The Adventures of Henri Bonhomme - Prequel 4

It was on 23 October that Henri Bonhomme received word that the Grande Armée had abandoned Moscow. The great invasion of Russia had failed. 

Henri's role in the invasion thus far had been relatively low key. He had commanded an infantry division in Ney's Corps which he led at the Battle of Smolensk,  but after the battle the Emperor placed him in charge of the city with instructions to establish a depot and ferry forward supplies and troops. Initially he was furious at being removed from active operations when there was plenty of glory still to be earned, but Baillard soon convinced him of the benefits of the posting. While the city of Smolensk was a smoking ruin, most of the country houses of the local aristocracy were intact and abandoned with their many paintings and trinkets in place. The churches, filled with religious icons and similar artifacts, had also been abandoned.  With the treasures that could be acquired here it would be possible to add a new Slavic wing to the growing gallery at the Bordeaux estate. 

So while Bonhomme established himself in an attractive villa on the banks of the Dnieper and oversaw the collection of food, clothing and munitions for the army, Baillard set himself up in an abandoned stable and began to build up a significant collection of artwork, silver and gold. In the first three weeks alone the collection was large enough to fill a wagon that was sent off to France. Enough for another wagon was gathered over the next five weeks. 

When news reached him that the Grand Armée had abandoned Moscow Bonhomme was told that Napoleon intended to take a route out of Russia south of Smolensk, through countryside that had not been stripped of supplies during the advance. Bonhomme was to send whatever stores he held to Minsk, which would be a point of concentration on the line of retreat. Bonhomme built a train of 50 wagons and was preparing to set it in motion when word came that the Army had met with a reverse at the Battle of Maloyoslavets and been forced back onto the Smolensk Road. They were going to need all the supplies that could be gathered and he was instructed to hold everything in Smolensk for now.

Baillard's problem was simpler: How was he to get their wagon of loot away?

The greatest concern was that winter had arrived early. The first snow had fallen on 13 October and by the first week of November, the mercury had fallen as low as -12°C (10°F). On 9 November Napoleon arrived at Smolensk. Ten days earlier he had narrowly escaped capture by a group of cossacks. Bonhomme found him tired and depressed, but grateful the Smolensk stores were intact. In an effort to lift the Emperor's spirits Bonhomme arranged a dinner in his honour.

The next morning he found the Emperor in front of a peasant's house planning the next phase of the withdrawal. Despite his good humour at dinner the night before, Napoleon was subdued again. 

"Bonhomme," he said, "How is your division?"

"Well, sire," Bonhomme replied, "it's more a brigade than division though. Of the twelve battalions I had when I halted here seven were called forward after Borodino."

"So you have five battalions left? They are in good condition though?"

"Yes", Bonhomme replied. "They are a little understrength, but they are in good spirits, although there is some concern about the current situation."

"And rightly so," The Emperor said. "We are in  tight spot, I don't mind telling you. We are marching out of here tomorrow...supposed to make for Minsk, but I have just heard that the Russians have taken Minsk and destroyed the magazines there. They are closing in behind us."

"Minsk...that is bad news...," Bonhomme replied.

"It certainly put me off my coffee and croissants this morning," the Emperor said. "To make matters worse there has been an attempted coup in Paris. It has been put down, of course, but things are very delicate right now...I need to get back to Paris as quickly as I can for the sake of the Empire." He paused then continued..."I have a task for you Bonhomme."

"Oh, great," Bonhomme thought..."how often have I heard those words...last time I heard them you left me here for eight weeks!" 

"Your men are fresh," the Emperor continued, "and when we march out tomorrow. I want you to take the lead...you will be the vanguard. I will assign some cavalry. Do you have any guns?"

"Just the regimental guns, sire."

"I'll attach some horse artillery. Now go to your men, and get them ready to march."

*******

"There's our silver lining," Baillard said.

"What do you mean?"

"You know...every cloud has a silver lining...the saying...this is our way to get our wagon out safely," he said.

"I fail to see how putting a wagon load of precious art with the vanguard of the army expected to fight its way  through a horde of marauding cossacks is a measure of safety," Bonhomme replied.

"I'll make it work," said Baillard.

Bonhomme was about to ask how, but thought better of it. Whenever he had reason to doubt Baillard, he always came through. If anyone could do it, it was him. He seemed to have some sort of secret underground network that allowed him to move anything across the length and breadth of continental Europe with ease and speed. While he wanted to know how, at the same time he did not want to know. Bonhomme often wondered how much better the Emperor's campaigns might have run if Baillard had been in charge of the supply services instead of the bungling idiots who held command.

