Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon & Bellerophon

A Brief Account F McCullough Paperback

The Battle of Waterloo was a major battle of the Napoleonic Wars, fought on 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium. The conflict was between the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Seventh Coalition of the United Kingdom, Prussia, the Netherlands and a number of other European states. The battle was the final defeat of Napoleon and the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleon had been exiled to the island of Elba in 1814. In March 1815, he escaped and returned to France, where he declared himself emperor once again. He quickly assembled an army and began to march towards the Netherlands, where he hoped to gain support and build a new French Empire.

On 16 June 1815, Napoleon and his troops reached the small town of Waterloo, located in present-day Belgium. The Battle of Waterloo began the following day. The British and Prussian armies, led by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard von Blücher, faced off against Napoleon and his troops.

The Battle of Waterloo marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the beginning of a new era of European history. It also marked the end of Napoleon's rule and the beginning of a new era in which the European powers were more closely linked than ever before. The Battle of Waterloo was a decisive victory for the coalition forces.

The battle lasted for most of the day, with the French forces being slowly pushed back by the coalition forces. By the end of the day, the coalition forces had won a decisive victory over the French, forcing Napoleon to his retreat. The following day, Napoleon abdicated the throne.

In July 1815, following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered to the British. He was transported to the HMS Bellerophon. The Ship was subsequently anchored in Plymouth Sound.

The Bellerophon was one of the most powerful warships in the British fleet at the time and was commanded by Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland. Napoleon was greeted by Captain Maitland and his officers, who treated him with the respect due to a defeated enemy commander.

Napoleon was allowed to bring a small number of his personal staff with him, but the majority of his entourage was left behind in France. He was also allowed to bring some of his personal belongings, including his famous bicorne hat.

During his time on the Bellerophon, Napoleon was closely watched by British officers and was not allowed to leave the ship. He spent most of his time in his cabin, dictating his memoirs to one of his aides.

The British government had not yet decided what to do with Napoleon. Some suggested that he should be executed, while others argued that he should be exiled to a remote island. In the end, it was decided that he would be sent to the island of Saint Helena, in the South Atlantic, where he would be kept under close supervision.

Napoleon was transferred from the Bellerophon to the Northumberland, which was to take him to Saint Helena. He spent his last night on the Bellerophon writing letters to his family and friends, bidding farewell to the ship and its crew.

The Bellerophon continued to serve in the British navy until it was decommissioned in 1836. Today, the ship's bell is preserved in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, as a reminder of its famous passenger and his dramatic exile.

Napoleon's exile on the Bellerophon in Plymouth Sound was a significant event for the people of Plymouth. It marked the end of his career as a military leader and the beginning of his exile and eventual death on the remote island of Saint Helena.

Table of Contents

Soldiers Forever Brave - Poem

Painting Source: Napoleon Bonaparte on Horseback War is Hell Store

Ernest Meissonier WikiArt Org

Come close, my friend, and listen to my tale,

Of a great big battle, where heroes did prevail,

It happened long ago, in the year of 1815,

On a field in Belgium, where the grass was green.

There were two sides to this fight, the British and the French,

Both had lots of soldiers, and swords and guns to clench,

The French had a great leader, Napoleon was his name,

The British had a plan, how they could put him to shame.

The British had a Duke, and his friends were allied,

The Duke of Wellington’s army, loyally marched by his side,

The French marched to battle, with their drums and horns,

And the British stood their ground, with battle ensigns adorned.

The battle raged on, all day and all night,

The sounds of cannons and muskets, were quite a fright,

The British were strong, and they fought with all their might,

They knew they had to win, to keep the land alright.

But then, just when it seemed, the British might lose,

The Prussians arrived, and the French they did confuse,

Led by General Blücher, they joined the battle’s fight,

They pushed back the French, aiding the British in their plight.

The French retreated, feeling defeated and down,

The British and the Prussians, had won Napoleon’s crown,

They saved Belgium from Napoleon, now no longer Emperor,

And they knew that peace, had been won from the conqueror.

So, my friend, that's the story of Waterloo,

Where heroes fought bravely, and their courage was true,

Let us recall them now, for the sacrifice they gave,

And keep their memory alive, as soldiers forever brave.

The People Came And Roared – Song

Painting Source: Napoleon in Plymouth Sound in 1815 On HMS Bellerophon Jules Girardet Devon Museums

On the Ship Bellerophon, in Plymouth Sound,

Napoleon was a prisoner, walking on the deck-ground,

But the people of Plymouth, they came to see,

The great man, who had been so proud and free.

Oh Napoleon, on the Bellerophon ship,

Prancing about, like a horse let rip,

The people of Plymouth, came to see,

The great emperor, who once was free.

Wearing his coat, with his hat pulled down to his neck,

Napoleon strutted, like a king of the deck,

And the people of Plymouth, they cheered and they sang,

To the great emperor, some even shouted, go hang!

Oh Napoleon, on the Bellerophon ship,

Prancing about, like a horse let rip,

The people of Plymouth, came to see,

The great emperor, who once was free.

With his eyes so bright, and his spirit strong,

Napoleon pranced, like he’d done no wrong,

And the people of Plymouth, they revelled in his befall,

For the great emperor, who once had it all.

Oh Napoleon, on the Bellerophon ship,

Prancing about, like a horse let rip,

The people of Plymouth, came to see,

The great emperor, who once was free.

Now let us reminisce, the story of his past,

Of the battles he fought, and the die he had cast,

HMS Bellerophon was a prison, for Napoleon whilst onboard,

And in Plymouth Sound, the people came and roared.

Book

Battle Of Waterloo Bicentenary

A Brief Account F McCullough Paperback

External Links

Navy Army Museum

Royal Collection Trust

Napoleon & Bellerophon

Soldiers Forever Brave - Poem

The People Came And Roared – Song

Photographs & Art Works

Copyright

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Keywords: Battle of Waterloo, Blücher, British History, Duke of Wellington, European History, French Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte, Prussian Army, Warfare, Waterloo 200

Hashtags: #BattleOfWaterloo, #Blücher, #BritishHistory, #DukeOfWellington, #EuropeanHistory, #FrenchEmpire, #NapoleonBonaparte, #PrussianArmy, #Warfare, #Waterloo200:

Created: 21 March 2023

Published: 28 March 2023

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