Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/591

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BERNADOTTE
571

it is equal in some of its details. The other most noted buildings are the churches, the library and museum, the mint, the orphan asylum, the hospital, the arsenal, the university buildings, &c. The university was founded in 1834, and in 1871 had 73 professors and 319 students. A school of arts was founded in 1871. The manufactures are cloth, printed linen, silk and cotton fabrics, and straw hats. The corporation of the city is so rich that it furnishes the citizens with fuel gratis, and has a surplus. The scenery is of the most picturesque character, and the city is much frequented by strangers. The wall ditches are renowned for bears, the bear being the heraldic animal of Bern, which derives its name from it. The armory, the richest in Switzerland, is full of ancient weapons and curiosities.

BERNADOTTE, Jean Baptiste Jules, marshal of the French empire and king of Sweden and Norway, born at Pau, Jan. 26, 1764, died in Stockholm, March 8, 1844. He was the son of a lawyer, and was educated for that profession, but enlisted in 1780 in the royal marines. When the French revolution broke out his advancement became rapid. In 1792 he served as colonel in Custine's army; commanded a demi-brigade in 1793; was in the same year, through Kléber's patronage, promoted to the rank of brigadier general; and contributed, as general of division in the army of the Sambre and Meuse, under Kléber and Jourdan, to the victory of Flenrus, June 26, 1794, the success at Jülich, and the capitulation of Maestricht. He also did good service in the campaign of 1795-'6 against the Austrian generals Clairfait, Kray, and the archduke Charles. At the beginning of 1797 he was ordered by the directory to march with 20,000 men as reënforcements to the Italian army, and it was upon his arrival in Italy that his first interview with Bonaparte took place. During the invasion of Friuli and Istria Bernadotte distinguished himself at the passage of the Tagliamento, where he led the vanguard, and at the capture of the fortress of Gradisca, March 19, 1797. After the 18th Fructidor, Bonaparte ordered his generals to collect from their respective divisions addresses in favor of the coup d'état of that day; but Bernadotte sent an address to the directory different from that which Bonaparte wished for and without conveying it through Bonaparte's hands. After the treaty of Campo Formio Bonaparte made Bernadotte a friendly visit at his headquarters at Udine, but immediately after deprived him of half his division of the army of the Rhine, and commanded him to march the other half back to France. Bernadotte was much dissatisfied, but finally accepted the embassy to Vienna. Having been reprimanded by the directory because he had not placed the emblem of the republic upon the outside of his hotel, Bernadotte hoisted the tri-colored flag with the inscription “Liberty, equality, fraternity.” This was done upon a day on which a public anniversary was celebrated at Vienna, April 13, 1798. His hotel was stormed by a mob, his flag burnt, and his life endangered. Satisfaction having been refused, Bernadotte withdrew to Rastadt with all his legation. The directory, however, on the advice of Bonaparte, waived the claim for satisfaction and recalled Bernadotte to Paris. He married in August, 1798, Mlle. Désirée Clary, the daughter of a Marseilles merchant and Joseph Bonaparte's sister-in-law. In November of the same year he was made commander of the army of observation on the upper Rhine. After the coup d'état of the 30th Prairial, 1799, he was made minister of war, and in that office rendered valuable services. On the morning of Sept. 13 he found his resignation announced in the Moniteur before he was aware that he had tendered it. This was a trick; played upon him by Sieyès and Roger Ducos, the directors allied to Bonaparte. Although solicited to do so by Bonaparte, Bernadotte refused to take part in the revolution of the 18th Brumaire (Nov. 9, 1799), by which the directory was abolished and supreme power conferred on Napoleon. Placed in command of the army of the west, he restored tranquillity to La Vendée. After the proclamation of the empire in 1804 he was made a marshal, and was intrusted with the command of the army of Hanover. In this capacity, as well as during his later command of the army of northern Germany, he created for himself a reputation for independence, moderation, and administrative ability. At the head of the corps stationed in Hanover, which formed the first corps of the grand army, he participated in the campaign of 1805 against the Austrians and Russians. In the battle of Austerlitz he was posted with his corps in the centre between Soult and Lannes, and contributed to baffle the attempt of the right wing of the allies to outflank the French army. On June 5, 1806, he was created prince of Ponte-Corvo, a district of Naples formerly subject to the pope. During the campaign of 1806-'7 against Prussia he commanded the first corps d'armée. After the battle of Jena, Oct. 14, 1806, Bernadotte defeated the Prussians at Halle, Oct. 17, pursued conjointly with Soult and Murat the Prussian general Blücher to Lübeck, and aided in forcing his capitulation at Radkow, Nov. 7. He also defeated the Russians at Mohrungen, Jan. 25, 1807. After the peace of Tilsit, according to the alliance concluded between Denmark and Napoleon, French troops were to occupy the Danish islands, thence to act against Sweden. Accordingly, in 1808, while Russia invaded Finland, Bernadotte was commanded to move upon Seeland in order to penetrate with the Danes into Sweden to dethrone its king, and to partition the country between Denmark and Russia. He passed the Belt and arrived in Seeland at the head of 30,000 Frenchmen, Dutch, and Spaniards; most of the latter, however, by the assistance of the English fleet, decamped under Gen. de la Ro-