Kelly W.K. The History of Russia: from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Volume 2
Подождите немного. Документ загружается.
A.D.
1S12]
NAPOLEON'S
CAMPAIGN
OF
MOSCOW.
265
of
September,
in
which
Napoleon,
in
order
to
spare
his
guards,
neglected
to follow
up
his
advantage
with
his usual
energy,
and
allowed
the
defeated
Russians,
whom
he
might
have
totally
annihilated,
to
escape.
Napoleon
_
triumphed
;
but
at
what
a
price
!
After
a fearful
struggle,
in
which
he
lost
forty
thousand
men
in
killed
and
wounded
!
the
latter
of whom
perished,
almost
to a
man,
owing
to
want
and
neglect.*
Moscow
was
now both
defenceless
and
void
of
inhabitants.
Napoleon
traversed
this enormous
city,
containing
two
hun-
dred
and
ninety-five
churches
and
fifteen
hundred
palaces
rising
from amid
a sea
of
inferior
dwellings,
and
took
posses-
sion
of the residence
of
the
czars,
the 14th
of
September,
1812.
The whole
city
was,
however,
deserted,
and
scarcely
had
the French
army
taken
up
its
quarters
in
it
ere
flames
burst
from
the
empty
and
closely
shut-up
houses,
and
soon
the
whole of
the immense
city
became
a sea
of
fire,
and
was
reduced,
before
Napoleon's
eyes,
to
ashes.
Every
attempt
to
extinguish
the flames
proved
unavailing.
Rostopshin,
the
commandant
of
Moscow,
had,
previously
to
his
retreat,
put
combustible
materials
into
the
houses,t
which
were
ignited
on
the entrance
of
the French
by
men secreted
for
that
purpose.
A violent
wind
aided
the work
of
destruction.
The
patriotic
sacrifice
was
performed,
and
failed
not
in
its
object.
Na-
poleon,
instead
of
peace
and
plenty,
merely
found ashes
in
Moscow.
After
the
battle
of
Borodino,
Kutusof
had retreated
towards
Moscow,
and
halted
near its
suburbs.
The
position
appearing
altogether
an
unfavourable
one
in
which to await
the
enemy,
the
retreat was continued
through
the
city.
On the
night
of
the 13th
of
September
its
inhabitants
were
still
sleeping
in a half consciousness
of
security
—
still
lulled
and
willing
to be
deceived
by
ltostopshin's
boastful
proclamations.
It
may
be conceived
what
would be
the
effect
of
awakening
300,000
people
out
of
their
sleep
to
pack
and save
their
*
Every
thing
was
wanting;
lint,
linen,
even
necessary
food.
The
wounded
men
lay
for
days
and
weeks
under the
open
sky
and fed
upon
the
carcases
of
horses.
j-
This combustible
matter had
been
prepared
by
Schmid,
the
Dutchman,
under
pretext
of
preparing
an
enormous
balloon
from
which
lire
was
to be
scattered
upon
the French
army.
266
HISTOBT
OP RUSSIA.
[CH.
LX.
goods
from
the
grasp
of
the
foe
—
to
leave
their
native
city
and their
home
within
a few hours
for
another,
they
knew
not
where,
in
the wide
waste of
the
Eussian
empire."
Such
was the
scene which
actually
occurred,
and
that, too,
in
the
midst
of a
retreating
army
of
90,000
men.
Although
some
of
the richer
inhabitants had
already quitted
the
city,
the
main
body
of the
population,
in
their
ignorance
of
the real
state of
affairs, remained,
uncertain
whether
to
fly
or
stay.
The
rich,
in
their
hasty flight,
threw
aside with
indifference
the
costliest
articles of
luxury,
to
make room
in
their
con-
veyances
for
clothing
and
provisions.
The
most
valuable
objects
lay
about
the
streets
disregarded
by
the
Russians,
as
they
were
afterwards
abandoned on the
snow
by
the
French,
their next
possessors.
How
eagerly
would the
latter
have
bartered them
for
a
little bread
or an old
blanket !
Eostopshin joined
Kutusof's
staff
in
the
retreat. The
party
observed a
number
of soldiers
in
advance of
them
attending
carriages.
