Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-08-16


guard as his sole resources seemed to be his security
Tor oo 2'!'cz--4c sent for Bessieres that of bis
'ar%''as M whom lac had the greatest confidence for
commanding b lie WISHED to know ii this chosen re-
serve wanted nothug he called him back several times
ind repeated las pressing question. He desired that
these old soidet should have three days biscuit and
! 'cc distributed among cn from his private store
hnaiiy, dreading that his orders had been obeved
he got more, and questioned the srenatiers ON
guard OF the entrance of las tent, il they had received
hese provisions. Satisfied by their answer he went in
| and soon tel into dozc.
shortly after, hc Called once more Ills aid de.
camp found hIin now supporting his head with both
names he seemed by what was heard TO he ineditat,p
on Tie vanities OF glory. What is war? a trade OF
barbaans, the whole of which consists in beins, M
i strongest on given pont' He then complained of the
ckloness ofortnne, which, lie said he bcran to exDe
renee Seeming TO revert TO more encouraging ideas
he recoeccd what had been told him of the tariiness
oi hutuso and expressed his surprise that Bennngsen
had not been preferred to him. lie thought of the s,r
'icai situation into which he had brought himself and
added that great day is hand, that there will be
terrible battc'' lie asked RaPp he thought should
gam the victory NO doubt was the reply blu il viii
he sanguinary.' Il know it, resumed Napoleon 49,.
have 80 900 men; shall lose 90 900, Shall enter Iii
cow with 6O0OO the stragglers will then rcjoin us ar.
afterwards the baalions the march, and we shall m
stronger than we were before the batle' In this esti-
mate lie seemed TO include neither his guard nor thn
cavalry.
Again assaied by lis first anxiety, he sent once
more to examine tic attitude OF the Russians H., was
inrIned t'at their :es burned with equal brightness
and at by the number OF these and the moyine sha
dows surrounding them supposed that il was NOT
merely guard but the whole army that kent feed
ing them The certainty of their presence at last oui-
cted the Emperor, and he tn. TO take some rest
'Hut the marches which lie had Just made with tI,
army, the iatgueS of the preceding DAYS and nights so
many cares ai'd his intense and anxious expectation
had worn bun cut; the cOllness OF The atmosphere had
stuck to iE IN irritating lever dry cough and cx-
ccsai'" thirst Consumed ln. During the remainder of
me niS lie made vain atlculps 10 quench the burning
thirst winch consumed him. This fresh disorder was
complicated Tit!4 al DID complaint I'm the blaldcr) with
Which lac Lad been struggling since the day before.
M asi, Just al > O'Clock, Ncy'S officers came
to INFORM him that The marshal st;ll in sight of The
Russians, and wished TO begin the attack The news
seemed 10 restore the strength of which, the fever had
deprived him. lie called his Offices and went
out eXc!aimlng I'VE lave them at last! Forward Let
| Us go aud open the gates Vt Moscow
lit was haii-Pas i've in tie morning when Napoleou
arrived near the 'eIOubt which had been conquer cd on
Tie 9Th OF September. There lie waited for the first
dawn OF day, and for the first ire of Poniatowss in
iantry. lac rose The Emperor showing it to
his officers, exclaimed, Behold the of Austerlit2'
In the battle of3orodino, MuIa Ncy, d Davoust,
AMI Tie other commanders, sufficiently sup
ported and no entta ATTY could induce Napoleon send
LIS tSer"s l" ici' assistance, most probably the
( Russian campaign would have ended there.
lit Is moi known whether the doubt, tie result
o! Prince 0niatow ski and Prince EuFene's enc are
iei on his right aud left, kept him III uncertainty; what
CERTAIN IS ttat be seemed TO be arprchensiyc lest The
c%ticmc left OF the Russians should escape from the
Poles and return to take possession ol the field of bat
lie IN the rear vi Ncy and Murat. This al least was
one OF the causes U his retaining ms guard in obserya
ton upon that point. 70 such pressed him. his an
wer was, Chat he wished to have better view; that the
battle was not yet begun that they learn wait;
that time entered iuto every thing; that the cle-
Incn OF which a.. things are composed that nothing
yet sufficiently clear lie then euquiJcd Inc hour,
added that tic hour OF battle yet come;
would begin IN two hours
"I3il it began the whole of hat day he was
sitting down walking about leis;rcly, in front or a
little To the left at the rcdoubt which had been on
the 5th the borders Of rayine at great distance
from The battle which lac could scarcely any thing
alter II got the heights at al uneasy when he
return nearer to him inpatient t Ills troops
or the enemy lie merely made gestures of me-
anCh0S resignation, every occasion, when they
to inform him Of the loss Of Lis best generals Herose
several times 10 take few turns, but immediately sat
down again
Every around him looked at him with astonisfl-
ncn hitherto during these great shocks, he had dis
played an active GOODNESS; but here is dead calm
mild and sluggish inactivity. Some arcied they raced
III ii that detection which general, the follower ofyio
lent sensation; others, that he had already become in
different TO every thing, tie emotion Of battles
Several remarked that the calm consistency AM sang
fTod which great display these great occasions
turn in the ofme to phlcgm and heayincss, when
age has worn ont their springs. Those who were most
devoted 10 BIN accounted for his nmobihty by TIC ne
ccssity of not changing his place too much, wtes ne
was commanding such extent, order thai the
bearers Of intelligence might know where 10 find him.
lnaiiy there were others Who much better grounds
explained the whole by the shock which his health had
sustained, and his Olcnt indisposition.n
F An idea of the battle of BorodinO, the Moskwa,
may be formed from the subsequent quotation:
Ihe generals of artillery who were surprised at tho
siaenalion quickly ayacd themselves the permission
to fight which was just given them. They very soon
crowned the heights. Eighty pieces of were
discharged at once. The Russian cavalry first bro
ken 10y that brazcn line, and obliged take refuge be-
hind its infantry
Tic latter advanced in dense masses, in which our
balls al first made wide and deep holes they STILL how
ever, continued to advance when the French batteries
crushed them by second discharge of grape shot.
Whole pIa.oons fell at once there soldiers were seen
trying to keep together under this terrible fire. Every
instant separated by death, hcy closed together over
her, treading her under foot.
CAT last thcy halted, not daring to advance father,
aud yet unwilling to retreat either because they were
struck, and as it were Perifcd with horror, in the
midst Of this great Destruction perhaps because their
generals after tie failure of their 6rs dispositions knew
not how 10 change It, from not possessing like Napoleon
tc great art OF putting such great bodies into motion
at once, in unison, and without confusion. In short
these isless masses allowed themselves TO he moved
down for two hours, making other movement thau
; their fall 1t was most horrible massacrc and OuI
brave aud meiDreut moi help adDi-