"Well, be ready." Bonhomme said. "We march tomorrow."

*******

When the column formed at 5:00 AM on the morning of 16 November it was snowing. The thermometer showed the temperature at -12°C (10°F), but with a strong breeze making it feel much colder. Bonhomme's guide, a Polish officer, told him to expect it to get even colder in the next week.  He scanned the line of wagons, but could not see Baillard. All the drivers appeared to be peasants, but one of them, driving a cart loaded with sacks of grain, looked familiar. Was that Baillard? But why is he dressed as a peasant?..."No Henri", he said to himself, "don't ask..."

The column stepped off at 5:30. They were making for Orsha, 100 km to the west. Here they would cross the Dnieper. Progress was good and they made about 25 km. The day had passed without incident, but the effect of the march from Moscow to Smolensk was showing itself and while his relatively fresh troops marched well, most of the rest straggled badly. 

On the second day of the march the sun actually shone and the temperature was only a few degrees below freezing. Again the column had made around 25 km, but the sight of cossacks on the crests of hills was ominous.

Day three was a painful day and the temperature plummeted and it snowed all day. Around noon a band of cossacks had struck the column several miles to Bonhomme's rear, causing panic and the loss of about 30 wagons. The column only made 15 km for the day.

Despite heavy snow for the next two days Bonhomme made good time. He covered the remaining 35 km to Orsha and secured the bridges there. No enemy was seen, apart from the occasional cossack scout. The Army halted at Orsha to allow the tail of the column to close up on the head. There was a considerable cache of supplies there and many men were able to be fed and re-equipped. 

It was at Orsha that the Emperor was advised that many ammunition wagons were laden with loot. He was so enraged that he ordered most of it to be destroyed. At one point he stood beside the bridge and halted and inspected every wagon that passed, ordering any loot and excess wagons burned and the horses redistributed to the artillery. Bonhomme was astonished to see that his wagon had avoided the Emperor's attention - he wondered how Baillard had pulled that off, but then again he really didn't want to know!

On 22 November the army set out again, making to cross the last great obstacle, the Berezina River. Bonhomme's men continued to lead the way. The departure was made in terrible conditions with heavy snow and the temperature dropping down below -25°C (-15°F). 

With the roads in bad condition Bonhomme made poor time. Less than two kilometers was covered in the first three hours. Then shortly before noon, as the column approached a small village, the cossacks appeared. They came out of the woods riding hard. Colonel de Serville brought forward a small unit of cavalry that he had cobbled together from pretty much any man near the head of the column who still had a horse. 

The cossacks were unwilling to tangle with de Serville and turned away to the south. Bonhomme called de Serville back, "Save  your horses," he told him, "I have a feeling we are going to have a greater need for you yet, Pierre."

Then he saw them. A mass of Russians - horse, foot and guns. These weren't the militia and peasants that they had seen recently. These troops moved with discipline. They were regulars. Bonhomme brought his telescope to bear, but it quickly frosted over and was of little use. He thought he could see dragoons, in their tall black helmets. Was it five battalions, a few squadrons of cavalry and a pair of guns?

He called for de Serville to form facing the Russians and got the infantry into line. He wished he had guns to hand, but they were well to the rear, struggling in the snow.

The Russians weren't advancing, but were blocking the road. While he was deciding how to  handle the situation he heard a commotion to the rear. Looking around he saw the Emperor approaching in his sleigh. "What the Hell is he doing this far forward?!" Bonhomme thought. He rode in the direction of the sleigh.

"Sire," he said. "This is no place for you!"

"What is going on?" Napoleon demanded. "Why have we stopped? Why are you deployed?"

"The Russians, sire, Regulars, they are formed across the road."

"Then drive them off! We must push on!"

"I shall, Sire, but please go to the rear. It is too risky for you here."

"Stuff and nonsense, Bonhomme...I have been a soldier for 30 years...I stormed the bridge at Arcole...I have lead troops at a dozen or more battles and I know all about risk..."

"...And that's why those Cossacks nearly got you the other day," Bonhomme thought.

"I will stay here with my guard, Bonhomme...drive them off!" the Emperor demanded and ordered the sleigh back some 500 meters to the rear to where the head of his small force of Guardsmen stood. The guards quickly closed around him.