As
they
approached
nearer,
Wolzogen
remarked that
these
carriages
were the
fire-engines
of
Mos-
cow.
Greatly surprised,
he asked
Eostopshin why
he
had
brought
such
things
with
him.
Eostopshin
replied
that
"
he
had
good
reasons
for
doing
so.
Nevertheless,"
he
added,
"
as
regards
myself,
I
have
only
brought
the
horse I ride
and
the
clothes
I
wear."
As the
voluntary
sacrifice of a
capital
is a
solitary
case in
history,
and
the
burning
of
Moscow
made a fearful
impression
upon
the
conquerors
and their
leader
—
as the
emperor
Alex-
ander never
acknowledged
that
he was
a
willing party
to
the
destruction,
and
Eostopshin publicly
denied,
in
a
printed
declaration,
that
he was
privy
to its
execution
—
we
must
dwell for
a few
moments on the
consideration
of
the
facts
and
evidence.
"We
shall
not
repeat
what
has
been so
well
and
critically
observed
by
de
Chambray.
We
shall
remark,
first
of
all,
that it
appears
clear
to
us,
from the
very
language
of the
proclamation
issued
by
the
emperor
Alexander
during
the
sojourn
of
the
French
in
Moscow,
and wherein
he
pre-
dicts
all
the
evil
consequences
of
a
prolonged
stay
in
the
interior of
Eussia,
that
the
destruction of
the
capital
had
been
long
contemplated
in
the
cabinet.*
The measure
of
*
"
All
the
evils,"
it is
said
in
the
proclamation,
"
which the
enemy
has
thought
to
inflict
upon
us
will fall
at
last
upon
his own head.
How-
A.D.
1812]
NAPOLEON'S
CAMPAIGN
OP MOSCOW.
267
destroying
the
capital
to save
the
empire
is
not,
indeed,
morally
justifiable,
but it exhibited
as
dreadful an
energy
as
was
displayed
by
Danton
in
the
massacres of
September.
It
was also as
effectual
for
its
object
;
and
Eostopshin
and
Danton
only
aimed
at
being politicians,
and not
moralists.
The
ques\ion
as to
the
origin
of
the
conflagration
was
sup-
posed
to
have been
set
at rest
by
Buturlin,
the
emperor
of
Eussia's
aide-de-camp,
who
wrote
his
history
under
the
eye,
and,
as
it
were,
under
the
authority
of Alexander
himself.
Eostopshin,
on
hearing
that Buturlin
was about
to
publish
his
work,
requested
to see it
first,
and then
made no
objection
to the
responsibility
it cast
upon
him
of
beiug
the
author
of
the fire.
Yet in
1822
he
published
in Paris
a
pamphlet,
en-
titled,
"
La
verite
sur
l'incendie
de
Moscow,"
in
which
he
boldly
disavows
the whole
affair.
Clausewitz,
too,
relates,
that
beiug
in
company
with
Eostopshin
seven
or
eight
days
after
the
fire,
the
governor
moved
heaven
and
earth
to
re-
pudiate
the idea
of his
being
the
author
of
it,
and used
the
most
passionate
exclamations
to
convince
those
present.
In
reply
to
Eostopshin'
s
denial, Buturlin,
in a
subsequent
edition
oi* his
history,
writes :
—
"
It is
ungenerous
to
dis-
believe
a
man who
would
thus
voluntarily
despoil
himself
of
the
glory
of a
civic
crown,
and fall back
into
the crowd
; but,
on
the other
hand,
information
the most
positive
leaves no
room
in the author's
mind to doubt
that the fire
of
Moscow
was
prepared
and executed
by
the
Eussian authorities
;"
in
other
words,
by
the
governor, Eostopshin.
It
is
the
em-
peror's
aide-de-camp
who
thus
speaks
; wherefore,
then,
Eos-
topshin'
s
denial ?
Wolzogen
has furnished us
with an
ex-
planation
in the
following
anecdote :
—
"
Eostopshin
was
once,
ever
painful
it
is
to see the ancient
capital
of
the
empire
in his
power,
HE
HAS
NOTHING OF IT EXCEPT THE
EMPTY
WALLS.
