Excuse the long post but this is an abbreviated version of what I wrote on the subject of Championnet and the Commissioners.

Sources Guyot 'La directoire et la paix de Europe' and others

On 28.11 the Directory ordered the cessation of functions of the French commission in Rome and wrote to Duport, member of that commission, and his secretary inviting them politely to return to France. Bertolio, ambassador to the Roman republic, was given full powers with superior authority in civil and political matters; generals in chief and civil or military authotities must defer to his requisitions. At the same time Amelot and Faipoult were nominated as civil commissioners with the French armies in the Cisalpine and Roman republics respectively. Mechin was appointed as controller of receipts and payments.

Faipoult, learning of his appointment to the army of Rome, wrote to La Revelliere from Milan on 15.12. that he was about to leave for Rome taking 300k livres for the army which had great need of it. 'This army fights every day. It does wonders. But it is clear that it is too few in number to risk advancing even on the road of its triumphs,' However, he continued, it was essential, even for its subsistence, that the army should enter the territory of Naples, if it stayed in the Roman territory it would perish of want and hunger. But for that it needed reinforcements. if the Directory had not yet ordered any it could not be done quickly enough. In fighting without advancing it would accustom the Neapolitans to war.
Another consideration, on re-entering Rome there would be 150k inhabitants to feed - with what? The Neapolitans had consumed, destroyed or carried it all away. " It is to Naples we must go to find bread."

Championnet's conduct during his brief stay in Rome was curious, before his entry he had written to the Roman consuls, from Monte Rotondo, 14.12.98
'Rome is free, but it is not yet worthy to receive the French within its walls. I have demanded that the guilty should be given up to me. Rome, distracted by the spirit of fury and of revenge, ought not to present a spectacle of sorrow to its lawful representatives. I order you, therefore, citizen consuls, not to return to that capital, till tranquillity shall be re-established, and Rome shall be worthy to receive you.'

He did not want the consuls getting in his way, for reasons of his own. A Roman named Benedetti was keeping a journal, quoted by Giglioli: he describes how the Neapolitans had collected together the remaining statues and pictures in Rome to take back to Naples. They were left behind in the hasty departure, and Championnet, instead of restoring them to their owners proclaimed " ... the statues and the pictures that you have conquered from the enemy at the price of your blood, are the property of the army, I believe I meet your wishes when in your name I present them to our Government. These in all ages will serve as monuments of your glory and of your valour, and on entering the museums of France, as each one of you contemplates the masterpieces of art, he may say with pride: "I too have helped to adorn my country." "A pretty thing" comments Benedetti, "to adorn one's country with stolen goods! Positively something to brag about!"

The Directors too were unhappy about this incident, hey wrote to Championnet on the subject but erased the first paragraph which reproached him with having declared prizes initially as the property of the army, having learned of a later order declaring them to be national property. They expressed the scruples of the Directory on the gift of 5 millions from the Roman consuls to the French army, a sum taken from the contributions of the Roman republic for the support of the army as ' ill- thought liberality' which risked 'accustoming the soldiers, used to conquering in the sole interest of honour and liberty, to calculate one day the personal profit that they might gain from the victory ..... you should employ all the influence attached to your position, to your talent and to your patriotism to determine the different corps to declare that their services are not paid for by cash, that, satisfied with having chased the tyrant from Naples and restored to Rome her liberty, they are content with the glory they have won.' On 19.12 they added advice on the conduct to follow to avoid dilapidations on his entry into Naples, and instructions to put under seal all the depots and collections of sciences and art.

Dec 31 Army of Rome, general order, Championnet
Considering in short, that several individuals, unconnected with the service of the army, and assuming characters which they do not possess, presume notwithstanding to accompany its movements, and may by their conduct tarnish the honour of the French name, orders,
Everything taken from the enemy, whether in the field, or in posts, garrisons, or forts, shall be reputed national property; and are consequently placed under the safeguard of the army.
Such of the said articles as shall be useful either to the subsistence, the equipment, or the clothing of the troops, shall be carried without delay to the military magazines. Those connected with the arts and sciences shall be placed in separate depositaries.
Every individual, without distinction, who shall retain any of these entirely for his own use, shall be carried before a court martial - as the general in chief reserves to himself the power of recompensing those corps or individuals by whose valour they may have been taken.
The contributions in money shall be imposed by the general in chief, or by the generals of division under his authority. Every other individual whatsoever, who shall presume to impose any, or to carry away any public or private treasures, or the pledges deposited in the Mont de Piete, shall be instantly shot.
To this punishment likewise shall be liable all persons not belonging to the army, who shall presume to enter the conquered places, and to impose requisitions, or exercise any other acts of authority...

