Letter to Doumouriex, June 26, 1815.

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If Buonaparte is to be put to Death, he will not be his Executioneer.

General——­has been here this day to negociate for Napoleon’s passing to America, to which proposition I have answered, that I have no authority.  The Prussians think the Jacobins wish to give him over to me, believing that I will save his life.——­ wishes to kill him; but I have told him I shall remonstrate, and shall insist upon his being disposed of by common accord.  I have likewise said that, as a private friend, I advised him to have nothing to do with so foul a transaction; and that he and I had acted too distinguished parts in these transactions to become executioners, and that I was determined that, if the sovereigns wished to put him to death, they should appoint an executioner, which should not be me.

June 26, 1815.

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The “Pounding Match."

You will have heard of our battle of the 18th.  Never did I see such a pounding match.  Both were what the boxers call “gluttons.”  Napoleon did not manoeuvre at all.  He just moved forward in the old style, in columns, and was driven off in the old style.  The only difference was that he mixed cavalry with his infantry, and supported both with an enormous quantity of artillery.

I had the infantry for some time in squares, and we had the French cavalry walking about as if they had been our own.  I never saw the British infantry behave so well.

Letter to Marshal Beresford, July 9, 1815.

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Blucher’s Vandalism averted.

To Marshal Prince Blucher.—­Several reports have been brought to me during the evening and night, and some from the government, in consequence of the work carrying on by your highness on one of the bridges over the Seine, which it is supposed to be your intention to destroy.

As this measure will certainly create a good deal of disturbance in the town, and as the sovereigns when they were here before, left all these bridges, &c., standing, I take the liberty of suggesting to you to delay the destruction of the bridge, at least till they should arrive; or, at all events, till I can have the pleasure of seeing you to-morrow morning.

July 8, 1815.

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The destruction of the bridge of Jena is highly disagreeable to the king and to the people, and may occasion disturbance in the city.  It is not merely a military measure, but is one likely to attach to the character of our operations, and is of political importance.  It is adopted solely because the bridge is considered as a monument of the battle of Jena, notwithstanding that the government are willing to change the name of the bridge.  Considering the bridge as a monument, I beg leave to suggest that its immediate destruction is inconsistent with the promise made to the commissioners on behalf of the part of the army, during the negociation of the convention, viz., that the monuments, museums, &c., should be reserved for the decision of the allied sovereigns.