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After the twenty-eighth of October when the frosts began,
the flight of the French assumed a still more tragic character,
with men freezing, or roasting themselves to death at the campfires,
while carriages 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 the French army went on essentially as before.
From Moscow to Vyazma the French army of seventy-three thousand
men not reckoning the Guards (who did nothing during the whole
war but pillage) was reduced to thirty-six thousand, though not
more than five thousand had fallen in battle. From this beginning
the succeeding terms of the progression could be determined mathematically.
The French army melted away and perished at the same rate from
Moscow to Vyazma, from Vyazma to Smolensk, from Smolensk to the
Berezina, and from the Berezina to Vilna- independently of the
greater or lesser intensity of the cold, the pursuit, the barring
of the way, or any other particular conditions. Beyond Vyazma
the French army instead of moving in three columns huddled together
into one mass, and so went on to the end. Berthier wrote to his
Emperor (we know how far commanding officers allow themselves
to diverge from the truth in describing the condition of an army)
and this is what he said:
I deem it my duty to report to Your Majesty the condition
of the various corps I have had occasion to observe during different
stages of the last two or three days' march. They are almost disbanded.
Scarcely a quarter of the soldiers remain with the standards of
their regiments, the others go off by themselves in different
directions hoping to find food and escape discipline. In general
they regard Smolensk as the place where they hope to recover.
During the last few days many of the men have been seen to throw
away their cartridges and their arms. In such a state of affairs,
whatever your ultimate plans may be, the interest of Your Majesty's
service demands that the army should be rallied at Smolensk and
should first of all be freed from ineffectives, such as dismounted
cavalry, unnecessary baggage, and artillery material that is no
longer in proportion to the present forces. The soldiers, who
are worn out with 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. This state of things is continually becoming worse
and makes one fear that unless a prompt remedy is applied the
troops will no longer be under 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 own stores, 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
any orders to him. But still he and those about him retained their
old habits: wrote commands, letters, reports, and orders of the
day; called one another sire, mon cousin, prince d'Eckmuhl, roi
de Naples, 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,
or Cousins, they all felt that they were miserable wretches who
had done much evil for which they had now to pay. And though they
pretended to be concerned about the army, each was thinking only
of himself and of how to get away quickly and save himself.
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