Their Last Suppers: Legends of History and Their Final Meals (4 page)

• Season the chicken with all the seasonings, roll the pieces in the flour until covered, shake off excess flour.
  
• Fry gently in oil until golden brown, turning frequently.
  

Tip
: Start with the oil at a very high temperature, then reduce the heat after a minute or two. This seals in the moisture and the flour, and then helps cook it through.

• In a large pot, boil the water with the ham hocks and salt; ham is very salty, so salt is optional.
  
• * Clean and add the greens a few at a time along with the other ingredients. Cover and boil for about 1 hour. Serve immediately.
  

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
  
• Put the shortening in a cast iron skillet and place in the oven.
  
• Combine the cornmeal and flour, then mix in the egg and milk, add the water slowly until the mixture is like a thick pancake batter.
  
• Place mixture in skillet and bake 20 to 25 minutes in oven until golden brown.
  

• Simmer the vinegar, salt, and peppers for at least 5 minutes.
  
• Blend the mix in a food processor.
  
• Store in glass bottles in a dark place for at least 3 months to bring out optimum flavor.
  
• Strain when ready to use; serve chilled or hot.
  

• Soak the peas overnight in enough water to cover them.
  
• Drain them, put in a pan, and then cover with about 2 ½ cups of hot water. Add the other ingredients, then simmer for about 1 ½ hours, or until the peas are soft.
  

• Cut the fish into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Heat the oil in a large flat pan; add the flour, stirring gently with a wooden spatula until brown. Remove from heat and slowly add water until thoroughly blended.
  
• Add all the other ingredients, except the catfish and rice. Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  
• Remove bay leaves, add the catfish, and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately over hot rice in soup bowls.
  

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

Born in the humble town of Ajaccio in Corsica in 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte became one of the greatest adventurers the world had ever seen. Inspiring the people of France to follow him on a whirlwind trip to glory, he rode the wave of the French Revolution until his own overambition and the combined forces of Europe aligned to bring about his total defeat.

A short but extremely dynamic person, Napoleon was always questioning the old methods of warfare throughout his education at the military schools of Brienne and Paris. With the advent of the New Republic, his talents as an innovative and driven artillery officer in the French war with Italy heralded a spectacular rise to power. Adored and supported from the first by the army, he became First Consul of France on November 9, 1799, at the age of only 30, then attaining autocratic power for life only 3 years later, in 1802.

Wasting no time in consolidating power, he had himself declared emperor in 1804 in front of the Pope in Paris. This was a deliberate ploy to gain recognition of his authority, with a title that would expand the French borders. Simultaneously he combined a detailed reorganization of all aspects of French life with an almost constant succession of campaigns abroad, defeating the Austrians at the battle of Austerlitz (1805) and then Prussia at Jena (1806), finally threatening France’s old enemy, Britain, with invasion and blockade.

He briefly formed a treaty with the Russians in 1807 at Tilsit, but this was a pact he had no intention of honoring. His boundless energy and military victories soon became the talk of Europe. He showed continued brilliance at the head of his armies, which eventually led him to a feeling of invincibility and greed. This arrogance culminated in a failed campaign in Spain and then a disastrous march into Russia, which led to his army’s infamous retreat from Moscow in 1812, leaving tens of thousands of his troops frozen to death in the grip of the savage Russian winter.

The end finally came at the battle of Leipzig, when he was confronted by several nations united and intent on his destruction and the subjugation of France. They finally forced his abdication, and he was exiled to the island of Elba with only 1,000 of his loyal guardsmen to accompany him, in 1814. Europe celebrated, but not for long.

Within only a few months, desperate to regain his throne, he escaped from the island and returned to France. The army dispatched to arrest him refused to confront him, and once again they flocked behind his banner. Knowing this was his last chance and that he must produce a decisive victory over the Allied armies arraigned against him throughout Europe, he made a sudden thrust against the forces of Prussia and Britain on June 16. This quick move split the Allied armies under General Blücher and the famous British leader, the Duke of Wellington, a general he had no real regard for because of his aristocratic background.

