The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-30

,ooneInued from Previous Page,

tConrInued from Previous Page) council had cut off friendly relations between France and Russia. Napoleon decided on war, On June b his army numbered nearly half a million, of which numbered nearly hal ia million, of which S0.000 were mounted. large propor- ton both in this and the last Austrian war were not Frenchmen but from his conquered countries.
 Almost for the first time in his career Napoleon was quite ignorant of the num- Der or positions of the enemy. No sooner was the Niemen crossed than things began to go awry. The heat was intense. dis ease appeared, and thousands dropped by the wayside. Officers neglected or dis obeyed orders. Discomfort spread, and the heat killed or disabled scores every mile of the march. The horses suffered. went mad, and stampeded. There were few good roads and the army at times got quite out of control. The shadows were gathering.
 The Russians retreated in two divisions to the Drina and Mohilev, drawing the French farther and farther on without giving them a chance to touch.n The divided French force now became almost bewildered. They had never experienced these tactics. They had been frustrated three times in attempts to give battle.
 At Smolensk, however, Murat and Ney caught up with two columns intrenched behind breastworks of brick behind the Dnieper river. But here again they were outwitted by the Russians, who escaped by night and were well away before they were discovered. The French at last overlook the Russians where the Moscow road is cut by the Kalatscha river. The result was a drawn battle, but &, 900 Rus French fell NanOIeOn was present, but ill, and did not direct the fight.
 The advance guard pushed after the re- treating Russians, whom they found leav- ing Moscow. That night the main army came up, only to find the town they had taken was in flames.
 His marshals observed strange apathy had seized the Emperor. l5e had lost his alertness and was frequently ill. His old tactics which has won so many bat ties here seemed obsolete and useless. At Moscow he apparently did not know what to do next. Word came to him that distant divisions of his army wefe facing much larger bodies of fresh Rus sian troops. Some of these scattered divisions were 800 or more miles apart
 He assumed the offensive at last, and at Maloyaroslavetz the whole army en- gagged the Russians and were beaten on every hand.
 me. sun WHICH Hau slloHe so priiidntiy al Austerlitz sank now, ard the man who had trodden Europe under his heel was with his broken army, enshrouded in darkness and defeat.
 This was surely the beginning of the end.
 Then began that retreat from Moscow Retreat. That word had never before been found in the lexicon of the Emperor If was rather rout. Panic seized the broken remnant of the Grand army. and it was every man for himself. Discipline was thrown to the winds. Orders were unheeded. The main thing was to get out of the accursed Russia which had been the downfall of the French.
 Bitten by the cold, hungry, ragged and footeore, they rushed on, harried by Cos sacks. who killed the. miserable men wht fell behind in the general rout. Depleted to 0,Oo0. the French army was obliged