Lasalle had intimate relations with a French lady in high society, and while he was in Egypt their correspondence was seized by the English and insultingly published by order of the Government—an act which even in England was blamed. A divorce followed, and on his return to Europe Lasalle married the lady. As general, Lasalle was placed by the Emperor in command of the advanced guard of the Grand Army. He distinguished himself at Austerlitz and in Prussia; having the audacity to appear before Stettin and summon the place with two regiments of hussars. The governor lost his head and brought out the keys, instead of using them to lock the gates, in which case all the cavalry in Europe could not have taken it. This feat brought Lasalle much credit, and raised the Emperor's liking for him to a high point. Indeed, he petted him to an incredible degree, laughing at all his freaks, and never letting him pay his own debts. Just as he was on the point of marrying the lady to whom I have referred, Napoleon had given him 200,000 francs out of his privy purse. A week later, meeting him at the Tuileries, the Emperor asked, 'When is the wedding?' 'As soon as I have got some money to furnish with, sir.' 'Why, I gave you 200,000 francs last week! What have you done with them?' 'Paid my debts with half, and lost the other half at cards.' Such an admission would have ruined any other general. The Emperor laughed, and, merely giving a sharp tug to Lasalle's moustache, ordered Duroc to give him another 200,000.

At the close of the battle of Wagram, Lasalle's division had not been engaged. He came and begged Masséna to let him pursue, and the marshal assented, on condition that he would act with prudence. Hardly had Lasalle started, when he saw a brigade of enemy's infantry, which was hastening, closely pressed, to reach the village of Leopoldau, in order to obtain a regular capitulation and escape the fury of the victors in the open. Lasalle guessed what the Austrian general was after, and, pointing to the setting sun, addressed his men, 'The battle is ending, and we alone have not contributed to the victory. Come on!' He dashed forward, sword in hand, followed by his squadrons, and, in order to prevent the enemy from entering the village, made for the narrow space now left between the head of the column and Leopoldau. The others, seeing themselves cut off from the hoped-for shelter, halted and opened a brisk file-fire. A bullet struck Lasalle in the head, killing him on the spot. His division lost a hundred troopers, besides many wounded. The Austrians opened their way to the village, and when our infantry divisions came up, capitulated, the officers declaring that that had been their intention in making for Leopoldau. Thus, Lasalle's charge was useless, and he paid dear for a mention in a bulletin.

His death left a great gap in our light cavalry, which he had trained to a high degree of perfection. In other respects, however, he had done it much harm. The eccentricities of a popular and successful leader are always imitated, and his example was long mischievous to the light cavalry. A man did not think himself a chasseur, still less a hussar, if he did not model himself on Lasalle, and become, like him, a reckless, drinking, swearing rowdy. Many officers copied the fault of this famous outpost leader, but none of them attained to the merits which in him atoned for the faults.

When a battle is fought in summer, it often happens that the ripe corn is set on fire by shells and gun-wadding; but in no battle of the Empire did this occur on such a scale as at Wagram. The season was early, and the weather hot; the battle-field was completely covered with crops ready for harvest, which caught quickly and carried the fire with terrific rapidity. The movements of both armies were hampered by the necessity of avoiding it; for if once troops were overtaken by it, pouches and wagons exploded, carrying destruction through the ranks. Whole regiments might be seen hastening out of the way of the fire, and taking up their position where the corn had been burnt already; but this means of escape was only open to the able-bodied. Of the soldiers who were severely wounded great numbers perished in the flames; and of those whom the fire did not reach, many lay for days hidden by the tall corn, living during that time on the ears. The Emperor had the plain searched by bands of cavalry, and vehicles were brought from Vienna to remove the wounded, friends and foes alike. But few of those even whom the fire had passed recovered, and the soldiers had a saying that straw-fire had killed nearly as many as gun-fire.

The two days of the battle were an anxious time for the Viennese, who, from their roofs and towers, could enjoy a full view of all that took place, and who swayed from hope to fear with the progress of the fight. The famous and witty field-marshal Prince de Ligne, now well advanced in years, 1had assembled the best society in Vienna in his country house, in the highest of the neighbouring hills, whence the eye could take in the whole field of battle. With his experience of war and his keen intelligence, he quickly seized Napoleon's design and the Archduke's blunders, and foretold the defeat of the latter. When the Viennese saw the right of their army, on the 6th, rolling back our left, they broke into a frenzy of joy, and through our glasses we could see thousands of men and women waving hats and handkerchiefs to kindle still further the courage of their troops, who were winning at that point, but there only. The Prince de Ligne did not share the joy of the Viennese, and I have it from one who was close by the old soldier that he said to his guests, 'Do not rejoice just yet; in less than a quarter of an hour the Archduke will be beaten. He has no reserves, and you see the plain is crowded with the masses of Napoleon's!' His prediction was justified. As, however, one must do justice even to an enemy, I may say, after criticising the Archduke's tactics that his blunders are vastly excused by the hope, which he was justified in having, of the arrival of his brother with 35,000 or 40,000 men to fall on our right or rear. Moreover, it must be allowed that, having formed his plan, he carried it out with much vigour, showing great personal courage, with a remarkable gift of keeping up the spirit of his troops. Of this I will cite a striking instance.

