Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-25
WELLINGTON AND NAPOLEON.
Recoilectiens Of the Poet Rogers.

Recoileetions Of the Poet Rogers.
tFrom the Boston Transcript July nth
In the 'Recollections' by Samuel Rogers,
just Published in London, we ind several very
interesting statements concerning Bonaparte,
In the chapters headed Duke Of yelling
ton. We make liberal extracts therefrom,
and the reader viii bear in mind that the
words quoted are those of the Duke himself.
In speaking to Mr.. Rogers of his great an
tagonist mt Waterloo, Wellington remarked
g BOHapdrts nersT saic; though during the
battle of Waterloo We were once, understood.
within quarter of mile of each other /
regret il much; for he was most extraorii-
nary man. To me he seems to have been at
his acme at the Peace of Tilsit, and gradually
to have declined afterwards !" The Duke tbus
continues his comments on Napoleon
AT Waterloo he had the finest army he
ever commanded; and everything up to the
onset must have turned out as he wished. In
deed, he could not have expected to beat the
PrussiaDs, as he did ut Ligny, in four hours.
But two such armies rs those at Waterloo have
seldom met, If L may judge from what thew
did on that day. 1t was a battle of giants, a
battle of giants, Many of my troops were
new; but the new fight well, though they man
suvre Ill; better perhaps than many who have
fought and bled. As to the way in which
some OF our ensigns and lieutenants brayed
danger-the boys just come from school-it ex-
ScCuS all Ocllci 1hey ran as at cricket.' ..
In again speaking Of Napoleon, tho Duke
said % =
6 Bonspsrte, in my opinion committed one
of his greatest errors when he meddled with
Spain; for the animosity Of the people was un-
conquerable, and 1t was almost impossible to
get US out of that corner have often said it
would be his ruin; though 1 might not live to
see 1t. conqusror, like a cannon ball, must
go on. If he rebounds, his career is over.
lBonaparte was certainly as clever man as
ever lived, but he appears to me to have
wanted sense on many occasions AT one
time expected him there lin Spainl in per-
son, and him by himself should have regard ed
at least as an accession of 40, 900 men,"
The following statement shows how the dipIo.
matlsts were at fault on an imp portant occasion:
w hen Bonaparte left Elba for France Il was
at Vienna, and received the news from Lord
Burghersh, our Minister at Florence The in
slant " came communicated it to every men,
Der of the Congress, and all laughed; the En-
poror Of Russia most of all What was in your
letter to his Majesty this morning!' said his
physician; for when he broke the seal, he
elspped his hands and burst out a laughing. ,
Various were the conjectures as to whittier he
had gone; but none would hear Of France All
were sure that in France he would be massa-
creed BY the people when he appeared there.
! remember Talleyrsnd Q words 50 we'll: Pour
Ia FTaHcs-NoRn
The meeting of Wellington and Blucber on
The field of Waterloo, when the shock of battle
had ceased, and the hack and carnage had be-
gun, has been described and painted Here ia
the Duke's account, which differs very much
from the pictorial representations of the scene:
"Xhen all Was over, Bluchsr and L met at
Ia Maison Rouge. 1t was midnight when he
came; and riding up, he threw his arms round
me. and kissed me on both cheeks as I sat in
the saddle. L WAS then in pursuit; but "a his
troops were fresh, halted mine and left the
business to him. In the day I was for some
time encumbered with the corps al pIomati0ys
They would not leave me, say what l would !
We supped afterwards together between niObt
and morning in q spacious tent erected in The
valley for that purpose. POzzo di BOrgo was
there among others; and at my rea nest he mt
OF a messenger with the news To Ghept: where
Louis the Eighteenth breakfasted every morn
ing In window to the street. and where
every morning the citizens assembled under IL
10 gaze on him. When the messenger a Rus
sian, entered the room with the news. the
hing embraced him; and all embraced him.
and one another, all over the house An ennis
saTy Of ROthsehilds was in the street; and no
sooner did he see these demonstrations than
he took wing tor London Not a syllable es.
csped from his lips at Bruges, at Ostend, or at
MaTgste; nor till Rothsehiid had taken his
measures on the change, was the intelligence
communicated to Lord Liverpool
From the lips of Lord Hardinge, Mr. Rogers
set down good story Of the previous fight, in
which the Prussians had been so erribIy cut mn.
" Before the battle of Ligny, Gssid Lord Har-
dinge, in which L lost my arm, about noon.
Blucher, thinking that the French were gath
erIng more and more against him. reauested
that would 60 and solicit the Duke for some
assistance. L set out; but had not proceeded
far for the purpose, when I saw a parfy of horse
coming towards me, and observing that thew
had short tails L knew at once that they were
English, and soon distinguished the Duke. He
was on his way to the Prussian headouarters.
thinking that they might want some assist
ance; and he instantly gave directions for A
supply OF cavalry. How are they forming p
he inquired. In column, not in line re-
piled. The Prussian soldier, SAYS BIucher.
will not stand in line Then the artillery
will play upon them and they will be beaten
damnably so they were. At the last Wa
terioo dinner, when my health was drunk a
usual, and as usual rose to return thanks. 7
stated briefly this occurrence, and the Duke,
when alluded to il, cried Hear hear rt'T
From the Prince de Tslleyrand, Mr.. Roger,
learned fact or two about the Emperor, which
we may as well throw in here:
" That despatch which Bonaparte published
ON his retreat from Moscow, was il written by
himself2 By himself certainly Which ia the
best portrait Of him, That which represents
him at Maimsison. IL is done by Isaby. The
bust gave Alexander Barring, done by Cano-
Va, is excellent. Ii stands too low at present.
Did he shave himself, Always; though he
was too long about it, shaving little and then
eonversing, IL anybody was with him A king
by birth, said he, smiling, is shaved by an
other. He who makes himself ROt sbayes
himself - : -
Many stories are related Of the priEations of
soldier life. The Duke stated that for m nany
years IN the Peninsula be undressed very sell
dom-never for the first four years