Bonhomme formed a line of three battalions, with two more in column behind. He put de Serville's cavalry on the right and stepped off. It was tough going for the ground was soft and in places the snow was knee deep.

*******

This was the great opportunity for Russia. Boris Knockerov had managed to get in front of the French march column, but his force was tiny. Of the eight battalions that made up his division he had only managed to get three along with a pair of guns into line. The rest were miles back, struggling in snow and on frozen roads. Three squadrons of dragoons and a band of cossacks had joined him, but it was a woefully small force. What concerned him more was that while the troops were well drilled they were largely untested recruits. He had to gain time to bring up the rest of the division.

He thought of fortifying the village, but it was just a few simple buildings and it would have divided his force rather than maintaining a unified battle line. There were no significant features nearby so he ordered the two battalions of jägers to form up in the open on the south side of the village, with the guns between them. The line battalion was placed north of the village. The dragoons were on the left and the cossacks wandered free, looking for opportunities.

He ordered the guns to open fire, to force the French to deploy. 

Then he told the colonel of the dragoons to go forward. The colonel protested that the ground was not suitable. "Push forward," Knockerov growled. "We need to stop them regardless of the cost!"

*******

"Here they come!" Bonhomme heard de Serville call. He looked up and watched the Russian dragoons wheel into line. They began to move forward, looking to charge, but they seemed to be struggling to form. When de Serville's formed up opposite them, the Russian troopers appeared to lose enthusiasm. The two bodies of cavalry seemed content to just watch each other. 

Then the Russian guns opened, but the soft ground and snow was working in the French favour and they could not get any ricochet. The first two rounds plowed into the ground with a shower of snow and mud. Bonhomme urged the men on. The infantry closed on the Russian line. When they got to within 150 meters the Russian infantry opened a noisy, but ineffective volley.

Bonhomme kept his line moving forward. The Russian infantry were furiously trying to reload. When the French line closed to within 100 meters it was halted and they fired. The Russians returned the fire and soon the smoke, held still in the cold air, obscured the front.

Bonhomme considered the situation. The Russians were not pushing him so in all likelihood were not present in large numbers. He sent a message to de Serville to hold the dragoons in check while he shifted the two reserve battalions to the left and flank the Russians.

The plan worked. The infantry had struggled at first in the snow, but as the two battalions shook out into lines the Russians gave way. 

*******

Knockerov was furious that his troops were moving back. He knew that the line troops were of dubious quality, but the jagers were better trained. He rode amongst them hollering "HOLD!!! Get back in line you dogs. Hold your position!"

But it was no avail. A fresh force had deployed to the left and the flank was compromised. The whole force was falling back. At least there was order...they weren't running. The dragoons were holding their ground, but seemed disinclined to press forward in the snow. Finally he called them back. He wasn't going to be able to stop the French here. 

*******

As the dragoons fell back de Serville looked to pursue, but Bonhomme called him in. He was in the process of reforming the march column when a fresh commotion was heard to the rear. Spinning in the saddle he saw cossacks among the wagons close to the column head. De Serville had seen it too and was leading his troopers in that direction, but it was too late. The cossacks had cut out a six or so wagons and had set fire to a dozen more. Other troops were coming up to prevent any further loss.

He saw Baillard in his peasant costume. "Where is our wagon?" Bonhomme asked.

Baillard nodded towards the cossacks. 

"You mean they have taken it?"

"Yes..."

"Damn it!"

"I'd only just left it too. Captain Bouchard took charge."

"Bouchard? Where do I know that name from?"

"He was with you in Egypt."

"What...that little twit...the one that stole the credit for the Rosetta Stone?"

"The very same."

Bonhomme paused, shook his head, then with pain in his voice said "All that artwork...and those trinkets..."

"Oh its quite safe," said Baillard. Bonhomme looked at him with incredulity and then at the wagon disappearing in the distance with the cossacks. "I transferred it the night before last to a more secure location."

"Where?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!" Replied Bonhomme and then instantly wondered if he really did want to know.

Baillard paused then casually said, "its in the Emperor's sleigh."

"What?!!!" Bonhomme exclaimed loud enough for others to hear and look around. He took Baillard to one side. "Are you mad!? He has just spent the last few days personally stripping loot from the column and you have put it right under him!"

"Where could be safer?"

"We will be shot if he finds out!"

"He won't find out and will carry it back to Warsaw where one of my contacts will transfer it to another transport and get it back to Bordeaux. Trust me."