As an order to control private pillaging this was admirable, but there is a conspicuous lack of references to the civil commission, it is presumably this order which Guyot suggests 'seemed to hint at a threat of shooting Faipoult and his colleague.' On 4.12.98 the Directory had ordered the expulsion from Rome and occupied territories of Italy of all French without commissions and 'all those, even commissioned, whose presence in Italy would be harmful by reason of their connections or their conduct' , but Championnet seems to have been interpreting this in his own way.
According to Guyot, in agreement with the secretary of the Consulat, Bassal, whom he had known for a long time, Championnet restored the legislative authority of the Roman consuls, without any control except his own, leaving out the ambassador and civil agents, which was in contravention of the orders followed by all the commanders in the previous eight months.

In St Albin's version 'It was then that the Directors chose, to follow the army, still a long way from Naples, a civil commission which would exercise at Naples powers equivalent to those which had been exercised at Rome with such dismal results.'
Instead of leaving the general the control, he was forbidden to act against the agents. Championnet was heard to express strong opinions against the civil agents.

'...notwithstanding its decrees of the 21st fructidor and 14 frimaire, Italy continues to be tormented by a coalition of extortioners, who, under every sort of denomination, profession and mask, devour the subsistance of the French armies, and lay arbitrary exactions upon the countries which they occupy.'
This is not Championnet to the Directory, it is from the Executive Directory to each of the generals Joubert and Championnet. Paris 3.1.99 and continues,
'It has, therefore, deemed it necessary to call your attention to the most strict and rigorous execution of those decrees, and to publish them, together with the present letter, in the general orders.
Reflect, Citizen general, that when the government has expressed its will in the most unequivocal manner, and issued positive orders, the chiefs, who command the armies in its name, will be alone responsible, in the eyes of posterity, for the continuation of these disgraceful dilapidations.....'
Signed Larevelliere Lepaux.

Skipping the Capua and Naples campaign.

On Jan 22 1799 the Neapolitan republic had been declared by the Jacobins in Fort San Elmo,
Art XI stated that the Neapolitan Republic must form a constitution and wishing to avoid useless disputes, invited the French nation to order 4-5 legislators in imitation of Rome, Championnet did not take this half-hearted advice, he took as his model the jacobin constitution of 1793 and set up a provisional government with an assembly invested with all legislative and executive powers. He named the members of the provisional government and stated in his decree that:
The decrees will not have the force of law unless sanctioned by the general in chief.
The assembly will divide into committees for various functions.
The general in chief will nominate for any vacant posts in the national representation.

However great Championnet's personal popularity, all was not well between the French and the citizens. On the 26th Championnet had to issue an order against illegal requisitions by the troops. On the 30th, in another proclamation he stated that "enemies of tranquillity, friends of anarchy and royalism have been spreading alarming rumours" as a result he decrees that
Any individual, military or inhabitant of the republic found stealing will be arrested and put to death.
Any individual spreading alarming rumours intending to disturb order and tranquillity, will be arrested and put to death.
All friends of order and of tranquillity are charged with the execution of the present decree.
Several other edicts followed over the next few weeks, attempting to control the behaviour of the soldiers, and of the officers, who had to be told that they must be content with the usual fare of their hosts and ordered to return horses and carriages they had taken.

Championnet's fine phrase "your liberty is the only prize that the French wish to take from their conquest.’ became in his speech to the new government on the same day:
"France has not received any military contribution for its expenses nor for its losses in a such glorious military campaign: it is my intention to set it in a manner proportionate not to the greatness of the sacrifices made by France in giving freedom to your country but calculated on the resources and on the amount of its objects of provisionment and of the crafts available. This contribution will be collected by your civil servants and will be for their diligence to effect." which was in turn soon converted to a demand for a large sum of money.
An order of the Provisional Government of 27.1 (8 pluviose) stated that there ' Will be paid to the French Army within 8 days the sum of 2.5 million ducats on account of the military contribution ordered by the general in chief in his decree of 8 pluviose. The tax was to be imposed on anyone earning more than 3 carlini per day. A commission would be formed to determine the proportions of the forced loan, relative to the fortunes of the citizens. There was much more detail about the financial arrangements, but that is the summary. It was signed by Laubert and Jullien, and approved by Championet.

