Napoleon to Min of War 26th April 1810.
"I think Gen Duhesme must be given leave to come to Paris. You will hear him, and give me an account of all he says. The General has rendered me great services. His honour is sorely compromised. If he is innocent, he must be cleared instantly; if he is guilty he must lose his head on the scaffold. Appoint somebody to hear the General, and also to hear my Consul, and the agents I had at Barcelona. Ask the Duke of Castiglione for positive assertions and proofs. That general officer would have done far better to be fighting at the head of his troops, instead of staying at Barcelona to bring this affair into prominence, and react on a country where Frenchmen have so many enemies..."

Duhesme was not brought to trial but was removed from his command and not employed till the end of 1813, which implies that the charges against him were so serious that Napoleon did not want them publicised.

According to Six ( thanks to whoever sent me this on a previous occasion) " ... fut accuse d'avoir fait arreter le consul de France a Barcelone et aussi par lettre d'Augerau du 6 fevrier 1810, d'avoir commis des abus de pouvoir et des malversations a Barcelone avec la complicite du commissaire de police Casanova (pilage d'argenterie, etc.) et meme d'avoir fermer les yeux sur l'assassinat d'un certain Canton et de l'adjoint un geolier d'une des prisons de Barcelone a l'instigation du general Lechi; de s'enivrer; de s'etre fait le fournisseur de ses propres troupes a partir du 1er juillet 1808; d'avoir reduit les rations pour s'enrichir, faisant des faux marches, confisquant les ressources des emigres et touchant la valeur de fournitures incompletement livrees; ... "

Yet Napoleon blamed Augereau for taking action against him!

regards,

Susan