"Oh my God!..., " Bonhomme thought, "Trust me....one of his contacts...in Warsaw...". Yet as bizarre as the situation was he did trust him.

The two of them stood in silence for a few minutes, then Bonhomme asked, "am I wrong to feel a bit of pleasure at the thought of Bouchand being tortured by cossacks?"

"Yes, you are," Baillard said with a more curt tone than Bonhomme expected. 

The two of them stood silently for a moment and Bonhomme began to feel a bit of guilt and perhaps a little pity for the captain.

"Then again," Baillard said with a wry smile, "he always was a pusillanimous twit..." 

The two of them stood there chuckling, desperately trying not to laugh out loud. It was a terrible thought really, but in the atmosphere of a battlefield those dark moments often fuelled a perverse sense of humour.

*******

The army continued its painful retreat to Poland, although thanks to Baillard's inventiveness, Bonhomme was less pained than others. The Emperor had left column after crossing the Berezina, moving first Warsaw in his sleigh, then at pace onto Paris by carriage.

As 1812 turned to 1813 Bonhomme received a note from his sister in Bordeaux.

"The crates arrived yesterday," she wrote. "The paintings, particularly the icon of Our Lady of Smolensk, are beautiful."

He sat back, sipped his cognac, looked across at Baillard who was busy writing in his ledgers and thought "...one of his contacts in Warsaw...the man never fails to amaze me."

 

The Adventures of Henri Bonhomme - Prequel 3

As a part of my experiments with AI image manipulation, all the images in this post were photographed as a part of the actual solo wargame and then processed through Google Gemini with an instruction to replace the backgrounds and then present the whole image in a specific artistic style. 

*******

True to his word, Napoleon assigned Henri Bonhomme to brigade command in March 1809. He was ordered to report to Italy where he would command a new brigade under his old acquaintance Jacques Macdonald.

He arrived in Italy just as the Austrians initiated hostilities by invading Bavaria, but before he could join his new command, he was reassigned. General Marmont had met with a reverse in Dalmatia and blaming the failure on one of his brigadiers had requested a replacement. Macdonald recommended Bonhomme.

Bonhomme arrived in Dalmatia in mid-May, joining the army at Knin, 60 kilometres north of Split. His new brigade consisted of two regiments - the 8th Light and the 23rd Line - both consisting of two battalions. Both regiments were extremely well trained having  been through the training camps at Boulogne four years earlier, but since they had not been engaged in the battles of 1805 or 1807 the quality of troops had not been diluted by an influx of conscripts as had occurred in other regiments. 

The Austrians, making skills of their local border troops, made a nighttime attack on a battalion of the 8th Light on 15 May, before Bonhomme had even had time to settle into his quarters properly. The Austrians inflicted around 100 casualties and capturing a further 200. The action had shaken the brigade morale a little, but nothing that a little wine and a full belly wouldn't fix.

A response was required and that evening Marmont called his senior officers together to explain his plan.

The army would advance on the Austrians at Pribudić, northwest of Knin. The Austrians were strongly posted atop a height that rose 400 feet above the valley floor in a position that resembled a closed fist where the knuckles were the ridge tops and deep ravines formed the gaps between the fingers.

"A direct assault is not possible," Marmont said. "Even if we could ascend the slope the ravines are too narrow to allow an assaulting column to form. Instead we will demonstrate in front with the artillery and a strong skirmish line, while Bonhomme will take the 23rd Line to the right, swing wide and get in behind them, then we will turn our demonstration into an assault."

"Will two battalions be enough for the flanking force?" another of the brigadiers asked.

"Yes," Marmont replied. "If we get in behind them, get across their communications, they will crumble, I certain of it. Now go to your troops gentlemen."

*******

Bonhomme, assisted by a local guide, led the battalions off into the valley a little after 6:30 in the morning, taking roads and trails through the forest that would keep the column out of view from above.

Soon they began to climb. It was hard going on a slope that in places was as steep as 30 degrees and the troops were beginning to tire. But there could be no pause. 

After an hour and a half the guide indicated that they had gone far enough. The column was halted and the  companies formed for attack. Bonhomme, with the two battalion commanders Zerbini and Drouet, walked forward to the crest in front.

"Damn it," Bonhomme said when he saw that they had come up short. The Austrian line extended at least another 600 metres to the right. 

"Get the back into march column, gentlemen... we need to go further to the right!"