In his
pride,
he
thinks
himself
able to
prescribe
a
peace.
He
will,
however,
find
himself
i
>
i :
«
lived
in
his
expectations.
Surrounded
as
he
is on
all
sides,
he
"ill find himself
compelled,
from
want
of
provisions,
to cut
a
way
for
retreat.
The one-half of
his
army,
from its various
struggles
with
us,
is
already
fallen,
or
has been
destroyed by
weariness,
want,
sickness,
and
desertion.
The remainder
of
his
army
is in the
midst
of
the
empire,
plunged,
as it
were,
into the midst
of a true
and
faithful
people,
and
completely
surrounded
by
our
armies,
one
of
which
is
against
him
in the
field,
and
three others in
movement,
in
order
to cut
off his
retreat,"
&c.
268
HISTORY OF RUSSIA.
[CH.
LX.
in
my presence,
asked
downright
by
a
friend
'
"Who
was
the
author
of the
conflagration
of
Moscow
?'
'
That
question,'
he
replied,
'
the
emperor
himself
has not
yet
asked
me,
and
therefore I
consider
myself
bound to
give
an
answer
thereto
to
no
one
else.' Prom
which we
may
conclude,"
continues
"Wolzogen,
"that
Eostopshin
performed
that act
without
the
knowledge
of the
emperor,
who
purposely
avoided
being
made
acquainted
with the
author,
as he
should have felt him-
self
called
on
to visit him with
punishment."
"
Indeed,
it
is
certain,"
says
colonel
Knollys,*
"
that
Eostopshin
ever
re-
mained an unfavoured man
in
the Eussian
court,
and
that
Alexander
spoke coldly
on that which has
been extolled
by
historians
as
the
highest
effort of
patriotism
of
modern
times."
Eor
ourselves,
we
incline to
think that
Wolzogen'
s
con-
clusion
comes
very
near the
truth,
but
does not
quite
hit
the
mark. Circumstantial
evidence tends
to
show that the
burning
of
Moscow
tvas
contemplated
beforehand
by
Alex-
ander.
On
the other
hand,
considering
his inveterate habits
of
secresy
and
dissimulation,
nothing
is more
likely
than
that
both before and after the
event
he
should choose
to
keep
his own share in it
concealed. It is not to be
supposed
that
Eostopshin
acted
upon
formal,
not
to
say
written in-
structions,
and he
would
have
been
no
Eussian
if he had
not
had
cunning enough
to
keep
his master's
secret and
his
own.
Instead of
pursuing
the defeated
Eussians to
Kaluga,
where,
in
accordance
with
Toll's
previous
plan,
they
took
up
a
position
close
upon
the flank of
the
French,
and threa-
tened to
impede
their retreat
;
instead
of
taking up
his
winter-quarters
in
the fertile
south,
or of
quickly turning
and
fixing
himself in
Lithuania,
in order
to
collect reinforce-
ments for the
ensuing year, Napoleon
remained in a state
of
inaction at Moscow
until the 19th
of
October,
in
expectation
of
proposals
of
peace
from Alexander. The terms
of
peace
offered
by
him on his
part
to
the Eussians did not
even
elicit
a
reply.
His
cavalry,
already
reduced to a
great
state of
exhaustion,
were,
in the
beginning
of
October,
surprised
before
the
city
of
Tarutino,
and
repulsed
with
enormous
loss.
This at
length
decided
Napoleon
upon
marching
upon
Kaluga,
but
the
moment
for
success
had
already
passed.
The
*
In the
introduction to
his
translation
of de
Fezensac's
"
Journal
of the
Russian
Campaign
of
1812."
A.D.
1812]
NAPOLEON'S
CAMPAIGN
OF
MOSCOW.
269
reinforced
and
inspirited
Russians
made such
a
desperate
re-
sistance
at
Malo-Yaroslavetz,
that
he resolved to
retire
by
the
nearest
route,
that
by
which
he
had
penetrated
up
the
country,
marked
by
ashes
and
pestilential
corpses,
into
Lithuania.
Winter
had not
yet
set
in,
and
his ranks
were
already
thinned
by
famine.
