#Napoleon’s Mameluke: The Memoirs of Roustam Raza

[empirearchives]

Napoleon drinks poison and tries to commit suicide

The date was 12-13 April 1814

“It was four o’clock in the morning. The night had been calm, and probably the emperor had passed it, not in the torpor of sleep, but in the saddest of reflections… On his chest of drawers there were usually two glasses on a plate, covered with a napkin, a little teaspoon, a sugar bowl, and beside it a carafe full of water. But by chance the sugar bowl was not there, because, as the servant had delayed too long in having it refilled the day before, it was in the room where Hubert was... While Hubert was listening in order to answer the emperor, he heard water being poured into a glass and then the noise of the little spoon which was being stirred about in order to melt something. Knowing that there was no melted sugar in the glass, Hubert could not imagine what it was that the emperor was stirring, but after a moment’s consideration he thought that the emperor, not seeing the sugar bowl which was usually with the two glasses, had taken some sugar out of his dressing case. When the Emperor had stopped stirring the glass there was a moment of silence, after which the he came to the door and told Hubert to send for the Duke of Vicenza, the Duke of Bassano, the Grand Marshal, and Monsieur Fain. At that moment, Hubert told me, the emperor’s features were as calm as though he had just drunk a glass of water. When these gentlemen arrived he told them that, not being able to survive the dishonor of France, he had yielded to the weakness of taking poison... Mr. Yvan came at once and immediately gave the emperor a drink which quickly produced its effect. The Emperor vomited all the deleterious substance which he had swallowed, but not without violent efforts which fatigued him greatly.”

From Louis Etienne Saint-Denis, via Napoleon’s Mameluke: The Memoirs of Roustam Raza, translation Jonathan North

[joachimnapoleon]

Hello, your blog is really nice and I love seeing more poeple who loves Napoleon, it's nice knowing that I'm not alone :3 I would like to know more about Roustom Raza (Rostom Razmadze as I would say, the bodyguard of His Majesty). If you have more information of him ofc, like simple daily habits or his taste in things, or if it's too much just some facts, really appreciate!

I recently ordered Roustam memoirs and I'd love to dig deeper, tought I would share this joy with you cuz no one in my family understands this obsession ^^

Have a nice day/evening ♡

Hello! Nice to meet you, and I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog. :) I haven’t read very much about Roustam, but here are some links you might find interesting:

An anecdote about Roustam and Eugène de Beauharnais, from @josefavomjaaga

Roustam helps himself to Napoleon’s chicken

There is also some good information about Roustam in this article by @shannonselin about Louis Étienne Saint-Denis (known as “Mameluke Ali”); Saint-Denis served as Roustam’s assistant.

(If any of my fellow Napoleonics have any Roustam-related things to share for @nereidesea, please feel free to add to this post :)

[josefavomjaaga]

Roustam and postal secrecy

A short scene from the memoirs of Roustam Raza, Napoleon’s mameluke.  At the end of 1807, Napoleon visited his Kingdom of Italy for the first time since his coronation in 1805 (it would also be the last time ever). He was, as usual, accompanied by his mameluke Roustam Raza, who lately had gotten married to the daughter of a fellow servant and was of course eagerly waiting for letters from Paris.

I received all my wife's letters by courier. Monsieur de Lavalette had been kind enough to grant me this favour, and the Emperor never seemed to disapprove of it.

This convenient arrangement, however, could have its disadvantages:

We left for Venice, where we stayed for a few days. We returned to Milan.

On the way, an estafette met the Emperor and approached his carriage to give him the dispatches from Paris. A moment later, he lowered the window of his carriage, and handed me a letter from my wife. It was unsealed: "Here, Roustam, here is a letter from your wife!

Okay, so Napoleon accidentally opened a private letter; it happens. After all, he had probably just received dozends of them.

I smiled as I took it. He says to me, "She's asking for Venetian chains."

Right. Maybe it had not been an accident, after all. Or Napoleon thought that he had to inform Roustam of the letter's content because he doubted Roustam's reading skills...

When we arrived in Milan, as we got out of the carriage, the Emperor said to me: "If you do not have the chains from Venice, you will be badly received!

Just making sure that you evil subject of a young husband have not already forgotten about your wife's wish! And trust me about bad receptions, I know. You should have heard Josephine when I once didn’t bring...

"Sire," I replied, "I will buy some here." The Viceroy said to me, "Roustam, it is I who will give them to you." Indeed, the next day His Highness sent for me and gave me a packet of Venetian chains for my wife.

And Eugène for the rescue. Important household matters like this obviously require highest attention!

[empirearchives]

Napoleon almost becomes a victim of friendly fire

From the memoir of Roustam Raza:

My wife was seven months pregnant when I left for the Prussian and Polish campaign, which lasted eleven months. The first major battle was fought at Jena, and the entire Prussian army was destroyed in a matter of days, but before the battle, at night, the Emperor himself wanted to visit the outposts, accompanied by two marshals, Prince Borghese, Marshal Duroc, and me who never left his side.

The Emperor visited the left wing of the army, and he wanted to go past the sentries to visit the right. One moment, we’d reached the end of the line, and they were firing at the Emperor. They thought we were the enemy. We all surrounded the Emperor on all sides, so that the bullets wouldn’t hit him, and we shouted: “Cease fire, we are French!” Finally, the firing ceased, and we returned to our ranks, in no danger whatsoever.

Source: Souvenirs de Roustam, mamelouck de Napoléon Ier