"Was Napoleon Ever in Personal Combat?" Topic

I know the Emperor Napoleon was involved in many battles during his long career, but are there any records of him being involved in personal combat with an adversary?

I remember reading once he was lightly-wounded by a spent musket ball which struck him in the foot while on horseback.

And then there are the paintings of him personally sighting artillery against enemy formations in various battles.

But are there any records of him actually coming into hand-to-hand combat with a foe during any point in his long career?

Supposedly at the Siege of Toulon:

"Around midnight, the assault began on Little Gibraltar and the fighting continued all night. Bonaparte was injured in the thigh by a British sergeant with a bayonet."

See here

link

link

Amicalement
Armand

I was aware of the injury at Toulon and the incident at Ratisbon – and I'll lay odds he got hit by a few snowballs during his student days at Brienne – but according to that second link, Armand, he was quite seriously wounded at Aspern/Essling, which was covered up to save face.
Does anyone here have any other details about that one?
I, for one, would be interested to hear them

Funny. A guy at work just asked me that question yesterday. I told him probably…I mean that long of constant campaigning you are bound to run into the enemy at close quarter no matter the rank.

Surprise he wasn't killed during all those battles.

Damn, reading all that makes him seem like a tough SOB. Maybe just the 'hardiness' of the men of that age. We are definitely softer as men now.

I somehow think he was never involved in hand to hand combat, but there are countless tales of folk standing next to him blown away by roundshot from 1800 to 1815 (long range stuff, but not ideal by any means).

He was certainly exposed to instant death on many occasions, but passively so, as is right for a commander. You could ask the same of Arfur Wesley……I again suspect he never killed anyone hand to hand either, but……….both got through the whole thing largely untouched (minor injuries both).

Personal combat is not the duty of officers of any rank. Facing death in the cannons' mouth…he did that repeatedly (and I hasten to add that I am no apologist for the fellow himself, but I respect his courage)

At Waterloo he wanted to advance with the Guard but they refused to move forward unless he retired.

I don't think you can doubt his personal courage. Keep in mind he was within artillery range at least for most of his battles. Bessieres was, for instance, struck down at his side.

Deadhead- Getting stabbed in the leg is pretty close combat I would say.

There was the episode of the Battle of Arcole on Nov 15 1796
when General Bonaparte grabbed a flag to rally his troops. The artists and Napoleon's publicity machine saw it like this

link

In reality Bonaparte grabbed a flag and stood in the open on the dike "about 55 paces" from the bridge. He remained miraculously untouched, but several members of his staff were hit by the intense fire and his aide-de-camp, Jean-Baptiste Muiron, was killed.[ An unknown officer dragged Bonaparte out of the line of fire and the commanding general ended up in the muddy ditch

link

you must not hang out in the Lounge much on Friday nights? he's always throwing down with someone…he's small but cocky..and when he gets a few wines in him, look out!

Well, I guess we have all seen the painting of a remarkable unconcerned Napoleon, slightly wounded at Ratisbon. An ankle injury and long range of course. Not hand to hand stuff.

I was quite sure he had never been stabbed however. So I read up on it! Just as Grunt 1861 said;

This link is massive and very authoritative on his health state in general.

link

To quote;
"During the battle for Toulon Napoleon was wounded several times. The first was on his forehead, and it bled profusely. On the night of December 16th his horse was shot out from under him and he was wounded in the chest, but it was minor. On December 17th, in the final assault on Fort Mulgrave, Napoleon suffered a bayonet thrust on the inner side of his left thigh just above his knee. It was so severe that for a time amputation of his leg was considered. (Antommarchi mentions both wound scars in Napoleon's autopsy.) In fact, though not requiring amputation, this wound became seriously infected leaving a large discolored mark on the skin. It gave Napoleon a great deal of trouble later on being a site of intermittent opening and "discharge". On St. Helena, in the presence of Dr Antommarchi, Napoleon was able to pull the wound apart allowing blood and what appeared to be "lymphatic material" to run out. "

I would imagine that the wound never truly healed because it would have been constantly rubbed whilst riding.

Scurvy can cause wounds to reopen. It seems hard to imagine that Napoleon ever suffered from scurvy, though, unless the food on St. Helena was remarkably lousy?

Apartantly, Napoleon and Berthier were attacked by a mob in Palestine during the Egyptian campaign, Napoleon was stabbed in the leg by someone wielding a dagger. French troops rushed up and resued them, but is was close call. At least that's what I just read in Johan Op de Beecks biography Napoleon (in dutch). I am no expert of the Egyptian campaign so I cannot verify it in any way

Any other ruler from Napoleon Era was so much in danger than Napoleon himself.

He can have many defects.

But being a coward was not one of them.

Amicalement
Armand

Well said Armand! d'accord

In Russia during the retreat he was almost captured by a band of cossacks. His guards and staff saved him.

…And you can recreate that epic moment on the table top here:

link

Happy Hanukkah and Christmas All!

Bob