Kutusof,
with
the
main
body
of
the
Russian
army,
pursued
the
retreating
French,
and
again
overtook
them
at
Wiazma,
3rd
November.
Napoleon's
hopes
now
rested
on
the
separate
corps
d'armee
left
to
his
rear on his
advance
upon
Moscow,
but
they
were,
notwith-
standing
the
defeat
of
Wittgenstein's
corps
by
the Bavarians
under
Wrede,
kept
in check
by
fresh
Russian
armies,
and
exposed
to all
the horrors
of winter.
In
Volhynia,
Schwart-
zenberg
had
zealously
endeavoured
to
spare
his
troops,*
and
had,
by
his retreat
towards
the
grand-duchy
of
Warsaw,
left Tchitchakof
at
liberty
to
turn
his
arms
against Napoleon,
against
whom
Wittgenstein
also
advanced
in the
design
of
blocking up
his
route,
whilst
Kutusof
incessantly
assailed his
flank
and rear.
On
the 6th
of
November,
the frost
suddenly
set in.
The
ill-fed horses
died
by
thousands
in a
single
night
;
the
greater
part
of the
cavalry
was
consequently
dismounted,
and
it
was
found
necessary
to abandon
part
of the
booty
and
artillery.
A
deep
snow
shortly
afterwards
fell and ob-
structed
the
path
of
the
fugitive
army.
The frost became
more
and more
rigorous
;
but
few of
the men
had sufficient
strength
left
to
continue
to
carry
their arms
and to cover
the
flight
of the rest.
Most
of
the soldiers
threw
away
their
arms
and
merely
endeavoured
to
preserve
life.
Napoleon's
grand army
was scattered
over
the boundless snow-covered
steppes,
whose
dreary monotony
was
solely
broken
by
some
desolate
half-burnt
village.
Gaunt
forms
of
famine, wan,
hdllow-eyed,
wrapped
in
strange garments
of
misery,
skins,
women's
clothes,
&c,
and
with
long-grown
beards,
dragged
their faint
and
weary
limbs
along,
fought
for
a dead horse
whose
flesh was
greedily
torn from the
carcase,
murdered
each
other
for a morsel
of
bread,
and
fell one after
the
*
This was
Austria's
natural
policy.
In the French
despatches,
Schwartzenberg
was
charged
with
having
allowed Tchitchakof
to
escape
in
order
to
pursue
the
inconsiderable
force under Sacken.
270
HISTOET OF EUSSIA.
[CH.
LX.
other
in
the
deep
snow,
never
again
to rise. Frozen
corpses
lay
each
morning
around
the dead ashes
of
the
night-
fires.*
Numbers were
seen to
spring,
with a
horrid
cry
of
mad
exultation,
into
the
flaming
houses. Numbers fell into
the
hands of
the Russian
boors,
who
stripped
them
naked
and
chased
them
through
the snow. Smolensk
was at
length
reached,
but
the loss of the
greater
part
of the
cannon,
the
want of
ammunition
and
provisions,
rendered their
stay
in
that
deserted
and half-consumed
city impossible.
The
flight
was
continued,
the Russians
incessantly pursuing
and
harass-
ing
the worn-out
troops,
whose
retreat was
covered
by
Ney
with
all the men still under arms. Cut
off at
Smolensk,
he
escaped
almost
by
miracle,
by
creeping
during
the
night
along
the banks of
the
Dniepr
and
successively
repulsing
the
several
Russian
corps
that
threw themselves in his
way.f
A
thaw
now took
place,
and the
Beresina,
which
it was neces-
sary
to
cross,
was full
of
drift
ice,
its
banks
were
slippery
and
impassable,
and
moreover
commanded
by
Tchitchakof's
artillery,
whilst
the roar of
cannon
to the rear announced
Wittgenstein's approach.
Kutusof
had this
time
failed
to
advance
with
sufficient
rapidity,
and
Napoleon,
the
river to
his front
and enclosed between the Russian
armies,
owed
his
escape
to the
most
extraordinary
good
luck.
The
corps
d'armee
under
Oudinot
and
Victor,
that
had been left behind
on
his advance
upon
Moscow,
came at the
moment
of need
with
fresh
troops
to
his
aid.
