estroyed by the enemy's center. The
dashing horsemen of Galitzin reached the foot of the very hill on
which Napoleon stood, and a panic seized all about him, not excepting
Berthier and Bessieres, who excitedly called up the guard to save
their Emperor. The Emperor, though almost "trodden under foot" as
Bertrand testified, nevertheless remained calm, exclaiming, "What
boldness! What boldness!" The pursuers fell back exhausted, and Murat
in turn dashed with his cavalry toward the gap between the enemy's
center and right. So worn out were both sides, however, that without a
collision they ceased to charge, and began to fire.

About noon Davout at last arrived on the Russian left, and drove it
from its position, while Saint-Hilaire again charged, and the two in
combination effected the movement contemplated by the Emperor. In a
few hours the Russians, who were receding in fair order and fighting
fiercely, began to waver, and some of the formations broke into
flight. In this crisis Scharnhorst arrived with five thousand
Prussians; he had been compelled to make a long detour in order to
avoid Ney, with whom Lestocq had been engaged. By nightfall the French
were brought to a stand, and soon after they were driven back from the
hamlets which they had seized in their advance. Night ended the fight.
Ney had not received his orders until two in the afternoon, and
arrived too late for service. The armies retained their relative
positions, and both claimed the day. Neither had lost, neither had
gained, the field. But the battle was disastrous for both: from first
to last the struggle had been desperate and bloody. The losses were
virtually equal--about eighteen thousand men on each side. During the
evening Napoleon began to arrange a retreat; in fact, Davout was
about to begin it when he learned that there was a great commotion in
the enemy's bivouac. Advancing as far as possible, the marshal put his
ear to the ground and distinctly noted a diminishing rumble, which
convinced him that the Russians were withdrawing. This was an
agreeable surprise, and Napoleon, when informed of the fact, ordered
his army to stand fast. The morning light displayed an abandoned
Russian camp.

It is impossible to tell which army was in the worse plight; both were
in the utmost distress. Augereau had been wounded, and, though not
disabled, had left the field. This brought down on him the commander's
displeasure, and inasmuch as his corps was nearly ann