Dave Tomlinson's cautionary advisement regarding the authenticity and accuracy of written records past and present is well taken. As a social science researcher I have been guided by William Blake's admonition that "Nothing can be more contemptible than to suppose public records to be true." Personal links to Napoleon and his exploits have generated family legends the putative validity of which would overtax the energy and credibility of the Emperor himself. The Napoleonic heritage pool is a rich treasure of fact and fiction and the fragility of the former cannot be overemphasized enough. In 2006 I wrote an article about my gg-uncle's participation in the Moscow and Leipzig campaigns [see https://www.jewishgen.org/belarus/tools/books/jgsla_roots-key_summer2006.pdf ]
A recently uncovered document regarding his enlistment has tentatively shattered this descriptive account. My inquiries on this Forum are part of a salvage effort in family historical revision but hopefully they can also contribute to a critical reading of enlistment records for the era of the Napoleonic campaigns..