The
young lieutenant of that day, who had been the friend of the actor,
dividing his loaf and his dinner with him, had now become General
Bonaparte. And this general was serving the same people which as a
lieutenant he had wanted to mow down with grape-shot. At the siege
of Toulon, in the close contests with the allies against the
republic and in the Italian campaign of 1794, Bonaparte has so
distinguished himself that the eyes of the French government were
already directed to him, and no one could be surprised at the action
of General Beauharnais' widow, the fair Josephine, in giving her
hand to the young and extraordinary man. This marriage had not only
brought happiness to Bonaparte, but it satisfied his ambition.
Josephine was the friend of Barras and Tallien, the chief
magistrates of the republic at that time, and through her influence
the young Bonaparte was sent to Italy to assume the chief command of
the French army there. A general of twenty-six years to have the
direction of an army, whose four corps were commanded by Generals
Massena, Augereau, Serrurier, and La Harpe! The father of Junot, the
late Duke de Abrantes, wrote at that time to his son, who was with
the French army in Italy: "Who is this General Bonaparte? Where has
he served? Does anybody know any thing about him?" And Junot, who
was then the faithful friend and the admirer of Bonaparte, replied
to his father: "You ask me who General Bonaparte is.
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