US offered Napoleon refuge after he was beaten at Waterloo

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Recently uncovered historical documents have revealed that the nefarious US offered the bounder and cad Old Boney refuge after he was defeated by Britain at Waterloo - and that they thought he would win the historic battle.

Letters from the American representative in Paris at the time, Henry Jackson, suggested that the French leader should be allowed entry into the USA if he fled across the Atlantic following his defeat.

Jackson had also falsely predicted that Napoleon would win the contest in 1815, which saw his French army clash with the British army, led by the Duke of Wellington, in one of the greatest military victories in Britain's history.

Following his defeat Napoleon abdicated as Emperor of the French Empire and lived out the rest of his days in exile on the British island of St Helena in the South Atlantic, now part of the British Overseas Territory of
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

US offered Napoleon refuge after he was beaten at Waterloo - where they had been convinced he would end up victorious


Letters written by US representative in Paris in 1815 show passport plan

Envoy also wrote it was 'highly probable' Napoleon would win at Waterloo

Historic battle resulted in the French Emperor abdicated his throne

Uncovered documents were presented to British embassy in Washington


By Elaine O'flynn For Mailonline
31 May 2015
Daily Mail

Recently uncovered historical documents have revealed that the US offered Napoleon refuge after he was defeated by Britain at Waterloo - and that they thought he would win the historic battle.

Letters from the American representative in Paris at the time, Henry Jackson, suggested that the French leader should be allowed entry into the USA if he fled across the Atlantic following his defeat.

Jackson had also falsely predicted that Napoleon would win the contest in 1815, which saw his French army clash with the British army, led by the Duke of Wellington, in one of the greatest military victories in Britain's history.


French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte, who was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. New documents show a representative of the USA in Paris at the time wanted to offer him refuge in the States



After Napoleon lost at Waterloo he abdicated his position as Emperor of the French Empire and was exiled to the British island of St Helena, now part of the British Overseas Territory of
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, where he died in British custody. A drawing shows him in the company of Betsy Balcombe while he was there


Jamestown, capital of St Helena




Following his defeat Napoleon abdicated as Emperor of the French Empire and lived out the rest of his days in exile in St Helena.

Copies of the original dispatches from Jackson, which were discovered in the US National Archives, have been presented to the British embassy in Washington ahead of the 200th anniversary, The Sunday Times reports.

One of Jackson's letters, written on June 18, 1815 to the US secretary of state James Monroe on the same day as the battle warned Napoleon would be placed in the custody of English officers if he did not regain control of his army.

He said: 'Unless the English government judge it prudent to grant his passports [sic] for the United States... Napoleon would have no alternative but to put himself at the head of the troops who would still range themselves with enthusiasm under his standard.'

Two days before news of Napoleon's defeat reached Paris, Jackson wrote: 'It is highly probable that the coalition will fall a victim to the conjoint influence of the resistance of the French and the mutual recriminations of the powers engaged to it.'

Historians say if Napoleon had made it to the USA, the 'special relationship' between Britain and America in future years would have been very different.

Napoleon biographer Andrew Roberts told the newspaper that it was feared the Emperor was looking to raise and lead an army in Texas or South America - describing him as a 'complete political Houdini.'

'The feeling was that the American government, which was very anti-British [at the time] - would have considered he had every right to live in the United States', he said.

Among the commemorations planned for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo on June 18 includes the unveiling of a new monument at the London train station named after it, remembering the 24,000 allied soldiers who died that day.

James Deeny, managing director at the London Mint Office, says, 'It seems unbelievable that there has never been a memorial in Britain to pay tribute to the soldiers who fought at the Battle of Waterloo.

'We are honoured to be playing a role in making this happen in time for the bicentenary. The Campaign Medal we have recreated is a work of great craftsmanship and beauty which befits a memorial of this importance.'


The new Battle of Waterloo memorial, remembering the 24,000 allied soldiers killed, is a large replica of the reverse of the Waterloo Campaign medal


THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO 1815


British Commander-in-chief the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo

On June 18, 1815, Napoleon led 72,000 troops into batte against a 68,000-strong British army, that also included Prussian, Belgian and Dutch troops at the village of Waterloo, south of Brussels.

The French commander held off ordering his troops to attack - waiting for the sodden ground to dry after a night of rain - giving more Prussian troops time to join the battle.

In chaos, the French army fled when the 30,000 additional troops reinforced the British army, and the day-long Battle of Waterloo ended Napoleon's military career.

A week later he abdicated and was exiled to the remote Atlantic island of St Helena, where he died six years later.

Source: www.history.com

 
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