  All this zeal however did not fill up my ranks; the time was passing away, and the recruits did not come in. The allies formed themselves in corps on the left bank of the river; they could cross at any time; my situation was become very critical. I communicated to the Emperor the accounts of my number and situation. He could not conceal his surprise. "So few men! Alsace, the patriotism of which is so ardent! No matter—victory will soon raise battalions. There is nothing to despair of; war has its chances, we shall get through it!"—Napoleon had ordered me, four days before, not to leave a single soldier of the line in the fortified places; to take from the depÔts all who were in a condition to serve; to inundate and make good the lines of Weissembourg, and to keep up carefully my communications with Bitche. I was engaged in these measures; but he found that I did not proceed with sufficient celerity; he wrote to me. "Monsieur General Rapp, "I have received your letter of the 12th of May; I see by the statement you have annexed, that the 18th regiment of the line, of which your army has two battalions, 1200 men strong, can furnish you with a third battalion, of 600 men; order it to set off immediately from Strasburg to join you. The 32d can only supply a reinforcement of 200 men to your active battalions, which will raise them to 1200 men. The 39th and 55th can furnish you their third battalions; order them to join you. The 58th can furnish you with 200 men, to make its two battalions complete. The 103d can complete its two first battalions to 1200 men; the 104th the same. The 7th light regiment can furnish you with its third battalion; in the same manner the 10th light regiment. You can then, with a little activity, reinforce your infantry with 4000 men. I am surprised that there has not been more voluntary enlistment in Alsace for these regiments. The 39th of the line is recruited in the Upper Rhine; that department ought at least to have furnished 2000 veteran troops, which, divided between the 39th, 32d, and 18th, ought to raise the third, and even the fourth battalions, to their full numbers. The 10th light, "Napoleon." "Paris, May 14th 1815." I immediately replied to the questions which he had put to me; I explained to him the deplorable state into which the army had fallen: arms, horses, clothing, it was necessary to have every thing renewed. I could not have more than 22,000 men at my disposal by the 1st of June. The picture was not brilliant, but the Emperor made so admirable an use of his resources, that we were never justified in despairing. He put fresh funds at my disposal; he stimulated my zeal, begged me to neglect nothing to increase my forces, and to reconnoitre all the defiles. His despatch deserves to be known. "Count Rapp, "I received your letter of the 18th of May. I have allotted 13,000,000 francs for clothing in the distribution of May. Orders for considerable sums have been sent to each corps of your army: be assured that they will be paid. I cannot reconcile to my mind that you will not be able to have at your disposal by the 1st of June more than 22,000 men, when the force at the depÔts is 4000 men. Send for the third battalion of the 18th regiment, the third of the 39th, the third of the 57th, the third of the 7th light, the fourth of the 10th light, which will raise you one regiment of four battalions, "Napoleon." "Paris, May 20th 1815." |
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