The San Francisco call., 1897-03-17
OUDINOT'S MEMOIRS.
Story of Napoleon's Career Told by :
Marshal OF the Empire.

Story of Napoleon's Career Told by a
Marshal OF the Empire.
There seems to be no end to the litera-
ture connected with the Napoleonic era.
The "Memoirs of Marshal Oudinot" are
the theme of extended review by the Lon
don critics.
Napoleon, after the battle of Marengo,
gave Oudinot the command OF corps in
the camp at Boulogne, where preparations
for descent upon England again occupied
the mind of the Emperor. Two years were
wasted in this work, when Napoleon sud-
denly changed his plans, and hurled upon
Central Europe the armies he had intended
10 use against England. In 1905 the cele-
brated Corps of Grenadiers. raised by
Junot, and afterward known as the Infer
nal column" was placed under the COM
mand of the young general. 1t was COM
posed of the finest men of the army, and
On more than one occasion decided the
fate OF battles. Oudinot was elevated to
the rank of marshal and Duke of the en-
pire after the battle OF Wagram. His first
wife died in 1910, and in January, 1872, he
married Mile. de Coucy, the author of
these memoirs. Oudinot was seriously
wounded at Polotsk, while IN command
OF the Second Corps in the Russian ex-
pedition. His young wife, hearing of his
wound, joined him at Wilma, and shared
in the disastrous retreat of the French
army. Chapters and contain graphic
detail of their sufferings from the terrible
and daily increasing cold under which
the Grand Armee, gradually melted away.
During the retreat the wounded general
suffered torments.
DR.. Cagriomont tried to dress the sick
mans wound. but everything froze be-
meath his ands and he had to give upthe
attempt They tried TO use the provisions
brought on ore side from wilma and on
the other from Konigsberg, but every
thing-bread, wine, ham, pouitry-was
frozen and could not be thawed, even
when put before the stove A slight dam p
ness was all that appeared on the outside
of the eatables; the inside. remained as
hard as stone.
In the advance upon Berlin the columns
OF Bertrand, Regnier and Oudinot were
unable to concentrate, owing to the d iffi-
culties Of the country, and at Gross-Beeren
the latter received a severe check. This
repulse, com bined with others received by
Napoleon lieutenants. eliminated in the
supreme defeat at Leipzig. The Duchesse
describes the confusion at Versa lies on
the eve of the abdication of Napoleon:
1t was almost dark when we arrived.
We took possession of two adjacent rooms
in an already crowded inn in the Rue de
POrangerie. During the whole night an
incessant and confused noise told us of the
passage OF large number of men, horses
and carriages, and soon he daylight re.
vealed the most astonishing sight that
human eyes perhaps have ever looked
upon. We stood motionless at our VIM
dows; what We saw passing, my children,
was -. the empire! The empire,
which was departing, with all its pomp
and splendor; the Ministers, all in their
coaches and six, taking with them port
folio, wives, children, jewels. livery the
entire Council OF State; the archives3 the
crown diamonds; the administrations,
Ard installments of power and magnlfi-
cence were mingled on the road with
humble housed holds who had heaped up
on a barrow all they had been able to