rossed the Niemen on December 13th, himself the last man to
leave Russian territory--his rear-guard had vanished, and he had with
him only his aides-de-camp, while of about five hundred thousand men
who had crossed the river five months before scarcely fifty thousand
returned.

No sooner did this catastrophe become known than Europe--so long
ground under his heel--rose against Napoleon, who at once called upon
France for fresh levies. Ney was given the command of the first Corps.
On April 29, 1813, he drove the allies from Weissenfels toward
Leipsic. On May 1st he again compelled a retrograde movement; and on
May 2d he commanded the French centre at the battle of Lutzen, where,
indeed, he bore the brunt of the fighting. The allies were compelled
to retire, but they did not consider themselves beaten, and they
fought again at Bautzen a few days afterward. Lutzen and Bautzen were
both dubious victories, but at Dresden the allies were defeated with
great loss.

This victory, however, was annulled by the defeat of Vandamme, who was
taken prisoner in Bohemia, after losing 10,000 men. When Napoleon
heard of this disaster he at once sent Ney to replace Oudinot in the
command of the Northern army, with the object of pushing on to Berlin;
but for once Ney's evil stars were in the ascendant, for on September
5th he was totally defeated by Bernadotte, at Dennewitz, losing 10,000
prisoners and eighty guns. "The Bravest of the Brave" was
inconsolable. For some days he took no food, and scarcely spoke. He
wished to give up his command and fight as a grenadier. "If I have not
blown out my brains," he said, "it is only because I want to rally my
army before dying."

And now came the catastrophe at Leipsic--the three days' battle of the
Nations--where, on the first day, Ney was defeated by Bluecher, after a
desperate struggle in which he lost 4,000 killed and wounded, and
upward of two thousand prisoners. On the third day, after the
defection of the Saxons, he held out for five hours with 5,000 men
against 20,000, and retired fighting to the end. Through the whole of
the succeeding campaign of France, he was at the emperor's side; and
when, in spite of all the genius of Napoleon, and all the bravery of
his soldiers, Paris capitulated, Ney was one of three marshals sent by
the defeated Emperor of the French to negotiate with the Emperor of
Russia for his abdication in favor of his son, the King of Rome.

This mission failed of any r