. IV.

We were now approaching the most critical moment; Victor was in the rear
with 15,000 men; Oudinot in front with 5,000, and already on the
Berezina; the Emperor, between them, with 7,000 men, 40,000 stragglers,
and an enormous quantity of baggage and artillery, the greatest part of
which belonged to the second and the ninth corps.

On the 25th, as he was about to reach the Berezina, he appeared to
linger on his march. He halted every instant on the high road, waiting
for night to conceal his arrival from the enemy, and to allow the Duke
of Reggio time to evacuate Borizof.

This marshal, when he entered that town upon the 23d, found the bridge,
which was 300 fathoms in length, destroyed at three different points,
and that the vicinity of the enemy rendered it impossible to repair it.
He had ascertained, that on his left, two miles lower down the river,
there was, near Oukoholda, a deep and unsafe ford; that at the distance
of a mile above Borizof, namely, at Stadhof, there was another, but of
difficult approach. Finally, he had learned within the last two days,
that at Studzianka, two leagues above Stadhof, there was a third
passage;--for the knowledge of this he was indebted to Corbineau's
brigade.

This was the same brigade which the Bavarian general, De Wrede, had
taken from the second corps, in his march to Smoliantzy. He had retained
it until he reached Dokszitzi, from whence he sent it back to the second
corps by way of Borizof. When Corbineau arrived there, he found
Tchitchakof already in possession of it, and was compelled to make his
retreat by ascending the Berezina, and concealing his force in the
forests which border that river. Not knowing at what point to cross it,
he accidentally saw a Lithuanian peasant, whose horse seemed to be quite
wet, as if he had just come through it. He laid hold of this man, and
made him his guide; he got up behind him, and crossed the river at a
ford opposite to Studzianka. He immediately rejoined Oudinot, and
informed him of the discovery he had made.

As Napoleon's intention was to retreat directly upon Wilna, the marshal
saw at once that this passage was the most direct, as well as the least
dangerous. It was also observed, that even if our infantry and artillery
should be too closely pressed by Wittgenstein and Kutusoff, and
prevented from crossing the river on bridges, there was at least a
certainty, from the ford having been tried, that the Emperor and the
cav