Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-05-12
RETREAT
The Famous Retreat of NapoIeon's
Grand Army From MOscOw-Plun-
der That Never Reached Paris
/ Wide Gates to Enter, Narrow to
Go Out of.
By Earl M. Wood

Moscow was not long to remain the
undlsputed war prize of the French,
Tor the great fire broke out to chal-
lenge the conquerer Of the city. The
origin of the fire will always be a
mystery. The Russians, of course,
claimed that they made the heroic
sacrifice of abandoning their city to
the flames rather than to an alien
conqueror. But with criminals and
drunkards roaming the streets, and
the city being given up to robbery
and debauchery, it was no surprise
that the confagration started and
spread. In very few hours the great
er part OF the city was in flames (for
the buildings were mostly wooden) !,
and In spite of the troops gallant and
desperate efforts to check it, about
seven thousand buildings were de-
stroyed. The great hospitals, filed
with sick, infrm and wounded pa
tlents were consumed along with the
churches. palaces and other beautiful
edifices of the town. Napoleon was
forced to flee before the flames to a
villa in the suburbs of Moscow, and
from there he watched the fire con-
sumo his greatest prize of victory.
After the flames had been checked,
there were still enough buildings left
stano5ng to comfortably house his
troops, but there were supplies to last
only few weeks, and when in Octo-
| Der, the reorganized Russian army
started to advance on Moscow, Ma
poleon ordered the retreat in Rus
sian winter which was the greatest
military tragedy in history.
| The mighty army, which, only a
few months before had triumphantly
entered the country of the Muscovites,
now sadly reduced in strength and
numbers, started on the journey to
recross it's frontier. The soldiers,
who had Jared well in the sharing OF
the plunder refused to leave it be-
hind, and when there were not enough
horses to pull the army wagons con
tanning the vast supplies of rare
wines, costly furs. beautiful gowns
rich uniforms, gold and silver, many
of the men pulled the wagons them.
selves; while many were so foollsf
as to pile their booty in wheelbarrow.
and start to push it back to Paris.
i General Kutusof, the Russian gen
eral-in-chief, soon overlook Napoleon
on the road and harrassed him a
every step. Fierce bands of Cos
sacks of the Don flew round tn,
Grand Army night and day, picking
off the stragglers; every road ant
bridge had to be fought for; AM
very soon, in the mad rush for safe
ty, wagons cannons and booty wer
abandoned. Starvation began t.
stare the Emperor in the face. Hi
horses became too weak to pull thei
loads and dropped in their traces
his men were dying for lack of foo
and warm clothing. Flocks of vul
lures and packs of wolves joined i
the pursuit, preying on those VIII
were so unfortunate as to fall. Slee
and snow pounded the ranks of tn
! Grand Army mercilessly. The rea
| iguard stripped the bodies of all VIII
] fell for any warm garments the
might have worn. The women an
children who had accompanied tn
army on the march, froze to deaf
in large numbers.
| Marshal Ney, who had won frol
the Emperor the title Of Prince c
the Moskova. bravely led the res
guard in their attempts to cover tE
retreat of the main army. Time an
again, the Russians were hurled bac
and broken by this "bravest of tt
brave" When the Emperor reache
the Beresina River, he was compe
led to erect bridges, and these wei
| so crowded with the mass Of soldiel
struggling to escape, that one snal
| ped beneath it's burden and filled tt
| icy waters with its victims. Anotl
er bridge was destroyed by Il
French long before the main arm
| had crossed, the thousands of troo]
were helplessly marooned and m
rooned and massacred by the Co
sacks.
| Fearing to acknowledge his defe
to Europe, Napoleon left his trool
and fled alone to Dresden. T
Prince of the Moskova stubborn
backed over the Niemen and was t
last man to quit Russian soil. Xii
Murat of Naples forsook the arm
to fly back to his throne, and Prin
Eugene, Viceroy of Italy took col
mand and successfully led the fra
ments of the Grand Army beyo
| the reach of the Muscovite wrat
| $4,000 men had entered Russ
$4,000 returned. Had not the Ell
pire of the Cars made good t
boast that the gates of Russia q
wide to those who enter, but narr'
to those who go out?