joachimnapoleon

[joachimnapoleon]

Eugène's correspondence

Letters or excerpts from letters

To Louis Apffel, August 1793 (?, recipient is a former school mate from college at Strasbourg)

To Hortense, October and November 1794 (during Eugène's time serving as an ordlerly to Lazare Hoche)

To Hortense, 2 June 1798 (snippet from the "L'Orient", on the way to Malta)

To Hortense, 21 May 1800 about an adventure in the mountains

To Hortense, 7 June 1800 (snippet, about Duroc almost drowning)

To Hortense, 22 June 1800 (snippet, about Caroline not writing to Murat)

To Bessières, 8 February 1805

To Hortense, February and April 1805

To Hortense, 23 March 1805 (snippet, after becoming archi-chancellier d'état)

To Hortense, 7 May 1805 (snippet)

To Hortense, 1 June 1805 (about his nomination as viceroy)

To Bessières, 18 June 1805 (snippet)

To Napoleon, 13 July 1805

To Napoleon, 9 Auguste 1805 (second post in the reblog, related to Eugène's relations with Lagarde and Fanny du Villars)

To Hortense and Bessières, August 1805 (snippets)

To Bessières, 8 October 1805 (snippet)

To Hortense, 11 January 1806 (first impression of his bride)

To Murat, 6 April 1806 (congratulations on becoming a grand-duke)

To Étienne Méjean, 20 December 1808 (he's no fan of David)

To Napoleon, 14 July 1809 (short snippet within correspondence relating to the battle of Raab)

To Auguste, 28 July 1809 (snippet)

To general Paul Grénier, 26 Mars 1810 (link only, good-bye letter after Grénier was transferred to the army of Naples)

To Lavalette, 10 October 1810

To Auguste, 28 December 1812

To Auguste and Napoleon, 17 January 1813 (after Murat had left the army)

Snippets from Eugène's letters (February 1813)

To Napoleon, May to July 1813 (information on Junot's deteriorating sanity)

To Auguste (14 January 1814) (reblog from archduchessofnowhere)

To Auguste (15 and 16 October 1814, reblog from hoppityhopster23)

Snippet from a letter to Auguste, 22 October 1814 (reblog from hoppityhopster23)

[joachimnapoleon]

From a letter Eugène de Beauharnais wrote to his sister on 3 Messidor an VIII (22 June 1800), a couple of days after the battle of Marengo. He's on his way home, like the rest of the French troops, and tells his sister that Murat feels depressed.

[Transcription and translation to the best of my abilities.]

Murat est bien triste, il n'a pas reçu une lettre de sa femme depuis qu'elle l'a quitté. C'est affreux à Caroline si elle est dans son tort. Je le console du mieux que je peux mais c'est une entreprise un peu difficile.

Murat is very sad, he hasn't received a single letter from his wife since she left him. It's terrible for Caroline if she's in the wrong. I'm consoling him as best as I can, but it's a rather difficult business.

Considering that Hortense and Caroline were close friends and Hortense surely would tell her, I assume Eugène probably wrote this in order to get the message to Caroline and to warn her about Murat's state of mind. I also assume that this was merely a case of delayed mail during wartimes, and of Murat being overly emotional as was often the case.

[joachimnapoleon]

Summary:

Tora attends a Noh performance, causing him to reflect on his past relationships with both Kazu and the Taiko. Later that evening, he discovers that one of his least trustworthy vassals has befriended Kazu.

[joachimnapoleon]

GET A DISCOUNT ON STICKERS UNTIL DECEMBER 13TH!!!

THESE ARE GOOD HIGH QUALITY STICKERS.

I have had them out in the wild for so long and they don't fade and they resist getting wet

[joachimnapoleon]

I know there’s a lot of debate whether or not Charlotte Chappuis was really an illegitimate daughter of Napoleon, and tbh, I have no dog in this fight

I will say this though

I think the best “she’s totally his daughter” evidence is her own portrait which uh

She does have a bit of a resemblance to Napoleon ngl

[joachimnapoleon]

Notre-Dame’s Bells Ring

The bells of Notre Dame in Paris rang this morning for the first time since the fire in 2019.

In 2019, the 850-year-old building was engulfed by a devastating blaze, which burned for several hours.

[joachimnapoleon]

Rocamadour, France (by Simon Kessler)

[joachimnapoleon]

Murat with his horse <3

[joachimnapoleon]

Dear friends, today is my birthday, and I would be glad to see your reblogs of my arts and some kind words for me ❤️‍🔥

[joachimnapoleon]

Another letter from Duroc to Murat

This time from 1809.

This letter was taken from the publication of Murat’s correspondence by Paul Le Brethon, so I’m unsure wether it’s been translated before. If so, sorry for the doublette.

Putting the letter into context: Murat has been made King of Naples, obviously. Napoleon has just returned to France from Spain, where he had put Joseph back on the throne. Soult has been busy chasing Moore’s British troops back to La Coruna and is now on his way into Portugal. Ney is in Galicia, freeing nuns. Lannes and Junot are at the siege of Saragossa, Mortier and Victor are also in Spain while Bessières is back in Paris, I think. Marmont is in Dalmatia. Eugène is in Italy and already sends alarmed letters to Napoleon because the Austrians prepare for war, the Fifth Coalition War is about to begin (even if Duroc seems to not believe in it yet):

Paris, 15 February 1809 Sire, Your Majesty should not be in any doubt as to how grateful I am for the fond memories he is willing to preserve for me; he would do me a great disservice if he thought I had forgotten his kindnesses to me. Nobody forgets that here.

