Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-11-06
TIE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW.
A War While Ia Was Begun in Wanton
ness and Ended In Destruction.


horse and left the Kremlin, and the
retreat from Moscow was begun. OF
all the blunders in that campaiea,
the greatest was the campaign
itself. Napoleon admitted at ST.
Helena that it was uuprovoked. All
the charges that he had made against
Alexander were preteXts, The war
was begun in wantonneSs and ended
in disaster the most StupendouS
Napoleon vas one of those whom
elevation Spoils. From the tins
When he assumed the crown he had
been insuHerably vain and inSuffer-
ably overbearming and in solent He
could not brook advice. To uilitary
objection offered by one of his
marshals his answer was a storm OF
curses and obsceuity. II it was sug-
geSted that it would be immensely
difficult SO subsist a large army in a
county so sterile and SO i'll supplied
with water as Russia, he replied only
with oaths and tilth. He seemed to
think that q tempest of imperial
profanity would intimidate the ele
ments.
In June, 1912, Napoleon's armies
comprised more than 1, 49,. 600 men.
He led nearly 500, 600 across the
Niemen How many returned Its
conceded by military critics that the
campaign was feebly managed.
Napoleon's mind seemed to have been
constantly lethargic Besid.s he
seems TO have been almost incapable
Of coming to decision. But lethargy
i -
Napoleon's earlier career.
Tne next day after the battle Of
Smolensk battle was fought at
Valutino, a village three miles from
Smolensk, Ii was a battle Of such inn
porlance that il left 10000 French
troops on the the field dead and
wounded. The circumstances were
such that it was Napoleon's ddty TO
be on the field. Yet, though he
listened from dawn Of day TO the roar
of artillery, aud though lac could have
galloped to tue field in Thirty min
utes, tins greatest OF military leaders
staid away. This is surely queer con
duct in the general of an invading
army.
In the battle of Borodino the Russian
army occupied position within a
mile or SO of the unfordable River
Moskwas aud nearly PARALLEL with it,
its right resting on little stream
named Kolotcha, having high banks
and emptying into the Moskwa AT
nearly right angles KuusoH, with
It's back to the Moskwa, had 100, 900.
Napoleon in his front, and, of course,
further from the river, had 1870, 00s.
The battle began at daybreak. Ma
poleou took a position in the rear of
his center, ard spent most of the day
walking to and fro with his hands be-
hind his back. About 10 o'clock Murat
and Ney, having by terrible fighting
driven back kutusoif's kft wing and
it into an awkward position, joined
in message to Napoleon saying that
/ If he would send them achievements
they could drive the enemy back to
the angle of the rivers and capture
! the entire army. Napoleon refused,
and even failed TO go himself and in
spect the field. Kutusoif soon recover
ed, aud the opportunity was lost.
Again at p. M. the same marshals
jointly reported like advantage,
asked Immediate re endorsements,
and promised like result. The en-
peror questioned and doubted and
dawled, and finally consented TO send
endorsements, but was so slow,
whether purposely or not, that again
the opportunity was lost What was
the consequence Borodino was a
drawn battle. True Napoleon gained
technical victory in the fact that
Kutusoh resumed his march. But a
technical victory, especially to an in
vading army, is a sorry thing The
carnage on both sides was awful. AT
night 50, 600 men lay upon the field.
Napoleon's admirers apOlogized for his
admitted feeble management on that
day by saying that he was sick He
was not sick He had bad cold but
no man, merchant lawyer, farmer, or
mechanic stops work or calls himself
sick for a bad Geld. The emperor was
up, and commanded the army all day.
About p NJ he rode over TO his left
center, di lance Of some three miles,
TO reconnoiter a position. The state
ment that he was sick is an after
thought
After he occupied Moscow his be-
havlor showed pusillanimi,y. Haugh-
| ty, overbearing, and insolent as he
had before been, he has the meanness
ID make advances to Alexander for
peace. He begs In returH he is
snubbed. He is irresolute. The case
calls for instant decision. He does
not decide. Every day that passes IS
a day full Of threats, of unimaglnable
horror to his army. Never before was
there a more pressing duty for prompt
decision and prompt action. Napol-
con sits in the Kremlin moody, angry.
finding fault with everybody, and
overwhelming with curses all who
came near him. The burning of
Moscow ceased on the 18Th Of Sep
tenber Napoleon, during the days
when the conHagration was going on,
had leisure TO r. feet and TO advise
with his marshals On Sept 20 he
should have decided Ia the terrible
strait to which his insane and wicked
/ ambition had brought him TO expect
/ 4 r A l.. L.. tIt1fa.a