ns to Berthier of the 11th of September for marshal
Victor exhibited his distress: "The enemy, attacked at the heart, no
longer trifles with us at the extremities. Write to the duke of Belluno
to direct all, infantry, cavalry, artillery, and isolated soldiers to
Smolensk, in order to be forwarded from thence to Moscow."

In the midst of these bodily and mental sufferings, which he carefully
concealed from his army, Davoust obtained access to him; his object was
to offer himself again, notwithstanding his wound, to take the command
of the vanguard, promising that he would contrive to march night and
day, reach the enemy, and compel him to fight, without squandering, as
Murat did, the strength and lives of the soldiers. Napoleon only
answered him by extolling in high terms the audacious and inexhaustible
ardour of his brother-in-law.

He had just before heard, that the enemy's army had again been found;
that it had not retired upon his right flank, towards Kalouga, as he had
feared it would; that it was still retreating, and that his vanguard was
already within two days' march of Moscow. That great name, and the great
hopes which he attached to it, revived his strength, and on the 12th of
September, he was sufficiently recovered to set out in a carriage, in
order to join his vanguard.

END OF VOL. I.

HISTORY

OF THE

EXPEDITION TO RUSSIA,

UNDERTAKEN BY THE

EMPEROR NAPOLEON,

IN THE YEAR 1812.

BY GENERAL, COUNT PHILIP DE SEGUR.

Quamquam animus meminisse horret, luctuque refugit,
Incipiam--.

VIRGIL.

_SECOND EDITION, CAREFULLY REVISED AND CORRECTED._

IN TWO VOLUMES,

WITH A MAP AND SEVEN ENGRAVINGS.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

TREUTTEL AND WURTZ, TREUTTEL, JUN. AND RICHTER, 30,
SOHO-SQUARE.

1825.

[Illustration: Portrait of the Emperor Alexander]

HISTORY

OF

NAPOLEON'S EXPEDITION

TO

RUSSIA.

BOOK VIII.

CHAP. I.

We have seen how the Emperor Alexander, surprised at Wilna amidst his
preparations for defence, retreated with his disunited army, and was
unable to rally it till it was at the distance of a hundred leagues from
that city, between Witepsk and Smolensk. That Prince, hurried along in
the precipitate retreat of Barclay, sought refuge at Drissa, in a camp
injudiciously chosen and entrenched at great expense; a mere point in
the space, on so extensive a frontier, and which served only to indicate
to the enemy the object of his manoeuv