No. 20.
January 12th.—Combat of St. Michel: Massena defeats Austrians.
To Josephine, at Milan.
Verona, January 12, 1797.
Scarcely set out from Roverbella, I learnt that the enemy had appeared at Verona. Massena made some dispositions, which have been very successful. We have made six hundred prisoners, and have taken three pieces of cannon. General Brune got seven bullets in his clothes, without being touched by one of them—this is what it is to be lucky.
I give you a thousand kisses. I am very well. We have had only ten men killed, and a hundred wounded.
Bonaparte.
January 13th.—Joubert attacked; retires from Corona on Rivoli in the morning, joined by Bonaparte at night.
January 14th.—Battle of Rivoli: Austrian centre defeated. Bonaparte
at close of day hurries off with Massena's troops to overtake Provera, marching sixteen leagues during the night. Massena named next day enfant chéri de la victoire by Bonaparte, and later Duc de Rivoli.
January 15th.—Joubert continues battle of Rivoli: complete defeat of Austrians. Provera, however, has reached St. Georges, outside Mantua.
January 16th—Sortie of Wurmser at La Favorite repulsed. Provera, hurled back by Victor (named the Terrible on this day), is surrounded by skilful manœuvres of Bonaparte, and surrenders with 6000 men. In three days Bonaparte had taken 18,000 prisoners and all Alvinzi's artillery. Colonel Graham gives Austrian losses at 14,000 to 15,000, exclusive of Provera's 6000.
January 26th.—Combat of Carpenedolo: Massena defeats the Austrians.
February 2nd.—Joubert occupies Lawis. Capitulation of Mantua, by Wurmser, with 13,000 men (and 6000 in hospital), but he, his staff, and 200 cavalry allowed to return. Enormous capture of artillery, including siege-train abandoned by Bonaparte before the battle of Castiglione. Advance of Victor on Rome.
No. 21.
To Josephine, at Bologna.
Forli, February 3, 1797.
I wrote you this morning. I start to-night. Our forces are at Rimini. This country is beginning to be tranquillised. My cold makes me always rather tired.
I idolise you, and send you a thousand kisses.
A thousand kind messages to my sister.
Bonaparte.
February 9th.—Capture of Ancona.
No. 22.
To Josephine, at Bologna.
Ancona, February 10, 1797.
We have been at Ancona these two days. We took the citadel, after a slight fusillade, and by a coup de main. We made 1200 prisoners. I sent back the fifty officers to their homes.
I am still at Ancona. I do not press you to come, because everything is not yet settled, but in a few days I am hoping that it will be. Besides, this country is still discontented, and everybody is nervous.
I start to-morrow for the mountains. You don't write to me at all, yet you ought to let me have news of you every day.
Please go out every day; it will do you good.
I send you a million kisses. I never was so sick of anything as of this vile war.
Good-bye, my darling. Think of me!
Bonaparte.
No. 23.
To Josephine, at Bologna.
Ancona, February 13, 1797.
I get no news from you, and I feel sure that you no longer love me. I have sent you the papers, and various letters. I start immediately to cross the mountains. The moment that I know something definite, I will arrange for you to accompany me; it is the dearest wish of my heart.
A thousand and a thousand kisses.
Bonaparte.
No. 24.
To Josephine, at Bologna.
February 16, 1797.
You are melancholy, you are ill; you no longer write to me, you want to go back to Paris. Is it possible that you no longer love your comrade? The very thought makes me wretched. My darling, life is unbearable to me now that I am aware of your melancholy.
I make haste to send you Moscati, so that he may look after you. My health is rather bad; my cold gets no better. Please take care of yourself, love me as much as I love you, and write me every day. I am more uneasy than ever.
I have told Moscati to escort you to Ancona, if you care to come there. I will write to you there, to let you know where I am.
Perhaps I shall make peace with the Pope, then I shall soon be by your side; it is my soul's most ardent wish.
I send you a hundred kisses. Be sure that nothing equals my love, unless it be my uneasiness. Write to me every day yourself. Good-bye, dearest.
Bonaparte.
No. 25.
February 19th.—Peace of Tolentino with the Pope, who has to pay for his equivocal attitude and broken treaty.
To Josephine, at Bologna.
Tolentino, February 19, 1797.
Peace with Rome has just been signed. Bologna, Ferrara, Romagna, are ceded to the Republic. The Pope is to pay us thirty millions shortly, and various works of art.
I start to-morrow morning for Ancona, and thence for Rimini, Ravenna, and Bologna. If your health permit, come to Rimini or Ravenna, but, I beseech you, take care of yourself.
Not a word from you—what on earth have I done? To think only of you, to love only Josephine, to live only for my wife, to enjoy happiness only with my dear one—does this deserve such harsh treatment from her? My dear, I beg you, think often of me, and write me every day.
You are ill, or else you do not love me! Do you think, then, that I have a heart of stone? and do my sufferings concern you so little? You must know me very ill! I cannot believe it! You to whom nature has given intelligence, tenderness, and beauty, you who alone can rule my heart, you who doubtless know only too well the unlimited power you hold over me!
Write to me, think of me, and love me.—Yours ever, for life.
Bonaparte.
March 16th.—Bonaparte defeats Archduke Charles on the Tagliamento.
March 25th.—Bonaparte writes the Directory from Goritz that "up till now Prince Charles has manœuvred worse than Beaulieu and Wurmser."
March 29th.—Klagenfurt taken by Massena.
April 1st.—Laybach by Bernadotte.
April 17th.—Preliminaries of peace at Leoben signed by Bonaparte.
April 18th.—Hoche crosses the Rhine at Neuwied.
April 21st.—Moreau at Kehl.
April 23rd.—Armistice of two Rhine armies follows preliminaries of Leoben.
May 16th.—Augereau enters Venice.
June 28th.—French capture Corfu, and 600 guns.
July 8th.—Death of Edmund Burke, aged sixty-eight.
July 18th.—Talleyrand becomes French Minister of Foreign Affairs.
September 4th.—Day of 18th Fructidor at Paris. Coup d'État of Rewbell, Larévellière-Lépeaux, and Barras, secretly aided by Bonaparte, who has sent them Augereau to command Paris.