General Vandamme withdrew, not without great chagrin, and repaired to the army of Wurtemburg, where he performed prodigies of valor.  After the campaign he returned to the Emperor, his breast covered with decorations, bearing a letter from the King of Wurtemburg to his Majesty, who, after reading it, said to Vandamme:  “General, never forget that, if I admire the brave, I do not admire those who sleep while I await them.”  He pressed the general’s hand, and invited him to breakfast, in company with General Chardon, who was as much gratified by this return to favor as was his friend.

On the journey to Augsburg, the Emperor, who had set out in advance, made such speed that his household could not keep up with him; and consequently he passed the night, without attendants or baggage, in the best house of a very poor village.  When we reached his Majesty next day, he received us laughing, and threatened to have us taken up as stragglers by the provost guard.

From Augsburg the Emperor went to the camp before Ulm, and made preparations to besiege that place.

A short distance from the town a fierce and obstinate engagement took place between the French and Austrians, and had lasted two hours, when cries of ‘Vive l’Empereur!’ were suddenly heard.  This name, which invariably carried terror into the enemy’s ranks, and always imparted fresh courage to our soldiers, now electrified them to such an extent that they put the Austrians to flight, while the Emperor showed himself in the front ranks, crying “Forward,” and making signs to the soldiers to advance, his Majesty’s horse disappearing from time to time in the smoke of the cannon.  During this furious charge, the Emperor found himself near a grenadier who was terribly wounded; and yet this brave fellow still shouted with the others, “Forward! forward!”

The Emperor drew near him, and threw his military cloak over him, saying, “Try to bring it back to me, and I will give you in exchange the cross that you have just won.”  The grenadier, who knew that he was mortally wounded, replied that the shroud he had just received was worth as much as the decoration, and expired, wrapped in the imperial mantle.

At the close of the battle, the Emperor had this grenadier, who was also a veteran of the army of Egypt, borne from the field, and ordered that he should be interred in the cloak.

Another soldier, not less courageous than the one of whom I have just spoken, also received from his Majesty marks of distinction.  The day after the combat before Ulm, the Emperor, in visiting the ambulances, had his attention attracted by a, cannoneer of light artillery, who had lost one leg, but in spite of this was still shouting with all his might, ‘Vive l’Empereur!’ He approached the soldier and said to him, “Is this, then, all that you have to say to me?”—­“No, Sire, I can also tell you that I, I alone, have dismounted four pieces of the Austrian cannon; and it is the