The column was reformed, accompanied by the usual grumbles and the march continued. The trail descended for a distance then ascended at an even steeper rate than before, but after half an hour Bonhomme reckoned they had gone far enough. Climbing to the crest again he could see he was right. He was well beyond and above the Austrian flank. He gave the order for the troops to form and then granted a brief rest.

Below him he could see the light infantry going forward.

They met with stiff resistance from the Austrian jägers 

He went back down the hill and found the battalions formed in mass in a clearing.

He gave the order and the battalions surged forward.  The advance in the woods disordered the column, but this was an unstoppable force. As they crested the ridge they caught the Austrians completely by surprise. An officer tried to turn a battalion to face, but Bonhomme's battalions were among them before the line could turn. The Austrians offered some resistance, but quickly took to their heels.

Anxious to keep up the momentum Bonhomme rode up onto the highest point, raised his hat and cried out, "keep pushing men. Push on, take them all!"

The column, disordered as it was, pressed on smashing into and overrunning a battery.

As the men of the 23rd continued to press on dozens of Austrians fell to French bayonets. When the other French came up from the valley dozens more threw down their arms and put up their hands. In less than an hours fighting the French lost only a few dozen casualties, but 200 Austrians were killed, 300 wounded and 600 captured.

As Bonhomme passed the  rear of Pribudić Marmont rode up full of excitement.

"Well done, Bonhomme, very well done!...Join me for a drink later!" Then he rode on.

*******

Next day Marmont pressed forward aggressively. He struck Austrians again at Gračac, a few kilometres north of the previous day's battlefield. Although the losses were fairly equal, the Austrians were forced to fall back again.

Marmont pressed on and five days later he fought the Austrians again at Gispić, inflicting a severe loss that compelled them to fall back in disorder on Zagreb.

*******

Marmont pushed past the Austrians and occupied Trieste. There he received the call to take the Army of Dalmatia to Vienna where it would fight at Wagram in July. He never did have that drink with Bonhomme.

Bonhomme meanwhile remained in garrison at Trieste in a beautiful villa overlooking the harbour. He found the Italian lifestyle very much to his liking. In August he was made military governor of Venetia with headquarters in Venice. He installed  himself in a wonderful palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal with a fabulous, but diminishing art collection. This was the life!

The Adventures of Henri Bonhomme - Prequel 2

The staff were fussing about more than usual. While many were busy with official duties most were just doing their best to keep out of the Emperor's way for he was in a foul mood. The mail from Paris was late. He was anxiously awaiting news of the deteriorating relationship with Austria, but what was really annoying him was that he had not heard from Josephine for two weeks.

The year 1808 had been an embarrassing one for Napoleon in Spain. His brother Joseph had been crowned King of Spain, but the Spanish revolted against the French occupation. The revolts were been extensive and the reprisals harsh. In July the unthinkable happened when the Spanish army defeated a French corps at Bailén, inflicting some 3,000 casualties and capturing a further 17,000. In August Joseph had been forced to abandon Madrid. Then later that same month the British had driven the French from Portugal. Fearing a total collapse on the Iberian Peninsula Napoleon decided that the hand of the master was needed and went to Spain in person with a force 290,000 men.

In no time he smashed the Spanish army and restored Joseph to his throne. When Sir John Moore entered Spain with a 30,000 strong British force and attacked French forces in northwestern Spain, Napoleon abandoned his plans to capture Seville and Portugal and led 80,000 men against Moore. In a winter campaign he swept through the Sierra de Guadarrama and occupied Laon while Soult smashed the Spanish at Mansilla on 30 December. Moore retreated towards the coast at Corunna with Soult in pursuit. As 1808 turned to 1809 the Emperor settled in Laon.

With most of his staff keeping well clear of him the Emperor sat alone at a large table in a residence opposite the cathedral, one foot up on a chair, sipping on a cup of coffee, observing the occupants of the room. As he sat there Marshal Berthier, his Chief of Staff, cautiously approached.

"Is there anything you need, sire?" he asked.

"No," the Emperor snapped gruffly and Berthier, not wishing to face the Emperor's wrath, turned to go. "Actually yes," Napoleon said. "That man in the corner over there, the tall one, who is he?"

"Bonhomme, sire, Henri Bonhomme, colonel of the 45th."

"He seems familiar, do I know him?"

