Actually, and more correctly, it was the Grande Armee who coined the phrase.

And what is usually forgotten is that Napoleon did not intend that the Bulletins to be history. And the term was applied to soldiers who 'exaggerated' his accomplishments, dangers, and episodes of derring-do. The Bulletins, along with the Orders of the Day were intended to stimulate morale. The Bulletins were after-action reports whose intended audience was also the French civilian population. The Orders of the Day were 'fight talks' which were designed to inspire the troops.