in position, retired in all directions. The effects of this error in judgement, were felt long after. Bagration, who was cut off from the main army, performed wonders; but he was for a long time prevented from joining the Commander-in-chiefBarclay de Tolly. The account of the battle of Ostrowno is spirited, but not very distinct; it contains, however, a characteristic specimen of the superior decision and promptness of Napoleon's manœuvres, compared with those of other officers of undoubted eminence.

The success of the combat was certain; but we dared not venture to cross the extensive forest before us, on the other side of which were the hills of Witepsk, where we knew the forces of the enemy were encamped. While we were deliberating on the means of effecting that important passage, we heard a great tumult behind us. No one could guess the cause, and uneasiness was added to our curiosity; but when we perceived Napoleon surrounded by a brilliant suite, our fears were dissipated; and the enthusiasm which his presence always excited, made us hope that he would add to the glory of that eventful day. The King of Naples and the Prince hastened to meet him, and informed him of the event of the engagement, and the measures which they had since adopted. But Napoleon, desirous to become more intimately acquainted with every circumstance, quickly proceeded to the most advanced posts of our line, and viewed from an eminence, the position of the enemy, and the nature of the ground. His eye penetrated into the Russian camp. He guessed their plans, and immediately ordered new dispositions, which being executed with precision and rapidity, the army was soon in the middle of the forest. We followed at a quick pace, and reached the hills of Witepsk as the day began to close.' p. 68, 69.

The Russians abandoned the position of Witepsk with such admirable order, as to put the French most completely at fault.

We wandered,' says Labaume, in all directions over an immense plain, without perceiving the faintest trace of his retreat. Not one carriage, not a single dead horse, not even a solitary vehicle, indicated the road which the enemy had taken.'

The storming of Smolensko is described from the report of another officer, as the Viceroy's division was not present at that sanguinary conflict. It is well observed, in connexion with this event, that if Napoleon had limited

The operations of this campaign to the taking of Riga, the fortifying of Witepsk and Smolensko, and more particularly the organization of Poland, he would, doubtless, in the following spring, have forced the Russians either to subscribe to his conditions, or to run the risk of the almost certain destruction both of Moscow and Petersburg.'

But cautious calculation was not suited to the impetuosity of Buonaparte, and he hurried forward on the road to Moseow, until his career was stopped by the village and redoubts of Borodino. His reconnoissance, previous to the celebrated battle of that name, is thus described:

Our dragoons, placed as sharp-shooters, announced the approach of Napoleon. Immediately the name of the Emperor passed from mouth to mouth, and every one awaited his arrival with the greatest impatience. He soon made his appearance followed by his principal officers, and took his station on an eminence whence he could easily command the whole camp of the enemy After having long and attentively regarded their position, and carefully observed all the adjacent country, he began to hum some insignificant tune. He then conversed a moment with the Viceroy; and, mounting his horse, he went to consult the Prince of Eckmuhl.' p. 126, 127.

An advanced redoubt was carried, after a bloody contest, by the division of Compan, and

The next morning, as Napoleon was reviewing the 61st regiment which had suffered most, he asked the Colonel what he had done with one of his battalions ?' SIRE," replied he, "it is in the redoubt."

Of the tremendous conflict that ensued, we have neither leisure nor inclination to speak. It is described here, as far as it fell under Labaume's observation, with great animation, but with imperfect fidelity. The Russian, and the French accounts of this battle, are completely at variance; and we do not feel ourselves qualified to point out the precise line of truth: we imagine, however, that at the close of a hard-fought day, the advantage on the whole was with the French, and that Kutusoff retreated, because he felt his utter inability to renew the contest. On no other ground, indeed, can his retreat be vindicated: his troops had fought well, and were not disheartened; many of the strong points of his position were yet unforced, and his loss of men had certainly not exceeded that of the enemy. He retreated, however, and the invaders entered Moscow. The fire which laid this vast city waste, is, by our Author, attributed to Count Rastopchin; and a very picturesque description is given of the burning of the Exchange, where it appears to have commenced, and whence it spread in all directions, until nine tenths of the city were consumed.

Embarrassed by the judicious disposition of the Russian armies, kept continually on the alert by the incursions of the Cossacks, and unable to obtain supplies for his troops, Napoleon was at length compelled to break up. A successful attack on the cavalry of Murat, hastened his movements, and on the

eighteenth of October, he directed his march on the Kalougha road, and speedily came in contact with the Muscovites at Malo-Jaroslavitz. Here again Labaume claims the victory for his countrymen; but the following extract will shew how dearly it was purchased, as well as the stern indifference with which the Imperial Chief could contemplate the dreadful ravages of his ambition.

The town where we had fought no longer remained. We could not even distinguish the lines of the streets, on account of the numerous dead bodies with which they were heaped. On every side we saw a multitude of scattered limbs, and human heads, crushed by the wheels of the artillery. The houses formed a pile of ruins, and under their burning ashes, appeared many skeletons half consumed. Many of the sick and wounded had, on quitting the field of battle, taken refuge in these houses. The small number of them who had escaped the flames, now presented themselves before us, with their faces blackened, and their clothes and hair dreadfully burnt.' p. 252, 253.

Towards the afternoon, Napoleon, having arrived with a numerous suite, coolly surveyed the field of battle, and heard, without emotion, the heart-rending cries of the unhappy wounded, who eagerly demanded assistance. But this man, although accustomed for twenty years to the calamities of war, could not, on entering the town, repress his astonishment at the desperation with which both parties must have fought. Even had he intended to continue his march on Tula and Kaluga, the experience of this battle would have deterred him. On this occasion, even his insensibility was forced to render justice to those to whom it was due. He gave a convincing proof of it by praising the valour of the fourth corps, and saying to the Viceroy, "The honour of this glorious day belongs entirely to "you." p. 253,254.