Tchitchakof
quitted
the bank
at
the
spot
where
Napoleon
intended to make
the
passage
of
the
Beresina,
under
an
idea of the
attempt
being
made at
another
point.
Napoleon
instantly
threw two
bridges
across
the
stream,
and
all the
able-bodied men crossed in
safety.
At the
moment when
the
bridges,
that had several times
*
The
following
anecdote
is
related of the
Hessians commanded
by
prince
Emilius of
Darmstadt.
The
prince
had
fallen
asleep
in the
snow,
and
four Hessian
dragoons,
in
order to screen him from
the
north
wind,
held
their cloaks as
a wall around
him,
and
were found next
morning
in
the
same
position
—
frozen to
death. Dead
bodies
were
seen frozen
into
the most
extraordinary positions,
gnawing
their own
hands,
gnaw-
ing
the
torn
corpses
of their
comrades.
The dead
were
often covered
with
snow,
and the number of
little
heaps lying
around
alone
told
that
of
the
victims
of
a
single
night.
f
Napoleon
said,
"
There
are
200,000,000
fr.
lying
in
the cellars of
the Tuileries;
how
willingly
would I
give
them to
save
Ney!"
A.D.
1812]
napoleon's
CAMPAIGN OP MOSCOW. 271
given
way,
were choked
up
by
the countless
throng
bringing
up
the
rear,
"Wittgenstein appeared
and directed his
heavy
artillery upon
the motionless
and unarmed crowd.
Some
regiments,
forming
the
rear-guard,
fell,
together
with all still
remaining
on
the
other side of
the
river,
into
the hands of
the Eussians.
The
fugitive
army
was,
after this
fearful
day,
relieved,
but
the
temperature
again
fell
to
twenty-seven
degrees
below
zero,
and the stoutest hearts
and frames sank.
On the 5th
of
December,
Napoleon, placing
himself in
a
sledge,
hurried
in
advance
of
his
army,
nay,
preceded
the news
of his
disaster,
in
order
at all
events
to
insure
his
personal
safety
and
to
pass
through
Germany
before measures could
be taken
for
his
capture.*
His
fugitive
army
shortly
afterwards
reached
Wilna,
but
was
too exhausted to maintain
that
position.
Enormous
magazines,
several
prisoners,
and
the rest
of the
booty,
besides
six
million
francs
in silver
money,
fell
here
into
the
hands
of the
Eussians. Part of
the
fugitives
escaped
to
Dantzig,
but few crossed
the
Oder;
the Saxons under
Eegnier
were routed
and
dispersed
in a last
engagement
at
Calisch
;
Poniatowski and
the
Poles retired to Cracow
on
the Austrian
frontier,
protected,
as it
were,
by
Schwartzenberg,
who remained unassailed
by
the
Russians,
and whose neu-
trality
was,
not
long
afterwards,
formally
recognised.
The
Prussians,
who
had
been,
meanwhile,
occupied
with
the
unsuccessful
siege
of
Riga,
and
who,
like
the
Austrians,
had
comparatively
husbanded their
strength,
were now
the
only
hope
of the
fugitive
French. The
troops
under
Mac-
donald,
accordingly,
received
orders to
cover
the retreat
of
*
He
passed
with
extreme
rapidity,
incognito,
through
Germany.
In
Dresden
be had
a
short interview with
the
king
of
Saxony,
who,
had
he shut
him
up
at
Konigstein,
would
have saved
Europe
a
gocd
deal of
trouble.
Napoleon
no sooner
reached Paris in
safety
than,
in
his
twenty
ninth
bulletin,
he?
for
the first
time, acquainted
the
astonished
world,
hitherto deceived
by
his
false
accounts of
victory,
with
the dis-
astrous
termination
of
the
campaign.
This bulletin was also
replete
with
falsehood
and
insolence. In
his
contempt
of
humanity
he
even
said,
"
Merely
the cowards
in
the
army
were
depressed
in
spirit
and
(/named
of
misfortune,
the
brave
were
ever
cheerful."
Thus wrote
the
man
who had both seen
and
caused all
this
immeasurable
misery!
