overwork and the cold and damp climate triggered physical exhaustion,
which made his body prey to malaria. His only real friends in the barracks
were the faithful Des Mazis and a Captain Gassendi, who appealed to
Napoleon on three separate counts: as a man of letters, a distinguished
geometer and an admirer of Corsica. But he fell out with an officer named
Belly de Bussy; a duel was arranged, but intermediaries forced the two
officers to compose their differences for the sake of the regiment.
Evidently Napoleon did sometimes try the patience of the senior
command, for he suffered a 24-hour arrest for reasons unknown; he was
shut up in a cell with just a single law book for company - an experience
he later claimed was useful when he came to draw up the Code Napoleon.
But on the credit side Napoleon attracted the attention of the
mathematics instructor, Professor Lombard, who in turn mentioned him
to the commanding officer of all troops in Auxonne, Baron Jean-Pierre du
Teil, as 'one to note'. Napoleon acquired an unrivalled knowledge of
projectiles and ballistics and also honed his talents as a draughtsman.
Among the most important influences on Napoleon the theoretician of
artillery were the general's brother, Jean de Beaumont du Teil, whose
handbook, published ten years earlier, stressed the massing of big guns at
decisive moments in battle. Napoleon was also influenced by Jacques de
Guibert, whose books stressed that a successful army depended on speed
and should be prepared to live off the land. Yet another influence was the
recently published work by Pierre Bourcet, which prescribed the
separation of army divisions for the purpose of rapid movement, followed
by their rapid concentration just before a battle.
Such was Napoleon's dedication that in fifteen months at Auxonne he
filled thirty-six manuscript notebooks with writings on artillery, history
and philosophy. In August 1788 he was singled out for his special
aptitude and appointed commander of a demonstration company trying
to devise ways of firing mortar shells from ordinary cannon. The danger
of the work was offset by the opportunity to put favourite theories to the
test. Napoleon also became the only second lieutenant to sit on a select
regimental artillery committee. On z8 August he wrote to Fesch
complaining of fever and warning that his appointment to the committee,
over the heads of many captains, had caused considerable irritation and
jealousy.
Du Teil liked to send his junior officers into the countryside to test
their talent at choosing ground and spotting any topographical draw
backs; often they would be asked to write a situation paper, explaining
how a particular hill or village could be attacked or defended. The
combination of assiduous fieldwork with voracious reading turned
marcin
(Marcin)
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