After his assumption of the empire, Napoleon made Bernadotte a marshal, and sent him, in 1804, to command the army which WAS stationed in Hanover. He there put a stop to the irregularities and arbitrar7 acts which had taken place in consequence of the military occupation, and contrived to provide for the wants of hie soldiers without distressing the inhabitants. This was the beginning of the good reputation which he acquired in North Germany, and which afterwards contributed materially to mists him to the throne of Sweden. In 1805 Marshal Bernadotte left Hanover with his corps to join Napoleon's army against Austria. He was present at the battle of Austerlitz, where he broke through the centre of tho Russians. In June 1806, Napoleon created Bernadotte Prince of Pontecorvo, which he designated as "immediate fief of the imperial crown." In the war against Prussia, Bernadotte commanded the first corps. Ile had some altercation with Devout about precedence, on the ore of the battle of Jena; ho afterwards defeated the Prussians at Halle, and pursued Bliicher as far as Lubeck, where he defeated him. Ho fought afterwards against the Russians, and was wounded just before the battle of Friedland. After the peace of Tilsit, Napoleon appointed him commander-[nehief in North Germany, from Embden to Ltibeek, with orders to take possession of the Hauseatio towns ; to exclude the English trade entirely all along that line, and to induce Denmark to wake common cause with Franco. The English expedition against Copenhagen deranged, in part, Bonaparte's calculations. In March 1808, I Napoleon ordered Bernadotte to march into Denmark, and to invade Sweden in concert with the Danes by priming over the ice. But the Danes were slow, the thaw came, the English cruizers appeared again in tho Sound, and Bernadotte remained in Denmark. Part of the troops under him consisted of two Spaniels divisions, one of which, under the Marquis la Romana, was stationed in the island of Fiinen The marquis, having learnt the invasion of Spain by the French embarked his men on board the English fleet, and Bernadotte hac just time to prevent the other division from following their example In April 1809 Bernadotte was ordered to join the army on thi Danube, for the war against Austria. He took the command of the ninth corps, chiefly composed of Saxon troops. At the battle of Wagram, 5th of July, whilst opposed to the principal body of the Austrian army, he was deprived by Napoleon of his reserve division which received another destination. The consequence was that he was obliged to fall back and evacuate the village of Deutsch Wagram The following morning be expostulated in very strong words with Napoleon, on the order which had deprived him of his reserve, and exposed him to be crushed by superior forces. The battle was resumed, and, after another desperate contest and a fearful loss, was gained by the French. Bernadotte's corps alone lost six thousand men. An armistice being concluded, the marshal demanded his retirement and obtained it. Having returned to Paris, about the time when the English landed at Flashing, the minister of the interior and the minister-atswar urged Bernadotte to take the command of the troops hastily collected to oppose the enemy and protect Antwerp. He did so, but Napoleon soon after took away his command, and replaced him by Marshal Bessieres : he was offended at some sentence of a proclamation which Bernadotte had addressed to his soldiers. The marshal was nettled, but the minister-at-war sent him back to the army at Vienna. There he had again a warm explanation with Napoleon, and a seeming reconciliation took place. When he set out to return to Paris, Napoleon left Bernadotte in command at Vienna, till the ratification of the treaty of peace with Austria. At tho beginning of 1810 Napoleon offered him the government-general of the Roman States. Bernadotte hesitated, but at last accepted, and began making his preparations.
Meantime important events had taken place in the North, in which Bernadotte was to act an unexpected part. Gustavus IV., king, of Sweden, had been obliged to abdicate the crown in March 1809 on account of his incapacity ; and the States of Sweden had declared him and his descendants excluded for ever from the throne. His uncle, the Duke of Sudermania, assumed the government under the title of Charles XIII. Being childless, the States chose for prince royal and heir to the throne, Augustus of Holstein Augustenburg, brother of tho reigning Prince of Angnstenburg. But in less than a year I'rince Augustus died suddenly, whilst reviewing some troops at Helsinborg, 26th of May 1810. It was necessary to choose another heir to the
crown of Sweden. Several candidates presented themselves; the brother of the deceased prince, and the King of Denmark, among others ; but none of them seemed to suit the circumstances of Sweden. Sweden required a man of firmness, a good administrator, and of tried military abilities. Bernadotte had displayed all these qualities during hie command in North Germany in 1808 and 1809. The people of Hamburg and the other Hanseatic towns spoke highly of his justice and moderation. He had behaved with kind regard towards the Swedish prisoners of war, and had readily granted an armistice on the first application of the Duke of Sudermania, after wards Charles XIII., who on the present occasion cast his eyes upon him, and proposed to the Swedish Diet assembled at Odrebro in August 1810 Marshal Bernadotte, prince of Pontecorvo, as prince royal of Sweden. "His majesty," said the message, "having consulted the Secret Committee, as well as the Council of State, on this important question, has met with a great majority in the first and a unanimity in the second of these bodies in favour of his proposal. The Prince of Pontecorvo being onto entrusted with the future destinies of Sweden, his established military reputation, whilst ensuring the independence of the kingdom, will make him avoid useless wars for the mere sake of renown ; his mature experience and energy of character will main tain order in the interior; and the love of justice and humanity which he has exhibited in hostile countries is a guarantee of his conduct towards the country which should adopt him; and lastly, the existence of his son will put an end to any further uncertainty concerning the succession to the crown." Two Swedish officers had been sent to Paris to sound Bernadotte on the subject of his election. Bernadotte asked the emperor Napoleon, who told him, that if he were elected by the free choice of the Swedes he (the emperor) would consent to his accept ing the crown. "I cannot assist you however in this," added Napoleon, "but let things take their own course." It being rumoured however that the French minister at Stockholm supported the claims of the King of Denmark, Bernadette frankly told Napoleon of this, who seemed to disbelieve it, and soon after recalled his minister. The Emperor Alexander, on his part, did not oppose Bernadotte's election, but rather approved of it. On the 21st of August 1810, the Diet voted unanimously, and in the midst of acclamations, Jean Baptiste Jnles Bernadotte, prince of Pontecorvo, to be prince royal of Sweden and heir to the throne, on condition of his adopting the Communion of Augsburg. Charles XIII., at the same time, formally adopted him as his son. A Swedish envoy carried these documents to Paris, with letters from the king to the new-elected prince and to the emperor Napoleon, who both answered in the affirmative. Bernadotte however could not leave France without having received letters of emancipation, relieving him from his allegiance to the emperor. After waiting a month, Bernadotte complained to Napoleon of the delay, when the latter told him, that his Secret Council had decided that the letters of emancipation should only be delivered to him after he had signed an engagement never to wage war against France. Bernadotte replied with some warmth, that the condition was impossible ; that by the very act of his election he was precluded from entering into any engagement towards a power foreign to Sweden, and that nothing remained for him but to renounce the proffered dignity. Napoleon mused for a moment, then said, hurriedly, "Well, go ! let our desti nies be accomplished." He then reverted to the continental system, and said that Sweden must conform itself to it. Bernidotte observed, that he must have time to examine things on the spot, to make out the feelings of the Swedes, and make himself acquainted with their interests. "How long do you require ?" cried out Napoleon. "Till next May," said the prince. This was at the beginning of October. " I grant you this delay," replied Napoleon; " hut thee declare your self, either friend or enemy." Bernadotte hastened to leave France, but did not think himself safe until he had crossed the Sound. The day of his departure from Paris, Napoleon told Duroc that he wished that Bernadotte had refused; but that Bernadotte did not like him ; that they had never understood one another, and that it was now too late.