Fire and Sword

by Simon Scarrow

  ‘Good soup!’ Napoleon announced.‘A bit saltier than I used to have it when I was a junior lieutenant, but good all the same.’

  He took another spoonful as he let the men marvel that their Emperor had once lived on the same fare as themselves. It was another chance for Napoleon to win their hearts and he smiled to himself as he observed the crowd gathering round him.After a few sips he handed the bowl back to Sergeant Legros and wiped his lips on the back of his hand. ‘Thank you. I needed that.’ He raised his voice. ‘Soldiers! I know of your brave deeds yesterday. But tell me, who is the bravest man in this regiment?’

  There was a pause before Legros’s name was shouted, and at once there was a widespread roar of approval. Napoleon grinned as he turned back to the huge figure looking slightly embarrassed by the shouts of his comrades.

  ‘It seems that you are the regiment’s hero, Legros.’

  ‘Just doing my duty, sir.’

  ‘Of course.Well then,’ Napoleon frowned slightly as if considering a problem and then suddenly laughed and clasped Legros’s hand, ‘I promote you to lieutenant.Your regiment is going to need good officers if it keeps fighting as fiercely as it did yesterday. Congratulations, Lieutenant Legros.’

  The man looked astonished and tilted his head slightly from side to side. ‘Don’t know what to say, sir.’

  ‘Thank you will do.’

  The men around laughed, and then someone cheered for the newly promoted Legros and the others joined in. Napoleon let them indulge themselves for a moment before he turned to one of his staff officers to ensure that the promotion was noted and made official as soon as possible. As he was talking there was a pounding of hooves down the road and Napoleon glanced round to see a staff officer galloping towards the fire.

  ‘Where’s the Emperor?’ the new arrival shouted as he saw Napoleon’s escort. He jumped down from his hard-breathing mount as soon as he saw Napoleon and thrust his way through the soldiers.With some difficulty he composed himself enough to stand to attention and salute before he ripped a folded sheet of paper from inside his coat.‘Sire! Despatch from Marshal Ney.’

  ‘What’s happened?’ Napoleon asked quietly as he took the message.

  ‘We’ve got them, sir. The Austrians. Ney’s vanguard captured an Austrian colonel. He told them that Mack’s army is at Ulm. We’ve caught them on the wrong side of the Danube, sir. With their backs to the hills and the Black Forest, they’re caught like rats in a trap.’

  ‘As I always knew they would be,’ Napoleon responded tersely, as he read the full details by the light of the fire. When he finished he crumpled the message and tossed it into the blaze, then turned to the crowd of soldiers who had gathered to see him.

  ‘Tomorrow the Grand Army closes its fist round the throat of General Mack! First blood to the Grand Army!’ Napoleon punched his hand into the air and the men roared their approval. He watched their excited faces for a moment and then turned to re-join his waiting staff officers and escort. Behind him the cheers echoed to the skies.

  Chapter 9

  Ulm, 16 October 1805

  Hemmed in on all sides, the Austrians retreated to Ulm and prepared the hapless town for an assault. As nearly a hundred thousand men of the Grand Army closed around the defenders, the guns of the artillery reserve were brought forward and batteries were dug into the hills surrounding the town. At dawn, Napoleon was sitting on a campaign chair a short distance above the largest battery.Around him scores of staff officers talked in muted tones as they waited for the bombardment to begin. Napoleon ignored them. He was filled with an immense feeling of gratification that his plans had come to fruition so swiftly. The night before, he had received word from Marshal Bernadotte that the Russian army of General Kutusov had finally been located, two hundred miles from Ulm. Napoleon nodded faintly as he considered the situation. Kutusov was far enough away to give the Grand Army time to defeat the Austrians before turning to face the Russians. He pulled his coat more tightly about his shoulders and hunched down into the collar as he concentrated his gaze on the panorama stretching out before him.

  Below his position lay the lines of the Grand Army, and a short distance beyond, the hastily erected redoubts and earthworks that ringed Ulm. A faint mist had risen from the Danube, on the far side of the city, and most of the buildings were grey and indistinct. Only the spires of churches and the roofs of taller buildings were high enough to be seen clearly.The air was filled with the shouts of artillery officers as they trained their guns on distant targets and gave the order for the weapons to be loaded with round shot. It was a cold morning, and a gleaming frost covered the frozen ground. Ideal conditions for artillery fire, as the cannonballs that did not immediately strike an object would take several bounces before coming to rest, thereby greatly increasing their range and capacity to do damage.

  Out of the corner of his eye Napoleon saw a staff officer come trotting up to General Marmont. He saluted and spoke briefly before his superior strode across the slope towards the Emperor.

  ‘Sire, I beg to report that the artillery is ready to commence the bombardment, on your order.’

  Napoleon nodded, drew a draught of chilled air deep into his lungs and took one last look at the peaceful town of Ulm nestling beside the dull gleam of the Danube. Then he breathed out. ‘Very well.You may open fire.’

  ‘Yes, sire.’ Marmont saluted and turned to bellow the order to the crew of the signal gun. ‘Open fire!’