Your Majesty asks me for news of the Emperor. On his return from Spain, where he has always enjoyed the best of health, His Majesty came down with a fairly bad cold.This cold and some dissatisfaction that His Majesty had with the chatter in Paris during his absence had made him ill, so to speak, although his work and ordinary exercises had never suffered. His Majesty is perfectly well again and has enjoyed the pleasures of Carnival and hunting.

Our carnival was short but very cheerful. We first had at Monsieur Marescalchi's and yesterday at Monsieur l'Archichancelier's two masked balls. His Majesty went there and seemed to enjoy himself. They turned out very well. The Court has its circles and concerts as usual and the Princesses, balls as in other years. Although we are as good Catholics as in Italy, we will be extending our Carnival pleasures during Lent.

As in Paris one thing quickly follows another, there is already no more talk of what displeased the Emperor on his return and of the disgrace suffered by a great personage, especially as His Majesty is treating him better now. Your Majesty knows as well as I do what is going on. The Emperor was told that during his absence the Prince of Benevento had expressed his disapproval of the affairs in Spain, that there had been some cackling between him, the Minister of Police and Remusat; something was also said about the Minister of the Navy. All were rebuked and the Prince was disgraced by losing his position as Grand Chamberlain. There is now talk of a forthcoming appointment of senators and, as Your Majesty is well aware, this is causing quite a stir.

Business in Spain is going very well, even better than expected. The expedition to Portugal will be easy. Only the siege of Saragossa is being prolonged, but it is being conducted vigorously. They are madmen who have to be attacked house by house, and they are blown up by mines one after the other. We lost General Lacoste, the Emperor's aide-de-camp, who was in command of the engineers; he was hit in the head by a bullet.

Austria's armaments are causing a lot of talk about war being imminent; however, there is reason to believe that she will not start it and that she is arming out of fear. There is no bad rumour that is not being spread over there: according to them, we no longer have any troops left in Germany; the Emperor only left Spain because he was put off by the difficulties, and they deny all our successes.

Monsieur de Romansoff, who was here, is returning to Petersburg. It had been thought that as the correspondence started with England had always been continued, it could be resumed in these circumstances, especially since the disasters suffered by their army in Spain. With profound respect, Sire, I am Your Majesty's most humble and obedient servant. The Duke of Frioul.

[P.S.:] The notes which the Queen had sent to the Emperor in Spain have arrived here. When she left, Her Majesty gave me a commission which I am fulfilling, but I do not know whether I should continue or to whom I should go afterwards to be reimbursed.

[joachimnapoleon]

Duroc congratulates Murat

29 October 1806 My Lord, allow me to compliment you on the brilliant success you have just achieved. However small my contribution may be, please accept it kindly. You will be pleased to hear that His Majesty was very satisfied with what you have done, and although I have no doubt that He will tell you so, as I have heard, I am delighted to announce it to you. With respect, Monseigneur, I am Your Imperial Highness's most humble and obedient servant. Duroc

These congratulations relate to the capitulation of the army corps of the Prince of Hohenzollern at Prenzlow during the Prussian campaign. As Napoleon was not exactly known for praising his subordinates much, maybe Duroc wanted to make sure that Murat would be informed that Napoleon was happy with what he had achieved.

[joachimnapoleon]

Tried different things but after a month working on this its finished

[joachimnapoleon]

French royalist newspaper progressively freaking out as Napoleon gets closer to Paris

So I don't know if it is a true story but it is hilarious. In his Impressions de Voyage, Alexandre Dumas (who also wrote The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo) recolls reading a few years ago the royalist (and so) anti-Napoleon newspaper Le Moniteur. Every day, he notes the changing tone of headlines as Napoleon, who fled from the island of Elba, approaches Paris :

The cannibal left his lair

The Corsican Ogre has just reached Golfe-Juan

The tiger has arrived at Gap

The monster spent the night in Grenoble

The tyrant has crossed Lyon

The usurper was seen sixty leagues from the capital

Bonaparte is advancing at great strides but will never enter Paris

Napoleon will be under our ramparts tomorrow

The Emperor arrived at Fontainebleau

His Imperial and Royal Majesty arrived yesterday in his Tuileries castle among his loyal subjects

[joachimnapoleon]

"Bessières is a lazy fellow whom I'm giving up on. Just imagine that we don't hear a word from him and that he has nothing to do but hunt partridges at Grignon."

From a letter by Duroc to Eugène de Beauharnais, 16 August 1805 - Obviously, Eugène had complained to Duroc about Bessières not writing to him, too.

[joachimnapoleon]

Translations Website

Hey all!

As my old masterlist page has run out of space to put more posts, I have created a website where I will mostly post French sources translated into English. My original masterlist will remain but it will be only for already English-translated French sources so I will migrate some of my translation posts over in subsequent days. In any case, please check it out!! Thank you!

[joachimnapoleon]

Sketching Arthur Wellesley, because why not.

[joachimnapoleon]

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent on the Coronation of Napoleon by David.