In 1799, during the expedition of the French army to Egypt, a young and devoted friend of the brave general Caffarelli saw him fall while fighting by his side. The death of his friend drove him to despair, and his grief was so great that it became a subject of conversation to the whole army. At last it reached the ears of Napoleon, who paid a personal visit to the mourner. Napoleon is said to have shed tears on the occasion, and endeavoured in vain to console him.
A few days after this interview, the young man distinguished himself by a desperate intrepidity, which evinced his desire to follow his friend. Napoleon, fearful of the example, observed, "As for this young xxxx, he is a brave youth, but I should have ordered him to be shot had that conduct continued."
一七九九年，法軍遠征埃及期間，勇敢的卡法雷利將軍有一次和一個年輕摯友並肩作戰，在他眼前倒地不起。卡法雷利之死，令那年輕人氣喪志頹，其悲痛之深，軍中眾口一談，談言終於傳到拿破崙耳中。拿破崙親自探訪這個哀傷的年輕人，據說還當場灑淚，只是怎樣都不能排解那年輕人的傷痛。
那年輕人和拿破崙見面之後，過了幾天，表現出不惜一死之勇，為人矚目。他顯然是想追隨摯友於地下。拿破崙擔心他的行為成為軍中榜樣，說道：「這個年輕的×××，是個勇敢傢伙，但他繼續這樣做，我會下令把他槍決。」