Star.
London, England, 1818-10-24 00:00:00

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BONAPARTE.
• , •
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eglitE 'clpir OF 1815.
NAINATivt
_OF 'AtialAit PERATIONS IN !RANCE
AND IS BELGIUM) OURING 'IGNORE!) 1)A18-
WRITTEN AT ST. HELENA HT GENERAL GOURGAUD.

The Public have for some time been looking, with
considerable anxiety, for a promised Account of the
Campaign of 1815, by General Gourgaud, one of
the Aid-de-Camps of Bonaparte, who accompanied
him to St. Helena. It was generally understood that
this account, if not written to the dictation of the
Ex-Emperor, •-as at least drawn up from informa-
tion communicated by him to General Gourgaud.—
An account 4of the Battle of Waterloo, respecting
which such V.Uious statements have been given, and
so mats), dam ent judgments have been pronounced,
emanating in any way from the distinguished indivi-
dual at the head of the French army on that day, inde-
pendent of all other merits, must possess no ordinary
♦alue, as a document for history.

The promised work has at -length appealed, and,
before yroceeclini to lay an account of it heiore our
Readers, we shall first satisfy a desire which they can
tcarcely fail to have, namely, of knowing the share
which Napoleon may have had in its composition.

The Emperor Napoleon having deigned to make me ac-
ipaiated with Ws opinion respecting the principal cperations of
ca,upaign of 1115; I availed myself of that favourable cir-
cumstance, and of my recollections of that grand catastrophe of
which I had been a witness, to write this relation.

Amap of the country which was the theatre of the
principal military operations, is prefixed to the pub-
lication. From this map the movements of the dif-
ferent armies may be understood without difficulty.
General Gourgaud tells us in a preliminary notice:
Since my return to Europe, I have read many publicatigns
on the same subject. Most of the authors appeared to me to
ltave been actuated either by passion or hatred ; some have been
blinded by an excessive national partiality; very few have en-
deavoured to give a correct idea of what happened. Error, by
being often repeated, is always at last taken for reality ; and I
seas therefore of opinion, that as it was in my power to destroy•
it, a longer silence on my part would be blameable.
The publication consists of twelve Chapters, oc•
cupying 129 pages, with an Appendix of 79 pages.
The Appendix:contains detailed accounts of the num-
bers of the French, Anglo-Dutch, and Prussian ar-
mies, and the various official dispatches.

The first Chapter is occupied with the situation of
the Allied Powers, and the second with the situation►
of the French armies in April, May, and June, and
the preparations made for the defence of France.

The nulit.wy state of France, it is said, had been so reduced,
that that rower could scarcely, in the course of April, assemble
an army of 100,000 men, a force barely sufficient for the supply
of garrisons to our fortresses. There remained no disposable
forces for a moveable army.
. . . .
' " - • ' "

lv the beginning of June the whole of the army of the line
was disposable for offensive operations ; all our grand establish-
ments, all oar fortresses bring guarded by numerous battalions
of National Guards d'elite, receiving pay. At that period we
had nearly 250,000 infantry, but of which 120,000 only were
dressed, equipped, and disposable; the rest could only be ready
In the course of June, July, and August ; 50,000 mounted ca-
valry, of which 30,000 were ready to enter the field, the rest
would be ready successively in the course of the same months ;
the artillery bad already from 6 to 700 guns mounted, as well
as their double supply ; they were served by good gunners, in-
dependently of companies of field artillery of the line distributed
in all our places for their defence. The whole formed an army
of more than 550,000 effective mcn, of whom nearly 180,000
were ready for the field, and 150,000 in fortresses. Lastly, all
the measures were taken fur a new levy, and arming of three
huldred thousand men.

