rture of
Napoleon, eight days after the capture of Wilna by Kutusoff, in short
when Macdonald commenced his retreat, the Prussian army was still
faithful.

CHAP. VIII.

It was from Wilna, on the 9th of December, that orders were transmitted
to Macdonald, of which a Prussian officer was the bearer, directing him
to retreat slowly upon Tilsit. No care was taken to send these
instructions by different channels. They did not even think of employing
Lithuanians to carry a message of that importance. In this manner the
last army, the only one which remained unbroken, was exposed to the risk
of destruction. An order, which was written at the distance of only four
days' journey from Macdonald, lingered so long on the road, that it was
nine days in reaching him.

The marshal directed his retreat on Tilsit, by passing between Telzs and
Szawlia. Yorck, with the greatest part of the Prussians, forming his
rear-guard, marched at a day's distance from him, in contact with the
Russians, and left entirely to themselves. By some this was regarded as
a great error on the part of Macdonald; but the majority did not venture
to decide, alleging that in a situation so delicate, confidence and
suspicion were alike dangerous.

The latter also said that the French marshal did every thing which
prudence required of him, by retaining with him one of Yorck's
divisions; the other, which was commanded by Massenbach, was under the
direction of the French general Bachelu, and formed the vanguard. The
Prussian army was thus separated into two corps, Macdonald in the
middle, and the one seemed to be a guarantee to him for the other.

At first every thing went on well, although the danger was every where,
in the front, in the rear, and on the flanks; for the grand army of
Kutusoff had already pushed forward three vanguards, on the retreat of
the Duke of Tarentum. Macdonald encountered the first at Kelm, the
second at Piklupenen, and the third at Tilsit. The zeal of the black
hussars and the Prussian dragoons appeared to increase. The Russian
hussars of Ysum were sabred and overthrown at Kelm. On the 27th of
December, at the close of a ten hours' march, these Prussians came in
sight of Piklupenen, and the Russian brigade of Laskow; without stopping
to take breath, they charged, threw it into disorder, and cut off two of
its battalions; next day they retook Tilsit from the Russian commander
Tettenborn.

A letter from Berthier, dated at Anto