  The gunner with the linstock lowered the smouldering end to the powder in a small paper cone poking into the vent. There was a brief flare, then a jet of flame and smoke billowed from the muzzle an instant before the booming report carried up the hill to Napoleon and his staff. A moment later the rest of the massed guns of the Grand Army opened fire with a deep rolling roar that filled the morning sky like thunder. Hundreds of plumes of flame and smoke spat from the muzzles of the French guns, and then roof tiles exploded off the buildings of Ulm to show where some of the shot had struck home. Those guns that had been ordered to direct their fire at the Austrian earthworks began to take their toll, gouts of soil bursting into the air as fascines and timber fortifications were battered down.The defenders soon returned fire and the French positions received their damage in turn. But such was the weight of the Grand Army’s fire that General Mack’s outlying batteries were gradually silenced as the morning wore on.The sun rose in the sky and the mist from the Danube cleared from the streets of Ulm, only to be replaced by a thick cloud of dust swirling up from the masonry being pounded to pieces by heavy iron shot.Thick banks of smoke hung over the artillery positions of both sides, making them fire blind as they trusted to the careful laying of the guns before the bombardment to stay on target.

  The gun crews had been ordered to cease fire at noon, and within a few minutes of the hour the last of the guns had fallen silent. A short time later the Austrians gradually followed suit and the comparative silence and stillness that followed was initially unnerving to the men new to war. Those in the artillery batteries quickly took advantage of the break in the action to make quick repairs to their defences, and drag away damaged guns as well as the dead and injured.

  Up on the hill, Napoleon was taking a light meal of cold chicken, bread and watered wine when his attention was drawn to an excited babble amongst his staff officers. Lowering the wicker basket that contained his makeshift lunch, he rose and turned to follow the direction of their gaze.A small party of horsemen had emerged from the Austrian lines.Two men carried trumpets and were repeatedly blowing the same shrill call as they crossed the open ground between the two armies. Another man carried a large white standard, which he waved from side to side to ensure that it was clearly seen by the wary French skirmishers.The party was led by an officer with a broad red sash over his shoulder, and several decorations glittered brilliantly on his chest.

  They were met at the French lines by a junior officer who directed them on to his regimental commander, who had them escorted to his brigade comman
der, and so on until they finally rode up the slope into the presence of the Emperor of France himself. Napoleon had resumed eating his meal and made a show of reluctance in putting it aside again as the Austrian officer dismounted and strode stiffly towards him. He was about to speak when Napoleon silenced him curtly with a raised hand. ‘A moment, if you please!’

  He slowly chewed the last mouthful, staring intently at the Austrian as he did so, until finally the other man’s gaze wavered. Napoleon casually wiped his hands on a napkin and stood up to address the Austrian officer.

  ‘There.You may speak.’

  The Austrian’s mouth sagged open in surprise at this curt treatment. Then he recovered, cleared his throat and began to deliver his message.

  ‘I am Colonel Count Freudklein, on the staff of General Mack. He sends you his warmest compliments and an offer to open negotiations with you.’

  ‘Negotiations?’ Napoleon interrupted. ‘To surrender?’

  ‘Surrender? No, sir!’ Colonel Freudklein frowned. ‘General Mack wishes to discuss an armistice.That is all.’

  ‘An armistice . . .’ Napoleon considered this for a minute, and then folded his arms and stared intently at the officer again. ‘How long does General Mack wish it to last?’

  ‘Ten days, sir.’

  ‘Ten days is a long time. Perhaps he has heard that Kutusov and his army are approaching?’

  Freudklein kept his face expressionless and after a moment Napoleon grinned.‘My dear Colonel, I am kept fully informed as to the whereabouts of Kutusov. And I know full well that he is sufficiently distant to allow me to reduce Ulm and compel your surrender long before he arrives.’

  ‘We shall see about that, sir.The Russians might be here sooner than you think.’

  ‘Perhaps, but I doubt it. In any case, I am a compassionate man. My army might enjoy a brief rest from its exertions, as could yours. I grant your general his armistice.’ Napoleon paused for effect. ‘On one condition.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘That General Mack agrees to surrender his forces to me if the Russians have not relieved him within nine days of the signing of the armistice.That is my offer, and it is not negotiable. Now return to your general and let him know my terms.’

  Colonel Freudklein saluted and returned to his horse and remounted. At a kick of his spurs his horse reared slightly and then galloped off down the slope, and his three companions quickly urged their mounts to follow him. Napoleon watched them go with a satisfied smile. His offer was generous, and acceptable to General Mack, who was desperate to buy time as he awaited his Russian allies.The Austrians no doubt assumed that Kutusov would reach them within ten days. But the latest report from placed at least two weeks’ march from Ulm. So, Napoleon mused, let the Austrians have their armistice, as long as they agreed to his surrender date.

