Napoleon's Letters To Josephine Part 25

No. 4.

_October 15th.--Napoleon at Weimar, He releases 6000 Saxon prisoners, which soon causes peace with Saxony._

TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.

_Jena_, _October 15, 1806_, 3 A.M.

_My Dear_,--I have made excellent manoeuvres against the Prussians.

Yesterday I won a great victory. They had 150,000 men. I have made 20,000 prisoners, taken 100 pieces of cannon, and flags. I was in presence of the King of Prussia, and near to him; I nearly captured him and the Queen. For the past two days I have bivouacked. I am in excellent health.

Adieu, dear. Keep well, and love me.

If Hortense is at Mayence, give her a kiss; also to Napoleon and to the little one.

NAPOLEON.

No. 5.

_October 16th.--Soult routs Kalkreuth at Greussen; Erfurt and 16,000 men capitulate to Murat._

TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.

_Weimar_, _October 16, 1806_, 5 P.M.

M. Talleyrand will have shown you the bulletin, my dear; you will see my successes therein. All has happened as I calculated, and never was an army more thoroughly beaten and more entirely destroyed. I need only add that I am very well, and that fatigue, bivouacs, and night-watches have made me fat.

Adieu, dear. Kindest regards to Hortense and to the great M.

Napoleon.--Yours ever,

NAPOLEON.

_October 17th.--Bernadotte defeats Prussian reserve at Halle._

_October 18th.--Davoust takes Leipsic, and an enormous stock of English merchandise._

_October 19th.--Napoleon at Halle._

_October 20th.--Lannes takes Dessau, and Davoust Wittenberg._

_October 21st.--Napoleon at Dessau._

No. 6.

_October 23rd.--Napoleon makes Wittenberg central depot for his army._

TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.

_Wittenberg, October 23, 1806, Noon._

I have received several of your letters. I write you only a line. My affairs prosper. To-morrow I shall be at Potsdam, and at Berlin on the 25th. I am wonderfully well, and thrive on hard work. I am very glad to hear you are with Hortense and Stephanie, _en grande compagnie_. So far, the weather has been fine.

Kind regards to Stephanie, and to everybody, not forgetting M.

Napoleon.

Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,

NAPOLEON.

No. 7.

_October 24th.--Lannes occupies Potsdam._

TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.

_Potsdam, October 24, 1806._

_My Dear_,--I have been at Potsdam since yesterday, and shall remain there to-day. I continue satisfied with my undertakings. My health is good; the weather very fine. I find Sans-Souci very pleasant.

Adieu, dear. Best wishes to Hortense and to M. Napoleon.

NAPOLEON.

_October 25th.--Marshal Davoust enters Berlin; Bernadotte occupies Brandenburg._

_October 28th.--Prince Hohenlohe surrenders at Prenzlau to Murat with 16,000 men, including the Prussian Guard._

_October 30th.--Stettin surrenders with 5000 men and 150 cannon._

No. 8.

_November 1st.--Anklam surrenders, with 4000 men, to General Becker._

TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.

_November 1, 1806_, 2 A.M.

Talleyrand has just arrived and tells me, my dear, that you do nothing but cry. What on earth do you want? You have your daughter, your grandchildren, and good news; surely these are sufficient reasons for being happy and contented.

The weather here is superb; there has not yet fallen during the whole campaign a single drop of water. I am very well, and all goes excellently.