Litchfield enquirer., 1869-03-18
WHOLE NO. 2337

Napoleon often alluded to his great Tpro-
 following proves, what is amply confirmed fby his correspondence, that he was fully
 in earnest: r,y..s.
 a}.s }.s'I told him that it was often doubted in
 England whether he intended to accompa- ny the first body of troops who were to at i tempt the invasion, and hoped he would excuse my asking him the question. He told me he certainly meant to command it
 in person. The whole would have left Boulogne together, and disembarked as quickly and as much in company as they
 could. But if the wind permitted of it he
 should prefer landing in or near the Thames-so as to turn all the defences con- structed by MT. Pitt-rather than on the coast of Kent. No British force could be
 collected in sufficient number to oppose him." ip t+a
 Sir Neily however, thought that Napole- Il on was not a good judge of the peculiar
 difficulties of naval operations, for he says:
 "As have perceived in many similar conversations upon naval matters, Napole- , on has no idea of the hazard incident to
 movements upon coast, nor of the diff culties occasioned by winds and tides, but
 judges of changes of position, in the case of ships, as he would with regard to troops upon laud."
 As time wore on the dissatisfaction of Napoleon with his exile become more evil
 dent He had been welcomed by the is-
 flanders at first but soon disgusted them by
 heavy impositions, and by sundry acts of petty severity. His little army, too, began
 to murmur, and even his guards were dis
 contented. Sir Mel says: ....
 ''The cries of Vi0e PEnapereur 7 are no longer heard, notwithstanding the study to give popular effect in every movement, and
 the formation of 8 court among the prin- cipal inhabitants. People exclaim against his oppression and injustice, so mnch so
 that If his restlessness is not tempered by some discretion, nothing but the military force of his guards will prevent the inhabi- tants from rising against him. I am like wise of the opinion that even the attach ment of his guards to him is daily dimin- lshlng. They will soon tire of having ex- patriated themselves. '-' By degrees, too, Napoleon became re- l served and distant in his demeanor, in- trenching himself in the small state of his court. Sir Neil Campbell began to enter
 tain suspicious that some wild project was
 on foot, and his fears were increased by 0 visit to Elba of Madame Mere and the Princess Pauline. Madame Mere related this curious anecdote to Sir Neil Campbell when presented to her: @rg y.. et ~. "She told me that Napoleon was first intended for the navy, and studied for it at Boulogne with certain proportion 0f l the other pupils. She went to see him there. and found that they all slept in ham, mecks, upon which she prevented his pur- suing that line, and said all she could to l dissuade him from 1t: s' My son, in the na- I wv 1uin ho,- 4o water! He was then fourteen or fifteen years of age.'' .-------..-
 4, <, At last.the extraordinary event occurred. l Sir Neil Campbell, during-a temporary ab-
 sence,' in part to recruit his shattered
 health, in part to collect information in It. Ialy, had committed the care of watching -EibG to the commander of one of our ships on that station. On the 24th of February, I Capt. Adye stood in, and saw the masts of l Napoleon's fiotilla in the small roadstead of Porto F'errajo; and nothing appeared 1 to provoke suspicion. But in the mean | time Sir Neiil had received intelligence that an escape was being planned; and, hastening to the coast, he, was off Elba with Capt. Adye, on the evening of the l 26thJ There was not, however, breath of wind; and Sir Neil reached the island i'll @ boat at last, just in time to hear that 1 Napoleon had embarked with few hund- red men, in seven small vessels, and was already leagues out at sea- As he did not clear from Porto Ferrajo until the night of the 26th, it is probable, if steam had been l in use, that he would have been intercept ed by Capt. Adye, and that history would have run a different course. Sir Neill | gives this account of the scene: i'r '''r
 ''Mr. Grattan informed me that about 3 P. M. on the 26th, there was sudden hustle among the troops and inhabitants, and q parade of the Corsican battalion took place. Soon afterwards the gates were shut. His servant, who had broth CT, 8 lieutenant in the Corsican battalion, told him that the Emperor and the whole of the troops were about to embark for It. ally. At P. M. the troops marched out of the Notifications without music or noise, and embarked at the health-ofice in feluc- cas or boats which were alongside, part of them being transported, to the brig which lay in the harbor. At 9 P. M., ,Napo- leon, with General Bertrand, passed out in | the Princess Paaline's small carriage drawn by four horses, embarked at the health-of- flee in boat, and went on board the brig Inconstant. Immediately afterwards the whole hotilla got under way with sweeps and boats, the soldiers crying out 'Vive pEmpereur T" 7,a.-'..... | ----%~ - ..fI