memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v12-第3节

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of　him　at　Dresden；　〃If　I　were　to　lose　Vandamme　I　know　not　what　I　would
give　to　have　him　back　again；　but　if　I　had　two　such　generals　I　should　be
obliged　to　shoot　one　of　them。〃　　It　must　be　confessed　that　one　was　quite
enough。

As　soon　as　he　arrived　Vandamme　sent　to　inform　Tettenborn　that　if　he　did
not　immediately　liberate　the　brother　and　brother…in…law　of　Morand；　both
of　whom　were　his　prisoners；　he　would　burn　Hamburg。　　Tettenborn　replied
that　if　he　resorted　to　that　extremity　he　would　hang　them　both　on　the　top
of　St。　Michael's　Tower；　where　he　might　have　a　view　of　them。　　This
energetic　answer　obliged　Vandamme　to　restrain　his　fury；　or　at　least　to
direct　it　to　other　objects。

Meanwhile　the　French　forces　daily　augmented　at　Haarburg。　　Vandamme；
profiting　by　the　negligence　of　the　new　Hanseatic　troops；　who　had　the
defence　of　the　great　islands　of　the　Elbe；　attacked　them　one　night　in　the
month　of　May。　　This　happened　to　be　the　very　night　after　the　battle　of
Lutzsn；　where　both　sides　claimed　the　victory；　and　Te　Deum　was　sung　in　the
two　hostile　camps。　　The　advance　of　the　French　turned　the　balance　of
opinion　in　favour　of　Napoleon；　who　was　in　fact　really　the　conqueror　on　a
field　of　battle　celebrated　nearly　two　centuries　before　by　the　victory　and
death　of　Gustavus　Adolphus。　　The　Cossacks　of　the　Elbe　could　not　sustain
the　shock　of　the　French；　Vandamme　repulsed　the　troops　who　defended
Wilhelmsburg；　the　largest　of　the　two　islands；　and　easily　took　possession
of　the　smaller　one；　Fidden；　of　which　the　point　nearest　the　right　bank　of
the　Elbe　is　not　half　a　gunshot　distant　from　Hamburg。　　The　9th　of　May　was
a　fatal　day　to　the　people　of　Hamburg；　for　it　was　then　that　Davoust；
having　formed　his　junction　with　Vandamme；　appeared　at　the　head　of　a　corps
of　40；000　men　destined　to　reinforce　Napoleon's　Grand　Army。　　Hamburg　could
not　hold　out　against　the　considerable　French　force　now　assembled　in　its
neighbourhood。　　Tettenborn　had；　it　is　true；　received　a　reinforcement　of
800　Prussians　and　2000；　Swedes；　but　still　what　resistance　could　he　offer
to　Davoust's　40；000　men？　　Tettenborn　did　not　deceive　himself　as　to　the
weakness　of　the　allies　on　this　point；　or　the　inutility　of　attempting　to
defend　the　city。　　He　yielded　to　the　entreaties　of　the　inhabitants；　who
represented　to　him　that　further　resistance　must　be　attended　by　certain
ruin。　　He　accordingly　evacuated　Hamburg　on　the　29th　of　May；　taking　with
him　his　Hanseatic　legions；　which　had　not　held　out　an　hour　in　the　islands
of　the　Elbe；　and　accompanied　by　the　Swedish　Doctor　Von　Hess；　whose
imprudent　advice　was　the　chief　cause　of　all　the　disasters　to　which　the
unfortunate　city　lied　been　exposed。

