The Surrender of Napoleon Part 13

"I was, therefore, much surprised at seeing Monsieur Las Cases on board again before seven o'clock the same evening; and one of the first questions I put to him was, whether he had been at Rochefort. He answered, that on returning to Isle d'Aix, he found that Buonaparte had arrived there.

"Monsieur Las Cases then presented to me the letter Count Bertrand wrote concerning Buonaparte's intention to come on board the ship (a copy of which has been transmitted to your Lordship by Sir Henry Hotham); and it was not till then agreed upon that I should receive him; when either Monsieur Las Cases, or General Gourgaud (I am not positive which, as I was employed writing my own despatches), wrote to Bertrand to inform him of it. While paper was preparing to write the letter, I said again to Monsieur Las Cases, 'You will recollect I have no authority for making conditions of any sort.' Nor has Monsieur Las Cases ever started such an idea till the day before yesterday. That it was not the feeling of Buonaparte, or the rest of his people, I will give strong proof, drawn from the conversations they have held with me.

"As I never heard the subject mentioned till two days ago, I shall not detail every conversation that has pa.s.sed, but confine myself to that period.

"The night that the squadron anch.o.r.ed at the back of Berryhead, Buonaparte sent for me about 10 P.M. and said he was informed by Bertrand, that I had received orders to remove him to the Northumberland, and wished to know if that was the case; on being told that it was, he requested I would write a letter to Bertrand, stating I had such orders, that it might not appear that he went of his own accord, but that he had been forced to do so. I told him, I could have no objection, and wrote a letter to that effect (a copy of which is here annexed), which your Lordship afterwards sanctioned, and desired me, if he required it, to give him a copy of the order.

"After having arranged that matter, I was going to withdraw, when he requested me to remain, as he had something more to say: he then began complaining of his treatment in being forced to go to St Helena: among other things, he observed, 'They say I made no conditions: certainly, I made no conditions: how could a private man (_un particulier_) make conditions with a nation? I wanted nothing from them but hospitality, or (as the ancients would express it) air and water. I threw myself on the generosity of the English nation; I claimed a place _sur leurs foyers_, and my only wish was to purchase a small estate and end my life in tranquillity.' After more of the same sort of conversation I left him for the night.

"On the morning he removed from the Bellerophon to the Northumberland, he sent for me again, and said, 'I have sent for you to express my grat.i.tude for your conduct to me, while I have been on board the ship you command. My reception in England has been very different from what I expected; but you throughout have behaved like a man of honour; and I request you will accept my thanks, as well as convey them to the officers, and ship's company of the Bellerophon.'

"Soon afterwards Montholon came to me from Buonaparte; but, to understand what pa.s.sed between him and me, I must revert to a conversation that I had with Madame Bertrand on the pa.s.sage from Rochefort.

"It is not necessary to state how the conversation commenced, as it does not apply to the present transaction; but she informed me, that it was Buonaparte's intention to present me with a box containing his picture set with diamonds. I answered, 'I hope not, for I cannot receive it.' 'Then you will offend him very much,' she said. 'If that is the case,' I replied, 'I request you will take measures to prevent its being offered, as it is absolutely impossible I can accept of it; and I wish to spare him the mortification, and myself the pain, of a refusal.' There the matter dropt, and I heard no more of it, till about half an hour before Buonaparte quitted the Bellerophon, when Montholon came to me, and said he was desired by Buonaparte to express the high sense he entertained of my conduct throughout the whole of the transaction: that it had been his intention to present me with a box containing his portrait, but that he understood I was determined not to accept it. I said, 'Placed as I was, I felt it impossible to receive a present from him, though I was highly flattered at the testimony he had borne to the uprightness of my conduct throughout.'

Montholon then added, 'One of the greatest causes of chagrin he feels in not being admitted to an interview with the Prince Regent, is, that he had determined to ask as a favour, your being promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral.' To which I replied, 'That would have been quite impossible, but I do not the less feel the kindness of the intention.'

