1812.

BOOK X. as to secure the Pskowisch road. To effect a junction of the two armies was the principal obCHAP. II. ject of their movements. Prince Bagration's advanced-guard, under the command of Lieutenantgeneral Najewskji, was in the neighbourhood of Magilew. General Platoff, who commanded the rear-guard of Prince Bagration, was attacked near Romanoff by seven French regiments of cavalry, of the King of Westphalia's corps, which were totally defeated, and pursued for fifteen wersts. In this action, the first regiment of cavalry, Yagers, one of the best of the enemy's regiments, and one cavalry grenadier-regiment, were entirely destroyed; two colonels, sixteen officers, and 300 privates, taken prisoners.

The corps of Prince Wittgenstein having passed the Dwina, and retiring towards Riga, General Lewes was charged with covering the retreat of that prince. On the 21st of July, there took place between him and the Prussian Generals Growert and Kleist, an action in which the Russians were forced to retreat, having lost 300 in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

The west suburbs of Riga, with all the timber and piles of masts, were ordered to be burnt. Four thousand Russians were obliged to cut through 12,000 Prussians, (allies of the French) near Mittau, and retreated into Riga.

In the battle of Mohilow, July 23, the French claimed the victory over Prince Bagration. On the 25th they attacked the advanced-guard of General Bagration, but were driven back with the loss of 8,000. men. On the same day the main Russian army was attacked, and equally successful, the French being repulsed with the loss of 6,000 men. On the 30th and 31st a French corps, under the command of General Oudinot, attacked the Russians under the command of General Osterman, and were repulsed with great slaughter, leaving 3,000 prisoners, two pieces of cannon, and a great quantity of baggage; their loss in killed was estimated at 5,000 men.

It was reported at this time, on the authority of a private letter from Riga, that a gentleman, whose country-seat was at a distance from that town, was approached by the army under Macdonald, which officer, and fourteen others, were invited to partake of an elegant dinner. They were hospitably entertained, and in every respeet treated with liberality; in return for which, on the close of the evening, Macdonald ordered every article of plate to be removed from the table, which, with every other valuable article, was packed up and conveyed away. The proprietor did not venture to complain, but made his escape, lest he might be compelled to accompany his plate.

The first Russian army took a strong position near Witepsk, and during their march, even from Polotzk, the enemy never dared to attack a single

corps of which it was composed. The small skirmishes of the van-guard along the banks of the Dwina, across which river the Russian cavalry frequently swam, for the purpose of seizing the enemy's piquets, were always to their advantage. After their arrival, it was necessary to make strong reconnoisances decisive with regard to the junction with the first. In the night, between the 13th and 14th of July (o. s.) the commander-in-chief, who had received information of patroles of the enemy having shewn themselves on the road to Bischenkowitschi, gave orders to Count Osterman Tolstoc to direct his march towards that place, with his corps. Scarcely had Count Tolstoc advanced three wersts, before be fell in with the enemy's videttes. Two videttes were taken, but the third escaped, and gave the alarm to the French van-guard. These caused immediately a regiment to march out against the two hussar squadrons of the guard, which were in front of this column. They charged the enemy, and immediately overthrew him, but pursuing with too much ardour, they fell in with the whole of the enemy's cavalry, by whom they were parsued close in with the Russian infantry. Count Osterman then continued his motions, and found the enemy drawn up in the order of battle, at no great distance from Ostrovno. The battle commenced with a cannonade, which continued several hours. Both sides fought with the utmnost obstinacy. The greater number of warriors were on the French side, but the valour of the Russians overcame every thing. They not only remained masters of the field of battle, but even pursued the enemy four wersts beyond his po sition. Great loss was sustained on both sides.

The corps of General Doctorow, who had directions to observe the motions of the enemy in the vicinity of Bischen Kolwitsch, where a part of their troops were discovered marching towards him, began to make motions which retarded their progress. It was therefore necessary to suffer them to pass the Dwina, in order to join the army which was stationed near Witepsk, on the left bank of that river. In order to perform this, the commander-in-chief deemed it necessary to confine him back to these places, where, on July 13, Count Osterman had stopped him, with a much smaller force than that of the enemy. Count Kowhoweezen was ordered on this service. replaced the corps of Osterman, and his division was, the whole of the 14th, continually engaged.

