHAP. XXXV.—Continuation of the Retreat.—Capture of
Witepsk.—Loss of the magazines.—State of the weather.—Disasters
of the French.—Attacked by the Cossacks. 235

CHAP. XXXVI.—The Emperor's solicitude for Ney.—Receives
information of his escape from the Russians.—Embarrassment
of the French.—Battle of the Beresina.—Surrender
of Partonneau's division.—Retreat of the French
upon Wilna.—Napoleon sets out for Paris.—His instructions.—Rapp
proceeds to Dantzic. 242

CHAP. XXXVII.—Description of the town and garrison of
Dantzic.—Rapp's preparations.—His difficulties.—Losses
of the garrison by disease.—Scarcity of provisions.—Breaking
up of the ice. 254

CHAP. XXXVIII.—Conduct of the Allies.—General Detrées
sent to reconnoitre.—Skirmishes between the French and
Allies.—The Russians defeated at Langfuhr, and Ohra. 262

CHAP. XXXIX.—Destructive ravages of the epidemic.—Expedition
against Quadendorf.—Defeat of the Russians.—Ignorance
of the garrison of the progress of events.—The
epidemic disappears.—The Russian signals set on fire.—Attempts
to seduce the troops of the garrison.—Review of
the garrison on the glacis. 271

CHAP. XL.—The garrison's efforts to obtain provisions; its
difficulties.—Rapp sends an expedition into the Nerhung.—Is
successful.—He demands a loan from the Dantzickers.—Accusation
against the senator Piegeleau.—Conduct of the
Duke of Wurtemberg.—News of the victories of Lutzen
and Bautzen.—Its effect on the French troops.—The
Russians defeated.—The Allies solicit an armistice.—Rapp
receives the ribbon of the order of La Réunion.—Napoleon's
despatch to Rapp. 282

CHAP. XLI.—Conditions of the armistice.—Duke of Wurtemberg
raises obstacles to the fulfilment of them.—His
subterfuges.—Rapp's letter to the Prince de Neuchâtel.—Scarcity
of provisions.—Recommencement of hostilities. 292

CHAP. XLII.—Attempts of the besiegers.—Engagement
between the garrison and the Russians at the advanced
posts.—Details.—A second engagement.—The Russians
take Langfuhr.—Their intentions.—Rapp's preparations.—Ohra
put in a state of defence.—The Russians attack
Kabrun.—Their fleet fire on the French batteries; but are
repulsed.—Overflowing of the Vistula.—Combined attack
by the land and sea forces of the besiegers. 303

CHAP. XLIII.—Severity of the weather.—Scarcity of
provisions.—Attack of the Russians.—Their defeat.—Situation,
and plan of operations.—State of Dantzic, the magazines, and
the surrounding fortresses.—Condition of the
garrison.—Disaffection of the German troops.—Means used to
decoy them.—Rapp capitulates.—The Emperor Alexander annuls the
capitulation.—Rapp protests and surrenders. 323

CHAP. XLIV.—The garrison taken prisoners to Kiow.—Their
liberation.—The state of France in 1814.—Rapp's
treatment at Court.—The return from Elba.—Conversation
between Napoleon and Rapp.—Rapp's appointment to the
command of the army of the Upper Rhine.—Napoleon's
arrangements.—His letter to the allied Sovereigns.—Rapp
sets out for Alsace.—State of public feeling.—Enthusiasm
of the women at Mulhausen. 337

CHAP. XLV.—Preparations of the Allies.—Napoleon's letter
to Rapp.—Rapp receives fresh funds.—The Emperor's
despatch to Rapp. 352

CHAP. XLVI.—Amount and division of the French troops.—Rapp
receives news of the battle of Waterloo.—His
determination.—Rapp's advanced posts attacked.—Movements
of the Allies.—The success of the French.—Their retreat. 357

CHAP. XLVII.—Effect of the news of the battle of
Waterloo.—Disposition of Rapp's troops.—Battle of
Lampertheim.—Designs of the Allies.—Rapp throws himself into
Strasburg.—Prince of Wurtemberg's conduct.—Military
convention signed. 364

CHAP. XLVIII.—Mutiny of the garrison of Strasburg.—A
description of their conduct.—Dissolution of the army.—Rapp's
letter to the King.—Its effect.—Rapp's death.—Conclusion. 375