Even after quitting Smolensko, Napoleon did not penetrate the designs of
the Russian general, Barclay de Tolly. He called the retreat, flight;
their circumspection, pusillanimity.
Barclay had retreated to Dorogobouje, without attempting any resistance;
but here he renewed his junction with Bagration, and Murat wishing to
reconnoitre a small wood, met with a vigorous resistance, and pressing
forwards found himself in front of the whole Russian army. He
immediately sent word to Napoleon, who was in the rear. Davoust also,
who disapproved of Murat’s dispositions, wrote to hasten the Emperor’s
advance, “if he did not wish Murat to engage without him.” Napoleon
received the news with transport, and pressed on with his guard twelve
leagues without stopping; but on the evening before he arrived, the
enemy had disappeared. Barclay persevered in his retreat amidst
imputations of treachery from Bagration, and discord and impatience
throughout his camp. Rage at the continual falling back before the
invaders had produced so many complaints, that Alexander had at last
resolved to supersede Barclay by Kutusoff, who was shortly expected.
Meantime, the French army advanced, marching three columns abreast; the
Emperor, Murat, Davoust, and Ney, in the middle, along the great road to
Moscow; Poniatowski on the right, and the army of Italy on the left.
It was not likely that the centre column could obtain any supplies on a
road where the advanced guard had found nothing to subsist upon but the
leavings of the, Russians. They could not in so rapid a march find time
to deviate from the direct route; besides which, the right and left
columns were collecting and devouring all they could find on each side
of the road. It seemed that a second army would have been required to
follow them with the requisite necessaries; but as it was, they were
obliged to carry everything with them. The existence of the army was a
prodigy. With the French and Polish corps, the difficulties were not so
great, owing to their excellent arrangements in packing their knapsacks,
and by every regiment having attached to it a number of dwarf-horses,
carts, and a drove of oxen. Their baggage was conducted by soldiers as
drivers. But with the other chiefs in command, the case was very
different. They had none of these excellent arrangements among them, and
only existed by sending out marauding detachments on every side, who
devoured their fill, and then returned to their respective bodies with
the remainder—if any remained. Napoleon had not paid sufficient
attention to these distinctions, in the arrangements of the various
divisions, and the consequences were highly injurious. Very great
distress, and very disorderly conduct incessantly occurred in the course
of the march, particularly at Slawokowo. But Napoleon seemed only
possessed by the idea of Moscow, and victory. He evidently took a great
pleasure in frequently dating decrees and dispatches from the middle of
Old Russia, which he knew would find their way even into the smallest
hamlets throughout France, and make him appear present every where in
full power.
Murat and Davoust had frequent misunderstandings at this period, which
on one occasion came to an open quarrel. Davoust had been placed under
the orders of the King of Naples, but the latter having brought the
troops into the greatest peril by his headstrong valor and love of
personal display and prowess, Davoust showed an unwillingness to support
him. This presently led to a violent altercation in presence of the
Emperor. Murat upbraided Davoust with slow and dilatory circumspection,
and with a personal hostility towards himself ever since they were in
Egypt. He became more vehement as he proceeded, and finally challenged
the Prince of Eckmuhl. At this last provocation, the deliberate Davoust
gave way to his feelings, and began a long history of the extraordinary
pranks played by the King of Naples in pursuing the Russians. He said it
was high time that the Emperor should be made acquainted with what
passed every day in the management of his advanced guard. He showed that
Murat wasted lives by useless attacks upon the Russians, for the sake of
gaining a few acres of ground, although it invariably happened that the
enemy left the ground of their own accord, whenever a sufficient force
came up with them; that Murat was in the constant habit of losing men by
slaughterous follies in the front to no purpose, after which he began to
think of the propriety of reconnoitering; that he kept the whole of the
advanced guard in a state of restless activity during sixteen hours of
the twenty-four, with no cause, and finally chose the worst quarters for
the night; so that the soldiers, instead of taking their food and rest,
were groping about for provisions and forage, and calling to each other
in the dark, in order to find their way back to the bivouacs: and that
the king did nothing else but storm and rage through the ranks, and then
ride close to the enemy’s lines in all directions.
Napoleon listened to the whole of this in silence, pushing a Russian
bullet backwards and forwards under the sole of his foot. When they were
both quite out of breath, he mildly told them that under present
circumstances he preferred impetuosity to methodical caution; that each
had his merits; it was impossible for one man to combine all
descriptions of merit; and enjoining them to be friends for the future,
dismissed them to their tents.
On the 28th of August, the army traversed the great plains of Wiazma.
They passed hastily onwards, several regiments abreast, over the fields.
The high road was given up to the train of artillery, and the hospital
wagons. The Emperor appeared among them in all directions. He was
occupied in calculating, as he went forward, how many thousands of
cannon-balls would be required to destroy the Russian army. He ordered
all private carriages to be broken up, as they might tend to impede
their progress, and be in the way when a battle occurred. The carriage
of his aid-de-camp, General Narbonne, was the first that was demolished.
