e
has since complained, in a printed narrative, that no troop had been
left him to procure the most necessary articles in the surrounding
villages.

The emperor then rode over the field of battle; never did one present so
horrible an appearance. Every thing concurred to make it so; a gloomy
sky, a cold rain, a violent wind, houses burnt to ashes, a plain turned
topsy-turvy, covered with ruins and rubbish, in the distance the sad and
sombre verdure of the trees of the North; soldiers roaming about in all
directions, and hunting for provisions, even in the haversacks of their
dead companions; horrible wounds, for the Russian musket-balls are
larger than ours; silent bivouacs, no singing or story-telling--a gloomy
taciturnity.

Round the eagles were seen the remaining officers and subalterns, and a
few soldiers, scarcely enough to protect the colours. Their clothes had
been torn in the fury of the combat, were blackened with powder, and
spotted with blood; and yet, in the midst of their rags, their misery,
and disasters, they had a proud look, and at the sight of the emperor,
uttered some shouts of triumph, but they were rare and excited; for in
this army, capable at once of analysis and enthusiasm, every one was
sensible of the position of all.

French soldiers are not easily deceived; they were astonished to find so
many of the enemy killed, so great a number wounded, and so few
prisoners, there being not 800 of the latter. By the number of these,
the extent of a victory had been formerly calculated. The dead bodies
were rather a proof of the courage of the vanquished, than the evidence
of a victory. If the rest retreated in such good order, proud, and so
little discouraged, what signified the gain of a field of battle? In
such extensive countries, would there ever be any want of ground for the
Russians to fight on?

As for us, we had already too much, and a great deal more than we were
able to retain. Could that be called conquering it? The long and
straight furrow which we had traced with so much difficulty from Kowno,
across sands and ashes, would it not close behind us, like that of a
vessel on an immense ocean! A few peasants, badly armed, might easily
efface all traces of it.

In fact they were about to carry off, in the rear of the army, our
wounded and our marauders. Five hundred stragglers soon fell into their
hands. It is true that some French soldiers, arrested in this manner,
affected to join these cos