第609章

第609章earlyinoctoberanothermessengercametokutuzovfromnapoleonwithoverturesforpeaceandaletter,falselyprofessingtocomefrommoscow,thoughnapoleonwasinfactnotfaraheadofkutuzovontheoldkalugaroad.kutuzovansweredthisletterashehaddonethefirstone,broughthimbylauriston;hesaidthattherecouldbenoquestionofpeace.

soonafterthisdorohov’sirregulars,whichweremovingontheleftoftarutino,sentareportthatfrenchtroopshadappearedatfominskoe,thatthesetroopswereofbroussier’sdivision,andthatthatdivision,beingseparatefromtherestofthearmy,mighteasilybecuttopieces.thesoldiersandofficersagainclamouredforaction.thestaffgenerals,elatedbytheeasyvictoryoftarutino,urgedonkutuzovthatdorohov’sestionshouldbeactedupon.

kutuzovdidnotconsideranyactionnecessary.amiddlecourse,aswasinevitable,wasadopted;asmalldetachmentwassenttofominskoetoattackbroussier.

bystrangechancethisappointment,amostdifficultandmostimportantone,asitturnedouttobelater,wasgiventodohturov,thatmodestlittlegeneral,whomnoonehasdepictedtousmakingplansofcampaign,dashingattheheadofregiments,droppingcrossesaboutbatteries,ordoinganythingofthekind;whompeoplelookedonandspokeofaslackingdecisionandpenetration,thoughallthroughtherussianwarswiththefrench,fromausterlitztotheyear1813,wealwaysfindhimincommandwherethepositionisparticularlydifficult.atausterlitzhewasthelasttoremainatthefordofaugest,rallyingtheregiments,savingwhathecould,whenallwasflightandruin,andnotasingleothergeneralwastobefoundintherearguard.whenillwithfever,hemarchedwithtwentythousandmentosmolensktodefendthetownagainstthewholeofnapoleon’sarmy.insmolenskhehadonlyjustfallenasleepatthemalahovskygatesinaparoxysmoffeverwhenhewaswakedbythecannonadeofsmolensk,andsmolenskheldoutawholeday.atborodinowhenbagrationwaskilled,andnine-tenthsofthemenofourleftflankhadbeenslain,andthefireofallthefrenchartillerywasturneduponit,kutuzovmadehastetorecallanothergeneralhehadsentbymistake,andsenttherenootherthandohturov,whowassaidtobelackingindecisionandpenetration.andunpretentiouslittledohturovwentthere,andborodinobecamethegreatestgloryoftherussianarms.andmanyofitsheroeshavebeencelebratedinproseandverse,butofdohturovhardlyaword.againdohturovwassenttofominskoe,andfromtheretomaleyyaroslavets,theplacewherethelastbattlewasfoughtwiththefrench,andwhereitisplainthefinaldestructionofthefrencharmyreallybegun.andagainmanyheroesandmenofgeniusaredescribedtousinaccountsofthisperiodofthecampaign,butofdohturovnothingissaid,orbutfewwordsofdubiouspraise.thissilenceinregardtodohturovistheplainesttestimonytohismerits.

itisnaturalthatamanwhodoesnotunderstandtheworkingofamachineshouldsuppose,whenheseesitinaction,thatashavingthathasfallenintoitbychance,andflapsaboutinit,hinderingitsprogress,isthemostimportantpartofthemechanism.anyonewhodoesnotunderstandtheconstructionofthemachinecannotconceivethatthisshavingisonlyingandspoilingit,whilethelittlecog-wheel,whichturnsnoiselessly,isoneofthemostessentialpartsofthemachine.

onthe10thofoctoberdohturovhadmarchedhalfwaytofominskoe,andhaltedatthevillageofaristovo,makingeverypreparationforexactlycarryingouttheordersgivenhim.onthesamedaythewholefrencharmy,afterreachinginitsspasmodicrushasfarasmurat’sposition,seeminglywiththeobjectofgivingbattle,suddenly,withnoapparentcause,turnedofftothelefttothenewkalugaroad,andbeganmarchingintofominskoe,wherebroussierhadbeforebeenalone.dohturovhadunderhiscommandatthetimeonlydorohov’stroopsandthetwosmalldetachmentsoffignerandseslavin.

ontheeveningofthe11thofoctober,seslavincametothegeneralataristovowithafrenchprisoneroftheguards.theprisonersaidthatthetroopsthathadreachedfominskoethatdayweretheadvanceguardofthewholearmy;thatnapoleonwaswiththem;thatthewholearmyhadmarchedoutofmoscowfivedaysbefore.thesameeveningahouse-serfcomingfromborovskbroughtwordthathehadseenanimmensearmyenteringthattown.dorohov’scossacksreportedthattheyhadseenthefrenchguardsmarchingalongtheroadtoborovsk.fromallthisitwasevidentthatwheretheyhadexpectedtofindonedivisiontherewasnowthewholearmyofthefrench,marchingfrommoscowinanunexpecteddirection—alongtheoldkalugaroad.dohturovwasunwillingtotakeanyaction,asitwasnotcleartohimnowwherehisdutylay.hehadreceivedinstructionstoattackfominskoe.buttherehadthenbeenonlybroussieratfominskoe,andnowthewholefrencharmywasthere.yermolovwantedtoactonhisownjudgment,butdohturovinsistedthathemusthaveinstructionsfromhishighnessthecommander-in-chief.itwasresolvedtosendareporttothestaff.

forthispurposetheychoseacapableofficer,bolhovitinov,whowastotakeawrittenreport,andtoexplainthewholematterverbally.atmidnightbolhovitinovreceivedhisdespatchandhisverbalinstructions,andgallopedofftoheadquarters,accompaniedbyacossackwithsparehorses.