Cuoco: Championnet's first demand 2.5million ducats within two months, was exorbitant.He could have got more if he had asked for less over a longer period. He did show signs of having realised this, but stuck to his first resolution and demanded a further 15million from the provinces.
The taxes were distributed unfairly, they wanted to exempt patriots, though they should have given the first example, then they decided to make them punitive and went by degrees of aristocracy 'we are taxing opinions' the agents said.

Corriere di Napoli & Siciliy 17.2 "The General in chief in forming this Republic has judged it more opportune for it and for the French Republic to demand only a fixed contribution in cash and commodities, reserving for France only the objects of art and the personal property of the King. In fact if we took for the French Republic all that was Neapolitan National property, they would be hastily sold, and the same French agents would have made speculations while the public treasury would have received hardly a third part of the product of the sales. On the other hand, the demand for money and for commodities whose value is known and fixed; can be carefully scrutinised and all and dilapidations prevented."

There may be truth in this, but the odd thing is that Championnet was not short of money at this time. We have the evidence of the devoted Thiebault for this, since a short time after his arrival Championnet ordered gratuities for general and superior officers "he applied to this purpose a sum taken from the public chests and which was excluded from the contributions owed by the country." The matter was technically a secret but all the officers knew of it, and it was rumoured that the pay scale was
Chef de battallion 2k francs
Adjutant-gen 12k
General of brigade 20k
General of division 40k
Thiebuault had recently been promoted to Adjutant-general and was very keen to know whether he would get paid at his old rank or his new. Eight to ten days after the entry he got a note from Dufresse marked 'pour vous seul' inviting him to come and collect 25k - over and above the highest he could have expected! He went to collect, thinking there was a mistake, before he could say anything, Dufresse told him he had been awarded 30k in total but was not to tell anyone. He took it in gold coins.

Where did this money come from? Dufresse later (while under arrest) made a full statement that on 6 pluviose, (25.1) Romieux and two others took 61 chests of silver form the Banque de Piete, and seven large military chests containing only paper. Dufresse took charge of them on Championnet's orders. A few days later he told Championnet that the responsibility of so much money was too great, he replied that he would let him know about it in a few days. Two days later Championnet distributed to several generals, adjutant-generals, chefs de brigade, ADCs and other officers, gratifications, indemnities, and extrordinary expenses which he charged Dufresse with paying from the stored silver. He had written orders from the general for this. He distributed 34 chests and handed the remaining 27 over to Romieux on a verbal order from Championnet.

Championnet was later to be formally asked:
Did you not find a sum of money belonging to the king of Naples or the public establishment?
Have you not made distributions to the generals and other officers?
To whom have you made distributions and where is it shown what has been given to each?
How much did you keep for yourself?
How was it that when your soldiers lacked pay and other necessities, you did not for preference employ these sums for the pay and other urgent needs of the soldiers and that you did not put them to the profit of the army?

That last question needs answering by any defender of Championnet. The charges against him were dropped later for political reasons, so he never had to justify his actions in court. His own account does not mention this issue.

It may also be noted that , according to Bonamy, 'already had been gathered a precious collection of the finest monuments of antiquity.' This included searching the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. 'The French museums would be enriched ...by trophies destined to immortalise the glory of the army of Naples.'

Now began, wrote Bonamy, 'the scandalous battle between the civil commissioner and the general in chief.' But it had commenced some time earlier. On 22.1 (Guyot) Faypoult had written to Championnet denouncing military depredations at Caserta, the royal palace outside Capua, where Championnet and his staff had lodged after the surrender of Capua: even St Albin admitted this, 'The fine factory at Belvedere was sacked, the castle of Caserta was devastated of furnishings from top to bottom ..'
Jullien later submitted to the enquiry "copies of letter to Championnet, 1 pluviose, denouncing the pillages by French troops at Capua, in a convent of Dominicans on the road to Naples, at Caserta and at Teano where the 97th demi-brigade had pillaged even the houses of the patriots."
Faipoult wrote to the Director Treilhard reporting , among other things, the pillage of the chateau of Caserta, HQ of the army, of which the furniture had been taken by the officers....of similar pillages at the king's country house at Carditello
The enquiry also received copies of orders from Championnet to Chabrier, chef de Battallion of the genie, and Mechin on the finding and the confiscation of the public caisses of the king of Naples, at Capo di Monte 5 pluviose; copies of other letters from Faypoult to Treilhard denouncing notably the theft of the chests deposited by the banker Varusio at Mont de Piete, of six great chandeliers of massive silver and other precious objects from the richest abbey in Capua.
Guyot says that the stores and public chests were confiscated ( Bonamy to Dubreton, 24,jan). The deposits in the bank which belonged to the English were withdrawn to the army account by the Sicubert brothers, Roman bankers. (Championnet to Sicuberts 30.jan) along with Romieux.

