THE LAST STAND

Napoleon’s departure from Portoferraio after nightfall on 26th February became part of the legend of the Emperor, inspiring later in the 19th century prints such as this one entitled simply ‘L’Ile d’Elbe (26 février 1815) [The Island of Elba (26 February 1815)]. At the time, however, the enterprise was by no means certain of success.

Napoleon’s flotilla consisted of the ‘Inconstant’, a 2-masted brig with 26 canons, the French brig the ‘St Esprit’, commandeered for the expedition, the Emperor’s own 3-masted xebec the ‘Etoile’, a 1-masted sailing ship, the ‘Caroline’, and 3 smaller vessels.

The expedition did not begin auspiciously: barely out of Portoferraio, they were becalmed and by dawn had only travelled 6 leagues. The wind picked up, however, and on 27th they survived passing close by a French ship, the ‘Zéphir’, without being recognised. In his account of the crossing from Elba to the French coast, Monier recounts how the captain of the ‘Zéphir’, realising that the ‘Inconstant’ had come from Elba, asked how the Emperor was doing. The reply came back: ‘Marvellously’.

Monier also recounts how anyone who could read and write was pressed into action copying out the two proclamations Napoleon had prepared, one for the army, one for the people of France, which would be distributed once they landed on French soil.