The results of this battle were entirely in favour of the Russians, for they succeeded in outflanking the French army, and in cutting off its columns from the route of Medouin, Joukhnov and Elnia.' It was thus thrown back on the Smolensko great road, which had been completely desolated by the ravages of its former march, offering neither food nor shelter to its retiring divisions. Along this dreadful road the French retraced their steps, traversing the scenes of former conflict, still covered with thousands of decaying carcases; incessantly harrassed by the Cossacks, and suffering the very extremity of privation. At Viazma, they were overtaken and 'routed by Milarodovitch, and

at one o'clock in the morning the Viceroy deemed it prudent to profit by the obscurity of the night, to effect his retreat and gain some hours march on the Russians.' The passage of the Wop was eminently disastrous to the Viceroy's division: nearly the whole of the baggage and artillery was

obliged to be abandoned, and it was with difficulty that the troops themselves could pass the ford. Some relief was hoped for from the magazines, which it was presumed had been formed and husbanded at Smolensko: this hope, however, was vain : -'Nothing,' says Labaume, had been prepared to relieve and < comfort an army whose salvation depended on that place

' alone.'

Marching from Smolensko, a spectacle the most horrible was presented to our view. From that point till we arrived at a wretched ruined hamlet*, at the distance of about three leagues, the road was entirely covered with cannon and ammunition-waggons, which they had scarce time to spike, or to blow up. Horses in the agonies of death were seen at every step, and sometimes whole teams, sinking under their labours, fell together. All the defiles which the carriages could not pass, were filled with muskets, helmets, and breast-plates. Trunks broken open, portmanteaus torn to pieces, and garments of every kind were scattered over the valley. At every little distance, we met with trees, at the foot of which the soldiers had attempted to light a fire, but the poor wretches had perished ere they could accomplish their object. We saw them stretched by dozens around the green branches which they had vainly endeavoured to kindle; and so numerous were the bodies, that they would have obstructed the road, had not the soldiers been often employed in throwing them into the ditches and the ruts.' p. 327.

At Krasnoë, Miloradovitch again awaited them, and again inflicted signal vengeance on their exhausted columns. From this place, Napoleon advanced by forced marches on the Beresina,' aware of the dangerous situation in which he was placed by the progress of Wittgenstein, and the advance of Chichagoff. At Liadou, the following 'horrible scene' took place.

Amongst the buildings which were burning, were three vast barns, filled with soldiers, most of whom were wounded. They could not escape from the two which were behind, without passing through the one that was in front, and that was enveloped in flames. The most active saved themselves by leaping out of the windows; but the sick and the wounded, unable to move, saw, with horrible consternation, the flames rapidly advancing to devour them. Moved by the cries with which those unhappy beings rent the air, some, whose hearts were less hardened than others, attempted to save them. Vain effort! Before we could reach them, they were more than half buried under the burning rafters. Eagerly did they cry to their com rades through the whirlwinds of the fire, to shorten their sufferings by immediately depriving them of life. It became the painful duty of humanity to comply with their intreaties. "Fire upon us, fire " upon us,—at the head, at the head; do not hesitate," were the

*On inspecting the map, this appears to be Loubna.

VOL. III. N. S.

22

cries which proceeded from every part of the building, nor did they cease, till every wretched victim was consumed.' p. 343-4.

We shall now direct our attention principally to the latter of the two publications, whose titles stand at the head of this article. It is, as we have before remarked, intended to exonerate Chichagoff at the expense of Kutusoff and Wittgenstein, which, we think, it altogether fails to do. We find it absolutely impossible, without the advantage of illustrating our comments by a map, to make our remarks as intelligible as we could wish: we shall therefore abandon the intention we had formed of giving a complete and critical analysis of this pamphlet. The whole statement is liable to strong animadversion; but we must content ourselves with noting a few only of the more questionable positions.

It is well known that the hopes of all Europe were fixed on the Beresina as the limit of Napoleon's career. Chichagoff, it was every where reported, and implicitly believed, had, with a large and well appointed army of veteran troops, obtained entire possession and command of its banks, and was, in part, as Lord Stewart would say, à cheval on the Beresina. Now it very olearly appears, that this was far from being a fair representation of the circumstances of the case. The Admiral was, as it is here asserted, unable to direct more than twenty-four thousand troops on the various threatened points, and it will be obvious, that the subdivision of this small force could not do more than obstruct, without absolutely preventing, the passage of the river. From the very outset he was in circumstances of extraordinary difficulty. In the first place, the army of Prince Schwartzenberg, although inferior in numbers to the united Moldavian and Volbynian armies, was yet quite sufficient of itself to have completely occupied the whole attention of Chickagoff; and if the Austrians had entered upon a series of active and vigorous operations; or if, instead of falling back entirely upon Warsaw, he had retired on Minsk, the Russian general, we conceive, would never have seen the Beresina.

In addition to this, and without any reference to the movements of Schwartzenberg, an army quite disposable, in good order, and amounting to forty thousand men, might have bee easily assembled at Minsk, to protect the retreat of Buonaparte In fact, Chichagoff seems to have been indebted, for his partia successes, to the downright fatuity of the governor of Minsk rather than to his own skill and activity If proper measure had been adopted by this incomprehensible being, the division d Oudinot, Dombrowski, and other strong detachments, woul have united, and not only possessed themselves of the passag of the Beresina, but probably annihilated the Admiral's arm