"He has been around for a while sire. He was with you in Egypt I seem to remember. He found a tomb or something. Made a bit of a name for himself at Austerlitz too if I remember."

"Ah yes. I remember him from Egypt. That tomb...something connected to the Rosetta Stone if I remember correctly." Napoleon paused for a moment. "He is a good man...trustworthy?"

"I believe so sire and a skilled soldier I'm told," Berthier replied.

"Send him to me. I have a special task for him."

*******

Henri Bonhomme's regiment was encamped on the edge of town where he managed to install himself in a beautiful hacienda overlooking the Bernesga River. He returned to the house after his discussion with the Emperor and immediately sought out Baillard. 

He and Baillard had been childhood friends, but in the early days of the Revolution they had taken different paths and lost contact. However, contact had been renewed in the days after the Battle of Austerlitz when the pair met accidentally in the abandoned home of a wealthy landowner where Bonhomme was acquiring some paintings and Baillard was helping himself to the silverware. Realising that their mutual interest in 'collecting' could benefit each other Baillard agreed to act as Bonhomme's servant, managing their combined business activities.

"Pack for five days," Bonhomme told Baillard, "we leave this afternoon."

"Where are we going?" Baillard asked.

"Tusinos. Its a Monastery in the foothills about 30 kilometers north of here."

"What's there?"

"Can't tell you...It's a special mission for the Emperor."

"It wouldn't involve 'liberating' some church property, would it?" Baillard asked coyly. 

Bonhomme did not address the question and instead replied, "it'll be cold up there so pack some warm clothes and get some rations...and that half bottle of Cognac. I'm going to find Captain Dulac...we will take the first battalion with us."

At around 2:30 PM Bonhomme, Baillard, Dulac and his battalion took the road north towards the foothills.

*******

Twenty-nine year old Captain Jacob Cole commanded Third Company in the 38th (Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot. The third son of Arthur Cole, a merchant of Stoke-on-Trent, Jacob had had his commission in the Regiment purchased at the age of sixteen. In his fourteen years with the Regiment he had served across half the globe: in the Low Countries with the Duke of York, in the West Indies, in the Cape of Good Hope, in South America (where he had been slightly wounded in the attack on Buenos Aires) and more recently at Rolica and Vimeiro in Portugal just a few months ago. 

On 5 January he had been ordered to take two companies out to reconnoiter towards Laon. He only got a few kilometres from his starting point when French cavalry moving west got between him and the rest of Moore's retreating army. Cole was forced to head north east to try to get around the French and make for the northern coast. 

After several days of hard marching through the harsh terrain of the foothills Cole reached a small village near the Monastery of Tusinos. Here he chose to rest his cold and exhausted men. The villagers were generous to the British soldiers and provided them with hot food and gave them shelter in their barns and homes. 

However, on the morning of 10 January the villagers reported the approach of French infantry. By the time that Cole had managed rouse his men and get them organised the French were close. Making a run for it was not possible. They would have to make a show of it somehow. From what he could make out the French were of battalion strength, outnumbering him maybe three to one. He figured that if he could surprise them and knock them back he might be able to escape while they were recovering. He ordered his men to take positions within the village and let the French come on.

*******

The village seemed too quiet for Bonhomme's liking. At this time of the morning the villagers should be busy with their morning chores. But not a soul was visible. He cautioned Dulac to advance slowly with skirmishers deployed, but this wasn't Dulac's first bullfight and it was already done.

The skirmishers had not gone far when the first shots rang out. Within seconds fire erupted from the whole front of the village. In the cold air the smoke hung low to the ground making it hard to see. 

"British or Spanish?" He called out to Dulac.

"British." was the reply, "red coats!"

Bonhomme signaled to Dulac to throw men out to the right, to flank the village, but again Dulac was ahead of him. Two companies were in line with the voltigeurs out in front in as skirmishers. 

The rest of the battalion was formed in column to the rear. 

Dulac had already directed some of the voltigeurs to the right. Bonhomme watched them go. They were quickly engaged with the British. 

"How many are there?" He thought. The volume of fire was not that great so it could only be a company or two, but they had the advantage of position. He moved a bit to the left to see if there was any commanding ground there that the troops could use, but he could see none.

Suddenly he felt a solid whack on chest. He was hit. He looked down and could see where the bullet had hit and had torn his coat. He felt a wetness but there was no pain. He felt the point of impact expecting to find blood, but there was none.

