Chapter I: Preface

In this volume the author has made the effort to portray Napoleon as he appears to an average man. Archives have not been rummaged, new sources of information have not been discovered; the author merely claims to have used such authorities, old and new, as are accessible to any diligent student. No attempt has been made to give a full and detailed account of Napoleon’s life or work. To do so would have required the labor of a decade, and the result would be almost a library. The author _has_ tried to give to the great Corsican his proper historical position, his true rating as a man and a ruler,--together with a just estimate of his achievements.

THOMSON, GEORGIA,
Dec. 24, 1901.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I. CORSICA 1

II. BOYHOOD 17

III. LIEUTENANT 37

IV. REVOLUTION 47

V. RETURNS HOME 58

VI. FIRST SERVICE 70

VII. AT MARSEILLES 86

VIII. 13TH OF VENDÉMIAIRE 94

IX. THE YOUNG REPUBLIC 115

X. JOSEPHINE 123

XI. THE ARMY OF ITALY 135

XII. MILAN 148

XIII. MANTUA 159

XIV. CAMPO FORMIO 175

XV. JOSEPHINE AT MILAN 188

XVI. EGYPT 196

XVII. THE SIEGE OF ACRE 211

XVIII. THE RETURN TO FRANCE 221

XIX. THE REMOVAL OF THE COUNCILS 230

XX. THE FALL OF THE DIRECTORY 242

XXI. FIRST CONSUL 256

XXII. MARENGO 275

XXIII. THE CODE NAPOLÉON 294

XXIV. PLOT AND CONSPIRACY 310

XXV. EMPEROR 329

XXVI. DISTRIBUTION OF HONORS 349

XXVII. JENA 355

XXVIII. ENTRY INTO BERLIN 363

XXIX. WARSAW 372

XXX. HABITS AND CHARACTERISTICS 386

XXXI. HIGH-WATER MARK 412

XXXII. SPAIN 425

XXXIII. WAGRAM 435

XXXIV. THE DIVORCE 450

XXXV. MOSCOW 470

XXXVI. THE RETREAT 491

XXXVII. IN PARIS AGAIN 502

XXXVIII. METTERNICH 514

XXXIX. DRESDEN AND LEIPSIC 523

XL. RETREAT FROM LEIPSIC 543

XLI. THE FRANKFORT PROPOSALS 557

XLII. THE FALL OF PARIS 571

XLIII. ELBA 583

XLIV. ELBA 598

XLV. LOUIS XVIII 612

XLVI. THE RETURN FROM ELBA 628

XLVII. REORGANIZATION 635

XLVIII. WATERLOO 647

XLIX. WATERLOO 657

L. ST. HELENA 672

LI. ST. HELENA 687

INDEX 705

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

NAPOLEON. From a portrait by Lassalle _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE
NAPOLEON. From an engraving by Tomkins of a drawing from life
during the campaign in Italy 70

LETTER FROM NAPOLEON TO GENERAL CARTEAUX, DATED AT TOULON. In
facsimile 80

NAPOLEON. From a print in the collection of Mr. W. C. Crane.
The original engraving by G. Fiesinger, after a miniature
by Jean-Baptiste-Paulin Guérin. Deposited in the National
Library, Paris, 1799 136

LETTER FROM NAPOLEON IN ITALY TO JOSEPHINE. In facsimile 160

JOSEPHINE IN 1800. From a pastel by P. P. Prud’hon 188

NAPOLEON. From the painting by Paul Delaroche entitled “General
Buonaparte crossing the Alps” 200

NAPOLEON AS FIRST CONSUL, AT MALMAISON. From a painting by
J. B. Isabey 256

JOSEPHINE IN 1809. From a water-color by Isabey 338

MARIA LOUISA. From the portrait by Gérard in the Louvre 460

LETTER FROM NAPOLEON TO COUNTESS WALEWSKI, DATED APRIL 16,
1814. In facsimile 562

THE KING OF ROME. From the painting by Sir T. Lawrence 690

NAPOLEON