1812 by Austen Paul Britten

Author:Austen, Paul Britten.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Casemate Publishers & Book Distributors, LLC
Published: 1996-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

But shortly afterwards he’s encouraged to see one of Oudinot’s regiments march by in good order. Compared with the Moscow army its turnout is ‘a delight to behold’. And Le Roy, marching with Davout’s 1,200 men between Natcha and Kroupki, is struck by the good shape II and IX Corps seem to be in, and above all by their

‘numerous and well-horsed artillery. Unfortunately they had too many vehicles in their wake and were jamming up the road.’

At 4 p.m. on 25 November ‘before nightfall’, Napoleon enters Borissow, whose ‘350 timber houses’ are packed with Oudinot’s troops. Seeing the Emperor get out of his carriage and mount his horse to reconnoitre, Intendant Pastoret, sits down dejectedly in the main square and contemplates

‘the horror of our situation. Our men were ready to drop with exhaustion, discouraged by hunger. Half of them no longer bore any weapons. The cavalry was destroyed, the artillery altogether lost, and there was no gunpowder. It was in these circumstances we, after a five weeks’ march, were going to have to cross a difficult swift-flowing river, carry positions, and triumph over three armies who were waiting for us, sure they could give us the coup de grâce.’

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