lessening the glory of either General Bonaparte or General Desaix; they know as well as myself that theirs are names so respected that they can never be affected by such detractions, and that it would be as vain to dispute the praise due to the Chief who planned the battle was to attempt to depreciate the brilliant share which General Kellerman had in its successful result.  I will add to the above a few observations.

“From the position which he occupied General Desaix could not see General Kellerman; he had even desired me to request the First Consul to afford him the support of some cavalry.  Neither could General Kellerman, from the point where he was stationed, perceive General Desaix’s division; it is even probable that he was not aware of the arrival of that General, who had only joined the army two days before.  Both were ignorant of each other’s position, which the First Consul was alone acquainted with; he alone could introduce harmony into their movements; he alone could make their efforts respectively conduce to the same object.

“The fate of the battle was decided by Kellerman’s bold charge; had it, however, been made previously to General Desaix’s attack, in all probability it would have had a quite different result.  Kellerman appears to have been convinced of it, since he allowed the Austrian column to cross our field of battle and extend its front beyond that of the troops we had still in line without making the least attempt to impede its progress.  The reason of Kellerman’s not charging it sooner was that it was too serious a movement, and the consequences of failure would have been irretrievable:  that charge, therefore, could only enter into a general combination of plans, to which he was necessarily a stranger” (Memoirs of the Duke of Rovigo, tome i. pp. 218-280).]—­

M. Delaforet, the Postmaster-general, sometimes transacted business with the First Consul.  The nature of this secret business may easily be guessed at.

—­[When M. Delaforet was replaced soon after this by Lavalette, Napoleon ordered the discontinuance of the practice followed until then of allowing letters to be opened by subordinate officials.  This right was restricted, as in England, to the Minister.  However bad this practice, it was limited, not extended, in his reign.  See Mineval, tome iii. pp. 60-62, and Lavalette, tome ii. p. 10.]—­

On the occasion of one of their interviews the First Consul saw a letter from Kellerman to Lasalle, which contained the following passage:  “Would you believe, my friend, that Bonaparte has not made me a general of division though I have just placed the crown on his head?” The letter was sealed again and sent to its address; but Bonaparte never forgot its contents.