esina, but of a long train of wooden causeways, extending for
miles beyond the river, over deep and dangerous morasses, and which
being composed of old dry timber, would have required, says Segur, "to
destroy them utterly, but a few sparks from the Cossacks' tobacco
pipes."

In spite of this neglect, and of the altogether extraordinary conduct of
Kutusoff, who still persisted in marching on a line parallel with
Napoleon, and refusing to hazard any more assaults, the passage of the
Beresina was one of the most fearful scenes recorded in the annals of
war. Victor, with the rear-division, consisting of 8000 men, was still
on the eastern side--when Witgenstein and Platoff appeared on the
heights above. The still numerous retainers of the camp, crowds of sick,
wounded, and women, and the greater part of the artillery, were in the
same situation. When the Russian cannon began to open upon this
multitude, crammed together near the bank, and each anxiously expecting
the turn to pass, a shriek of utter terror ran through them, and men,
women, horses, and waggons rushed at once, pell-mell, upon the bridges.
The larger of these, intended solely for waggons and cannon, ere long
broke down, precipitating all that were upon it into the dark and
half-frozen stream. The scream that rose at this moment, says one that
heard it, "did not leave my ears for weeks; it was heard clear and loud
over the hurrahs of the Cossacks, and all the roar of artillery." The
remaining bridge was now the only resource, and all indiscriminately
endeavoured to gain a footing on it. Squeezed, trampled, forced over the
ledges, cut down by each other, and torn by the incessant shower of
Russian cannonade, they fell and died in thousands. Victor stood his
ground bravely until late in the evening, and then conducted his
division over the bridge. There still remained behind a great number of
the irregular attendants, besides those soldiers who had been wounded
during the battle, and guns and baggage-carts enough to cover a large
meadow. The French now fired the bridge, and all these were abandoned to
their fate. The Russian account states, that when the Beresina thawed
after that winter's frost, 36,000 bodies were found in its bed.

Tchaplitz was soon joined in his pursuit of the survivors by
Witgenstein and Platoff, and nothing could have saved Napoleon but the
unexpected arrival of a fresh division under Maison, sent forwards from
Poland by Maret, Duke of Bassa