  The next morning, representatives of both armies met on open ground and signed the truce. General Mack declined to be there in person so Napoleon sent Berthier to complete the agreement in his own place. If the Russians failed to relieve their allies by the expiry of the armistice then the Austrians agreed to surrender to the Grand Army. Once the document had been signed the men of both armies stood down and settled into their camps while their pickets continued to watch each other warily. As the enemy toiled to repair their defences the French soldiers, exhausted by the rapid advance of the previous month, rested and repaired their uniforms and equipment. Napoleon saw to it that they were kept supplied with wine and the best food that could be looted from the surrounding towns and villages. As the autumn evenings drew in the French lines were alive with the sounds of good-humoured banter, song and laughter. On the other side the Austrians sat and quietly waited for word of the approach of their Russian saviours.

  In the days that followed, at the country estate chosen for the headquarters of the Grand Army Napoleon spent long hours with Berthier planning the next stage of the campaign. The daily reports from Bernadotte told of the plodding advance of General Kutusov’s army, and as Napoleon scrutinised the maps spread over the floor of his quarters he knew there was no question of the Austrian army’s being relieved before the armistice expired. Kneeling on the map and measuring the distance with his dividers Napoleon nodded with satisfaction. Then his eyes flicked to the area representing the lands of Prussia and he stared fixedly at it for a moment before addressing Berthier, who was sitting on a stool to one side taking notes.

  ‘What’s the latest news from Prussia?’

  Berthier pursed his lips as he hurriedly recalled his examination of the morning’s despatches. ‘According to our ambassador the war party is still trying to goad Frederick William into joining the coalition, but he’s reluctant to take the risk.’

  ‘Risk?’ Napoleon sniffed with contempt. ‘What risk could there possibly be if he joined forces with the Tsar and the Emperor of Austria? They would outnumber us three to one. The man is a coward and a fool.’

  ‘Just as well for us, sire.’

  ‘Yes,’ Napoleon replied quietly. ‘So . . . It is imperative that we keep our enemies divided.That means we must end this war swiftly, with the kind of annihilating victory that will crush the very idea of further opposition to France.’ He shuffled round and tapped his dividers on the Austrian capital. ‘It will not be sufficient to occupy Vienna. We cannot dictate terms until we have destroyed their army.’

  Berthier nodded. ‘Indeed. But the loss of Vienna would still be a heavy blow to them, sire.’

  Napoleon shook his head. ‘It is only a city, Berthier. Bricks and mortar. It can do us no harm. Still, in some ways it is a shame that old niceties of war have perished. It would be far more convenient if our enemies gave in once their capital cities had fallen. But this is a new age for warfare. Only the swift and the ruthless will prevail.That is why we win, Berthier.’

  ‘Yes, sire.’

  The sound of heavy boots echoed down the corridor outside the room and both men turned towards the door as there was a sudden sharp rap.

  ‘Come!’ Napoleon called out as he heaved himself up and stepped carefully off the map. The door swung open and Marshal Lannes entered, his face flushed with excitement.

  ‘Sire, you’d better come and see this at once!’

  ‘See what?’

  ‘It’s the Austrians, sire.They are breaking the armistice.There are two columns advancing out of the Ulm defences.’

  ‘Treachery,’ Napoleon growled.‘This is what you get when you trust the word of an Austrian aristocrat. Come on, Berthier!’

  Snatching up his hat, Napoleon strode from the room. With Lannes and Berthier following, he hurried outside and gestured to one of the grooms to bring their horses.The small party galloped out of the stable yard and across the open countryside towards the observation point atop a low hill overlooking Ulm and its defences. All around them drums were beating and trumpets shrilled out, calling the men of the Grand Army to take up their arms and form in their regiments ready to face the enemy. On the hill, a handful of officers was watching the enemy positions fixedly and were only aware of the Emperor’s arrival when he dismounted and snatched a telescope from a young lieutenant. He trained it in the direction of Ulm and took a breath to steady the view as he panned across the lines of defences. Sure enough, there were two vast columns advancing from the town. Away to the north a dense mass of cavalry, perhaps several thousand strong, was riding hard towards the French lines and already puffs of smoke were blossoming from the French batteries facing the Austrian lines.To the south-east of the town, a huge column of infantry was tramping out of the gates.

  Lannes slapped his hands together.‘Damn fools are marching straight towards our guns.They’ll be cut to pieces.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Napoleon replied softly, then fixed his attention on the head of the Austrian column.There was no glitter of bayonets there, and then he understood. The enemy were holding their muskets upside down. Quickly he scanned the banners at the front of the column and saw that most were furled. The rest were plain
white. He lowered the telescope and smiled.

  ‘They’re surrendering.’ He turned to Lannes and offered him the telescope. ‘See for yourself.’

  ‘What?’ Lannes looked astonished and then hurriedly trained the telescope on the enemy. ‘You’re right, sire. Surrendering, by God. Five days before the end of the armistice. But why?’

  ‘They must have heard news of the Russian army’s location,’ Napoleon mused.‘General Mack has realised that he could not be saved in time.That has to be it.’

  ‘What about the other column, sire?’ Lannes lowered the telescope and gestured to the distant cavalry charging through the French lines to the north.