Davoust　was　at　Haarburg；　where　he　received　the　deputies　from　Hamburg　with
an　appearance　of　moderation；　and　by　the　conditions　stipulated　at　this
conference　on　the　30th　of　May　a　strong　detachment　of　Danish　troops
occupied　Hamburg　in　the　name　of　the　Emperor。　　The　French　made　their
entrance　the　same　evening；　and　occupied　the　posts　as　quietly　as　if　they
had　been　merely　changing　guard。　　The　inhabitants　made　not　a　shadow　of
resistance。　　Not　a　drop　of　blood　was　issued；　not　a　threat　nor　an　insult
was　interchanged。　　This　is　the　truth；　but　the　truth　did　not　suit
Napoleon。　　It　was　necessary　to　getup　a　pretext　for　revenge；　and
accordingly　recourse　was　had　to　a　bulletin；　which　proclaimed　to　France
and　Europe　that　Hamburg　had　been　taken　by　main　force；　with　a　loss　of　some
hundred　men。　　But　for　this　imaginary　resistance；　officially　announced；
how　would　it　have　been　possible　to　justify　the　spoliations　and　exactions
which　ensued？

The　Dutch　General；　Hogendorff；　became　Governor　of　Hamburg　in　lieu　of
Carra　St。　Cyr；　who　had　been　confined　at　Osnabruck　since　his　precipitate
retreat。　　General　Hogendorff　had　been　created　one　of　the　Emperor's　aides
de　camp；　but　he　was　neither　a　Rapp；　a　Lauriston；　nor　a　Duroc。　　The
inhabitants　were　required　to　pay　all　the　arrears　of　taxes　due　to　the
different　public　offices　during　the　seventy　days　that　the　French　had　been
absent；　and　likewise　all　the　allowances　that　would　have　been　paid　to　the
troops　of　the　garrison　had　they　remained　in　Hamburg。　　Payment　was　also
demanded　of　the　arrears　for　the　quartering　of　troops　who　were　fifty
leagues　off。　　However；　some　of　the　heads　of　the　government　departments；
who　saw　and　understood　the　new　situation　of　the　French　at　Hamburg；　did
not　enforce　these　unjust　and　vexatious　measures。　　The　duties　on
registrations　were　reduced。　　M。　Pyonnier；　Director　of　the　Customs；　aware
of　the　peculiar　difficulty　of　his　situation　in　a　country　where　the
customs　were　held　in　abhorrence；　observed　great　caution　and　moderation　in
collecting　the　duties：　Personal　examination；　which　is　so　revolting　and
indecorous；　especially　with　respect　to　females；　was　suppressed。　　But
these　modifications　did　not　proceed　from　the　highest　quarter；　they　were
due　to　the　good　sense　of　the　subordinate　agents；　who　plainly　saw　that　if
the　Empire　was　to　fall　it　would　not　be　owing　to　little　infractions　in　the
laws　of　proscription　against　coffee　and　rhubarb。

If　the　custom…house　regulations　became　less　vexatious　to　the　inhabitants
of　Hamburg　it　was　not　the　same　with　the　business　of　the　post…office。
The　old　manoeuvres　of　that　department　were　resumed　more　actively　than
ever。　　Letters　were　opened　without　the　least　reserve；　and　all　the　old
post…office　clerks　who　were　initiated　in　these　scandalous　proceedings
were　recalled。　　With　the　exception　of　the　registrations　and　the　customs
the　inquisitorial　system；　which　had　so　long　oppressed　the　Hanse　Towns；
was　renewed；　and　yet　the　delegates　of　the　French　Government　were　the
first　to　cry　out；　〃The　people　of　Hamburg　are　traitors　to　Napoleon：　for；
in　spite　of　all　the　blessings　he　has　conferred　upon　them　they　do　not　say
with　the　Latin　poet；　'Deus　nobis　haec　otia　fecit。〃

