Book Fourteen: 1812 - Chapter XVI

by Leo Tolstoy

　　After the twenty-eighth of October when the frosts began, the flightof the French assumed a still more tragic character, with menfreezing, or roasting themselves to death at the campfires, whilecarriages with people dressed in furs continued to drive past,carrying away the property that had been stolen by the Emperor, kings,and dukes; but the process of the flight and disintegration of theFrench army went on essentially as before.

　　From Moscow to Vyazma the French army of seventy-three thousandmen not reckoning the Guards (who did nothing during the whole war butpillage) was reduced to thirty-six thousand, though not more than fivethousand had fallen in battle. From this beginning the succeedingterms of the progression could be determined mathematically. TheFrench army melted away and perished at the same rate from Moscow toVyazma, from Vyazma to Smolensk, from Smolensk to the Berezina, andfrom the Berezina to Vilna- independently of the greater or lesserintensity of the cold, the pursuit, the barring of the way, or anyother particular conditions. Beyond Vyazma the French army insteadof moving in three columns huddled together into one mass, and so wenton to the end. Berthier wrote to his Emperor (we know how farcommanding officers allow themselves to diverge from the truth indescribing the condition of an army) and this is what he said:

　　I deem it my duty to report to Your Majesty the condition of thevarious corps I have had occasion to observe during different stagesof the last two or three days' march. They are almost disbanded.Scarcely a quarter of the soldiers remain with the standards oftheir regiments, the others go off by themselves in differentdirections hoping to find food and escape discipline. In generalthey regard Smolensk as the place where they hope to recover. Duringthe last few days many of the men have been seen to throw away theircartridges and their arms. In such a state of affairs, whatever yourultimate plans may be, the interest of Your Majesty's servicedemands that the army should be rallied at Smolensk and should firstof all be freed from ineffectives, such as dismounted cavalry,unnecessary baggage, and artillery material that is no longer inproportion to the present forces. The soldiers, who are worn outwith hunger and fatigue, need these supplies as well as a few days'rest. Many have died last days on the road or at the bivouacs. Thisstate of things is continually becoming worse and makes one fearthat unless a prompt remedy is applied the troops will no longer beunder control in case of an engagement.

　　November 9: twenty miles from Smolensk.

　　After staggering into Smolensk which seemed to them a promised land,the French, searching for food, killed one another, sacked their ownstores, and when everything had been plundered fled farther.

　　They all went without knowing whither or why they were going.Still less did that genius, Napoleon, know it, for no one issued anyorders to him. But still he and those about him retained their oldhabits: wrote commands, letters, reports, and orders of the day;called one another sire, mon cousin, prince d'Eckmuhl, roi deNaples, and so on. But these orders and reports were only on paper,nothing in them was acted upon for they could not be carried out,and though they entitled one another Majesties, Highnesses, orCousins, they all felt that they were miserable wretches who haddone much evil for which they had now to pay. And though theypretended to be concerned about the army, each was thinking only ofhimself and of how to get away quickly and save himself.