Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-17
THE FIRST NAPOLEON
Four Great Epochs In The Little
COrpOraTs" Career.
IS A SOLDIER and A LOVER.
Scx Lights Thrown Upon the Life and
Character Of the Emperor OF
the French.


sancc In literature. art and the drama.
Nhat manner OF man this Corsican soldier
was. what he thought, what he felt, and
uca,t he wrote have been made the sub
i.rts OF countless trea,iscs. innumerable
ceuiccturcs and the deepest research.
There have recently been published some
rie,s which throw new light on this great
..nguorcr. who crowned his puppets and
s.i them on half the thrones Of Europe.
ana died himself miserable exile on a
Isolate island in the South Atlantic.
From varied sources the Mail-and Ex-
.rees to-day reprints some extracts which
i4hlbt Napoleon at the most interesting
stages OF his meteoric life. He is shown
young and unknown soldier at TOu-
lon. on the threshold OF his career. and
grsln IN Russia as the door Of fame was
losing behind him. His burning passion
" Josephine is told in four lctters-eps-
t.s In which love and jealousy. rage and
8, nifty. are strangely intermingled. His
r.. on board the British ship which bore
him INTO captivity. his sclfshness. his ex-
.,,-rce In his prison home, give the reader
ia. human side Of the most wonderful
,tartcter that ever dazzled the pages Of
history.
AT TOULON.
In the early days Of September 1875.
Trrrce was attacked on every side, and
.r ri Of her provinces had rebelled against
tf. % eefnmcnt established at Paris,
which enforced IFS supremacy by re-
tmr carried on under a reign OF terror.
ST., writes Germain Bapst IN Harpers
t.rfhly Among the provinces in open
direction were oil those OF the South
.. army corps invested Lyons while an
other. after subduing Marseilles, marched
,...nsf Toulon. Therefore. Adjutant Ger
t.ri was dispatched TO Marseiiles to as
certain n he could not find in that town
-i. artillery officer OF distinction 10
whom ni>-.ft be intrusted the chief COM
rr.rd ~ the siege batteries before Touion'
C.rvoni. while s,roiling through Inc
streets Of the town. met with a captain
.f artillery. who was, Ike himselt, per-
.tnIulstng the same thoroushlaTes'
wr.s captain was a Corsican ana COM
fri.i. his name was Napoleon Bona
,-. ye was short wel-prOportioned
man with extremely thin. dark, hair. VINO
v.,. u long cooked hat. His coat was
lr,. with velvet faCings, his trousers
y..rs brona. an; buttoned on each sue
t. t.,. from yra II TO ankle. kind or
-.rrr.nt then called chariNail OF
...rculoitee: he had on small boo'S WIZ,
yellow leather tops, ana was coNeieu on
over with the dust of the I'an aI"".,
yb.,h he had been walking: for ne mao
a., srri,el from AViFnon. whittier ne
ga escorted convoy of ammunition,
81 vas ON rs way 10 Nice. CerV"hl
trorght that Bona!arto would De JUS
"a. man $50 much wanted 10y the mtHh"ci9
~ tho national convention del'Ed'eu 10
watch over the movements OF the ann
N.fov. Toulon. Eonaparte appeaIei NSIy
.,rur. ne was only "A years OF hte' ~
&, was stated that, month oei"i'' ~,
r.uuLlican army was on uit tNi",
,o,t;rc a retreat in front OF ANl9noh'
,,tor he with two neld-pieces ana eis"'y
-, b.r,haracI the town IN the rear 70
.V.c,iy,lv that the inhabitants ana rc'c'@i
- ,,.rc overcome with fright anu
co,,inced that they had been oclr"ScI'
abandoned the place TO the repuD -
who entered victorious ih'ilNH -
t.ilre.s ana foresight IS captain bOi'"
parte. ,.o,, N cnter a
~. r,ouanrrte accepted, ana the w"
~, had "A chat over bpWi 81 Pun
IL" 80. coptoin doffrd his NAT 80
~, tis features were hshird op ny Wv
,i,. H1uc ~ the liquor; MS 'o'li''.N'o',
CO seti,w. and his head large "'"S' ',S
a.. II ala tW@nty-three inchh" iou'''' -
,b. size ~ the skull was large III VA
,tv..n the two cheekboues was eho'-
-. Tho bair grew low on the lore-
"a. I'M, wcll-arched brOws diScios'n
i-., ewes. sharp as steel cold cledi,
ana ficrcing: the aquiline nose WIS VI
49,. most delicate shape. the !oNer hP
strong and rccedins. while the .hin an"
49,. Jaws were as we'll developed as the
skull n,..,,.,,
Lord Wolseley has some original iIoas
r.liug one Of the causes OF Napolroh
Downfall. He attributes tho disaster
which cloudcl the last four years OF MS
career r,.,r % his Danish ent TO ~.
