The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-24

have come back TO Napoleon intact Marriott
goes further. and contends that In order to
weaken Prussia and Austria the Emperor
should have demanded OF them contingent
three and four times as great as those which
they sent 1t may be said that those two States
would not have complied with such demand.
but Marriott thinks differently.
The assertion that the burning OF Moscow
was the PRINCIPAL cause Of the failure OF the
French invasion. seems to the author Of these
memoirs very disputable. He speaks after
reading report made to the Emperor's first
orderly officer. which shows that the destruc-
ton Of Moscow was not SO complete but that
there remained houses. churches. and bar
racks enough to lodge the entire army. 1t was
not. them lack OF accommodation which COM
PEELED tho French to leave Moscow. and equally
mistaken Is the notion that IL was the fear OF
provisions failing. The reports drawn UP for
the Emperor by Count Daru. Commissary-
General to the army. prove that even
after the fire there were in tho
town more than sufficient provisions
to maintain the army for six months. 1t
was not, therefore, the fear Of dearth which
decided the Emperor to retreat and II
the motive OF the Russian Government
In destroying Moscow was to starve out
the French the design failed. In our au-
destroying the town was to strike mortal
blow at the old aristocracy Of the Boyards.
whose constant opposition had been centred
there. Whatever may have boon the reasons
for burning Moscow. Marriott thinks that its
preservation would have done tho French
more harm than good. since in order to hold in
check a city OF more than 800. 900 inhabitants
It would have been necessary to weaken the
army by keeping in Moscow a garrison Of &c.
900 men. The only influence which Moscow
may have had on the course Of events arose.
inot The tbet aHthors judgment from the
pain of being put death his 0e own ns saS
the capital before concluding treaty with
to maintain himself there He. thereiors, por.
Moscow. and lost more than n month in wait
ing useIIessly for proposals for peace. The Dc:
fore they could take up. their quarters in Po-
on WITS 'o Hnt bsd
remained intact tho event would not have
been altered. Tho catastrophe arose from tho
Tor beforehand and was not carried out in
Marriott insists that while the losses Of tho
Grand Army during the Russian campaign
eerated. He tells us that he saw In Gen. Gour-
with notes in Napoleon's hand from which it |
appears that the number Of men who crossed |
the Niemen was 1853. 400 French and l7O.5OO |
all les. On the return the Prussian and Aus |
trian continEents went bodily over. to the en- |
S the r ses h1d
pears. however. from the official staten ents. |
that $4,000 French recrossed the .Niemen.
80 that $4,000 were missing. or these. |
10000 had been taken prisoners and
Isturned home after the peace IN 1914.
actual French was $4,000 The proportion Of
loss In Marbots own regiment was far smaller.
This regiment, the Twenty-third Chasseurs.
enemy's fire than any other regiment Of the
army, corps to it BELONGED. 1t had 100
killed. q captured. 10 manned. and 04 miss
ing-355 in ALL SO that the regiment when sent
on beyond the Elbe in February. 1919. could
muster 1893 mounted men who had all shared
In the Russian campaign. The Emperor
could at first hardly believe these figures. but
when he found them to be correct he sent
all to Marriott