French navy was in complete disarray, that the poor state of the
country's finances would not allow its rapid refurbishment, and,
furthermore, its inferiority vis-à-vis the English navy was such that
it would spend most of its time in harbour. She said that she could
not think why he, a divisional general, would put his son into the
navy, instead of placing him in a regiment, where the name and
services of his father would make him welcome. She ended by saying,
"Take him to Italy, sooner than send him to die of boredom, in a
vessel shut up in Toulon harbour."

My father, who had been briefly enticed by Capt. Sibille's
proposition, was too intelligent not to appreciate Mme. Barairon's
reasoning. "Well then," he asked me, "Do you want to come to Italy
with me and serve in the army?" I put my arms round him and accepted,
with a joy which my mother shared, for she had not been in favour of
my father's first idea.

As, at that time, there was no military academy, and one could
join the army only as a private soldier, my father took me right away
to the municipality of the first arrondissment, in the Place Beauvau,
and had me enlisted in the 1st Hussars, (formerly the Bercheny), who
were part of the division which he was going to command in Italy. It
was September the 3rd, 1799.

My father took me to a tailor, who had the job of making official
army uniforms, and ordered for me a complete outfit for a Hussar of
the 1st. As well as all the arms and equipment.

There I was!....A soldier!.....And was I not happy? But my
happiness was somewhat lessened when I reflected that this was going