第640章

第640章fromthe28thofoctober，whenthefrostsbegan，theflightofthefrenchassumedamoretragicaspect，fromthemenbeingfrozenorroastedtodeathbythecamp-fires，whiletheemperor，andkings，anddukes，stilldroveonwiththeirstolenbootyinfurcloaksandclosedcarriages.butinitsessentials，theprocessoftheflightanddisintegrationofthefrencharmywentonunchanged.

frommoscowtovyazmaoftheseventy-threethousandsofthefrencharmy（notreckoningtheguards，whohaddonenothingbutpillageallthroughthewar），onlythirty-sixthousandwereleft，thoughonlyfivethousandhadbeenkilledinbattle.herewehavethefirsttermofaprogression，bywhichtheremainingtermsaredeterminedwithmathematicalexactness.thefrencharmywentonmeltingawayanddisappearinginthesameratiofrommoscowtovyazma，fromvyazmatosmolensk，fromsmolensktotheberezina，fromtheberezinatovilna，apartfromthegreaterorlessdegreeofcold，thepursuitandbarringoftheway，andallotherconditionstakenseparately.aftervyazma，insteadofthreecolumns，thefrenchtroopsformedasinglemass，andsotheymarchedontotheend.thisishowberthierwrotetotheemperor（andweknowthatgeneralsfeelitpermissibletodepartratherwidelyfromthetruthindescribingtheconditionoftheirarmies）：—

“ithinkitmydutytoreporttoyourmajestytheconditionofthevariouscorpsundermyobservationonthemarchthelasttwoorthreedays.theyarealmostdisbanded.hardlyaquarterofthemenremainwiththeflagsoftheirregiments；therestwanderoffontheirownaccountindifferentdirections，tryingtoseekfoodandtoescapediscipline.allthinkonlyofsmolensk，wheretheyhopetorecover.duringthelastfewdaysmanysoldiershavebeenobservedtothrowawaytheircartridgesandmuskets.insuchaconditionofaffairs，whateveryourfurtherplansmaybe，theinterestsofyourmajesty’sservicemakeitessentialtomusterthearmyatsmolensk，andtoridthemofineffectives，suchascavalrymenwithouthorses，aswellasofsuperfluousageandapartoftheartillery，whichisnowoutofproportionwiththenumbersoftheeffectivearmy.suppliesandsomedays’restareessential：thesoldiersareexhaustedbyhungerandfatigue；duringthelastfewdaysmanyhavediedbytheroadsideorinthebivouacs.thisstateofthingsisgrowingcontinuallyworse，andifstepsarenotquicklytakenforavertingthedanger，weshallbeexposedtotheriskofbeingunabletocontrolthearmyintheeventofabattle.

“november9.thirtyverstsfromsmolensk.”

afterlingintosmolensk，thepromisedlandoftheirdreams，thefrenchkilledoneanotherfightingoverthefoodthere，sackedtheirownstores，andwheneverythinghadbeenpillaged，theyranonfurther.allhastenedon，notknowingwhitherorforwhatendtheyweregoing；leastofallknewthatgreatgenius，napoleon，sincetherewasnoonetogivehimorders.butstillheandthoseabouthimclungtotheiroldhabits：wrotecommands，letters，reports，ordersoftheday；calledeachotheryourmajesty，monfrère，princed’eckmuhl，roidenaples，andsoon.buttheordersandreportswereallonpaper：noattemptwasmadetocarrythemout，becausetheycouldnotbecarriedout.andalthoughtheyaddressedeachotheras“majesty，”“highness，”and“moncousin，”theyallfeltthattheywerepitifulandloathsomecreatures，whohaddoneagreatwrong，forwhichtheyhadnowtopaythepenalty.andinspiteoftheirpretenceofcaringforthearmy，eachwasthinkingonlyofhimself，andhowtomakehisescapeasquicklyaspossibletosafety.