I then said, 'I am hurt that Las Cases should say I held forth any a.s.surances as to the reception Buonaparte was to meet with in England.' 'Oh!' said he, 'Las Cases is disappointed in his expectations; and as he negotiated the affair, he attributes the Emperor's situation to himself: but I can a.s.sure you, that he (Buonaparte) feels convinced you have acted like a man of honour throughout.'

"As your Lordship overheard part of a conversation which took place between Las Cases and me on the quarter-deck of the Bellerophon, I shall not detail it; but on that occasion, I positively denied having promised anything as to the reception of Buonaparte and his suite; and I believe your Lordship was of opinion he could not make out the statement to you.

"It is extremely unpleasant for me to be under the necessity of entering into a detail of this sort; but the unhandsome representation Monsieur Las Cases has made to your Lordship of my conduct, has obliged me to produce proofs of the light in which the transaction was viewed by Buonaparte as well as his attendants.

"I again repeat, that Captains Gambier and Sartorius can verify the princ.i.p.al part of what I have stated, as far as concerns the charge made against me by Count Las Cases.

"I have the honour to be, Your Lordship's Most obedient humble servant, FREDERICK L. MAITLAND."

"To the Right Hon.

Viscount Keith, G.C.B.

&c. &c. &c."

"Slaney, in Plymouth Sound, 15th August, 1815.

"MY LORD,

"I have read Captain Maitland's letter to your Lordship, of the 8th instant, containing his observations upon the a.s.sertions made on the preceding day by Count Las Cases; and I most fully attest the correctness of the statement he has made, so far as relates to the conversations that took place in my presence.

"I have the honour to be, Your Lordship's Most obedient humble servant, G. R. SARTORIUS, Capt. of H.M.S. Slaney."

"To the Right Hon.

Viscount Keith, G.C.B.

&c. &c. &c."

A letter to the same effect as the foregoing was written to Lord Keith, by Captain Gambier, of the Myrmidon, and forwarded by his Lordship to the Admiralty, with my report; of which, by some accident, the Admiral's secretary did not furnish me with a copy.

ADDITIONAL APPENDIX.

I.

LIST OF OFFICERS borne on the Books of H.M.S. Bellerophon in July 1815.

Captain Fred. L. Maitland.

Lieutenant Andrew Mott.[15]

" William Walford.

" John Bowerbank.

" Gabriel Christie.

" Edward William Ramsay.

Captain of Marines, George Marshall.

Lieutenant of Marines, J. W. Simpson.

" Henry Smith.

Master, Stephen Vale.

Surgeon, Barry O'Meara.

a.s.sistant-Surgeon, A. Milne.

" E. Graebke.

Chaplain, J. W. Wynne.

Purser, George Jackson.

[Footnote 15: "Our new first lieutenant, Mr Andrew Mott, was the best officer I ever saw in charge of a quarter-deck. I often wondered when that man slept, eat, or dressed himself, for he was hardly ever missed from deck, was always fresh and vigorous, and his dress and appearance would, at any time, have done honour to the queen's drawing-room. Maitland was, withal, rather a little easy-going, and it occurred to me that, knowing his defect in this way, he contrived always to get a tolerable tartar of a first lieutenant, so that between the captain's good nature and the lieutenant's severity, which he occasionally checked and tempered when he thought the lieutenant was likely to exceed bounds, the ship was kept in capital discipline."--Home's _Memoirs_, p. 209.]

II.

Letter from EPHRAIM GRAEBKE, a.s.sistant-surgeon on board H.M.S.

Bellerophon, to his mother, giving an account of Napoleon's surrender (British Museum, Additional MSS. 34,710, f. 81).

H.M.S. Bellerophon, Plymouth Sound, Tuesday, July 30, 1815.

MY DEAR MOTHER,

You will be surprised at not hearing from me, and knowing the Bellerophon's arrival in England, but when I tell you no private letters were allowed to leave the ship before to-day, that will cease.