He

The enemy did not gain a single foot of ground of the Russian troops. Lieutenant-general Kowhoweezen repulsed all their attacks, and did not leave the spot till night, when he received orders from the commander-in-chief to take the position ordained to him for a general battle. Meanwhile General Doctorow passed the Dwina, and arrived at the same place. The whole rear-guard came

under the command of Major-general Count Von Pahlen. They were drawn up at ten wersts distance from the head position, and the enemy was reported to be bearing towards them. In the interim, the commander-in-chief received a letter, by a courier, from Prince Bagration, who informed him, that having been advised of the approach of the first army, and finding Mohilow already in the possession of the enemy's troops, he had, for the preservation of his men, altered the direction of his march to Pisch, and had taken the road to Moteslaw and Smolensk-that his vanguard had, on the preceding day, a brisk engagement, in which Lieutenant-general Rajewsky had defeated the van-guard of Marshal Davoust's army, and forced it to retreat a distance of twelve

wersts.

This intelligence changed the commander-inchief's first plan, and determined him, instead of giving battle in the vicinity of Witepsk, to march towards Smolensk, and so much the more, as Marshal Davoust could take his march thither with his whole force, and by the same road. He took this bold determination at the very moment when the rear-guard was engaged in the hottest fight-he manoeuvred in the face of the enemy, and drew himself back in three columns. The commander-in-chief attributed the good effect of this undertaking chiefly to the admirable disposition of Count Von Pahlen, who, by covering the army, had on this occasion shewn proofs of every thing that could be produced by skill and the art of war. The borders of the small river Lutchepg were defended with such obstinacy, that the enemy lost a number of men in killed. General Von Pahlen likewise understood how to render the smallest defile of utility, and an ambush laid in a suitable place in the vicinity round Gaponowschtochesna, had, on the march of the 17th, cut up seven French squadrons.

Count Wittgenstein remained on the banks of the Dwina, at the advanced work of Pokaseuze, to observe the enemy stationed opposite to him on the other bank, and having thrown bridges across the river in the course of the night, he sent his cavalry out several times on expeditions, and which, in the course of eight days, took eight officers and about 1,000 men prisoners, from the corps of the general of brigade, St. Genie, and almost entirely destroyed the 7th and 11th regiments of French Yagers; the 8th Hulans, and the 10th regiment of Foot Yagers, both Poles, were nearly cut up. On the 17th of July, Count Wittgenstein received information from his detachments from Drissa, that Marshal Oudinot, Duke of Reggio, after having passed the Drissa with his corps, was on his march to Sebesch from Dunaburgh. He was informed that Marshal Macdonald had crossed the river at Jacobstadt, and was shaping his march for Lusye; and according to the statement of a

French officer of the general staff, whom they BOOK X. had taken prisoner, those troops at the churches were destined to cut the count off from the road of CHAP. II. Pschkow. In this station he resolved to attack the enemy nearest to him, in the church of the 1812. village Klastiga, and discovered the corps of Oudinot stationed before the village Jackubow, at the distance of five wersts, and which was already approaching to meet him from Klastiga. He attacked it with impetuosity, and after an obstinate and bloody engagement, which lasted without intermission for three days, from morning early till late at night, he obtained the victory over the corps of Marshal Oudinot, which consisted of three divisions of the flower of the French infantry, which was totally beaten and thrown into the greatest confusion; it retired in disorder, and only escaped by means of the woody places, and by crossing over the small rivulets, the bridges of which they set on fire and destroyed, and at the same time laying hindrance in their way at almost every step, to stop the rapidity with which they were pursued. The commander of divisions of Le Grand and Verdier were both wounded. The loss of the Russians was great. Count Wittgenstein was wounded in the cheek, near the temple; by a bullet.

In the battle of Smolensk, August 16, the French, according to their own official details, did wonders. This place was set on fire, and the French were employed three days in quenching the fire." Of twelve divisions," said the French bulletins, "which composed the grand Russian army, two divisions had been broken and defeated in the combats of Ostrovno; two met with the same fate in the battle of Mohilow, and six in the battle of Smolensk. Only two divisions of the guards remained entire." They afterwards réported that these two remaining divisions had suffered by the battle of Valentina. In this battle the French acknowledged to have lost 600 killed, and 2,600 wounded.