As is well known, every regiment has, besides its colonel commanding, a proprietary colonel, whose name it bears; usually some prince or general. At his death the regiment passes to another, so that a corps may often have to abandon a name illustrated on a score of fields, and take some new and unknown designation. In this way Latour's dragoons, so famous throughout Europe in the days of the early Revolution wars, when General Latour died took the name of General Vincent, whereby a fine tradition was destroyed, the self-esteem of the regiment injured, and their zeal materially weakened. Now it happened on the first day of Wagram that the Archduke, seeing that his centre was on the point of being broken by Oudinot's corps, decided to attack this with cavalry, and ordered Vincent's dragoons, who were at hand, to charge. They did so, but without vigour; they were a beaten off, and the French advance continued. Again the Archduke sent the regiment at them, and again it recoiled before our battalions. The Austrian line was pierced. In this emergency the Archduke, hastening to meet the regiment, stopped it in its flight, and, to shame it for its lack of vigour, said in a loud voice, 'Vincent's Dragoons, it is easy to see that you are no longer Latour's Dragoons!' Humiliated by this cutting but deserved reproach, they replied, 'Yes, yes, we are!' 'Well, then,' cried the Archduke, drawing his sword, 'show yourselves worthy of your old fame, and follow me!' A bullet struck him, but he flew upon the French. Vincent's regiment followed him with ardour; their charge was terrible, and Oudinot's grenadiers fell back with heavy loss. This is how an able and energetic general contrives to turn everything to account which can restore the shaken courage of his men. The Archduke's address kindled the dragoons to such a degree that after stopping Oudinot's grenadiers, they charged Lamarque's division, and recaptured 2,000 prisoners and five stand of colors which it had just taken. In complimenting the dragoons the Archduke said, 'Now you can be proud to bear the name of Vincent, which you have just made no less illustrious than that of Latour.' This regiment was one of those which on the following day contributed most to the rout of Boudet's division of infantry.

Among the multitude of episodes to which the battle of Wagram gave rise, the most important, and one which produced very strong feeling in the army, has not been related by any author. I mean the disgrace of General Bernadotte, who was ordered off the field by the Emperor. Between these two eminent persons no love was ever lost; and since the conspiracy of Rennes, got up by Bernadotte against the Consular Government, 2they had been on very bad terms. This notwithstanding, Napoleon had included Bernadotte in the first creation of marshals, and made him Prince of Ponte Corvo at the request of Joseph Bonaparte, whose sister-in-law Bernadotte had married. Nothing, however, could appease Bernadotte's hatred and envy of Napoleon. He flattered him to his face, and afterwards, as the Emperor well knew, criticised and found fault. The ability and courage which he had shown at Austerlitz would have induced the Emperor to overlook his misdeeds had he not aggravated them by his conduct at Jena. In spite of the requests of his generals, he let his three divisions remain wholly inactive, refusing to support Davout, who a league away, at Auerstadt, was withstanding half the Prussian army under the King in person, and ultimately beat them. The army and all France were indignant with Bernadotte, but the Emperor did no more than reprimand him severely. Stimulated by this, the marshal did well at Hall and Lubeck, but soon fell back into his customary laziness, ill-will possibly, and, in spite of orders, was two days late for the battle of Eylau. This lukewarm conduct roused afresh the Emperor's dissatisfaction, which grew more and more during the campaign in Austria. Bernadotte, in command of a corps of Saxons, always came up late, acted without energy, and criticised not only the Emperor's tactics, but the way in which the other marshals handled their troops. The Emperor, however, restrained his irritation until on the first day of the battle of Wagram Bernadotte's lack of vigour and false tactics allowed the Austrians to retake the important position of Deutsch-Wagram. It seems that after this repulse Bernadotte said to some officers that the crossing of the Danube and subsequent action had been mismanaged, and that if he had been in command he could by a scientific manœuvre have compelled the Archduke to surrender almost without a blow. This remark was reported the same evening to the Emperor, who was naturally angry. Such were the terms on which Napoleon and Bernadotte stood when the undecided action was resumed on the 6th.

