"Most Obscure Napoleonic Fact" Topic

Napoleons Doctor, O'Meara I think?

Wellington had the first baby (door frame) bouncer installed for his grandson.

Yes, Barry O'Meara, who (like Gourgaud and others) wrote an account of his time on Ste Helene (and Napoleon's, of course…). On the second Lady Hamilton, by the way, she came to the attention of the British aristocracy by performing a sort of burlesque show in which she assumed the poses of some Antique statues, I assume nude or barely draped. Anyway, she gave this up once either Greville or Hamilton took her up, as it were; but this didn't stop some English catroonist, Rowlandson or Gillray or Cruikshank, producing some prints of her "Attitudes". He then brought out a second edition, entitled, conventionally enough, "Lady Hamilton's Attitudes (Enlarged)". There weren't any addiutional plates; she had just put on a lot of weight.

Nelson is said to have written her about his soon coming to port, instructing her "pray, do not wash".

The 28th Foot's Grenadier Company uniquely used cow hide backpacks taken from captured French soldiers after the battle of Alexandria--And they retained them right up till 1815 and the 100 Days campaign…

Wellington only ever visited the town of Wellington (in Somerset) once….

After the Battle of Trafalgar Nelsons body was preserved in brandy-- during the voyage home sailors on board HMS Victory took little nips of the stuff as a treat!!

Rum, actually, and on arrival the full barrel in which his body had been placed was found to be empty.
RN people refer to rum, even now, as "Nelson's Blood".

Chouan I stand corrected!!! Good story though!!

There was no one named Truls at the battle of waterloo

Napoleon's signature degraded from "Napoleon Bonaparte" to "Napoleon" to "Napy" by the end of the period. While Cacadores might tell us that it was because Napoleon lost his mental stability or capability or another word that ended with -ility ;-) my suspicion is that it was because he signed a lot of papers and one tends to naturally shorten things.

Cheers,

The Bandit

Actualy Napoloeon Bonaparte was born: Nappy Silly sod the III

But he felt it's was a little silly so he changed it