29 May 2026

After the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, Napoleon organized a celebratory rabbit hunt for his marshals. His staff had gathered farm rabbits rather than wild ones. Instead of scattering, the animals charged the hunting party en masse, swarming Napoleon's legs. He reportedly had to retreat to his carriage. The incident is recorded in the memoirs of his personal valet, Louis Constant.

Louis Constant WairyMemoirs of Constant, First Valet to the Emperor Napoleon