Faipoult had been charged , by the order of 14 frimaire (Dec 4) with pursuing the civil authors of depredations, but he could do nothing with the military except denounce them to Championnet; he did this on 3 pluv. (Jan 22) and sent an agent to make an inventory of Caserta. The agent was repelled and Faipoult received no reply from the general: he saw him in person and renewed his complaints, especially against the ADCS. Championnet lost his temper, accused him of being a spy for the Directory and said that he would not let him enter Naples. This is Faipoult's version of course, and to be fair, Championnet was in the middle of the attack on Naples at the time. At his interrogation he claimed that the only complaints he received from the inhabitants of Caserta were against the agents of Faipoult; he had never heard of Carditello. (Guyot)

On 24 Jan, after entering Naples, Faipoult attempted to carry out his orders and secure enemy property, he received no co-operation and wrote a despondent letter of complaint to the Directory :

'Your orders could not be defied with more audacity. It is very sad that the generals will not fall in with their duty. A bit of that spirit was seen in the army of Italy, it is pushed much further in the army of Rome. Each general is everything in his division: he governs, imposes, administers, establishes the tax-collectors and agents, and renders no account to anyone. One of them said recently that he was king at Gaeta. The general in chief was saying yesterday: "It is I who have conquered this land, it is under my domination." these words explain his plan... All power is forbidden to me by armed force, I can do nothing against him whom everyone obeys. The escort, the ordonnances, the guard accorded to the prisoner Mack, all are refused to your agent; he can only become an object of scorn by the comparison which must be made between the miltary pride and the state of obscurity and want to which I am reduced."
This letter is quoted by St Albin who admits that many of these complaints were not without some foundation,
I am not sure of the date of this letter, it is probably later than the one he wrote to Treilhard 24.1 complaining of not being able to get security passes for himself and his staff. (Guyot) Dufresse was responsible for issuing these and was presumably continuing the system of intimidation he had used against Trouve in Milan.

Guyot explains that because of the previous problems with the finances of the armies in Italy the Directory had established legal rules of public accountability.; on 25.11.98 they had appointed four civil commissioners for the armies outside the republic, they had political and financial powers, and full control of administration, including the surveillance of requisitions and supplies, the right of raising contributions and confiscation of enemy property, of agreeing conventions financial or political. Each one had a controller of finances appointed to deal with all the finances of the army, to keep control of the cash and to give the general in chief what he needed.
The principal articles limited the authority of the generals in chief to the movement of the armies and purely military affairs; they were forbidden all diplomatic and financial operations, all collection of contributions and all distribution to the troops of sums over 200 francs. Later orders (dec 98) increased the number of commissioners and established that they outranked all officers except the commander in chief. They were given the same orders: they were forbidden to make revolutions or to organise republics. It can be seen from this, that practically everything Championnet had done since he entered Naples was in contravention of these orders. He must have been aware of the edicts of the Directory, certainly Faipoult would have made the source and nature of his authority clear: he seems to have decided that the best way of dealing with the Commissioners was to ignore them.

Not the least of his offences, in fact the greatest in Guyot's opinion, was the setting up of an independent republic. This was in contradiction to the current policy; the Directory had instructed Championnet to overthrow the government of the king, then to establish communications with Malta, Corfu and Egypt, at the same time Faipoult was sent an evaluation of the resources of the country. Nothing was said about the establishment of a republic in Naples, they only wanted it occupied as they had done in Piedmont, to draw resources from it and to keep as an object of exchange later. But, if Guyot is correct, these instructions were only sent at the end of January, when the Directors had news of the occupation of Capua, therefore Championnet had not received them at the time he entered Naples. Although he should have had the same information earlier from Joubert, it is not clear exactly what he was told: from Capua, Bonami said, general Lemoine was sent to Paris ''to get instructions on what form of government he should give to Naples.' However, even if Championnet had not got the instructions from the Directory, he should have been listening to Faipoult who had written to La Revelliere before leaving Milan for Rome, (15.12.98)
"I have collected ample information on the Neapolitan country; one can do great things there. The Directory will not leave us without instructions on the measure of consideration that we should give to the revolutionary party. I think that, until the peace, it is necessary to keep this party reined in, with the others."

