Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp1.djvu/376

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358
POST-CAPTAINS OF 1808.

reprimand, threatened to supersede him if they were not immediately ordered away, and also to march several thousand men against the inhabitants in case of their evincing a spirit of insubordination. At this moment Colonel (now Sir Neil) Campbell arrived, and made the following communication to Captain Ussher:

At the house of General Dremy, 4 P.M.

“Sir,– I have the honor to acquaint you of my arrival here from Paris, with communications which regard the officer in command of H. Britannic Majesty’s ships on this station.

“Being lately wounded, and much fatigued, as well as from other circumstances, I trust you will excuse my not waiting upon you – nor does the bearer know where I can have that honor. May I therefore request the honor of seeing you as soon as it is consistent with your convenience, in order that I may have the honor of stating to you the nature of the mission with which H. Majesty’s minister, Lord Viscount Castlereagh, has charged me. I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,

(Signed)

“Neil Campbell,
Col. attached to the British Embassy at
the Court of St. Petersburgh.”

Captain Ussher (then sojourning at the hotel de Ville) immediately waited upon Colonel Campbell, and found that he was required to assist in conveying Napoleon Buonaparte from the shores of France to Elba. He accordingly left the Euryalus a, Marseilles, and proceeded himself to Frejus, the appointed place of embarkation, where he arrived and was introduced to the fallen chief, on the 23d April.

“While preparing to embark,” says Captain Brenton[1], “the Dryad, a French frigate, arrived. Captain Moncabret waited on Napoleon, supposing the Emperor would prefer his ship for the voyage; but Napoleon informed him that he chose to go in the Undaunted. The French captain put to sea immediately after this mortifying decision; and it was arranged that Napoleon should embark on the following day: but being indisposed in the forenoon, he ordered his carriage at seven o’clock” (April 28th), “at which hour he quitted his hotel, accompanied by Captain Ussher, Count Bertrand, andl Baron Köeler. The Russian and Prussian envoys, und Colonel Campbell, followed in their own carriages. It was a bright moonlight night: the scene was solemnly grand, and deeply interesting; a regiment of cavalry was drawn up on the beach. When the carriage stopped, the bugles sounded, and Napoleon, stepping out, embraced his friends,
  1. See Nav. Hist. Vol. V. p. 154 et seq.