The
bulletin
concluded
with,
"
His
Imperial
Majesty
never
enjoyed
better
health."
272
HISTOET OF
RUSSIA.
[CH.
LXI.
the
grand army,
but
York,
instead of
obeying,
concluded a
neutral
treaty
with the Russians commanded
by
Diebitsch
of
Silesia,
and remained
stationary
in
Eastern Prussia.
The
king
of
Prussia,
at that
time still at Berlin
and
in the
power
of the
Prench,
publicly
disapproved
of the
step
taken
by
his
general,
who
was,
on the evacuation
of Berlin
by
the
Prench,
as
publicly
rewarded.
The immense
army
of
the
conqueror
of
the
world
was
annihilated. Of
those who
entered
Moscow
scarcely twenty
thousand,
of the half
million of
men
who
crossed
the
Bussian
frontier
but
eighty
thousand,
returned.
CHAPTEB
LXI.
campaigns of
the grand alliance
in
1813-14
—
fall
of
napoleon
—
Alexander's return to Russia
—
congress
of yienna.
The
great campaigns
of 1813
and
1814,
which
ended
in
the
downfal
of
Napoleon,
belong
rather
to the
history
of
Europe
than
to that of Russia
;
we
shall,
therefore,
pass
rapidly
over
their details.
Ballying
with
amazing
promptitude
from
the
tremendous
blow he had suffered
in
Russia,
Napoleon
raised
a fresh
army
of
300,000
men
in the
beginning
of
1813,
in order
to
crush
the insurrection
in
which all Northern
Germany
had
joined,
with
the
exception
of
Saxony,
after
Prussia had
openly
ad-
hered to
the
Bussian
alliance.
By
the
treaty
of
Kalisch,
which established
that
alliance,
Alexander
engaged
not to
lay
down his arms
until Prussia
had
recovered
the
territory
it
possessed
before
the
war
of 1800. Great efforts
were
now made
by
the cabinets of St.
Petersburg
and
Berlin to
detach
Austria
from Prance
;
and so
strongly
were the
national
feelings
declared in
favour
of that
policy,
that
M.
de
Metternich had
the
utmost
difficulty
in
withstanding
the
torrent,
and
evading
the
hazard of
committing
his
govern-
ment
prematurely.
Temporising
with consummate
art,
he
offered
the mediation
of
his
government
between
the
hostile
parties,
and
at the
same
time
prosecuted
his
military pre-
?3
A.D.
1813]
THE
GEAXD
ALLIANCE.
27
parations
on
such a scale
as
would enable Austria
to act no
subordinate
part
on
tbe
one side or
the other
in the
coming
struggle.
Meanwhile,
hostilities
began
;
the Eussians and
Prussians
were defeated
by Napoleon
at
Liitzen and at
Bautzen,
where Alexander
commanded
tbe allied armies in
person
;
and
they
were
fortunate in
concluding
an armistice
with him at Pleisswitz
on
the 4th of
June,
1813.
They
availed themselves
of this truce to
reinforce
their
armies,
and
more
than
60,000
fresh
troops
reached
the seat of
war
from
the
south and
the middle of Russia.
On the
27th,
Austria
signed
a
treaty
at
Reichenbach,
in
Silesia,
with Russia
and
Prussia,
by
which
she bound
herself
to declare war
with
Prance,
in
case
Napoleon
had
not,
before
the termination
of the
armistice,
accepted
the terms
of
peace
about
to
be
proposed
to him. A
pretended
congress
for the
arrangement
of the
treaty
was
again
agreed
to
by
both
sides
;
but
Napoleon delayed
to
grant
full
powers
to his
envoy,
and
tbe
allies,
who had meanwhile heard
of
Wellington's victory
at
Vittoria,
and the
expulsion
of the
French
from
Spain,
gladly
seized this
pretext
to break off
the
negotiations.
Meanwhile,
Metternich,
whose voice was
virtually
to decide
Napoleon's
fate,
met
him
at
Dresden
with an
offer
of
peace,
on
condition of the
surrender of the Prench
conquests
in
Germany.