1I...u, ~ the periodic attacks OF mys-
t.riols malaly which afflicted the great
.,rrucr0r lie SAYS that up 10 the year
o.. Naplleon had carried out no war in
l..r.r. under MS own personal direction
watch had not been, in the long run,
iruDrtlv successful. From that year on
e.fl boz entered upon none when did not
,.I disastrously The invasion of Russia,
in fIg Was about the most stupend0us
Undertaking upon which any man has
c.t Ventured. But many are apt 10 treat
10 3d., II it's only serious diihcuiths lay
g. th- nature Of the country 10 be over
IN.
great distance from the Fren III frontier
Napoleon ala not really wish TO fight his
"a friend and ally Alexander. The war
was forced upon him as part Of the CON
rn.utaI system" by which English mari
tme tyranny" was TO be destroyed. The
tzlr permitted English goods TO pour
lr', Europe through his ports. therefore
au Western Europe was called upon to
bach his autocratic majesty the lesson
of ne continental policy. The grand
army was therefore, made up Of un-
wiling conscrlpts from all the countries
Mat feared the French Emperor, and
fr.m French soldiers and officers who
v-re weary Of war.
al these difficulties were surmounted
VIII bis oli-time skill at diplomacy and
thr most complete and mighty engine or
War ever put together was got to the FROM
irr " Russia with astounding expedition.
Ih- Russian forces were separated by
false reports Of Napoleon's course. and the
N4F 10 SmOlensk was clear Midway be-
tween the two divisions of the Russian
.uny was Poland ready to help the in
Natrr Yet the expedition failed. Inc
..ilns Zen back and continued TO re-
H.at With all these advantages NapO-
BON rested at wilma for three weeks in
HlI-sImmer. a loss Of time 1t Is impossi-
l.r to explain away when 1t is remem-
tfI how late In the year IL was when
D.. opened the campaign. Many aecious
excuses for II have been urged, but 1t
w. fatal mistake.
During his stay at wilma he evinced an
W .'ubtcd desire for peace. and seems 10
have realized the danger. II not the an-
wis om OF forcing the despot Alexander
into the ranks Of his active and declared
enemies. 4 want OF power over himself
% decide such great questions as that OF
War or peace already began 10 show IT.
sDf. and there was an unwonted hesita-
t.n even then In the policy be followed.
IL daillc1 with the Polish Question. also
refusing 10 reconstitute II as a kingdom
on republican principles. and thus lost
valuable allies.
After he left wilma his disasters began.
The Russians fell back skilfully day by
day. and burned. destroyed. or carried
away all supplies with them. This vas
INA, lerly inactivity" that los. he In
Nader thousands OF men and horses and
countless pieces OF heavy artillery. Heavy
rains fell and the officers began &C quar-
ri. Another delay gave the Russian
forces time TO effect a junction and make
sand before Smoiensk, when, after seine
diminishing. they managed 70 retreat TO,
ward Moscow, stil destroying supplies az
they went A. Horod;no they yqr. forced