We have the following account of the formation
and distribution of the French forces in the beginning
of June:

In the first days of June all the troops of the Empire were
formed into seven Corp. d'Arince, four Corps of Observation,
and a Vendean Army.
The first Corps d'Armee Was at Lille, composed of sixteen
regiments. of infantry, and three of cavalry, which made four
divisions of infantry and one of cavalry ; in all 19,000 foot and
1,500 cavalry. General Belong commanded it. Tine second
Corps, composed in a similar manner, and of a force nearly
equal to the first, occupied Valenciennes' untie; eke orders of
General keille. The third, commanded by General VancLumne,
U 33 at Mesieres ; it had only three divisions of infantry and one
of cavalry. The fourth Corps, under the orders of General
Gerard, was at Metz, and guarded the 3loselle; it had the
saine composition an the third, but a regiment less; and those
which composed it were weak. Tye fifth Corps, under General
Rapp, was in Alsace; it had three divisions of infantry and one
of cavalry. The sixth Corps, commanded by General de Lo-
%au, was ...imposed of nine regiment; of iafantry and three re-
gitneuts of cavalry : it occupied Laon. The fourth regiments of
every division had been retained in La Vendee. The seventh
. Corps, at Cliamheri, under the command of Marshal Sucher,
was formed of two dividans of infantry and one of cavalry, and
of two divisions of National Guards, of Dauphiny and the
Lionnals. The Corps of Observation of the Var, commanded
by Anibal Brune, had three regiments of infantry and one of
cavalry, General Lecourbe commanded, at Befort, a Corps of
Observation of three renintents of infantry and three of cavalry;
be was supported by a great number of battalions of paid Na-
tional Guards of Franche Comte: he was to watch Basle, Ilu-
stinguen, and to defend the Jura. Two Corps of Observation,
one at Bourdeaux, under General °angel, the other at Thou.
louse, under Oeneral Decaen, bad three regiments of infantry
'and one of cavalry. In each of those towns they were rein-
forczd by all the levies of the paid National Guards of Langue-
doc ; but they were obliged to detach a regiment front each of
them. 'these two regiments were sent into La Vendee. The
army of La Vendee, commanded by General Lamarque, con-
sisted of eight regiments of Infantry of the line, two of young
guards, two of cavalry, and ten squadrons of gent d'armerie,
partly foot and partly horse, forming more than 3,000 gens-
d'ar:nes. Thropghont all the different Corps d'Armee the mean
fore of each reglimmt of infantry wan from 1,100 to 1,10011101
present under arms, and the force of the cavalry from four to
Lee hundred.

Of the 300 battalions of Notional Guards, organized and
paid, za were destined to form a reserve of infantry on the
Loire. The reserve of cavalry was composed of fcur Corps,
each of two divisions, each division having three regiments,
amounting to nearly .3,000 horse per corps. They were cau-
tioned between the Aisne, the Meuse, and the Sambre. The
ret, cutnmandcd by General Pajol, was light cavalry; the so-
cond; under General Excilmans, was dragoons; the third and
fourth corps, under Generals Alilhaut and Kellerman, were all
cuirassiers.

The Jrtillery of each corps was composed of eight guns per
dig E;iov of infantry; one horse battery of six pieces per division
valry ; and a battery of reserve of eight pieces of twelve
rr corps d'arnice.
In the third chapter, General Gourrrad enters on
ete various plans of operations, defensive and offen-
sive, which were in agitation at the time, and gives
us an accourt of the reasons which inducel Napo-
leon to adopt the offensive. He informs us that

The k.mperor had a repugnance to 35andon at the way com-
mencement of the cimpaign, withoet defence, to the ravages of
the en:my, the Provinces the most devoted to the rational cause.
Alsace, L.. raine, Bkrgurdy, Francheeonne, the Departments
of the At:z.se, DAupbitiy, Picardy, and all the environs of Pads.
In the fourth chapter we have an account of the
opening of the campaign. The force which crossed
the Sambre under Napoleon, is stated at 83,500 in-
fantry, 21,503 cavalry, 3.53 guns, which, with the
artil:-ry troops, &c. forn.-(1 a total of 11::,0iX) men,
of W.. 003 24v000 wcrc cavalry. Tian Prussian army.