It's unnecessary to say that we have got Buonaparte and suite on board, as it was known in England previous to our arrival, which took place on the 24th instant in Torbay. The circ.u.mstances which led to his surrender were his defeats in all points, and was it not for the strict blockade we kept up would [_sic_] have escaped to America. We heard of his being on board the French frigate Saale off Rochfort, from which moment we watched his movements if possible more closely than before. On the morning of the 14th instant, observing a schooner bearing a flag of truce on board standing towards us, we hove to for her, when Count Lascazas and General Lallemande came on board with proposals from Buonaparte, in consequence of which we came to anchor in the evening in the roads off Roch.e.l.le. Next morning, 15th instant, at 4 A.M. observed a man-of-war brig standing out and beating towards us, we immediately dispatched all our boats. Lieut. Mott in the barge brought Buonaparte on board at 7, the boats were busily employed in bringing his retinue and baggage, and I never saw men exert themselves so much as ours did that day, lest Admiral Hotham should take him, as he was off the harbour in the Superb, and saw him coming on board here, and did all in his power to get in, but did not come to anchor before 11 in the forenoon. Buonaparte is a fine-looking man, inclined to corpulency, is five feet six inches in height, his hair turning grey, and a little bald on the crown of the head, no whiskers, complexion French yellow, eyes grey, Roman nose, good mouth and chin, neck short, big belly, arms stout, small white hands, and shews a good leg. He wears a c.o.c.ked hat somewhat like our old-fashioned three cornered ones, with the tri-coloured c.o.c.kade in it, plain green coat, cape red, and cuffs the same, plain gold epaulets, and a large star on the left breast, white waistcoat and breeches and white silk stockings, thin shoes and buckles. Eats but two meals in the day, breakfast and dinner, and these are sumptuous, fish, flesh, and fowl, wines, fruit, various French dishes &c. &c. He breakfasts about eleven and dines at six, is about half an hour at each, when he generally comes on deck or goes into the after-cabin to study. We do not know what's to be done with him yet, he remains on board until we hear from the allies. In his suite are Marshal Bertrand, Duc de Rovigo [Savary]

once the French minister of police, Counts Lascazas and Montholon, Generals Lallemande and Gourgou, several Lieut.-Colonels and Captains, to enumerate them would be tedious. We have 33 on board, 17 were sent on board the Myrmidon, Captn. Gambier. There are two Countesses on board, but not to be compared even to our English ladies. Their children are handsome.... We performed the comedy of the "Poor Gentleman" before Buonaparte and suite. I acted the part of Corporal Foss. It went off very well, our scenery was excellent. The female dresses were badly suited for Midshipmen. I long to hear from you and will expect to hear all the news.... I wish you were all here to see Buonaparte, the curiosity of all ranks to see him is excessive. There are Admiralty orders not to allow any person whatever on board, but they crowd in boats round the ship, and he very condescendingly stands looking at them through a spygla.s.s. There are two frigates, one on each side of us, the Eurotas and Liffey, and their boats are constantly rowing about the ship to keep off the boats. We prisoners have no other amus.e.m.e.nt than to look at them contending for places. I hope we will soon be allowed to go ash.o.r.e, as I want to see Captain Sandys. You must be tired reading this long epistle. We took some prizes, one ship laden with Buonaparte's soldiers, one cha.s.se maree laden with resin, and the Cephulus man-of-war brig sent in a West Indiaman laden with sugar, coffee, &c. from Martinique bound to France, and for which we will share by mutual agreements. Give my affectionate love to Ally, Anne, Wilhelmina, Sophia and Jane. I know the want of not being near them as my shirts are going to pieces, as soon as I can afford the sum I will get some new ones. I have the old number the same as when I left you and bought none since.... I remain, my dear mother, your affectionate son,

EPHRAIM GRAEBKE.

_P.S._--I think myself very lucky to belong to the old Bellerophon at this important time. Lose no time in answering this letter.

Mrs GRAEBKE, MIDLETON, CO. CORK.

III.

Extracts from _Memoirs of an Aristocrat, and Reminiscences of the Emperor Napoleon, by a Midshipman of the Bellerophon_ [George Home].

London, Whittaker & Co., and Bell & Bradfute, Edinburgh, 1838.