ity there were abundant magazines of
every kind, and the few who had as yet preserved some appearance of
order, together with the multitudes of broken stragglers, rushed in
confusion into the place, in the hope of at length resting from their
toils, and eating and drinking, for at least one day, in peace. Strong
men were observed weeping with joy at the sight of a loaf of bread. But
scarcely had they received their rations, ere the well-known _hurrah_ of
Platoff rung once more in their ears. They fled once more, with such of
their baggage as could be most easily got into motion; but many fell
beneath the spears of the Cossacks, and not a few, it is said, were
butchered deliberately in the moment of their perplexity by their
Lithuanian hosts, the same Polish Jews who had already inflicted such
irreparable injury on the whole army, by their non-observance of their
contracts. Shortly after, a waggon laden with coin was overturned on the
road, and the soldiers, laying aside all attention to their officers,
began to plunder the rich spoil. The Cossacks came up--but there was
enough for all, and friend and foe pillaged the imperial treasure, in
company, for once, without strife. It deserves to be recorded that some
soldiers of the imperial guard restored the money which fell to their
share on this occasion, when the weary march at length reached its end.

They passed the Niemen at Kowno; and the Russians did not pursue them
into the Prussian territory. At the time when they escaped finally from
Poland, there were about 1000 in arms, and perhaps 20,000 more, utterly
broken, dispersed, and demoralised.

Schwartzenberg, the general of the Austrian auxiliaries, on learning the
departure of Napoleon, formed an armistice with the Russians, and
retired by degrees into his own prince's territory. These allies had
shown little zeal in any part of the campaign; and their conduct seems
to have been appreciated by the Russians accordingly.

In Courland, on the left flank of the French retreat, there remained the
separate corps of Macdonald, who had with him 20,000 Prussians and
10,000 Bavarians and other Germans. These Prussians had been sent on
this detached service in just apprehension of their coldness to the
invader's cause. Macdonald, on learning the utter ruin of the main army,
commenced his march upon Tilsit. On reaching that place D'York, the
commander of the Prussians, refused any longer to obey the marshal's
orders, and separ