Napoleon,
with an infatuation
only
equalled
by
his
attempts
to
negotiate
at
Moscow,
spurned
the
proposal,
and
even
went
the
length
of
charging
count
Metternich
with
taking
bribes
from
England.
The
conference,
which
was
conducted on
Napoleon's
part
in so
insulting
a
manner,
and
at
times in
tones of
passion
so violent as
to be
overheard
by
the
attendants,
lasted till near
midnight
on
the
10th of
August,
the
day
witli which the
armistice was
to
expire.
The
fatal hour
passed by,
and that
night
count
Metternich
drew
up
the
declaration of
war,
on the
part
of his
govern-
ment,
against
Prance.
Austria
coalesced
with
Russia
and
Prussia,
and
the
Austrian
general, prince Schwartzenberg,
was
appointed
generalissimo
of the
whole of
the
allied armies.
The
plan
of
the allies was
to
advance
with
the
main
body
under
Schwartzenberg,
190,000
strong, through
the
llartz
mountains
to
Napoleon's
rear.
Blueher,
with
95,000
men,
was
meanwhile
to cover
Silesia,
or
in
case
of an
attack
by
Napoleon's
main
body,
to retire
before
it,
and
draw
it
further
VOL.
II.
T
274
HISTORY
OF
RUSSIA.
[CH.
LXI.
eastward.
Bernadotte,
crown
prince
of
Sweden,
was to
cover
Berlin with
90,000
men,
and in case
of a
victory,
was
to
form
a
junction,
rearward
of
Napoleon,
with the main
body
of
the allied
army.
A mixed
division under
Wallmoden,
30,000
strong,
was
destined to
watch
Davoust
in
Hamburg,
whilst
the Bavarian
and
Italian
frontiers
were
respectively
guarded
by
25,000
Austrians
under
prince
Beuss,
and
40,000
Austrians
under
Hiller.
Napoleon's
main
body,
consisting
of
250,000
men,
was
concentrated
in and around
Dresden.
The
campaign
opened
with
the
march
of
a French
force
under
Oudinot
against
Berlin.
This attack
having completely
failed,
Napoleon
marched
in
person
against
Bliicher,
who
cautiously
retired
before
him.
Dresden
being
thus left
un-
covered,
the allies
changed
their
plan
of
operations,
and
marched
straight upon
the
Saxon
capital.
But
they
arrived
too
late,
Napoleon
having already
returned
thither,
after
despatching
Van
damme'
s
corps
to
Bohemia,
to
seize the
passes
and cut
off
Schwartzenberg's
retreat.
The allies
attempted
to storm
Dresden,
on
the
26th
of
August,
but
were
repulsed
after
suffering
a
frightful
loss.
On the
fol-
lowing
day
Napoleon
assumed
the
offensive,
cut
off
the
left
wiug
of
the
allies,
and made
an immense
number
of
pri-
soners,
chiefly
Austrians.
The main
body
fled
in
all direc-
tions
;
part
of the
troops
disbanded,
and
the
whole
must
have
been
annihilated
but
for the misfortune
of
Vandamme,
who
was
taken
prisoner,
with
his
whole
corps,
on
the 29th. It
was
at
the battle
of Dresden
that
Moreau,
who
had
come
from
his exile
in America
to aid the
allies
against
his
old
rival
Napoleon,
was
killed
by
a
cannon
ball
whilst
he was
speaking
to
the
emperor
Alexander.
At
the same
time
(August
26)
a
splendid
victory
was
gained
by
Bliicher,
on
the
Katzbach,
over
Macdonald,
who
reached
Dresden
almost
alone,
to
say
to
Napoleon,
"
Tour
army
of
the Bober
is no
longer
in existence."
This
disaster
to
the French
arms
\vas
followed
by
the
defeat
of
Ney
at
Dennewitz
by
the
Prussians and
Swedes
on
the
6th
of
September.
Napoleon's
generals
were
thrown
back
in
every
quarter,
with immense
loss,
on
Dresden,
towards
which
the
allies
now
advanced
again, threatening
to
enclose
it on
every
side.
Napoleon
manoeuvred until
the
beginning
of
October,
with
the view
of
executing
a
coup
de
main
against
Schwart-