[321] St. Cyr, Journal de l’Armée de Catalogne, 1808-9, p. 15.
[322] The notices of the army of Catalonia and its intended operations are not very numerous in Napoleon’s dispatches. Foy accepts Duhesme’s story that he had intended all along to raise the siege after receiving from Bayonne an order to suspend active operations (iv. 177). But it seems difficult to read this into the Emperor’s dispatches; Napoleon received the news of Baylen on Aug. 3, but did not begin pushing large reinforcements on to Catalonia till Aug. 10 (Nap. Corresp., 14,249), nor supersede Duhesme by St. Cyr till Aug. 17 (Nap. Corresp., 14,256). On Aug. 23 he concludes that Duhesme would be best placed at Barcelona, but that Reille must take Gerona with his division, which may be reinforced by that of Chabot, newly arrived at Perpignan, or even by more troops due from Italy in a few weeks. The expectation which he expresses, that Reille alone might very possibly be strong enough to capture the place, is enough to show that he did not intend to raise the siege, but (at most) to order Duhesme to strengthen Lecchi with men drawn off from the leaguer—which is a very different thing from that general’s statement of the case.
[323] The Emperor writes to Eugène Beauharnais that the 10,000 Italians, horse, foot, and artillery, must be ‘un extrait de l’armée italienne dans le cas de se faire honneur,’ the best that could be got (Dispatch 14,249, Aug. 10).
[324] Napoleon to Jerome, King of Westphalia, July 25 (Nap. Corresp., 14,230): ‘L’Autriche arme: elle nie ses armements, elle arme donc contre nous.... Puisque l’Autriche arme, il faut donc armer. Aussi j’ordonne que la Grande Armée soit renforcée. Mes troupes se réunissent à Strasbourg, Mayence, Wesel,’ &c. Compare this with the great harangue made to Metternich on August 15 (Nap. Corresp., 14,254) and with Nap. Corresp., 14,248, which discusses the co-operation of Russia in a war with Austria.
[325] Napoleon to Clarke, Aug. 3 (Nap. Corresp., 14,242).
[326] i.e. Napoleon is aware that they will never allow the army to be taken home by sea, as the capitulation provided.
[327] Napoleon to Joseph, Aug. 3 (Nap. Corresp., 14,243): ‘L’Allemagne, l’Italie, la Pologne etc., tout se lie,’ is the Emperor’s phrase.
[328] Nap. Corresp., 14,244, 14,272, 14,283.
[329] A few words as to Dupont’s fate may be added. His experiences during the next four years throw a curious light on the administration of military justice under the Empire. He, together with Vedel, Chabert, Marescot, Legendre, and the aide-de-camp Villoutreys, were arrested on returning to France, and thrown into prison. They were told to prepare for a trial before the Supreme High Court (Haute Cour Impériale), and a long series of interrogatories was administered to them. A military commission drew up a preliminary report on the case: on reading it the Emperor saw that Dupont had a fair defence to make on all the charges brought against him, with the exception of that of military incapacity. He countermanded the order for a trial, and the prisoners (after nine months of confinement) were released, but left under police surveillance. After Dupont had spent two years and a half of peace in the country-house of a relative, he was suddenly arrested at midnight on Feb. 12, 1812, and given a secret trial, not before a court of justice or a court-martial, but before a special military commission. He was allowed neither counsel nor documents, and forced to defend himself at forty-eight hours’ notice. The judges declared him guilty of having signed a capitulation containing ‘des conditions honteuses et avilissantes,’ but not of having surrendered without necessity, or of having shown cowardice or treason. Since the capitulation had been ‘contrary to the political interests of the Empire, and had compromised the safety of the State,’ while yet ‘there would be grave inconvenience in giving the accused a public trial,’ the court advised the Emperor to deprive Dupont of rank, title, and pension, and to relegate him to the country. The other accused officers might suffer the same penalties. Refusing to consider this a sufficient punishment, Napoleon shut up Dupont in the lonely fort of Joux, in the Jura, where he remained a prisoner till the fall of the Empire. Vedel and Legendre were pardoned, and afterwards served in Italy. Chabert and Villoutreys were put on half-pay.
[330] The ‘Note sur la situation actuelle de l’Espagne,’ which forms No. 14,241 of the Correspondance. It is dated at Bordeaux, Aug. 2, the very day on which Villoutreys brought the news of the capitulation.