第461章

第461章thewholeofthatday，the25thofaugust，napoleonspent，sohishistoriansrelate，onhorseback，inspectingthelocality，criticisingtheplanssubmittedtohimbyhismarshals，andgivingcommandsinpersontohisgenerals.

theoriginallineoftherussiandisposition，alongthekolotcha，hadbeenbrokenthrough，and，inconsequenceofthetakingoftheshevardinoredoubtonthepreviousday，partofthatline—theleftflank—hadbeendrawnfurtherback.thatpartofthelinehadnotbeenstrengthened，wasnolongerprotectedbytheriver，andmoreopenandlevelgroundlaybeforeit.itwasobvioustoanyman，militaryornon-military，thatitwasthatpartofthelinethatthefrenchshouldattack.onewouldhavethoughtthatnogreatdeliberationwouldbenecessarytoreachthisconclusion；thatallthecareandanxietyoftheemperorandhismarshalswereunnecessary，andthattherewasabsolutelynoneedofthatpeculiarhighdegreeoftalentcalledgenius，whichtheyaresofondofascribingtonapoleon.butthehistorians，whodescribedthebattleafterwards，andthemensurroundingnapoleonatthetime，andhehimself，thoughtotherwise.

napoleonrodeaboutthefield，gazingwithaprofoundairatthecountry，inghisheadapprovinglyordubiouslytohimself，andwithoutcommunicatingtothegeneralsaroundhimtheprofoundchainofreasoningthatguidedhiminhisdecisions，conveyedtothemmerelythefinalconclusionsintheformofcommands.upontheestionbeingmadebydavoust，nowstyleddukeofeckmuhl，forturningtherussianleftflank，napoleonsaidtherewasnoneedtodothis，withoutexplainingwhytherewasnoneed.buttotheproposalofgeneralcompans（whowastoattacktheadvancedearthworks），toleadhisdivisionthroughtheforest，napoleonsignifiedhisassent，althoughtheso-calleddukeofelchingen，thatis，ney，venturedtoobservethattomovetroopsthroughwoodlandisrisky，andmightbreakuptheformationofthedivision.

afterexaminingthenatureofthecountryoppositetheshevardinoredoubt，napoleonponderedalittlewhileinsilenceandpointedtothespotswheretwobatteriesweretobeplacedbythemorrowforactionagainsttherussianfortifications，andthespotswhere，inalinewiththem，thefieldartillerywastobearranged.

aftergivingtheseandothercommands，hewentbacktohisquarters，andthedispositionofthetroopswaswrittendownfromhisdictation.

thisdisposition，ofwhichthefrenchspeakwithenthusiasm，andotherhistorianswithprofoundrespect，consistedofthefollowinginstructions：

“twonewbatteries，tobeplacedduringthenightontheplainoccupiedbythedukeofeckmuhl，willopenfireatdawnonthetwooppositebatteriesoftheenemy.

“atthesametimegeneralpernetti，incommandoftheartilleryofthe1stcorps，withthirtycannonsofcompans’sdivision，andallthehowitzersofdesaixandfriant’sdivision，willmoveforward，openfire，andshowershellsontheenemy’sbattery，againstwhichtherewillbeatonceinaction：

24cannonsoftheartilleryoftheguards，

30cannonsofcompans’sdivision，and

8cannonsoffriantanddesaix’sdivision

—

inall62cannons.

“generalfouché，incommandoftheartilleryofthe3rdcorps，willplaceallthesixteenhowitzersofthe3rdand8thcorpsattheflanksofthebattery，toldofftobombardtheleftfortification，makingfortygunsinallaimedagainstit.

“generalsorbieristobeinreadinesstoadvanceonthewordbeinggiven，withallthehowitzersoftheartilleryoftheguardsagainsteitheroftheenemy’sfortifications.

“duringthecannonadeprinceponiatovskyistoadvancetothevillageinthewood，andtoturntheenemy’sposition.

“generalcompanswillcrossthewoodtogainpossessionofthefirstfortification.