Napoleon in Egypt (74 page)

28. Several sources mention this little trip, most notably Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire,
Lettres écrites d’Égypte
, pp. 236–7. Some sources say it took place later, on September 19, or even as late as the 24th according to Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, though there does appear to have been an earlier trip. Indeed, it seems unlikely that Napoleon would have waited almost two months before visiting these historic monuments which had inspired his speech and given their name to his great battle. Whether his party camped at the foot of the Great Pyramid is also open to question, but there is no doubt that Berthier did erect a shrine in his tent to his
contessa
, and that Napoleon made a habit of ribbing him over this.
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Chapter IX: “Josephine! . . . And I am 600 leagues away!”

1. The exact date is uncertain. Bourrienne, who was present and gives a vivid and seemingly reliable version of the scene, even places it well over six months later, but concrete evidence in the form of letters written by Napoleon about this revelation rules out such a late date. The weight of evidence points to Napoleon’s fateful conversation with Junot taking place on July 19, 1798, two days before the Battle of the Pyramids.
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2. This scene is largely reconstructed from Bourrienne,
Mémoires
, Vol. 1–2, pp.314–5; many details, including Napoleon’s words and reactions, are confirmed by memoirs of other eyewitnesses.
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3.
Mémoires et Correspondance du Roi Joseph
[Bonaparte], ed. Du Casse (10 vols., Paris, 1855), Vol. 1, p. 189.
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4. Ibid.
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5. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 4, p. 334.
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Chapter X: The Battle of the Nile

1. BL Add. MSS 34974, cited in Brian Lavery,
Nelson and the Nile
(London, 1998), p. 134.
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2. Nelson,
Letters and Despatches
, p. 145.
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3. Ibid., p. 144.
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4. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London: NMM AGC/W/2.
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5. BL Add. MSS 30260.
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6. Nicol,
The Life and Adventures of John Nicol
(Edinburgh, 1882), p. 187.
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7. Ibid., p. 185.
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8. Willyams,
A Voyage up the Mediterranean . . . with a Description of the Battle of the Nile
(London, 1802), p. 46.
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9. The official sources and eyewitness accounts all generally agree here, with only minor differences of wording. The sequence of Nelson’s orders can be seen in Captain Miller’s narrative in Nelson,
Letters and Despatches
, pp. 155–6.
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10. Ibid., p. 152.
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11. Willyams,
A Voyage up the Mediterranean . . . with a Description of the Battle of the Nile
, p. 43.
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12. Nicol,
The Life and Adventures of John Nicol
, p. 187.
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13. Willyams,
A Voyage up the Mediterranean . . . with a Description of the Battle of the Nile
, p. 51.
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14. Lee,
Memoirs
, p. 91. Doubt has been cast on Lee’s veracity here, though he is supported by several patriotic French versions. Many otherwise credible eyewitness reports of the battle give differing versions of the events; even the official versions recorded in Nelson’s
Letters and Despatches
and the records at the Greenwich Maritime Museum differ from each other. Indeed, it would be surprising if this were not the case, given the circumstances amidst the heat (and night) of such a battle. My intention has been to convey the feel of the battle, as well as its decisive events, adhering as far as possible to eyewitness reports that seem credible, or reports that were certainly drawn immediately afterwards from eyewitnesses. For instance, Nicol was manning a gun belowdecks, but much of his description has a vividness derived from the reports of fellow seamen above decks.
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15. Willyams,
A Voyage up the Mediterranean . . . with a Description of the Battle of the Nile
, p. 54.
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16. This and the following are from Nicol,
The Life and Adventures of John Nicol
, p. 187.
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17. Lee,
Memoirs
, p. 92.
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18. Ibid., p. 91.
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19. La Jonquière,
L’Expédition en Égypte 1798–1801
, Vol. 2, p. 399.
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20. Lee,
Memoirs
, p. 91.
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21. This and the immediately following quotes are from Willyams,
A Voyage up the Mediterranean . . . with a Description of the Battle of the Nile
, pp. 53, 54.
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22. Ibid., p. 55.
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23. Lee,
Memoirs
, p. 93. Willyams described this as follows: “The tremulous motion, felt to the very bottom of each ship, was like that of an earthquake.” His description was published in 1802, Lee’s some thirty-four years later; there is no doubting that Lee read Willyams’ words before writing his own. In my view, this prompted his memories, if not his words. This highlights one of so many difficulties facing any would-be historian: even authentic eyewitness accounts can contain inauthentic plagiarisms!
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24. Nicol,
The Life and Adventures of John Nicol
, p. 187.
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25. Nelson,
Letters and Despatches
, p. 153.
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26.
Correspondance de l’armée française en Égypte,
pp. 221–2. According to the editor of this volume, Poussielgue’s description was “shown to several of our officers who took part in the battle at Aboukir, and all unanimously agreed that it was an extraordinarily accurate document.” See ibid., footnote, pp. 219–20.
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27. This and the following relevant quotes are from Lee,
Memoirs
, p. 94.
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28. Nicol,
The Life and Adventures of John Nicol
, pp. 187–8.
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29. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 29, pp. 469–70.
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30. Lee,
Memoirs
, p. 105.
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31. Denon,
Voyages dans la Basse et la Haute Égypte pendant les campagnes de Bonaparte
, Vol. 1, p. 63.
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Chapter XI: “We are now obliged to accomplish great things”

1. Desvernois,
Mémoires
, p. 134.
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2. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 4, p. 195.
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3. Quote from ibid., p. 360; mistakes listed in ibid., Vol. 29, p. 471.
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4. Damas,
Journal
, cited in La Jonquière,
L’Expédition en Égypte 1798–1801
, Vol. 2, p. 425.
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5. Nelson,
Letters and Despatches
, p. 164.
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6. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 29, p. 457.
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7. Marmont, Duc de Raguse,
Mémoires
(9 Vols., published posthumously, Paris, 1857), Vol. 1, p. 390.
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8. Desvernois,
Mémoires
, p. 134.
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9. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 29, p. 457.
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10. Bourrienne,
Mémoires
, Vol. 1–2, p. 274.
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11. This quote and the following, as told by Private Mourchon of the Dragoons to Colonel Laugier, are cited in La Jonquière,
L’Expédition en Égypte 1798–1801
, Vol. 2, p. 469.
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12. Thurman,
Bonaparte en Égypte: souvenirs
, p. 270.
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13. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 4, p. 475.
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14. Ibid., Vol. 29, pp. 484–5.
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15.
Journal d’Abdurrahman Gabarti
[El-Djabarti]
pendant l’occupation française en Égypte
, p. 26.
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16. El-Djabarti,
Merveilles biographiques et historiques, ou Chroniques
, Vol. 6, p. 307.
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17. Details of the Egyptian economy, tax structure and economic figures from Napoleon,
Correspondance
; La Jonquière,
L’Expédition en Égypte 1798–1801
; Herold,
Bonaparte in Egypt
; Charles-Roux,
Bonaparte gouverneur d’Égypte
, etc.
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18. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 4, p. 391.
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19. El-Djabarti,
Merveilles biographiques et historiques, ou Chroniques
, Vol. 6, p. 34.
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20. Bourrienne,
Mémoires
, Vol. 1–2, p. 292.
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21. Napoleon,
Correspondance
, Vol. 29, p. 486.
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