Blücher’s army was hammered back, and Napoleon, sensing the kill, dispatched General Groucher to follow the Prussians with some 30,000 of his precious troops. He gave the general specific instructions to prevent the Prussians from reuniting with the British
at any cost. Napoleon intended to finally destroy Wellington in one decisive battle the next day.

Given the news of Napoleon’s sudden move at a regimental dinner that night, Wellington moved with equal surety, directing his army to form up in a defensive position astride the road to Brussels, outside the Soignes Forest and just outside the little-known village of Waterloo.

Torrential rain throughout the night of June 17 did not stop Napoleon’s eager army from marching into position, and the morning of June 18 found both forces confronting each other across a sea of mud. Napoleon’s generals were very wary of the English lord, but Napoleon was totally dismissive of Wellington, regarding the outcome of the battle as a foregone conclusion. With superior numbers of men and artillery Napoleon intended to brush Wellington aside and then march on to Brussels, some 11 miles away, eventually forcing Europe to sue for peace.

However, the Duke of Wellington was a very able and proven general. He had been undefeated in battle and was always extremely meticulous and resolute. He had previously visited the fields of Waterloo some years before and had studied the layout as if anticipating that one day he would fight his last, greatest battle there.

Napoleon and his staff set up headquarters in a large farmhouse called Le Caillou, and though trying to rest, he was constantly disturbed by the arrival of messengers. So at 1 a.m. in driving rain, he mounted his famous horse, La Désirée, and went to reconnoiter the outposts with General Bertrand.

Returning to the farmhouse at 4 a.m., he was greeted by the news that the Prussians had been split into two columns, one supposedly heading toward Liege and the other retreating in disorder. Seeing everything going as planned, he retired to bed, leaving orders that the troops were to be ready to advance at 9 a.m. He was completely unaware that Groucher was not harassing the Prussian retreat, as he had been instructed, and that the Prussians were marching back toward him and the battlefield.

At 7 a.m. he rose and dressed in his favorite uniform as a general of the Guard Chasseurs. He joined his generals, Soult, Lobau, Reille, the Duke of Bassono, and his brother Jerôme for breakfast in the humble dining room of the farmhouse. The food, though
in simple surrounds, was served on the imperial silver that always accompanied him. Napoleon was good humored but constantly dismissive of the English forces arraigned against him.

Although the French line extended nearly 5 miles, Napoleon’s sole intent that morning was to throw a disguised feint, then attack the English center with all his forces and break them as he had broken so many other armies before.

Although the rain eventually stopped, the sodden fields would not permit him to move his artillery and attacking forces into position quickly enough, and a frustrated Napoleon was forced to delay his attack until 11:35 a.m., a 2-hour delay that eventually proved his undoing.

The feint was thrown by his brother Jerome at a heavily defended farmhouse on the British side called Hougoumont, with the main attack launched at the British troops in view on the ridgeline by the heavy infantry and artillery at 1 p.m. Napoleon’s devastating firepower began to inflict heavy casualties on the British infantry, who slowly began to pull back over the crest of the hill. Believing the British line to be broken, his second in command, General Ney, flung the French cavalry in reckless pursuit of the retreating infantry, without consulting Napoleon, who was elsewhere on the battlefield.

Swarming over the top of the hill, thousands of French lancers expecting a rout were stunned to find themselves confronted by volleys of fire from even more thousands of troops in well-organized defensive squares. The cunning Wellington had kept most of his force out of sight on the other side of the hill, thus luring the French cavalry to its decimation, followed by a panicked retreat.

Meanwhile, down in the valley Jerome was throwing endless lines of troops to their deaths at the Hougoumont farmhouse, determined to take control of the situation for his brother. He did just that at about 4 p.m., though at huge cost to the precious French reserves. Napoleon, who was incandescent with rage on realizing the mistake Ney had made, resolved to smash Wellington once and for all and launched attack after attack at the British front lines, which finally began to crumble under the terrible onslaught.