But　all　that　passed　was　trifling　in　comparison　with　what　was　to　come。
On　the　18th　of　June　was　published　an　Imperial　decree；　dated　the　8th　of
the　same　month；　by　virtue　of　which　were　to　be　reaped　the　fruits　of　the
official　falsehood　contained　in　the　bulletin　above　mentioned。　　To　expiate
the　crime　of　rebellion　Hamburg　was　required　to　pay　an　extraordinary
contribution　of　48；000；000　francs；　and　Lubeck　a　contribution　of
6；000；000。　　The　enormous　sum　levied　on　Hamburg　was　to　be　paid　in　the
short　space　of　a　month；　by　six　equal　instalments；　either　in　money；　or
bills　on　respectable　houses　in　Paris。　　In　addition　to　this　the　new
Prefect　of　Hamburg　made　a　requisition　of　grain　and　provisions　of　every
kind；　wines；　sailcloth；　masts；　pitch；　hemp；　iron；　copper；　steel；　in
short；　everything　that　could　be　useful　for　the　supply　of　the　army　and
navy。

But　while　these　exactions　were　made　on　property　in　Hamburg；　at　Dresden
the　liberties　of　individuals　and　even　lives　were　attacked。　　On　the　15th
of　June　Napoleon；　doubtless　blinded　by　the　false　reports　that　were　laid
before　him；　gave　orders　for　making　out　a　list　of　the　inhabitants　of
Hamburg　who　were　absent　from　the　city。　　He　allowed　them　only　a　fortnight
to　return　home；　an　interval　too　short　to　enable　some　of　them　to　come　from
the　places　where　they　had　taken　refuge。　　They　consequently　remained
absent　beyond　the　given　time。　　Victims　were　indispensable　but　assuredly
it　was　not　Bonaparte　who　conceived　the　idea　of　hostages　to　answer　for　the
men　whom　prudence　kept　absent。　　Of　this　charge　I　can　clear　his　memory。
The　hostages；　were；　however；　taken；　and　were　declared　to　be　also
responsible　for　the　payment　of　the　contribution　of　48；000；000。　　In
Hamburg　they　were　selected　from　among　the　most　respectable　and　wealthy
men　in　the　city；　some　of　them　far　advanced　in　age。　　They　were　conveyed　to
the　old　castle　of　Haarburg　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Elbe；　and　these　men；
who　had　been　accustomed　to　all　the　comforts　of　life；　were　deprived　even
of　necessaries；　and　had　only　straw　to　lie　on。　　The　hostages　from　Lubeck
were　taken　to；　Hamburg：　they　were　placed　between　decks　on　board　an　old
ship　in　the　port：　this　was　a　worthy　imitation　of　the　prison　hulks　of
England。　　On　the　24th　of　July　there　was　issued　a　decree　which　was
published　in　the　Hamburg　Correspondent　of　the　27th。　　This　decree
consisted　merely　of　a　proscription　list；　on　which　were　inscribed　the
names　of　some　of　the　wealthiest　men　in　the　Hanse　Towns；　Hanover；　and
Westphalia。




CHAPTER　XXIX。

1813。

　　　　　Napoleon's　second　visit　to　DresdenBattle　of　BantzenThe　Congress
　　　　　at　PragueNapoleon　ill　advisedBattle　of　VittoriaGeneral　Moreau
　　　　　Rupture　of　the　conferences　at　PragueDefection　of　JominiBattles
　　　　　of　Dresden　and　LeipsicAccount　of　the　death　of　DurocAn
　　　　　interrupted　conversation　resumed　a　year　afterParticulars
　　　　　respecting　PoniatowskiHis　extraordinary　courage　and　death
　　　　　His　monument　at　Leipsic　and　tomb　in　the　cathedral　of　Warsaw。

On　the　2d　of　May　Napoleon　won　the　battle　of　Lutzen。　A　week　after　he　was
at　Dresden；　not　as　on　his　departure　for　the　Russian　campaign；　like　the
Sovereign　of　the　West　surrounded　by　his　mighty　vassals：　he　was　now　in　the
capital　of　the　only　one　of　the　monarchs　of　his　creation　who　remained
faithful　to　the　French　cause；　and　whose　good　faith　eventually　cost　him
half　his　dominions。　　The　Emperor　stayed　only　ten　days　in　Dresde