“Your business, sir?” said Bonaparte, as Savary appeared.
“Your excellency, I have found the body of General Desaix, and brought it here to await your orders.”
“Ah! Desaix!” interrupted Bonaparte in a tone full of sad feeling. He then appeared to indulge in mournful reflection, and there was a silence of a few minutes. He then continued, “This victory would have been, indeed, glorious, could I this evening embrace Desaix. I was going to make him a minister of war. I would have made him a prince, had I been able. As mild and modest in manners as he was firm and heroic in battle, he deserves a monument from France. You, and Rapp, are faithful aids.”[aids.”]
“General Desaix was our father,” said Savary.
“I will take you both for my aids.”
This Savary was afterwards Duke of Rovigo. He was faithful to Napoleon to the end, and General Rapp deserves the same praise.
The First Consul now gave directions to Savary as to the immediate disposal of the body of Desaix. He designed that it should be embalmed as soon as possible, and placed in a fitting sarcophagus. Having received full and accurate directions, Savary retired.
“Most of you will recollect the critical position of affairs when Desaix arrived on the field,” said the First Consul. “His coming was a happy thought. You all know the worth of his opinion. You drew around him and informed him of the events of the day. Yet most of you advised a retreat. I demurred, and asked the counsel of General Desaix. He cast his eye over the field, and then, taking out his watch and looking at the hour, replied, ‘Yes, the battle is completely lost; but it is only three o’clock. There is yet time to gain another.’ These words encouraged me, and I immediately ordered those movements which gave us the victory. What is the loss of the enemy, according to your estimate, M. de Bourrienne?”
“In my opinion, they have lost about one-third of their army, which, before the battle, consisted of about twenty-eight thousand men. Besides that, General Haddick is killed, and a large number of their best generals are disabled by severe wounds. General Zach is a prisoner,” replied the secretary.
“Aye; then they have paid a portion of their debt,” said Bonaparte.