Napoleon was not above a little deception in his relations with his soldiers. Before reviewing his troops, he would sometimes say to one of his aides-de-camp, "Ascertain from the colonel of such a regiment whether he has in his corps a man who has served in the campaign of Italy or Egypt. Ascertain his name, where he was born, the particulars of his family, and what he has done, and furnish me with the information."
On the day of the review Napoleon at a single glance would perceive the man who had been described to him. He would go up to him as if he recognised him, address him by his name, and say, "Oh! So you are here! You are a brave fellow - I saw you at Aboukir.* How is your old father? What! have you not got the cross? Stay I will give it to you." Then the delighted soldiers would say to each other, "You see the emperor knows us all; he knows our families; he knows where we have served."
拿破崙對士兵，會不惜用詐。他檢閱軍隊之前，有時會吩咐副官：「找某軍團的上校，看看軍團裏有沒有士兵曾經隨我出征義大利或埃及，問清楚那士兵的姓名、出生地點、家庭狀況以及其所作所為，把聽到的告訴我。」
檢閱部隊那天，拿破崙會一眼就認出副官給他描述的士兵，裝作認得的樣子，走上前，叫他的名字，並說：「啊，原來你在這裏！你這傢伙，勇敢非常，我在阿布基爾一役見過你*。你老父好嗎？怎麼，你還沒有獲頒十字勳章？等一下，我會頒給你。」於是，士兵欣然相告：「看，我們每一個人，國王都認識。他知道我們家庭的情況，也知道我們曾在那裏服役。」
*拿破崙征埃及，一七九九年有阿布基爾之役。