On 27.1 Faipoult wrote to Championnet to try and get an agreement, but got no reply. He had already written to the Directory demanding permission to retire to Rome. (Guyot) He must have been writing elsewhere too, since the enquiry documents include 'letters from Amelot on the failure of his efforts to reconcile Championnet with Faipoult, deprived of a guard by the general'. His companions in the Commission were Mechin (Controller of receipts and expenses), who had been in Rome at the time of the invasion, and Chanteloup (Receiver-Cashier), who was, conveniently for their enemies, Faipoult's father-in-law.

On 11 pluviose (30.1) an order was published by Faipoult ordering anyone in possession of property belonging to the English or subjects of other countries at war with France to declare it to an agent 'responsible for taking possession in the name of the French republic of assets belonging to the enemies of France', anyone not complying could be sentenced to a fine of ten times the value of the undeclared goods. This notice seems to have attracted no attention.

He then composed another, very long, proclamation headed by extracts from the decree of the Executive Directory of 5 frimaire and 2 nivose (25.11.98 & 22.12.98) which defined the powers and responsibilities of the Civil Commission and nominated Faipoult, Mechin and Chanteloup " these three nominations will be announced to the army by the chief of the general staff as of the date of 20 nivose (9.1.99)
"In consequence of these dispositons of the Executive Directory ....The Civil Commissioner with the army of Rome being informed that some individuals are presenting themselves in the property of the suppressed government of Naples, the public chest, the customs or the port or in the house of any citizen without a legal mission, to apply seals, operate sequestrations, transport effects and articles, deliberates as follows.
Art I It is expressly prohibited to all persons of any nation and whatever authority has given them faculties
1) to present themselves in any house, building or domain situated in Naples or in any place in Neapolitan territory, that belonged to the former king of Naples with the object of fixing seals or of taking to any destination, the smallest piece of furniture, obejcts of art or precious effects or to exercise any other act of administration or to demand any rents.
2) in the public chest or to the receiver of any imposition direct or indirect, with the object of sequestering the register or of carrying away money from the chest or from collections.
3) in the house of any individual who has followed the king in his flight to place a sequestration on the furniture it may contain.
4) in any individual house or near any banker or merchant under the pretext of receiving objects etc that could belong to the English, Portuguese, Russians, Ottomans or in general the subjects of any powers at war with the French republic.
The other articles excepted persons acting on behalf of the Neapolitan government and authorised by the Commissioner; state that only agents appointed by the CC or approved by them , can carry out procedures in art 1; that anyone who has taken objects from places described in art 1 has 3 days to return them to where they were taken from or be arrested; the sale property or of any items originating as prizes taken from enemies of the republic' sold since 20 nivose is declared illegal and void and any items purchased must be returned; Art 7 'any commune on which has been imposed a military contribution by the general in Chief or the generals o commanding the French army is warned that (under the directory edict) they cannot legally pay these contributions except into the hands of the Receiver -Cashier of this army .

He sent this to Championnet inviting him procure the execution of the laws and the orders of the government, getting no response he had the order published on 3.2 (15 pluviose)

Only on 12.2 does the Monitore deal with the subject 'In recent days has been posted on behalf of Citizen Faipoult, civil commissioner of the Army of Rome and head of correspondence Cayeux a long edict ' it says that Faipoult had ordered all contributions to be paid to the Receiver regardless of the general in chief, tThen comes the important part : 'He (Championnet) then ordered the expulsion in 24 hours from Naples and 10 days from the territory of Roman republic of the said Faipoult .'; Championnet's proclamation of 6.2 was attached. Note though a further item: 'There are many complaints made daily about the contributions imposed by the general in chief, which many citizens are unable to satisfy.'