The baggage of all the corps was collected in the rear, comprised of a
long train of bat-horses, and of carriages called _kibics_, drawn by
rope-traces. These were loaded with provisions, plunder, military
stores, sick soldiers, and the arms of these soldiers, and of those who
acted as drivers and guards. In this heterogeneous column were seen tall
cuirassiers, who had lost their horses, and were mounted on horses not
much larger than asses. Among such a confused and disorderly multitude,
the Cossacks might have made most harassing attacks; but Barclay seemed
cautious to avoid disheartening the French too much. His object was to
impede and delay the progress of the invaders, by contests with the
advanced guard only, and without inducing them to abandon their design.
This protracted state of affairs, the fatigued condition of the army,
the quarrels among the chiefs, and the approach of yet more dangerous
circumstances, filled the mind of Napoleon with distrust and
apprehension. He had for some time hoped and expected that Alexander
would open some negotiation with him, or at least send him a letter. At
length, he gave the opportunity himself, by causing Berthier to write to
Barclay; and the letter concluded with these words:—“The Emperor
commands me to entreat you to present his compliments to the Emperor
Alexander, and to say to him that neither the vicissitudes of war, nor
any other circumstances, can ever impair the friendship which he feels
for him.” Napoleon’s sincerity in this profession was probably of the
same value as the previous good faith of Alexander. No answer was
returned. On the very day the letter was sent, the advanced guard of the
French drove the Russians into Wiazma. The army was so exhausted by
fatigue, heat, and thirst, that the soldiers fought among themselves for
precedence in obtaining water from some muddy pools. Napoleon himself
was very glad to obtain a little of this thick puddle to allay his
thirst. In the course of the night, the Russians destroyed the bridges
of the Wiazma; and, after pillaging the town, set fire to it, and
decamped. Murat and Davoust, after some opposition, succeeded in making
an entrance and extinguishing the flames. Various reports now made to
the Emperor left him no longer in the least doubt as to who were the
incendiaries, and he clearly perceived the regular plan on which the
Russians were acting. Entering Wiazma, he found a few resources had been
left in the town, but that his soldiers had wasted them all by pillage.
This so exasperated him that he rode in among them, and threw several of
them down. Seeing a suttler who had been very busy in this wasteful
disorder, he ordered him to be shot. But it is well known of Napoleon,
that his fits of passion were of short duration, and always followed by
a disposition to clemency. Those, therefore, who heard this order,
placed the suttler a few minutes afterwards, in a place which the
Emperor would have to pass; and making the man kneel, they got a woman
and several children to kneel at his side, who were to appear as his
wife and family. Napoleon inquired what they wanted, and granted the
offender his pardon.
Belliard, at this time the head of Murat’s staff, now rode up to him in
a very excited state. He reported that the enemy had shown himself in
full force, in an advantageous position, beyond the Wiazma, and ready to
engage; that the cavalry on both sides had immediately come to action;
and that the infantry becoming necessary, the King of Naples had placed
himself at the head of one of Davoust’s divisions, and ordered the
advance—when Davoust hastened to the spot and commanded them to halt, as
he did not approve of the intended manœuvre, and told the king that
it was absurd and ruinous. Murat had therefore sent to the Emperor,
declaring that he would no longer hold a disputed command. Napoleon was
enraged at this renewal of the quarrel at such a moment, and sent off
Berthier to place under the command of Murat that division which he had
intended to lead. Meantime, the contest was over, and Murat, now
reverting to the conduct of Davoust, was boiling with indignation. He
asked of what use was his royal rank? It could not obtain him obedience,
or even protect him from insult. But as his sword had made him a king,
to that alone would he appeal. It was with the greatest difficulty that
he was restrained from going to attack Davoust. He then cursed his
crown, and shed a torrent of tears. Davoust did not attempt to excuse
the insubordination of his conduct, but persisted that Murat had been
misled by his own temerity, and that the Emperor had been misinformed as
to the whole affair with the Russians.
Napoleon re-entered Wiazma, and here intelligence was brought him from
the interior of Russia, that the government deliberately appropriated
all his successes to themselves, and that _Te Deum_ had been repeatedly
celebrated at Petersburg for the Russian “victories” of Witepsk and
Smolensko! “_Te Deum!_” ejaculated Napoleon, in amazement—“then they
dare to tell lies, not only to man but to God!” He also learned, that
while their towns were in flames there was nothing but ringing of bells
in Petersburg, hymns of gratitude, and publications of the triumph of
the Russian arms.
Yet he did not perceive the plan of the Russian general. For a time, at
least, his usual penetration seemed to have been dulled. He remained
among the smoking ruins of Wiazma, which might have conveyed to his mind
an ominous lesson of the result of a system of tactics to which he was
unaccustomed. But now this system, having accomplished its purpose, was
to be abandoned. Barclay had persisted in carrying out his plan against
all the clamor and imputations of the Russians. He was now superseded by
Kutusoff, a general of the school of Suwarrow; but the skilful De Tolly
willingly served under that general. This alteration of plan, and change
of commanders, Napoleon learned while at Wiazma. He could now expect a
battle, and he prepared to render it decisive. He advanced to the bloody
field of Borodino.
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