Sir Robert Wilson, who was present at the battles of Smolensk and Valentina, asserted, that on the 17th Bonaparte attacked Smolensk with his whole force, first on the eastern, then on the southern, and in the evening on the western face; but that he was repulsed in all his attacks, and merely succeeded in firing the town. On the 18th the Russians took a position on the right of the Nieper, waiting an attack; but the French merely sent across into the suburb the Spanish and Portuguese brigade, which were driven back just as they had set fire to the suburb. On the 19th the Russians retired on the Moscow road, when the French attacked their rear-guard. The attacks on different parts lasted the whole day, when the Russians effected the retreat of their whole army without the loss of a gun. The loss of the Russians on the 17th, was about 6,000 and

BOOK X. two generals; of the French above 12,000; and on the 18th, each army was supposed to have CHAP. II. lost 3,000 men.

1812.

It was mentioned in the dispatches from Sir Robert Wilson, that the conduct of General Barclay de Tolli in the battle of Smolensk, had incurred much animadversion; and that this was the cause of that general's having been superseded in the chief command of the Russian army by General Kutusoff. It was stated, that thrice had the Russian army repulsed the enemy at Smolensk, but that being prepared to renew the attack a fourth time, the Russian general had ordered a retreat, and left the French masters of the

town.

On the 1st and 2d of September, the French head-quarters were at Ghjat. The Ghjat river empties itself into the Wolga, and is navigable to the Caspian sea. The city of Ghjat contains a population of 8 or 10,000. Many of the houses are built of stone and brick, and it has several parishchurches. The Russians set fire to this city as well as to the other places which they abandoned, but the French entered in time to extinguish it. September 5, the French army was in motion, and in the afternoon, they perceived the Russians formed with their right upon the Moskwa, the left upon the heights on the left bank of the Kologha. At 1,200 toises in advance of the left, the Russians had begun to fortify a fine height, between two woods, where they had placed 9 or 10,000 men. The French emperor, having reconnoitred it, resolved to carry this position. Two hours afterwards the attack commenced, and the redoubt was carried, with the

cannon.

The village of Borodino was attacked and carried by the French. The following is a correct account of this battle:

The Russian army, having experienced commanders, continued its retreat upon the village of Borodino, between Mosjaisk and Irisk, on the high Moscow road. It was here reinforced by 18,000 effective men, under General Miloradowitch, and 21,000 militia, chiefly armed with pikes, under General Markow. The total number of the Russian army, exclusive of militia, amounted to 105,000 effective men; the French army amounted to 130,000, reinforcements having been drawn to it from the military posts occupied by the enemy.

Bonaparte, contrary to all expectation, as he had omitted the favorable moment for attacking the Russians on their march from Smolensk, to repass the Dnieper, presented his army in order of battle Sept. 4. It is possible that the appointment of Prince Kutusoff had baffled his hopes of peace; and that he felt himself now obliged to effect that by force, which he was in hopes to have obtained by the influence of fear on the

7

Russian cabinet. Certain it is, that he himself regretted his former neglect of opportunity, and that he said, "I have lost one of the most brilliant occasions of my life.”

Prince Bagration's army sustained the Russian left; but it was very much advanced in front of the centre and right. A battery of seven guns on a hill covered the advance of Prince Bagration's army, which we shall call the second army. The action began about two o'clock in the afternoon of the 5th, and was furiously fought on both sides until near dusk, when the enemy possessed himself of the hill and battery, and obliged the second army to retire and take up its position in alignement with the first army, keeping some hills in its front, on which batteries were erected. On the morning of the 6th, the French, with all their force, again fell upon Prince Bagration; after a desperate resistance broke in upon him; obliged his retreat in some disorder; and the reserves of the first army were under the necessity of moving to the left and front, to cover his works and oppose the enemy; which service was effectually executed, and the second army being rallied again, advanced into battle, and in its turn supported the troops that had covered it. The Russian line was, however, obliged to throw back its left a little, so as to form an angle with a part of the centre and right. At the salient point of this angle was a battery, which, if taken and kept by the enemy, would have commanded the whole Russian position, and obliged a retreat. Bonaparte, finding that the Russians remained steady, notwithstanding his tremendous artillery crossfire, resolved to have this work carried. Various attempts were made during the day, by cavalry and infantry, but they were always repulsed. Towards nine o'clock in the morning, General Bo nami had, however, lodged himself in the battery, in front of the Russian left; but General Gormouloff seizing the command of a column, (for he was a staff-officer), rushed upon the battery, re-carried it, put every man in it to the bayonet, except General Bonami, who escaped with about twenty wounds, one of which struck into his breast. Towards dusk, the enemy's force retired, abandoning the battery, which he had again carried about four o'clock in the afternoon, and which battery had been taken and retaken three times during the day. He gradually withdrew back upon some works in his rear, out of cannon-shot, and from thence fell back about two wersts and an half, with his main body; giving orders for his heavy guns, &c. to retire upon Mosjaisk. The Russian army remained upon the field until the next evening, when Prince Kutusoff fell back three wersts with his main body, and left General Platoff, with his Cossacks, to occupy the ground in front of Borodino.

