retired precipitately, and abandoned everything.

Meanwhile, the shells having set fire to the wooden town behind them, in
their retreat they were stopped by the conflagration: one fire drove
them back upon another; the Russian recruits, wrought up to a pitch of
fanatic fury, closely pursued them; our soldiers became enraged; they
fought man to man; some were seen seizing each other with one hand and
striking with the other, until both rolled down the precipices into the
flames without quitting their hold. There the wounded expired, either
suffocated by the smoke or consumed by the flames.

The 15th division was still left. The viceroy summoned it: as it
advanced, it threw a brigade into the suburb on the left, and another
into the town on the right. It consisted of Italians, recruits, who had
never before been in action. They ascended, shouting enthusiastically,
ignorant of the danger or despising it, from that singular disposition
which renders life less dear in its flower than in its decline, either
because while young we fear death less from the feeling of its distance,
or because at that age, rich in years and lavish of everything, we are
prodigal of life as the wealthy are of their fortune.

The shock was terrible: everything was reconquered for the fourth time,
and speedily lost again in like manner. More eager to begin than their
seniors, these young troops were sooner disheartened, and returned
flying to the old battalions, which supported them, and were obliged to
lead them back to danger.

The Russians, imboldened by their constantly increasing numbers and by
success, descended by their right to gain possession of the bridge and
to cut off our retreat. Prince Eugene had nothing left but his last
reserve: he and his guard, therefore, now took part in the combat. At
this sight, and in obedience to his call, the remains of the 13th,
14th, and 15th divisions resumed their courage: they made a last and
desperate effort, and for the fifth time the combat was transferred to
the heights.

At the same time, Colonel Peraldi and the Italian troops overthrew with
their bayonets the Russians who were already approaching the left of the
bridge: infuriated by the smoke and the fire through which they had
passed, and encouraged by their success and the havoc which they made,
they pushed forward without stopping on the elevated plain, and
endeavored to make themselves masters of the enemy's cannon; but one of
those dee