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THIS MONTH'S BOOK
Wellington's Lieutenant, Napoleon's Gaoler: the Peninsula Letters & St Helena Diaries of Sir George Ridout Bingham, by Gareth Glover
Glover's publication of the writings of of Colonel Sir George Ridout Bingham (1777-1833) which describe his experiences in Portugal and Spain, then his voyage to Saint Helena on Northumberland, is a welcome, previously-unpublished (it would appear) addition to the story of the Peninsular War. It also brings to light precious but hard-to-track-down eye-witness accounts regarding Napoleon on Saint Helena.
DOCUMENT
"Soldiers of my Old Guard, I bid you farewell. For twenty years you have been my constant companions on the road to honour and glory...".
Discover the full text of the speech which Napoleon is said to have delivered as he left Fontainebleau Palace for Elba, on 20 April, 1814. This new and accurate translation is based on the earliest published French source for the speech, namely, Baron Fain's (Manuscrit de 1814, published in 1830) - beware of imitations!
BICENTENARY OF THE BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ
The association Est'Capade, group specialising in trips to the countries of Eastern Europe, is organising a trip to the Czech Republic for the bicentenary of the Battle of Austerlitz.
Contact: Est'Capade, 18, rue de l'Hautmougey, 88240 Harsault.
Tel.: +33 (0)3 29 30 95 94 (French only)
See also the bicentenary site, Austerlitz 2005.
200 YEARS AGO
A decree of 15 Pluviôse, An XIII (4 February, 1805) fixed the numbering of all the streets in Paris. Some streets were already numbered but often in rather haphazard way. Given this situation, Parisians more frequently used shop and craftsmen's signs to navigate their city. As a result of this decree, even numbers were all placed on one side of the road with odds on the other. Numbering was always to begin from the Seine, or following the flow of the river for streets parallel to the river.
As a result of a decree of 10 Pluviôse (30 January) establishing the 5th grade of the Légion d'honneur, on 21 Pluviôse (10 February) a grand ceremony took place at midday in the Tuileries Palace. This was the first time the Grand aigle or Grand cordon of the Légion d'honneur had been awarded. Joseph, Lucien and Louis Bonaparte, Lebrun, Kellermann, Lacépède and Dejean, not to mention Cambacérès and the Prince Borghèse, Napoleon's brother-in-law via Pauline, all received this decoration.
The Moniteur newspaper of 22 Pluviôse (11 February) reported on a custom in the region of Trier: "According to an ancient custom, the inhabitants of the Electorate of Trier (ceded to France as part of the Treaty of Lunéville, 1801) were allowed to give the name of the reigning sovereign to their ninth (!!) male child, provided no girls were born in between (!!). It was thought appropriate to repeat this custom with the Emperor of the French, and it was noted that, in the Sarre département, the name, Napoléon, had been given at baptism at least four times."
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week!
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
Interested in the work of the Fondation Napoléon? Why not participate, either generally or in a specific project, by making a donation.
© this Napoleon.org weekly bulletin is published by the Fondation Napoléon. Reproduction or all or part of this bulletin is forbidden, without prior agreement of the Fondation Napoléon.
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THIS WEEK
Press Review
The Nelson Dispatch, vol. 8, part 9, January 2005
Just published
Coast of Conflict, the story of the South Kent Coast, by Michael and Martin George
What's on
- Talks: 'Nelson's Contemporaries', National Maritime Museum, London, UK
- Study Days: The Nelson Letters, National Maritime Museum, London, UK
- Celebration: A festival of light and magic: Elisa Bonaparte, her palace, her fêtes, Lucca,
Italy
- Fair: The International Napoleonic Fair, St Albans, UK
- Exhibition: Decoration in the Age of Napoleon: Empire Elegance Versus Regency Refinement,
New York Public Library, US
- Exhibition: The Treasures of the Fondation Napoléon, Paris, France
The monthly titles
- This month's book: Wellington's Lieutenant, Napoleon's Gaoler: the Peninsula Letters & St Helena Diaries of Sir George Ridout Bingham, by Gareth Glover
- This month's painting: The arrival of Marie-Louise in Compiègne, by J.B. Isabey
- This month's article: Avoiding a Napoleonic Ulcer: Bridging the Gap of Cultural Intelligence (Or, Have We Focused on the Wrong Transformation?), Lieutenant-Colonel G. W. Smith jr
- In the Collectors Corner, Revolutionary-period skeleton clock
Got a problem with a link in the letter? Try the homepage.
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