milhis

Soldiers, there are your colours. These eagles will serve you as points for rallying. They will be everywhere your Emperor judges necessary for the defense of his throne and his people. You will swear to give your life to defend him and to constantly to uphold them by your courage on your way to victory.

Commanders, officers, legionnaires, citizens and soldiers, swear on your honour to devote yourselves to the service of the Empire, to the preservation of its territory and integrity, to the defense of the Emperor, the laws of the Republic and the estates which they embody, to fight by every means which justice, reason and law authorize against every enterprise which threatens to re-establish feudal rule. Finally, to swear to contribute by every means in your power to the maintenance of liberty and equality, the first basis of our institutions.

"The Allied Powers having proclaimed that the Emperor Napoleon is the only obstacle to the re-establishment of peace in Europe, the Emperor Napoleon, faithful to his oath, declares that he renounces, for himself and his heirs, the thrones of France and Italy and that there is no personal sacrifice, including his life, that he is not ready to make in the interests of France."

"Soldiers of my Old Guard, I bid you good-bye. For twenty years, I have seen you constantly on the road of honour and glory. Recently, as in those times of our prosperity, you have never ceased to be models of bravery and fidelity. With men such as you, our cause was not lost, but the war was endless: it would have meant civil war and France could only become more miserable. I have therefore sacrificed all our interests to those of our country. I am leaving. But you, my friends, continue to serve France. Her welfare has been my only thought and will be the object of my prayers. Do not bewail my fate. If I have chosen to survive, it is to witness your glory. I wish to write the great things that we have achieved together. Farewell my lads! I would like to press you all to my heart; let me at least embrace your colours! Once again, farewell my dear comrades. Keep this last kiss in your hearts."

A	G
Arme blanche - cavalry sabres	Garde d'honneur: light bodyguard cavalry
Artillerie a' Cheval - horse artillery	Garde Nationale: National Guard
Artillerie a' Pied - foot artillery	Gendarme: military police
Artillerie legere - light artillery	Grenadier: elite infantry
Artillerie volante - fast horse artillery	Grenadier a' Cheval: horse grenadier of the Imperial Guard
B	Grognard: Old Guard Infantry, "grumbler"
Battery: a gun emplacement; a company of 6-8 guns	Grosse-bottes: Old Guard Horse Grenadiers, "big boots"
Bonnet a' poil: fur grenadier cap	H - R
Bonnet de police - forage cap	Hussard: hussar; light cavalry
Butin: personal kit; "booty"	Jager: German rifleman;"huntsman"
C	Lancier: lancer
Carabinier: heavy cavalry; grenadier of light infantry	Legion: unit composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery
Chasseur: light troops; "hunter"	Mameluke: member of an Egyptian warrior caste
Chasseur a' Cheval: light cavalry	Ordre mixte: attack formation combining column and line
Chasseur a' Pied: light infantry	Pioneer: engineer
Chevau-leger: light horse	Pupilles: cadets
Chevau-leger-lancer: lancer	S - T
Colback: hussar cap	Sabre: cavalry sword; a cavalryman
Cuirass: brestplate	Sapeur: engineer, pioneer
Cuirassier: armored heavy cavalry	Tambour: drummer
D - F	Tenue de route: marching order
Dolman: tail-less braided jacket worn by hussars	Tirailleur: skirmisher; sharpshooter
Dragoon: medium cavalry; mounted infantry	U - Z
Eclaireur: cavalry scout	Voltigeur: light infantry of the line
Farrier: cavalry pioneer
Flanqueurs: light infantry
Fourrier: quartermaster-corporal
Fusil: musket
Fusilier: infantryman

Le patron; le petit Tondu	Napoleon, literally -the boss, little shorn one
Le lampion	Napoleon's hat, literally - Chinese lantern
La bamboche	The Legion of Honor, literally - the cross
Le brutal	The artillery
La noce; la fete; la musique	War; literally - wedding; party;music
Donner un fameux coup de peigne	To take part in an unusually hard fight; literally - to comb one's hair
Tourner l'oeil; descendre la garde; defiler en parade	Killed in Action; literally - roll one's eyes; drop one's guard; march off
Les pekins	Civilians
On dechire de la mousseline	Sound of a fusillade; literally - they are ripping the muslin.
Crucifix a' ressort	Pistol
Le coucou, l'oiseau	The Eagle; literally - the coocoo; the bird
Friser	A near miss
Avoir sa pente	To enjoy drinking
Mettre les dentes au crochet	Starving; literally - Set one's teeth on edge
La debine	Poverty
Faire une bosse	To celebrate
Le juis de l'arbre	Wine; literally - sap of the crooked tree
le rogomme	Booze
le casse-poitrine	"Rot-gut"
La bouffarde	Short-stimmed pipe
Trouver	To steal; literally - to liberate
Les musikos	Brothels
Piler du poivre	Sentry duty; literally - to grind peppercorns
Etre mis aux mites	To be put in the brig; literally - lodged with the maggots
vieille mustache	Veteran; literally old mustache
Marche a' terre	Ground pounder, grunt
Les Immortels	The Guard; literally - the Immortals
gilets de fer	Cuirassiers; literally - steel vests
Les carabins	Surgeons; literally - sawbones
Marche à regret	Conscript; literally - forced march
Les Goddans	The British
Les kaiserlicks	The Austrians
Les cousins de l'Empereur	The Corsicans