Thus terminated, September 7, the memorable

battle of Borodino; and so far it resembled the battle of Preuss Eylau, but not in its consequences; for Eylau preserved Konigsberg, whereas Borodino accelerated the loss of Moscow.

The Russians had 25,000 killed and wounded (one half killed). The loss of the French was greater.

Two days after this battle, Prince Kutusoff retired a short distance on the Moscow road; he then endeavoured to find a position more tenable near Moscow; but not being able to find one, he retired, after a council of war, to a strong position, leaving the enemy to enter the city of Moscow, which they did on the 14th. The Russians, however, had set fire to several parts of Moscow, before they had quitted it.

In the possession of Moscow, Bonaparte hoped to secure for his army good winter-quarters, and abundance of supplies. For the attainment of the first object, enough of the town had been rescued from the flames; for though the buildings in Moscow consist chiefly of small wooden houses, there are whole streets of stone and brick palaces, roofed with iron, and the walls of these edifices are so prodigiously thick, that the conflagration could scarcely spread through them. The phrase used in the French Bulletin "Moscow is no more," was perhaps employed to produce a strong impression on the minds of the Russian people, and to alienate their affections from their government, as the alleged cause of such de

struction.

66

But though a sufficient number of buildings remained to afford barracks for the French army, it was difficult to imagine how this army was to be subsisted through a long winter in this rigorous climate. The statement in the 20th Bulletin, that every house was provided for eight months with necessaries of every description," was false. The season for laying in a stock of provisions had not arrived when the French entered Moscow. It is only about the middle of October, just before the snow begins to fall, that the winter supplies are collected. At other seasons of the year, the general stock of provisions in the town is calculated only for a short period of consumption. It was equally false that the French found large supplies of wines, brandy, &c. in the cellars. The middle and inferior classes at Moscow are altogether without any supplies whatever of these articles. They are obliged to be contented with humble kvass, for their beverage. In the cellars of the richer and higher orders alone were such supplies to be dis

covered, but in no proportion to the quantity BOOK X. stated in the bulletin.

1812.

The necessity of collecting stores for the winter CHAP. II. is occasioned by the cessation of all intercourse between Moscow and the smaller towns, villages, and estates, during that severe season. Except the great and leading roads of the empire, every highway and footpath is lost in the fallen snow. It is difficult to conceive how the French army could have obtained the means of subsistence for the winter, surrounded, as it must have been, by impassable and trackless snow, and by a hostile population.

Bonaparte asserted, that he found in Moscow 60,000 stand of arms, and 150 pieces of cannon. There is no arsenal at Moscow; and the prodigious extent of the town renders it perfectly indefensible. It is surrounded by no fortified lines, and so numerous a park of artillery was not requisite for the defence of the Kremlin.

A circumstance which at this time escaped general observation was, the probable diminution of the numbers of the French, by the effects of climate alone, at this season of the year. There are three rivers, which partly surround and flow through the city of Moscow, and the fogs and exhalations from them, just previously to the falling of the snow, are extremely injurious to the health even of the inhabitants seasoned to the climate.

While the numbers of the French army were thus diminishing, to those of the Russian troops a constant augmentation was made. The destruction of the greater part of Moscow, instead of dispiriting the Russian nobility, exasperated and animated them to the greatest exertions and sacrifices. Already had they placed one-tenth of their vassals at the disposal of the government: and it was calculated, that, by this mode of supply, upwards of 400,000 men might be raised. In Russia there are forty-two provincial or departmental governments: and it was supposed, that even the smallest would be able to raise nearly 10,000

recruits.

In penetrating to Moscow, it appeared that Bonaparte calculated on a certain spirit of disaf fection to the government, which had generally been known to exist in that part of the empire; but he seemed to have committed the gross error of concluding, that, because the Muscovite nobility were dissatisfied with the government, he should find them ready to join a Corsican invader. He was deceived and disappointed..