Championnet had struck back: his proclamation dated 6.2 was a long criticism of Faipoult's order clearly written by a lawyer, probably by Bassal. It points out that several articles in the decree of the executive Directory had been suppressed 'it is not known for what reason' and goes on 'Considering that this decree has for fundamental principles....' and goes on to criticise the original order since 'articles 12 & 3 deny the right of the generals to take charge of the property conquered by the army'.
Picking out the most important complaints against Faipoult, it objects
that the right of taking people to a tribunal and punishing them for dilapidations committed in the army without the knowledge of the generals or the police, will not maintain public order;
to 'the sequestration of the goods of the fugitive families without a declaration by the general in chief since the country was declared free, independent, and submitted to a legitimate authrority by a public and solemn act in the name of the French republic';
that 'a commission solely administrative and not having any other attributes' should undertake 'regulation of sequestrations etc. without the declaration of the general in chief ';

Considering that this act is seditious and and revolting by the impropriety of its form, the audacity of its expressions and the perfidy of the insinuations it contains, contrary to the principles of the French constitution and the orders of the Executive Directory .
Since it denounces to the public, in a foreign land, dilapidations grave and criminal without the participation of the general in chief and without indicating to the general responsible for the police of the divison the authors and accomplices, and facilitating wth calumny the most perfidious indications, not recognising the authority of the police, of the army and those of the general who has received by law the responsibility of punishment.

He goes on to complain of .... culpable insolence, infamous calumnies ..obscuring the glory of our arms ..inspiring against them the passions of the ignorant and credulous..dividing the general in chief from the Neapolitan government ..compromising the Executive Directory of France.. and much else of the same nature.
I

Decrees of imediate effect that all the commissioners must leave Naples within 24 hours and the territories of Rome and Naples within 10 days. All their agents must immediately cease their functions. They must within 5 days hand over any deposits, inventories etc to the Commissionnaires de guerre or Commisionnaire ordonnateur. If not they are expelled too.They will not receive passports except under the condition of presenting themselves to the Staff of the army at Milan to be verified. All the functions attributed to the commission will be handed over provisionally to army officials till the Executive Directory orders otherwise.
(etc)

The clear central issue here, setting aside the claims of injustice, is the challenge to the authority of the general in chief, and to the generals as a whole. Until quite recently history has presented this as an attempt by Championnet to protect the people of Naples from the greedy commissioners, who wanted to despoil Naples as they had done Rome. We have already seen that main concern of the representatives of the Directory in Milan, Rome and Naples was to protect the people from the army and from the speculators and we have already seen the nature of Championnet's exactions and depredations. Modern civilian writers mostly acknowledge this and see it as part of a power struggle between the civilians and the generals. The first part of the planned interrogation of Championnet indicates the substance of the charge:
'What were your motives for failing to recognise the civil commission and its agents, preventing the exercise of their functions and in the end expelling them?
Was it your motive that their presence prevented you from raising contributions yourself and disposing of them as you pleased?
Have you not levied or collected contributions?'

To the Directory Championnet wrote (6.2.99)
"Citizen Directors, I address to you an order of citizen Faipoult and that which I was obliged to publish to punish his audacity and repair the fatal effects of this seditious placard.
It is in the middle of a town where the French army had been obliged to fight bloodily for two whole days, in which it is still oblige to pass days and nights to keep order and watch the ill-intentioned, that a man clothed in public authority had the impudence to post up a solemn denunciation which accuses the probity of the general and that of his companions in arms, and calls a people barely calmed to a discussion of his jurisdiction and his rights, of which you only ought to be the arbiter between him and me."
"If the insolent man who had the audacity to disparage my authority in a moment when the safety of the army and the conservation of the conquest had nearly no other guarantee, to attack by his treacherous insinuations the probity of the general in a land where that which remains to be conquered cannot perhaps, be conquered, so to speak, except by trust, had not been covered by his quality as your commissioner, I avow to you frankly, he would have already paid with his head for the excess of such criminal audacity ..."

The letter is clearly Championnet's own work, though the proclamation is probably not.

Faipoult went only as far as Rome, where he was protected by the ambassador, from there he wrote to the Directory. Their reply came fast, in fact so fast that it must have been a response to Faipoult's previous letters, since normally letters seem to have been taking two weeks to reach Paris: 13.2.99, Order to general Championnet to come to the Minister of War and to entrust the command of the army of Naples to the most senior officer. Later they ordered his arrest, possibly in response to receiving the reports of 6.2.

Championnet received his order during the evening of 26.2,again, it had taken nearly two weeks to reach him, he left the following morning.