We have seen that when the battle was at its height, the Saxons, badly handled by Bernadotte, were repulsed and charged by the enemy's cavalry, being flung in disorder upon Masséna's corps, which they nearly carried with them. The Saxons are brave, but the best of troops are sometimes routed; and in such cases it is of no use for the officers to try to rally the men who are within reach of the enemy's sabres and bayonets. Generals and colonels should get as quickly as possible to the head of the flying mass, then face about, and by their presence and their words arrest the movement of retreat, and re-form the battalions. In conformity with this rule, Bernadotte, whose personal bravery was unquestioned, galloped off into the plain at the head of his staff, to get in front of the fugitives and stop them. Hardly was he clear of the throng, when he found himself face to face with the Emperor, who observed, ironically, 'Is that the scientific manœuvre by which you are going to make the Archduke lay down his arms?' Bernadotte's vexation at the rout of his army was heightened by learning that the Emperor knew of his inconsiderate remark of the previous day, and he remained speechless. Presently recovering himself, he tried to mutter some words of explanation; but the Emperor in a severe and haughty tone, said: 'I remove you, sir, from the command of the army corps, which you handle so badly. Withdraw at once, and leave the Grand Army within twenty-four hours; a bungler like you is no good to me.' Therewith he turned his back on the marshal, and taking command for the moment of the Saxons, restored order in their ranks, and led them again to meet the enemy.

Under any circumstances, Bernadotte would have been in despair at such an outburst; but as he had been ordered to leave the field at the moment when he was galloping ahead of the fugitives, which might give an opening for slanderous tongues to reflect on his courage, though the object of his retreat was to check that of his soldiers, he understood how much worse it made his position, and it is asserted that in his despair he wished to throw himself on the enemy's bayonets. His aides-de-camp, however, held him back, and took him away from the Saxon troops. All day long he strayed about the battle-field, and stayed towards evening behind our left wing at the village of Leopoldau, where his officers persuaded him to pass the night in the pretty little château belonging to that place. Hardly, however, was he established, when Masséna, who had ordered his headquarters to be fixed at Leopoldau, came to take possession of the same house. As it is customary for generals to be quartered in the midst of their troops, and not to lodge in villages where their colleague's regiments are, Bernadotte wished to give way to Masséna; the latter, however, not yet knowing of his colleague's mishap, begged him to stay and share the quarters with him, to which Bernadotte agreed. While arrangements were being made for their lodging, an officer who had witnessed the scene between the Emperor and Bernadotte came and told Masséna of it, whereupon he changed his mind, and discovered that the house was not roomy enough for two marshals and their staffs. Wishing, however, to keep up an appearance of generosity, he said to his aides-de-camp, 'This lodging was mine by rights, but as poor Bernadotte is in trouble I must give it up to him; find me another place—a barn, or anywhere.' Then he got into his carriage and went off without a word to Bernadotte, who felt this desertion deeply. In his exasperation he committed another and very serious mistake; for though no longer in command of the Saxon troops, he addressed them in a general order, in which he made the most of their exploits, and consequently of his own, without waiting for the usual assignment of credit on the part of the commander-in-chief. This infringement of regulations increased the Emperor's anger, and Bernadotte was obliged to withdraw from the army and return to France.

Among the remarkable incidents of the battle of Wagram, I may mention the combat between two cavalry regiments, which, though serving in hostile armies, belonged to the same proprietary colonel, Prince Albert of Sachs-Teschen. He had married the celebrated Archduchess Christina of Austria, governor of the Low Countries, and, having the title of prince in both states, he possessed a regiment of hussars in Saxony and of cuirassiers in Austria. Both one and the other bore his name, and, as was the custom of both states, he appointed all the officers in each. Austria and Saxony having been at peace for many years, whenever he had an officer to place he would put him indifferently in whichever regiment had a vacancy, so that out of one family there could be found some members in the Saxon hussars, and others in the Austrian cuirassiers. Now, by an accident at once deplorable and extraordinary, these two regiments met on the battle-field of Wagram, and, impelled by duty and by the point of honour, they charged each other. Strange to say, the cuirassiers were broken by the hussars, who, in their desire to retrieve under the eyes of Napoleon the repulse of the Saxon infantry, fought with the greatest vigour. Indeed, the Saxon infantry, though it has often shown its courage, is far from being either as solidly organised or as well trained as the cavalry, which is rightly held to be one of the best in Europe.