The bullet had struck a silver flask that he carried in a pocket inside this coat. It was an ornately engraved piece with a blue glass inner lining. He had taken it from a fallen Austrian officer on the field of Austerlitz. On the front was engraved "To Otto from Lotte". Now it was irreparably damaged the bullet had split the case and shattered the glass. Although he never met her, and was unlikely to ever meet her, Bonhomme was grateful to Lotte for her gift to Otto had undoubtedly saved him from a terrible wound or worse. He thought of tossing the damaged item to one side, but it was solid silver and could have some value so he thrust it back into his pocket. 

"Are you alright?" Baillard asked.

"Yes, it hit the flask."

"Do much damage?"

"To me or the flask?"

"The flask of course...it's solid silver."

"Typical," Bonhomme snorted. "Its ruined. The glass is smashed."

"That's a shame," Baillard said. Then pointing at the point of impact, said "that's got to smart!"

"Yep...there is going to be a bruise there tomorrow, for sure."

Bonhomme looked back at the fight and was alarmed to see the voltigeurs that had moved to the right were scrambling back, supporting two wounded men. He rode in that direction.

******

The plan had worked. The French had been knocked back and seemed hesitant to come on again. Cole could see that the opportunity to evacuate had arrived.

He turned Lieutenant Haverstock. "It's time to go. You take your company back into those rocks. I'll cover you with the other, then you cover us as we come back. Then we'll work our way up through the ravine, and continue north..."

*******

Bonhomme saw the British officer fall. He saw another and a few men nearby try to carry him, but as the voltigeurs began to move close they left him and followed the other red coats up a ravine above the village. He called to Dulac to cease the pursuit and post pickets. The British would be happy to get away and his business was in the Monastery not with them.

As the firing died out he went forward with Baillard and ten picked men. As he rode past the fallen officer Baillard relieved him of his watch and a small purse of coins which he distributed the coins among the voltigeurs, which was probably a wise thing given their next task.

The little group proceeded to the monastery, where the friar was reluctant to let them enter, but relented when presented with bayonets. 

As they passed through the main chapel Baillard eyed the candlesticks on the alter.

"Don't even think of it," Bonhomme hissed. Baillard cast a wicked smile in his direction, but Bonhomme was busy counting...one, two, three...the third alcove on the left. He went inside and there was the painting, high on the wall and bathed in reflected light from the stained glass window. The Blessing the Fallen Women by Vasco da Colombo. In this light it had an ethereal look, with the sun glinting off the gold highlights.

Despite the protests of the friars he had the voltigeurs take the painting from the wall and rested it against a pew.

"Is that what we are here to get?" Baillard asked. "Damned ugly thing if you ask me."

He was right. Out of the light that gave it the ethereal look, it was ugly and poorly painted too.

"That's what he wants. He was very specific. The Blessing the Fallen Women by Vasco da Colombo." Bonhomme squinted to read the writing on the brass plate to confirm the title.   "He wants it as a gift for Josephine. Apparently she saw it on a visit here when she was very young and called it her favourite painting. Seems he wants to use it to get back in her good books."

"Well I hope it lives up to her memory otherwise he'll be in the dog box for a while longer."

"Must admit it wouldn't even find space in my privy," Bonhomme said. "Still, no accounting for taste. Let's get the thing packed and get out of here," 

*******

The Emperor drew back the cloth from the painting.

"Oh my God!" He gasped. "I can see why the fallen women needed blessing...look at that one...looks like she escaped from the leper colony! And that one...Oh my God!...this is awful...it looks like it was painted by a demented child! Josephine is a woman of taste, you know, but whatever did she see in this?"

"If I could make a suggestion, sire?" Bonhomme asked and Napoleon nodded. "At the monastery it was in a small room, quite high, in reflected light that caught the gold paint, and it looked quite different...ethereal even."

"Yes...er...thank you...that may be the answer. I need this to go down well with her, things are not good between us at the moment," Napoleon said and walked over to the window. After a moment of silence, he continued, "I appreciate your help Bonhomme, and your discretion." He paused again. "There are troubles brewing with the Austrians again and I expect to be at war with them before the year ends...if it comes to that, you will command a brigade."

With that he patted Bonhomme on the shoulder and wandered off.

"A brigade," Bonhomme thought. Outside Baillard was waiting for him with the horses. Bonhomme saw what looked to be a few silver candlestick holders in his saddlebags. He shook his head, smiled and thought,  "General de Brigade...its got a nice ring to it..."