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After the campaign he returned to the Emperor, his breast covered with decorations, bearing a letter from the King of Wurtemburg to his Majesty, who, after reading it, said to Vandamme: "General, never forget that, if I admire the brave, I do not admire those who sleep while I await them."
The first actions were the battle of Dresden, which took place seven days after the rupture of the armistice, and the battle in which Vandamme was defeated, and which rendered the victory of Dresden unavailing. I have already mentioned that Moreau was killed at Dresden. Bavaria was no sooner rid of the French troops than she raised the mask and ranged herself among our enemies.
General Vandamme, a rough, typical soldier of the Revolution, even more brutal and energetic than Augereau, said of him to Marshal d'Arnano in 1815, as on one occasion they mounted together the stairs of the Tuileries: "That devil of a man exercises a fascination on me that I cannot explain even to myself, and in such a degree that, though I fear neither God nor devil, when I am in his presence I am ready to tremble like a child, and he could make me go through the eye of a needle to throw myself into the fire."
Cyr so hastily evacuated the Elbe he would have been promptly aided by the corps which General Vandamme soon brought from the Wesel, and afterwards by the very, corps with which Marshal Davoust recaptured Hamburg. The events just described occurred before Napoleon quitted Paris.
These attacks were directed by Vandamme, of all our generals the most redoubtable in conquered countries. He was a native of Cassel, in Flanders, and had acquired a high reputation for severity.
I can reach it in a few hours, and I shall do so, although it grieves me much to abandon a plan which if well executed might furnish the means of routing all the allies at one blow. Happily Vandamme is still in sufficient strength to supplement the general movement by attacks at special points which will annoy the enemy.
His detractors said, after his defeat, that his desire to obtain this coveted honour had driven him, with no more than 20,000 men, to stand rashly in the path of 200,000 of the enemy, with the aim of barring their passage; but the truth is that having been informed by the Emperor's chief of staff that he would be supported by the armies of Marshals Saint-Cyr and Mortier, and been given a direct order to capture Teplice and so seal off the enemy's line of retreat, General Vandamme had perforce to obey.
Montholon. Comte. *Mortier. Duc de Treviso. Mouton. Comte de Lobau. *Murat. Duc de Reggio. Pajol. Baron. Pasquier, Duc de. Prefect of Police. *Pérignon. *Poniatowski. Rapp. Comte. Reynier. Duc de Massa. Rémusat. Chamberlain. Savary. Duc de Rovigo. Sébastiani. Comte. *Sérurier. *Soult. Duc de Dalmatia. *St. Cyr, Marquis de. *Suchet. Duc d'Albufera. Talleyrand. Prince de Benevento. Vandamme.
The Emperor smiled at the oratorical skillfulness of General Vandamme, and contented himself with saying, "Well, well! say no more, but be more circumspect in future." General Vandamme, happy to have escaped with so gentle an admonition, returned to Lantza to resume his command.
Cyr The Cabinets of Vienna and the Tuileries First appearance of the Cossacks Colonel Tettenborn invited to occupy Hamburg Cordial reception of the Russians Depredations Levies of troops Testimonials of gratitude to Tettenborn Napoleon's new army Death of General Morand Remarks of Napoleon on Vandamme Bonaparte and Gustavus Adolphus Junction of the corps of Davoust and Vandamme Reoccupation of Hamburg by the French General Hogendorff appointed Governor of Hamburg Exactions and vexatious contributions levied upon Hamburg and Lubeck Hostages.
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