In no other battle, I think, was the Emperor so visibly protected by his destiny.  Balls whistled around his ears, carrying away as they passed pieces of the trappings of his horse, shells and grenades rolled at his feet, but nothing touched him.  The soldiers observed this, and their enthusiasm rose to the highest pitch.

At the beginning of the battle, the Emperor saw a battalion advancing whose chief had been suspended from his office two or three days before for some slight breach of discipline.  The disgraced officer marched in the second rank with his soldiers, by whom he was adored.  The Emperor saw him, and halting the battalion, took the officer by the hand, and placed him again at the head of his troop.  The effect produced by this scene was indescribable.

On the 8th of May, at seven o’clock in the evening, the Emperor entered Dresden, and took possession of the palace, which the Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia had quitted that very evening.  A short distance from the barriers the Emperor was saluted by a deputation from the municipality of that town.

“You deserve,” said he to these deputies, “that I should treat you as a conquered country.  I know all that you have done while the allies occupied your town; I have a statement of the number of volunteers whom you have clothed, equipped, and armed against me, with a generosity which has astonished even the enemy.  I know the insults you have heaped on France, and how many shameless libels you have to suppress or to burn today.  I am fully aware with what transports of joy you received the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia within your walls.  Your houses are still decorated with the garlands, and we still see lying on the earth the flowers which the young girls scattered in their path.  Nevertheless, I am willing to pardon everything.  Thank your king for this; it is he who saves you, and I pardon you only from love of him.  Send a deputation to entreat him to return to you.  My aide-de-camp, General Durosnel, will be your governor.  Your good king himself could not make a better selection.”

As soon as he entered the city the Emperor was informed that a part of the Russian rear-guard sought to hold its ground in the new town, separated from the old by the river Elbe, and had fallen into the power of our army.

His Majesty immediately ordered that everything should be done in order to drive out this remnant of the enemy; and during an entire day there was a continued cannonading and shooting in the town from one bank to the other.  Bullets and shell fell like hail on the spot occupied by the Emperor.  A shell struck the walls of a powder-magazine not far from him, and scattered the pieces around his head, but fortunately the powder did not ignite.  A few moments after another shell fell between his Majesty and several Italians; they bent to avoid the explosion.  The Emperor saw this movement, and laughingly said to them, “Ah, coglioni! non fa male.” ["Ah, scamps! don’t behave badly.”]